This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, May 1st, 2024.

Later in the program, WFHB News spoke with protesters at Dunn Meadow on Day 1 of Palestine solidarity demonstrations. More in today’s feature report.

Also coming up in the next half hour, “Three Strikes, No Hit” on Better Beware – your weekly consumer watchdog segment on the WFHB Local News. More following today’s feature.

But first, your local headlines:

Monroe County Commissioners

On April 24th at the Monroe County Commissioners meeting Monroe County Climate Resilience Fellow Victoria Seest gave an update on the Monroe County Climate Resilience Plan.

Seest outlined steps moving forward, and explained that the Blue Ribbon Commission will be working on implementing the plan.

Later in the meeting the commissioners read off a proclamation recognizing the importance of Earth Day and the Monroe County Climate Resilience Plan in Monroe County.

The Commissioners held a public hearing on the Jail Feasibility Study on April 29th. The justice study is now publicly available. You can find the full report on the county’s website here.

The next meeting of the Monroe County Commissioners will be held on May 1st.

 Bloomington Board of Public Works

During the April 23rd meeting of the Bloomington Board of Public Works, the board heard a request for an alley closure and metered parking reservation. The request came from Fox Properties for building facade work. Project Engineer for the City Kendall Knoke walked through the request.

Director of the Public Works Department Adam Wason said he recommends approval of the request.

The board approved the request by a unanimous vote. Then, the board heard a resolution regarding the West Second Street Modernization and Safety Improvement Project. Knoke introduced the resolution.

The board approved the resolution 2-0. The Bloomington Board of Public works will meet again on May 6th.

Dunn Meadow Protest Continues Into Day 7

Palestine solidarity protests have continued for seven days at Indiana University’s Dunn Meadow.

Since demonstrations began last Thursday, state police have arrested 57 people. Snipers were spotted on the roof of the student union, a state police helicopter surveilled the demonstration, and both students and faculty received bans from campus.

On Day 7 of the protest, WFHB News spoke with two organizers, Soha and Elena, both students at the university, who chose to only divulge their first names. They said they have been staying at the encampments for the past seven days.

Soha summarized in her own words the purpose of the Dunn Meadow protests, saying it has to do with “disclosure” and “divestment.”

The Indiana State Police arrested over 50 protesters since demonstrations began last Thursday. Soha gave her reaction to the police response to the protest.

Since 1969, Dunn Meadow has been designated as an area to hold public forums for expression on all subjects. Soha described how protesters view the overnight policy change by the university, which she says contradicts historical precedent.

Then, WFHB News spoke with Elena, another organizer of the protest. Elena talked about her experience being banned from campus and challenges that protesters have faced, especially those who live on campus, following the arrests and subsequent trespassing bans.

Elena denounced the university’s response to what she says are peaceful protests. She described the “brute force” used by police, saying she was injured during the demonstrations.

Soha and Elena told WFHB News what they hope will change as a result of the protests, both at the university level but also across the globe.

Looking ahead, Elena explained what the next steps for the protests are and how they hope their demands will be met.

So far, the IU faculty have written a letter to the Board of Trustees calling for the resignation of IU President Pamela Whitten and Provost Rahul Shrivastav.

Other schools within the university such as the College of Arts and Sciences, the Media School and the Jacob’s School of Music have issued statements or letters showing solidarity with the protesters.

After arrests were made, IU President Pamela Whitten wrote in a letter to faculty colleagues, “As we watched similar events unfold on numerous campuses around the country and prepared for today’s rally, we thoughtfully considered the best course of action for IU with the safety of our community being foundational to our decision.”

Up next, “Three Strikes, No Hit” on Better Beware – your weekly consumer watchdog segment on the WFHB Local News. We turn to host and producer Richard Fish for more.

Credits:

This is the WFHB Local News for Tuesday, April 30th, 2024.

Later in the program, demonstrators gathered at Dunn Meadow to protest Indiana University’s financial relationship with Israel amid its war on Palestine. More in today’s feature report.

Also coming up in the next half hour, Lil Bub’s Lil Show – a co-production between WFHB and Lil Bub’s Big Fund.

But first, your local headlines.

Monroe County Community School Corporation

During public comment at the Monroe County Community School Corporation Board Meeting on April 23rd, parents spoke in opposition to the resolution to merge Templeton and Child’s Elementary Schools.

Katey Buress spoke, saying that some parents are worried that students with an Individualized Education Plan are not going to be supported during the merger.

M-C-C-S-C English Teacher and Member of the Monroe County Education Assembly, or the M-C-E-A, the teacher’s union Paul Rhodes spoke on the amendment to Bylaw 135 and expressed support for reinstating the Union’s ability to discuss with employers during the decision making process.

The board voted on an amendment to Bylaw 135, to Meet and Confer for School Employees Exclusive Representatives and Discussion Rights.

Board President April Hennessey said this was a difficult decision to make, but that she will vote yes on the amendment to support the teacher’s union.

Board Member Erin Cooperman touched on the policy that prohibits teachers from speaking directly to the board.

Hennessey explained that the reason teachers are not allowed to speak directly to the board is to empower the union, but that the board is open to discussing this policy more in the future.

Board Member Cathy Fuentes-Rohwer added that the policy is to ensure that the board gives the teachers the opportunity to democratically come to a decision, rather than hearing from a handful of teachers.

The board voted to amend Bylaw 135 with a vote of 5-1, the amendment passed.

Next, the board voted to approve the merger between Child’s Elementary and Templeton Elementary schools.

Superintendent Jeff Hauswald answered some questions that the board has had about the merger.

The board voted to approve the resolution to converge the two elementary schools, with Board Member Ross Grimes abstaining.

The next Monroe County Community School Corporation Board Meeting will be held on May 21st.

Protests Continue Monday at Dunn Meadow

On Monday, demonstrators gathered at Dunn Meadow to protest Indiana University’s financial relationship with Israel amid its war on Palestine. Spokesperson for the IU Divestment Coalition Bryce Greene spoke to the crowd into a megaphone.

Then, Jeffrey Isaac, professor in political science at IU, brought up the vote of no confidence against IU President Pamela Whitten calling it “unprecedented.” He called out Whitten’s approach to the situation.

Matthew Rodriguez, a graduate student at Indiana University, addressed the police presence at the Dunn Meadow protest.

Protesters say they will continue their efforts until their demands are met. According to the IU Divestment Coalition’s Instagram, their demands include: the end of the university’s partnership with the Crane Naval Base, the resignation of IU administrators Pamela Whitten, Rahul Shrivastav, and Carrie Docherty, financial transparency and divestment from Israel and adherence to BDS, which stands for ‘boycott, divestment and sanctions.’

Up next, Lil Bub’s Lil Show – a co-production between WFHB and Lil Bub’s Big Fund. We now turn to that segment on the WFHB Local News.

Credits:

 This is the WFHB Local News for Monday, April 29th, 2024.

Later in the program, WFHB Correspondent Annika Harshbarger gives us a rundown of protests at Dunn Meadow over the course of the last few days. More in today’s feature report.

That’s Ryne Shadday from the Bloomington-Monroe County Human Rights Commission. Find out what kind of complaints come in and what they do about them later in the show on a new episode of Activate! But first, your daily headlines.

IU Divestment Coalition Hosts Press Conference

On Monday morning, the IU Divestment Coalition held a press conference about the recent protests in support of the people of Gaza.

The press conference took place on the sidewalk on 7th Street above Dunn Meadow — the location where demonstrators have been protesting for several days. In riot gear, the Indiana State Police arrested dozens of protesters late last week, including both students and faculty of the university.

In a statement released on Friday, the ISP said, “At approximately 12:20 p.m. today, uniformed officers from Indiana University Police Department and Indiana State Police approached the group in Dunn Meadow and gave a series of six verbal warnings to remove the structures. At approximately 12:35 p.m. individuals who refused to remove their structures from university property were detained and removed.”

IU President Pamela Whitten and Provost Rahul Shrivastav put out a statement on Sunday saying, “our commitment to free speech is—and must continue to be—unwavering. Everyone has the right to peacefully rally or protest on our campus, and we will do our best to ensure that everyone can exercise these rights in a safe environment. Free speech on our campus will never be impeded. There have been no changes to the opportunities and rights for free expression on campus.”

Bryce Greene, a spokesperson from the IU Divestment Coalition, responded to a question from a reporter pointing out factual inaccuracies from Whitten’s statement.

In Whitten’s statement, she said, “this movement also coincides with a troubling rise in antisemitism nationally and on college campuses. Specifically, antisemitic episodes have been linked to this national encampment campaign. It was in this unique context that we appointed the ad hoc committee and charged them to modernize our protocols for the presence of overnight structures in Dunn Meadow to address this contemporary issue.”

The IU Divestment Coalition addressed allegations of antisemitism or hate speech from the Whitten letter and from ISP Superintendent Doug Carter.

Greene listed the demands of the IU Divestment coalition saying it begins with disclosure of the university’s relationship with Israel’s war on Hamas.

Greene is a second year PhD student in Informatics. He was arrested on Saturday in connection with the protest. Greene said he’s facing one misdemeanor of trespassing and a five year ban from campus.

Meanwhile, Bloomington Mayor Kerry Thomson released a video statement on Facebook saying she supports freedom of speech and that the Bloomington Police Department has not been involved in policing the protests.

On Sunday, Thomson issued an apology and, “commitment to do better” after she said her original statement was “less than clear.”

Feature Report:

In today’s feature report, WFHB Correspondent Annika Harshbarger gives us a rundown of protests at Dunn Meadow over the course of the last few days. We turn to Harshbarger for more.

If you experience discrimination in Bloomington, the Human Rights Commission may be able to help. Last year the city HRC and the county HRC merged into a single entity that investigates complaints of discrimination against protected classes. Both the city and county have extended protection beyond what is federally required, to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Commission president Ryne Shadday is our guest this week on a new episode of Activate!, coming your way right now on the WFHB Local News.

Credits:

This is the WFHB Local News for Thursday, April 25th, 2024.

Later in the program, WFHB Correspondents Kate Chmielewski and Annika Harshbarger will be live in the studio discussing how you can support the station during our Spring Fund Drive. More in the bottom half of our program.

Also coming up in the next half hour, WFHB Correspondent Kay Weinberg reported on a rally this morning at the Indiana University Dunn Meadow.

That’s coming up next on the WFHB Local News:

Up next, WFHB Correspondent Kay Weinberg reported on a rally this morning at the Indiana University Dunn Meadow where demonstrators called out the university’s ties to Israel amid its ongoing war with Hamas. We turn now to that coverage on the WFHB Local News.

About 150 people gathered with tents, canopies, and drums at Indiana University’s Dunn Meadow this morning, establishing a protest encampment in response to Indiana University’s ties to Israel, in light of the ongoing genocide in Gaza. We talked to a spokesperson of the encampment about their goals and experiences.

We were interrupted initially by IU administrators and IUPD officers, who walked through the camp handing out leaflets alleging the protest was illegal, though encampment organizers argue that this claim goes against standard IU policy, and that the encampment will only begin to violate the rules beginning at 11pm. Palestine solidarity organizers at IU have faced continual threats and harassment from the administration, including the suspension of tenured faculty member Abdulkader Sinno, the faculty advisor for the IU student group Palestine Solidarity Committee. As of reporting, dozens of student activists at the encampment are being threatened with arrest by a mix of IUPD, BDP, and Indiana state patrol officers.

Credits:

This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, April 24th, 2024.

Later in the program, Limestone Post Reporter Becky Hill and Photographer Benedict Jones will be live in the studio during WFHB’s Spring Fund Drive. More in today’s feature report.

Also coming up in the next half hour, we will revisit an episode of Deep Dive penned by Hill and photographed by Jones.

That’s coming up next on the WFHB Local News:

In today’s feature report, we rebroadcast a report on Indiana’s power grid from Deep Dive: WFHB and Limestone Post Investigate. We turn now to that archived report during WFHB’s Spring Fund Drive.

Now we turn to the second half of the Deep Dive episode looking into Indiana’s power grid – how it works, how it’s outdated and renewable alternatives the state could explore to transition into more sustainable forms of energy.

Credits:

This is the WFHB Local News for Tuesday, April 23rd, 2024.

Later in the program, WFHB Correspondents Kelsey Pease and Elyse Perry will be live in the studio during our Spring Fund Drive. More throughout today’s newscast.

In today’s feature report, WFHB Correspondent Kelsey Pease went to the Adult Winter Recess and spoke with attendees. We turn now to that report.

Up next, we turn to an archived report from WFHB Correspondent Elyse Perry. We turn to Perry for more.

Credits:

This is the WFHB Local News for Monday, April 22nd, 2024.

Later in the program, local journalist Dave Askins of the B Square Bulletin reads an item from his weekly newsletter on the WFHB Local News. More in today’s feature report.

That’s Jenny Tracy from Bloomington’s American Legion Auxiliary Unit. She needs help supporting local families of National Guard soldiers. Hear more later in the show on a new episode of Activate!

But first, your daily headlines:

Monroe County Commissioners

At the Monroe County Commissioners meeting on April 17th, Sheriff Department Jail Transition Director Cory Grass gave an update on the Jail Transition Team, and shared highlights from the facilities they toured.

Commissioner Julie Thomas followed up after his presentation on the jail facility tours, and asked Grass to explain what else he has been doing.

Grass responded.

Later in the meeting, the Commissioners heard a request from Highway Department Director Lisa Ridge to award the 2024 Community Crossing Grant Paving Projects to Milestone Contractors. Ridge also shared which roads will be renovated.

Commission Julie Thomas thanked Ridge and the Highway Department for their work, and commented that the West side of the county will be busy with road work this summer.

The 2024 Community Crossing Grant Project Bid awarded to Milestone Contractors was approved unanimously.

The next Monroe County Commissioners meeting will be held on April 24th.

Feature Report:

In today’s feature report, local journalist Dave Askins of the B Square Bulletin reads an item from his weekly newsletter for the WFHB Local News. We turn to Askins for more.

Veteran service organizations have a problem: their volunteer pool is aging out. Not enough younger volunteers are signing up to replace the older volunteers who are retiring. Jenny Tracy discovered this problem at the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 18 in Bloomington when she went there looking for help while her husband was deployed. Now she pays it forward by supporting local National Guard families and recruiting the next generation of service volunteers. There’s a fundraiser coming up on May 11th at the American Legion Post on West Third Street. Jenny Tracy is our guest this week on a new episode of Activate!, coming your way right now on the WFHB Local News.

Credits:

This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, April 17th, 2024.

Later in the program, WFHB features perspectives from the Indiana Graduate Workers’ Coalition. More in today’s feature report.

Also coming up in the next half hour, “Time To Not Share” on Better Beware – your weekly consumer watchdog segment on the WFHB Local News.

But first, your local headlines:

Up next, we turn to WFHB News Anchor Jim Odom for the most recent coverage of the Monroe County Council which covers the state jail inspection.

WFHB News spoke with graduate workers picketing outside the meeting in support of faculty. These grad workers are now participating in a three day strike which has canceled hundreds of classes and substantially shut down campus today.

Then, today over 150 graduate workers were picketing outside Ballantine Hall – WFHB News Correspondent Elyse Perry speaks with two members of the Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition at the picket line. We turn now to that interview on the WFHB Local News.

That was Strike Mic on the WFHB Local News, bringing you to the frontlines of the grad workers strike. Stay tuned to the WFHB Local News for more coverage of the strike.

Up next, “Time To Not Share” on Better Beware – your weekly consumer watchdog segment on the WFHB Local News. We turn to host and producer Richard Fish.

This is the WFHB Local News for Monday, April 15th, 2024.

Later in the program, WFHB News Correspondent Kelsey Pease provides a roundup of the latest Monroe County Board of Commissioners meeting. More in today’s headlines.

That’s Michelle Moss, Bloomington Volunteer Network Coordinator, here to announce the 2024 winners of the Be More Awards. We celebrate people working for positive change in our community later in the show on a new episode of Activate!

But first, your daily headlines:

Bloomington City Council

On April 10th during the Bloomington City Council meeting, City Clerk Nicole Bolden introduced a resolution expressing support for the Bloomington Public Transportation Corporation regarding a 35 million dollar grant application.

The grant dollars would be used to design and construct a climate resilient, administrative, operations and maintenance complex. General Manager of B-P-T-C John Connell walked through why he wants the city council’s support for the grant application.

Grants and Procurement Specialist for BPTC Zac Huneck discussed ongoing projects and made a case why he believes city councilors should support the resolution.

City Council President Isabel Piedmont-Smith asked how much the grant would be for, and what the local match would look like. Huneck responded that B-P-T-C is seeking 35 million dollars in federal funds and nearly 7 million dollars in local funds.

Council Member Hopi Stosberg questioned if B-P-T-C has already selected a site for the new proposed complex. Huneck said that they are still in the process of narrowing down a location.

Council Member Rollo agreed with Flaherty saying he supports the climate friendly nature of the resolution.

The council voted 8-0 in support of the resolution with Council Member Andy Ruff absent. The Bloomington City Council will meet again on April 7th.

Feature Report:

Up next, WFHB News Correspondent Kelsey Pease provides a roundup of the latest Monroe County Board of Commissioners meeting. We turn to Pease for more.

In today’s feature report, local journalist Dave Askins of the B Square Bulletin reads an item from his weekly newsletter for the WFHB Local News. We turn to Askins for more.

Bloomington is teeming with people working for positive change in our community. The annual Be More Awards celebrates them. The 2024 awards will be presented next Thursday April 25th in a public event at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. The ceremony starts at 6:30pm or you could go a little early for the meet-and-greet. Bloomington Volunteer Network Coordinator Michelle Moss is ready to announce the winners right now on a new episode of Activate!, coming up next on the WFHB Local News.

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