Elections for U.S. Representatives in Indiana will be held on November 3, 2020, for the 9 districts of the state to represent. Since these elections will run into the U.S. presidential elections and others for the Country, Indiana has been looking closely into the people running for these positions.

Indiana’s 9th district includes counties in south-central Indiana like, Brown, Clark, Floyd, Harrison, Jackson, Johnson, Lawrence, Monroe, Orange, and Washington. Currently representing this district is Republican Trey Hollingsworth.

Activist, Veteran and Democrat Dale William Dorris will be running for 9th district representative along with the other 4 nominees.

Dorris was born in Evansville, Indiana and graduated from North High School in Bloomington. He went on to college and then served four years on active duty in the US Marine Corps. He has also earned a vocational education in the STEM discipline of Metrology, working in many different industries, and has volunteered for multiple presidential campaigns.

As a working-class representative, Dorris expresses in his campaign, issues such as availability of healthcare for all, fair wages for the working class, and easier access to higher education. He explains on his political webpage that, “To negotiate with our health is an absolute outrage” stating his concern for healthcare debts.

He also shows his support for Senator Sanders’ Medicare for All Act and the Green New Deal, a plan to decrease the effects of climate change, and his support for a constitutional amendment in light of the issue of bribed politicians that will, “efficiently overturn Citizens United by clearly declaring that artificial entities, such as corporations, aren’t people."

Dorris openly supports candidates such as Bernie Sanders, for President and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other Democratic candidates for Congress. The democratic nominee states that if elected, he plans to work with progressives and any representatives refusing corporate PAC money.

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Brandon Hood is running for Congress in the 9th District as a Democrat. Dressed in a white-and-black suit and tie on the steps at city hall, he held a press conference to get the word out about his congressional run.

Hood said he’s a working man, and he believes that sets him apart from his other Democratic challengers.

He said he represents the public more so than the incumbent Trey Hollingsworth. He said he wants to invite voters of all economic backgrounds to support his campaign.

Hood said the day-to-day has been busy. He has been running a do-it-yourself campaign. At his press conference, there were only a few people present. There was an iPhone on a tri-pod shooting footage for a livestream at city hall.

He wants to create an inclusive campaign -- reaching out to those are pushed to the margins. All in all, he feels a broad coalition of voters, including those who aren’t often included in the political process, would help him beat Trey Hollingsworth.

Hood remains confident in the future of his campaign. He wants to stay realistic, but he says he thinks his campaign can win the Democratic primary.

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Reverend Mark J. Powell is one of the five Democratic candidates running for election to the U.S. House to represent Indiana’s 9th Congressional District in the Democratic primary against the incumbent Republican Trey Hollingsworth.

Pastor Powell previously served in the Republican Party in Illinois, Kansas, and Michigan.

Currently a committee member of Johnson County Democratic precinct, Powell was a vocal opponent to Republican party leaders last spring, when former Johnson County Prosecutor Bradley Cooper pleaded guilty to domestic violence allegations towards his wife, and, as Powell stated,

Elections for U.S. Representatives in Indiana will be held on November 3, 2020, for the 9 districts of the state to represent. Since these elections will run into the U.S. presidential elections and others for the Country, Indiana has been looking closely into the people running for these positions. Indiana’s 9th district includes counties in …

Photo courtesy of CT Mirror.

* Monroe County Community School Cooperation and Richland Bean Blossom Community School Corporation have plans in case of school closure due to the coronavirus. MCCSC at home lesson plans vary by grade. Kindergarten through second will complete at home packets with electronic updates as needed. Grades third through twelfth prepared by taking their school issued devices home to check internet connectivity. Their lesson plans and lectures will be provided through Canvas. Teachers will be available online, through Canvas, during school hours to interact with the students. Students with disabilities can expect specialized learning packets, as well as Canvas and Unique Learning System materials.R-B-B schools will follow regular eLearning day practices. All teachers will be available during school hours via phone or email. Accommodations will be made for students without home internet connection.

* The Bloomington Commission of Sustainability discussed three strategic goal working groups during their March tenth meeting.  Commission member Joe Neukam said the waste reduction group reviewed a strategic plan from Boston. Commissioner Pam Weaver presented the difference between B-corporations and Benefit Corporations for sustainable businesses.Weaver said a Limited Liability Company cannot be a benefit corporation. She said small businesses face some difficulties.Weaver said the sustainable business groups considering incentives for small businesses to join the B-corporation. She also spoke about county R-4 Zoning. She said the U-D-O group will suggest R-4 Zones by next month.

* Ellettsville Town Council discussed Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton’s local income tax increase during their March ninth meeting. Council member William Ellis said Ellettsville does NOT have fair representation.Council member Scott Oldham said the tax ratification process is the largest issue. He explained voting representation.Ellis said the tax increase would heavily affect the poor, especially employees working just over minimum wage.Council member Pamela Samples said the Ellettsville council members need to protect taxpayers. She said lives would be disturbed for people living on social security. Ellis said Mayor Hamilton wants the tax increase passed by June.

* As reports of the coronavirus continue to increase, all IU campuses will be taught remotely for two weeks following spring break. For more on the coronavirus, we turn to WFHB Correspondent Jasmine White.

FEATURE: Now it’s time for today’s feature report. Meet the Democratic Congressional Candidates for the 9th District in today’s feature. Several WFHB Correspondents worked together to produce this feature report.

Today's Anchors: Scott Weddle and Jordyn Jammer.

Today’s headlines were written by Jasmine White and Sydney Foreman in partnership with CATS, Community Access Television Services.

Our features were produced by Katrine Bruner, Braydyn Lents, Alex Dederer and Kade Young.

Our engineer today is Dan Withered.

Our theme music is provided by Mark Bingham and the Social Climbers.

Our executive producer is Kade Young.

Monroe County Community School Cooperation and Richland Bean Blossom Community School Corporation have plans in case of school closure due to the coronavirus. MCCSC at home lesson plans vary by grade. Kindergarten through second will complete at home packets with electronic updates as needed. Grades third through twelfth prepared by taking their school issued devices …

Welcome to the WFHB Local News for March 6th, 2020. Here are your local headlines.

Photo courtesy of the City of Bloomington.

* Bloomington City Council discussed the Arlington Drive zoning ordinance and preliminary plat during their March Fourth meeting. Senior Zoning Planner Eric Greulich said the proposed developments includes single family homes, duplexes, townhomes, and multifamily housing. He said heavily vegetated parts of the development will be preserved as environmental conservation.Greulich said the developer is giving 45, build ready, single family lots to the city. He said the developed area would contain 387 units total. He spoke about street connectivity.He said petitioners have committed to a transit agreement with Bloomington transit for daily shuttle services. Council member Matt Flaherty proposed a reasonable condition about potential transit renegotiations.Council members approved the reasonable condition. Council members also approved conditions for town homes to follow street curvature, to increase electrical vehicle charging stations, utilize parallel parking over perpendicular parking, and intermixing of townhomes and cottages. Council members unanimously approved the preliminary plat with reasonable conditions.

Photo courtesy of the Business of Federal Technology.

* The Monroe County Election Board discussed unique voting circumstances at their March fifth meeting. Board member Hal Turner questioned how people would vote in the events of a pandemic. Browne said options are available to vote from home. He said hand sanitizer will be available at the entrance and exit of each voting site.

Photo courtesy of Elletsville.

* Ellettsville Plan Commission approved a Richland Senior Housing development plan extension during their March fifth meeting. Planer Kevin Tolloty said the development would include four one story buildings for seniors, ages 62 and up. He said the developer requested three wavers.The petitioner from Ally Affordable Housing said a pedestrian trail is planned to connect the development to town. She said constructing sidewalks on the existing street slopes would be a safety concern.Town Engineer Rick Coppock (Cop-ick) said residents would have to walk a 12-foot drop from the development to sidewalks on North Mathews Drive. He said sidewalk construction would cause drainage issues.

Commissioners approved the plan and waiver for North Mathews Drive sidewalks. The petitioner said development completion is projected for January of 2022.

(Photo courtesy of Flickr).

* The Bloomington Board of Public Works approved a 6-month closure of Lower Cascades Road for a pedestrian travel trial period starting March 13th.Director of Parks and Recreation Paula McDevitt said Q-R codes posted at both trail entrances would be linked to an online survey. She said closure was chosen for this time of year to collect peak season usage data. Community member Greg Alexander said the trail lacks pedestrian connectivity. Also, community member Janet Nickels had concerns about alternate routes for emergency vehicles.McDevitt said all emergency services are aware of the project and have alternative routes. Signage will warn drivers of the street closure. Questions and concerns should be directed to the City Parks Department or City Department of Public Works.

Photo courtesy of Nature Conservancy.

* The Indiana General Assembly is moving forward on a bill to de-regulate Indiana’s wetlands. WFHB Junior Correspondent Katrine Bruner has more on the story.

Feature Reports:

* WFHB Correspondent Cynthia Roberts-Hall interviewed Yanet Pumareiga and Dariel Quintana, both Third Secretaries to the Cuban Embassy in Washington, D.C. This is part two of the series.

* WFHB Junior Correspondent Braydyn Lents interviews Marqube Reese,

Welcome to the WFHB Local News for March 6th, 2020. Here are your local headlines. Bloomington City Council discussed the Arlington Drive zoning ordinance and preliminary plat during their March Fourth meeting. Senior Zoning Planner Eric Greulich said the proposed developments includes single family homes, duplexes, townhomes, and multifamily housing. He said heavily vegetated parts …

The three largest providers of mental health care in America aren't in hospitals, they’re in jails. According to a 2017 report from the U.S. Department of Justice, about 37 percent of people in prison have a history of mental health problems. More than 24 percent have been previously diagnosed with major depressive disorder, 17 percent with bipolar disorder, 13 percent with a personality disorder, and 12 percent with post-traumatic stress disorder. The sad thing is that the numbers are even higher for people in jail, where one-third have been previously diagnosed with major depressive disorder and almost one-quarter with bipolar disorder.

Alisa Roth is a mental health correspondent for Minnesota Public Radio and author of Insane: America’s Criminal Treatment of Mental Illness where she explored prisons all over the country and explains what she saw with the mental health patients there.

In 2018, Roth spoke in an interview on National Public Radio (NPR) for an episode about mental illness in prisons. In the interview, she explained many of the issues that she saw in the prisons, including recognition of mental health in prisoners, punishment, and law enforcement.

According to Roth, once people who are mentally ill go behind bars, they can go long periods without any medication. In the jail systems, Roth said, “Half of the people in our jails have a mental illness.”  However, she remarks that the statistics in the criminal justice system are very poor and the definition of mental illness is not often clear.

In relation to mental health issues that arise when people aren’t given the correct amount of medicine or any medicine in some cases, this can lead to violence and intense punishment for the prisoners. Ross explains that the training for a correctional officer is a lot about maintaining control and escalating when prisoners do not comply with their orders. She goes on to explain how this is a whole different scenario for someone mentally ill.

“For a person with a mental illness, particularly one who’s paranoid this is absolutely terrifying, I mean its terrifying for anyone it's intended to be frightening, but for a person with mental illness it's incomprehensibly terrifying and so the result is often that the person with mental illness responds in exactly the opposite fashion so by lashing out or fighting back, and so this leads to a cycle of escalation when really what you want to be happening is de-escalation.” She says.

Roth also explains what the punishment is for prisoners who do not correctly obey orders or act out. In extreme cases, prisoners are sent to solitary confinement. Roth speaks on what this does to people with mental health issues.

She explained, “When people can’t follow the rules because they can’t understand them or because their paranoia makes them think that following the rules is  going to get them hurt, the punishment is solitary confinement which basically means being shut in a window-less room by yourself 23 hours a day and it can make people who are sane completely mentally ill but for somebody with mental illness, it's absolutely devastating.”

Roth also describes in other cases when prisoners are caught in a suicide attempt or self-harm saying, “One of the other things that we see often is that someone will try to hurt themselves either an actual suicide attempt or a self suicide attempt and then people will be punished… or they will be punished for state property for tearing a sheet to tie it into a noose.”

In terms of therapy in jails in prisons, Roth argues that there is not enough consistency or privacy for prisoners to get the care that they need, especially for mentally ill prisoners.

She says, “Even more detrimental to the therapy in jails and prisons is the lack of intimacy.. the lack of consistency… it's not just that you're yelling throug...

The three largest providers of mental health care in America aren’t in hospitals, they’re in jails. According to a 2017 report from the U.S. Department of Justice, about 37 percent of people in prison have a history of mental health problems. More than 24 percent have been previously diagnosed with major depressive disorder, 17 percent …

Maqube Reese has been a symbol for the Bloomington community for years, from her days at Stepping Stones, to the seat at city hall promoting Black History Month, to currently working at I.U.’s Kelley School of Business as the assistant director of diversity initiatives. 

Last Saturday, she was given the city of Bloomington’s Outstanding Black Leaders of Tomorrow award at the Woolery Mill’s annual Black History Month Gala. 

Reese said she was still shocked as she just learned the news of receiving the award. 

She was appreciative of the safe space that the Woolery Mill provided for all African American individuals to be recognized. 

“Knowing that these are different spaces for black and brown people to be recognized," said Brown, "it’s part of recognizing these people in the community.”

She made a deep rooted impact in her community in many ways, but one way she made a difference was for herself. Building relationships and taking chances boosted her self confidence.

Her civil accomplishments in her work made way to create true adjustments in a 70% white community in Bloomington, but to her, knowing what is not talked about to a mainly small African American group of people is what she counts on the most. 

Reese said, “Community engagement, all about trusting the process, and being fully engaged, listening to people. Anger is something we shouldn’t express, you are supposed to be angry at injustice, listening to people, and its different ways of listening. 

Multiple times she named her family members and her mentors for helping her succeed in life, and to reach a new volume in all the work she has put in.

“My mentors have given back to me, empowering my voice, and people’s voices sound different," she said. "The ways I do it are different from other people, there are multiple ways to advocate.” 

Looking deep into a person is what woke her up the most, seeing how different sets of people interact: white, black, or brown. She noticed they needed to be treated as our neighbors, not our own worst enemies. 

“All about the individual, I have experienced being a Christian, both of my parents, I feel that it is not a reward, it is a part of the human race is about identifying, and seeing what we can do to help one another and to help each other." She said, "I do this because it is a part of my ecosystem, and if someone in my ecosystem is not supported it affects me, whether I see it or not. Seeing people evaluate individuals as neighbors, it can support moving forward. 

To Reese, the relationship between progress and injustice is everything. Losing her parents at a young age and being from a rough side of Fort Wayne really gave her a new sun to shine across. 

“I give credit to my community, because I am from Fort Wayne, Indiana (born on the southside), both of my parents died when I was young, and I was raised as the youngest of 13 children." She said, "What I will tell people is that I am from a large family, and that is where I get all of my passion from, I have 9 brothers and 3 sisters, they love me so much, and that is why I have my successes especially in the community."

Maqube Reese shows that she has proven herself through all the odds, trauma, and success. However, she is still looking on the bright side, waiting to be the change to an ever evolving world.

 

 

Marqube Reese has been a symbol for the Bloomington community for years, from her days at Stepping Stones, to the seat at city hall promoting Black History Month, to currently working at I.U.’s Kelley School of Business as the assistant director of diversity initiatives.  Last Saturday, she was given the city of Bloomington’s Outstanding Black …