By Nathaniel Weinzapfel

“When the people rise up, the power comes down," chant demonstrators at a recent protest from the nation-wide climate change organization called the Sunrise Movement.

Launched in 2017, the Sunrise Movement was founded to, “shift the Overton window on climate policy” and promote strong environmental policies such as the Green New Deal. The movement organizes multiple protests for this cause and has many hubs throughout the country, including in Bloomington, Indiana.

Sunrise Movement protest from 2019 calling for Democratic Senators and Representatives to support the Green New Deal. (Photo courtesy of Steve Ahlquist from Upriseri.com)

Sunrise Bloomington member Alyson Alde, a student at Indiana University studying Environmental Health, recently spoke with WFHB to help better explain what the Sunrise Movement is and how the Bloomington movement differs:

“The sunrise movement is a nationwide movement led by climate activists. And our goals are to promote sustainability and climate justice. Specifically for our Bloomington hub, we have the goal right now to encourage IU to disclose how much they have invested in fossil fuels, to divest and then to reinvest into sustainable organizations," says Alde.

Informational pamphlet concerning the goals of Sunrise Bloomington displayed on the homepage of their website (Photo courtesy of Sunrise Bloomington)

As Alyson stated, Sunrise Bloomington seeks to have Indiana University “Disclose, Divest, and Reinvest” and Alyson provides an understanding of what that means.

“Indiana University is a public institution. Where their investments are, is not public information. So our first demand is to disclose. So we want Indiana University to disclose how much money they have invested in fossil fuels. Once we've reached that goal. Our next goal is to demand that Indiana University divest from any fossil fuel industries, and then with that money that they have divested we want them to reinvest into sustainable companies and sustainable organizations rather than organizations that are causing the destruction of our planet," said Alde.

Over the past few years, Sunrise Bloomington and other organizations have sought to have meetings with the Indiana University Foundation to help further their cause. Alyson explained what purpose the meetings hold in the overall goals of Sunrise Bloomington:

“With our meetings we are hoping to meet with the IU Foundation. And by we I don't just mean the sunrise movement, Bloomington hub. I mean the entire community, the IU community, the Bloomington community, the Indiana community. We want to have an open dialogue with the IU foundation to make sure that the money that we pay with our tuition is going to sustainable organizations rather than to fossil fuel industries. And we want that conversation to be an open and public conversation," she said.

Back in October, the Indiana University Foundation and Sunrise Bloomington had actually organized a face-to-face meeting to discuss these goals. However, the meeting was cancelled by the IU Foundation due Sunrise’s call for the meeting to be public and for the community to participate. Sunrise was motivated by the need for transparency, with IU hoping for a more private meeting. Despite this setback, Alyson is hopeful for a future meeting:

“I think that the Indiana University Foundation, based off what they're saying publicly about their goals for sustainability. I think that they are taking the climate crisis seriously. And the next step to prove to us that they are taking the climate crisis seriously is to divest from fossil fuels," said Alde.

Protests have occurred multiple times over the years to hold Indiana University accountable for their effect on the climate. Shown here are IU students protesting last spring to make the Universi...

This is the WFHB Local News for Monday, November 22nd, 2021.

Later in the program, WFHB Correspondent Nathaniel Weinzapfel speaks with Alyson Alde, a member of the environmental activist group, Sunrise Bloomington, to better understand what they hope to achieve and how optimistic they are for the future. More in today’s feature report.

Also coming up in the next half hour, state lawmakers will reconvene before the end of the month to potentially end the state’s public health order and make it more difficult for employers to require the Covid-19 vaccine. More in today’s headlines.

Monroe County Commissioners Provide Sobering Update on Covid-19

Photo courtesy of University of Michigan.

On November 17th at the Monroe County Commissioners meeting, Board of Health Director Penny Caudill gave a sobering update on Covid-19 cases in Monroe County.

"What is probably most disturbing to me is that this is the 17th of November, and we have had over 11 deaths this month alone at almost one a day," said Caudill.

She said the Board of Health will be meeting to discuss how to address the rise in Covid-19 cases.

Commissioner Penny Githens responded that community members should get their flu shots to limit the number of people going to the hospital.

"I need to remind folks to please get their flu shots because one of the things we can't have both COVID and flu overtaking our health care system," said Commissioner Githens. "People need to be able to have surgeries and other care when they need it, and we don't need to see that again. We can stop this."

The next Board of Commissioners meeting will be on December 1st.

Bloomington City Council Discusses Humane Pet Shop Ordinance

On November 17th the Bloomington City Council Committee of the whole discussed the Humane Pet Shop Ordinance to address the issues with commercial pet shops to prevent cat and dog mills where the animals are kept in inhumane conditions.

Indiana State Director at The Humane Society of the United States Samantha Morton explained how city ordinances can help communities ensure more humane conditions for cats and dogs.

"So you may know that puppy mills are a big issue here in Indiana," said Morton, "and over the years at the Humane Society of the United States, we have connected the sale of dogs and cats at pet stores to inhumane puppy mills."

Council member Isabel Piedmont-Smith presented the ordinance changes and explained how the ordinance would address cat and puppy mills by eliminating the market for them.

"The problem is that dogs and cats sold in pet shops are often sourced from puppy or kitten mills, where conditions are inhumane," said Piedmont-Smith. "These ordinances have been a strong tool in trying to stem the proliferation of these mills in order to cut the pipeline basically, so that there are fewer places that would actually purchase from the mills."

She said that the current Consumer Protection Requirements are insufficient to tackle the problem. She explained the ordinance would be effective by January 1st, 2023 to give pet shops time to change their business model, and shared that the Humane Society provides marketing assistance to help pet shops with the transition.

Council member Susan Sandberg added that the community has asked for changes like this to take place, and she feels confident this ordinance fairly allows businesses enough time to come into compliance with the new regulations.

"This has been a long time in the vetting process as for the members of the community that have approached the council to sponsor this ordinance, and so I do believe we have given it great thought we have vetted all t...

This is the WFHB Local News for Thursday, November 18th, 2021.

Later in the program, we have the November edition of Civic Conversations - a monthly podcast collaboration between WFHB and the League of Women Voters of Bloomington and Monroe County. In today’s episode, host Jim Allison speaks with Indiana Congressman Lee Hamilton, about the current status of our democracy. More in today’s feature report.

Also coming up in the next half hour, we provide a rundown of all the latest news on the state level.

That’s coming up next in your Statehouse Roundup:

GOP Senator Mike Braun faces accusations that he illegally loaned his 2018 campaign millions of dollars from his company.

The accusations come after a Federal Elections Commission memorandum and draft audit last week, according to a report by the Indy Star.

State Democrats claim that Braun, “broke the law and stole a United States seat in 2018.”

In 2018, Braun ran against then-Senator Joe Donnelly in a tight race. At the time, Braun’s ability to self-finance his campaign was viewed as an advantage.

Since that election, no Democrat has held statewide office in Indiana.

Braun denies that his campaign did anything improper. His campaign responded to the FEC that all the loan contributions were made legally.

According to state health officials, four out of ten Indiana adults are not fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

***

On Friday, the Indiana State Department of Health reported that nearly 60 percent of Indiana residents ages 18 and older are fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the Joe Biden Administration has announced it will require a vaccine mandate for all state and local governments and businesses with over one hundred employees.

The vaccine mandate would apply to Indiana. However, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita announced he would file a lawsuit in the Seventh Circuit Court of appeals against the federal government over the vaccine mandate for large employers.

Rokita said in a statement last Thursday, “This is a direct attack on states’ rights. This is a direct attack on individual liberties and freedom and it’s an overreach of the federal government.”

Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb says that he supports the lawsuit. Holcomb directed the Indiana Department of Labor to work together with Rokita on the lawsuit.

In a statement, Holcomb said, “While I agree that the vaccine is the tool that will best protect against Covid-19, this federal government approach is unprecedented and will bring about harmful, unintended consequences in the supply chain and the workforce.”

If proven successful against the lawsuit, workers would have until January 4th of next year to get vaccinated or deal with weekly testing.

***

Earlier this week, the Indiana Democratic Party announced that it wants to legalize recreational cannabis.

The idea of cannabis reform becomes increasingly more relevant as neighboring states Illinois and Michigan have legalized recreational marijuana.

Meanwhile, Indiana residents flock to nearby states to buy legal pot. According to a WTHR report - on a business day in February of last year - 19 of the 26 vehicles parked outside a dispensary in Niles, Michigan, had Indiana license plates.

In a press release on Monday, Indiana Democrats pointed to a 2018 Hoosier Survey Poll, which said about 80 percent of Indiana residents support some form of cannabis legalization.

State Democrats hope to capitalize on bipartisan support to pass the measure in 2022.

Mike Schmul, Chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party, said this week, “The Republican Supermajority at the Statehouse is losing its economic common sense if they do not join Democrats this session in making this an ...

This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, November 17th, 2021.

Later in the program, WFHB News Director Kade Young speaks with Efrat Feferman about Heading Home 2021 - a long-term, housing first approach to combat homelessness and housing insecurity in the community. More coming up in today’s feature report.

Also coming up in the next half hour, “Smartphone Safety” on Better Beware - your weekly consumer-watchdog segment with host and producer Richard Fish. More following today’s feature report.

But first, your Environmental News Brief:

A recent study from FarmWeek, an online agriculture publication, has found that the reduction of pesticides by Hoosier farmers will increase the number of bees that pollinate crops and thus increase crop yields. When pesticides were applied only when desperately needed, the bees were able to survive and continue to pollinate. The research was conducted over a four year period on various watermelon patches throughout the state and in environments that replicated the average agricultural field for Hoosier farmers. The study found that there was a definitive increase of 26% in average crop yields once pesticides were reduced and only applied when needed.

Over seventeen state parks throughout Indiana are shutting down for the beginning of the deer hunting season. The hunts are scheduled for November 15th-16th and November 29th-30th. With no natural predators present in the state, deer have taken over large parts of Indiana’s forests and are even found walking through more urbanized areas. The annual deer hunts began in 1993 to deal with this problem, with over 1,243 deer killed last year in Indiana state parks. Some wildlife biologists believe that these hunts are necessary to ensure balance within the Indiana ecosystems and allow natives plants to thrive.

Last week, Indiana University students and faculty held a climate change panel at the Indiana Memorial Union. This meeting coincides with the Student Involvement and Leadership Center’s monthly panels that seek to address local issues that affect the Bloomington and the Monroe County area. More specifically, there was an emphasis on climate justice, and how more marginalized communities are more likely to be affected by the worst aspects of climate change. This includes people with disabilities and the elderly. There was also a discussion on how to best deal with the often distressing climate change news that shows a dark vision of the future. The panelists told participants to remain optimistic and to believe that work from the local community all the way to the United Nations can help prevent the worst aspects of climate change.

Monroe County Women's Commission Approves "Girls Who Code" in 2022 Budget

On November 12th at the Monroe County Women’s Commission, commission member Peter Iversen shared that Monroe County approved ten thousand dollars for Girls Who Code in the 2022 budget.

Commission member Michelle Bartley-Taylor reported that the Girls Coding Camp was successfully completed at all three locations.

The next Women’s Commission meeting will be held on December 10th.

Feature Report:

Local government has pledged nearly 4 million dollars to combat homelessness in the community.

During a press conference last week, local officials announced the Heading Home 2021 funding partnership. according to Executive Director of United Way Efrat Feferman, United Way of Monroe County secured funding from the City of Bloomington, Monroe County and the townships of Perry and Bloomington.

WFHB News Director Kade Young spoke to Feferman on the phone earlier this afternoon to discuss what the project entails.

Up next, we have “Smartphone Safety” on Better Beware - your weekly consumer-watchdog segment with host and producer...

This is the WFHB Local News for Tuesday, November 16th, 2021.

Later in the program, we have a Few Minutes with the Mayor - a biweekly segment where WFHB News poses questions to Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton on community issues. More coming up in the bottom half of our program.

Also coming up in the next half hour, United Way of Monroe County has secured over 5 million dollars in funding for the 2021 Heading Home project - a long-term guide to addressing homelessness and housing insecurity in the community.

Monroe County and Jackson County Collaborate on Watershed Monitoring

On November 11th during the Monroe County Storm Water Management Board meeting, MS4 Coordinator Kelsey Thetonia informed the board about a contract they have with the United States Geological Survey, and explained Monroe County’s support of the project moving forward.

"The stream gauge was put in as part of the lake Monroe watershed management planning effort. And they will be using the data in the Watershed Management Plan," said Thetonia. "And they hope to use it in the future as they begin implementing the Watershed Management Plan to hopefully see measurable improvements in water quality due to the reduction of nonpoint source pollutants."

She said that Jackson County has gotten more involved, and will take on the contract with USGS since the gauge is in their county. The Monroe County Water Fund is requesting that the board fund three thousand and five hundred dollars in 2022 for Lake Monroe Watershed monitoring efforts. Board of Directors Chair of the Lake Monroe Water Fund Jane Martin spoke to the board.

"We at the Lake Monroe Water Fund are trying to build a coalition of the counties particularly the upstream counties that have a big effect on our water quality and so engaging," said Martin.

Board member Lee Jones agreed that the collaboration with Jackson County was exciting. The board unanimously approved to help fund the replacement of the stream gauge. The next board meeting will be held on December 8th.

Local Government Pledges More Than $5 Million to Combat Homelessness

Local government has pledged more than 5 million dollars to combat homelessness in the community.

During a press conference last week, local officials announced the Heading Home 2021 funding partnership. United Way of Monroe County secured funding from the City of Bloomington, Monroe County and the townships of Perry and Bloomington, according to Executive Director of United Way Efrat Feferman.

"Housing insecurity and homelessness were on the rise even before the pandemic, both nationally and locally," said Feferman, "And we're here today because our communities began taking action on a collective level that change that trajectory."

United Way of Monroe County, the Community Foundation of Monroe County and the Housing Insecurity Working Group conducted a report titled, “Heading Home 2021: A Regional Plan for Making Homelessness Rare, Brief and Non-Repeating.”

According to the report, over half of Monroe County residents are spending more than 30 percent of their income on rent. As a result, the lack of affordable housing leads many individuals to experience housing insecurity - one of the many contributing causes of homelessness. The 11-page report says it seeks long-term housing solutions to help individuals and families experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity in our community by embracing a “housing first” approach.

It outlines three main goals in addition to strategies and objectives to address them. Those goals include making homelessness rare, brief and non-repeating. CEO and President of the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County Tina Peterson elaborated on what those goals mean.

This is the WFHB Local News for Monday, November 15th, 2021.

Later in the program, WFHB Assistant News Director Noelle Herhusky-Schneider continues her coverage on the Buffalo Springs Restoration Project. She speaks with Marion Mason and Chris Thornton from the U.S. Forest Service for the second part of the interview. More coming up in today’s feature report.

Also coming up in the next half hour, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita announced last week that he plans to file a lawsuit against the federal government over a vaccine mandate for large employers.

Monroe County Council Discusses Resilience Assessment

At the Monroe County Council meeting on November 9th Community Resilience Coordinator for the Environmental Resilience Institute, Cody Smith presented next steps for the Hoosier Readiness Assessment.

Smith said that Monroe County should invest in ways to ensure individuals who are marginalized in the community are prioritized with climate change preparation since they are the hardest hit by the impacts of climate change.

He explained that due to climate change, Monroe County is experiencing more rainfall and severe storms, and should be aware that surface and river flooding will be a large concern for the county in the near future.

Smith gave actionable recommendations from the ERI they believe are within reach of the local government and would increase Monroe County's resilience to climate change. Suggestions included: passing a tree canopy ordinance, promoting energy efficiency and waste heat reduction, educating residents of impacts on poor air quality, and creating a warning system to alert residents when air pollution is poor and promoting local food purchasing.

Council member Trent Deckard thanked Smith for the presentation, and said he has been noticing the flooding concerns himself.

Council member Peter Iverson also commented that while the U.S. is working on a national level to mitigate the effects of climate change - Monroe County is working on a local level to address concerns closer to home.

Council member Cheryl Munson asked about whether or not the City of Bloomington and the Town of Ellettsville have taken the Hoosier Readiness Index Assessment.

Smith said Bloomington has taken the assessment and heard a similar presentation; however, Ellettsville has not done so yet. Smith said the Environmental Resilience Institute is still more than happy to work with their community.

The next county council meeting will be held on December 14th.

Monroe County Commissioners to Write Letter of Support for Beacon Inc.

At the Monroe County Commissioners meeting on November 10th, Commissioner Penny Githens notified the commissioners of an opportunity to support Beacon Inc. This would help pledge financial support to secure a grant for a kitchen and winter shelter for people experiencing homelessness in Monroe County.

Commissioner Julie Thomas said that the letter of support for Beacon Inc. would be a good thing for everyone in the community.

The commissioners and the council will meet next week to agree upon the letter of support for Beacon.

Bloomington Arts Commission Talks Future of the Waldron and Trade’s Garage

At the Bloomington Arts Commission meeting on November 10th, Assistant Director for the Arts, Holly Warren updated the board on last Friday’s John Waldron Arts Center Press Conference.

Commissioner Nick Blandford discussed a stipend to artists involved in the ribbon cutting of the Trade’s District Garage art installation. He said the Windfall Dance Company would perform at the opening of the Trades District Garage in December and then again in Spring.Warren said she was looking up industry standards and wage tools to ensure a fair and respectful ...

This is the WFHB Local News for Thursday, November 11th, 2021.

Later in the program, we have Prescription for Healthcare - a monthly podcast collaboration between WFHB and Medicare for All Indiana. In today’s episode, hosts Dr. Rob Stone and Karen Green Stone speak with Ana Manilow - a clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of California in San Francisco. The conversation revolves around direct contract entities or DCEs. More in today’s feature report.

Also coming up in the next half hour, the cities of Bloomington, Indiana and Palo Alto, California recently announced a domestic sibling city partnership. That’s coming up next in your local headlines.

Bloomington, Indiana and Palo Alto, California Announce Domestic Sibling City Relationship

The mayors of Palo Alto, California and Bloomington, Indiana announced a proposal for a domestic sibling city relationship.

On Tuesday, Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton met virtually with Palo Alto Mayor Tom Dubois to announce the potential partnership, saying the approval process would happen later this month.

Palo Alto Mayor Tom Dubois, who has worked for tech companies in the past such as Electronic Arts and Google, touched on how the project came together.

"Palo Alto has eight international sister cities. And as a elected local official, I started thinking: well, why don't we do the same thing in the US? It can build empathy, understanding, bridge our differences, share opportunities, even look at how businesses could benefit from working from our original strengths," said Dubois.

Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton said the approval process will happen at the city council. Hamilton describes his perceived value of a domestic partnership with Palo Alto.

"Look, I'm very confident that just increasing connections between two communities, strong links between a coastal community and a Midwestern community that are both full at the community level of these practical, creative problem solvers, that that can really pay big dividends socially, economically, culturally and politically," said Hamilton.

According to a city press release, this relationship would, “foster community building, further goodwill and enhance civil dialogue and public policy discussions in the two cities.”

The notion of international sibling cities is relatively common in the United States. In fact, Bloomington already has two sister cities, which include: Santa Clara, Cuba and Posoltega, Nicaragua. This domestic sibling city partnership would be the first of its kind in the United States.

More information about the agreement can be found at bloomington.in.gov/news.

Feature Report:

You can hear Prescription for Healthcare with Dr. Rob Stone and Karen Green-Stone on the second Thursday of each month on the WFHB Local News.

Now it’s time for Prescription for Healthcare - a monthly podcast collaboration between WFHB and Medicare for All Indiana. In today’s episode, hosts Dr. Rob Stone and Karen Green Stone speak with Ana Manilow - a clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of California in San Francisco. The conversation revolves around direct contract entities or DCEs. We turn to our hosts for more.

Earlier this week, we covered a story about a resident who reported lead contaminated debris after the Bloomington Fire Department conducted a prescribed burn of a home at 1213 South High Street as a training exercise. Local resident Matt Murphy collected several paint chips and gave them to Gabriel Filippelli, a biochemist at IUPUI and executive director of the Indiana Environmental Resilience Inst...

This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, November 10th, 2021.

Later in the program, WFHB Assistant News Director Noelle Herhusky-Schneider continues her coverage on the Buffalo Springs Restoration Project. She speaks with Marion Mason and Chris Thornton from the U.S. Forest Service. More coming up in today’s feature report.

Also coming up in the next half hour, the City of Bloomington will no longer contract with Servpro for cleanup of lead contamination after the Bloomington Fire Department conducted a prescribed burn last week. More in today’s headlines.

But first, your Environmental News Brief:

Last week, the Bloomington Fire Department practiced a training exercise at an approved burning site at an old home. This allowed them to prepare for real life scenarios. However, Bloomington residents have raised concerns about the toxins that came from the home. Local landlord Matt Murphy specifically smelled the burning of lead, and noticed ash and other contaminants landing in his and his neighbors backyards. City officials have contacted biohazard cleanup companies to investigate and possibly remove any harmful chemicals and debris that may still be present in the area. The main contaminant, lead, can have permanent harmful effects on the brain and central nervous system.

The Supreme Court of the United States has recently announced that they will hear cases concerning whether the federal government has the power to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

The case, a consolidation of many, goes by the name of West Virginia v. the Environmental Protection Agency. Many people on the side of West Virginia are fighting to make it unconstitutional for the EPA to create strong and effective policies to fight climate change, as they view it as hurtful for the fossil fuel industry. Two Supreme Court Justices, Justice Neil Gorsuch and Justice Brett Kavanaugh have shown support for such a position in the past. If ruled in favor of West Virginia, this could become a monumental shift in terms of the power of the federal government.

A brand new project between the state of Indiana and an Israeli based renewable energy company will lead to a $1.5 billion investment for a brand new solar panel farm in northwest Indiana. Called the Mammoth Solar Project, the solar farm will be around 13,000 acres of previously farmed cropland. This area of the state receives a large amount of solar energy, so it is an ideal spot for the new farm. This conversion will also save an estimated billion gallons of irrigation water and 2,000 tons of carbon emissions that would result from the application of pesticides, as well as the planting and harvesting of crops. Once completed, this solar farm will be the biggest in the country.

Local Officials Discuss Covid-19 Response Ahead of the Holidays

Photo courtesy of University of Michigan.

At the Covid-19 Press Conference on November 5th Mayor John Hamilton shared that OSHA, or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, published new rules for large employers regarding national safety requirements.

"All city employees by January 4 must either be vaccinated, demonstrate their vaccination status, or get weekly COVID testing and have significant masking protocols consistently at work," said Hamilton.

Board of Health Director Penny Caudill gave an update on vaccines for 5 to 11 year olds, and asked residents to be patient as the demand for the vaccine is high. She promised they will be able to get everyone who wants to be fully vaccinated, fully vaccinated before Christmas.

Caudill shared that Monroe County was in the Yellow Advisory Category this week, and recommended residents maintain their diligence with mask wearing and precautions especially with the holiday season coming up.

"As we come to a time of giving,

This is the WFHB Local News for Tuesday, November 9th, 2021.

Later in the program, WFHB Assistant News Director Noelle Herhusky-Schneider speaks with Steven Stewart about his concerns for logging in the Hoosier National Forest. More coming up in today’s feature report.

Also coming up in the next half hour, the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed a federal lawsuit against a school corporation in Terre Haute after employees refused to allow transgender students to use their preferred restrooms. More in today’s headlines.

But first, your local news brief:

In COVID news, the Monroe County Mask Mandate is slated to remain in effect for probably several weeks, as reported by Penny Caudill, administrator of the Monroe County Health Department. At the moment, Monroe county remains in the yellow rank of advisory, meaning that cases continue to rise above the 50 cases per every 100,000 persons threshold that must be met for a county to be classified as blue, the rank provided to counties no longer requiring a mask mandate.

According to statistics from the Indiana State Department of Health, which are updated every Wednesday, the week of Nov 1 saw cases in Monroe County increase to 121 cases per 100,000 persons. These statistics therefore exceed the required 50 cases per every 100,000 persons needed for the mandate to be lifted. According to the Herald Times, Although over 57% of people in Monroe County are fully vaccinated, and first-dose vaccinations have trickled to less than 300 per week, since vaccines are now available to 5-11 year old children, vaccinations are likely to climb in the next few weeks.

At Friday’s weekly news conference for updates on pandemic response, Caudill sought to bolster public morale and encourage hope as the holiday season approaches, saying, “As we come to a time of giving, I would request that we not give each other infections, be they the flu, COVID, or any other respiratory infection,” Caudill said. “Instead, let’s give all of our efforts to giving grace and being kind. Get vaccinated, follow regulations and recommendations to reduce transmission. We will get through this.”

The Indiana Supreme Court-ordered eviction diversion program has been a mixed bag in its first week of operation, gaining willing participants in only eight out of 331 cases heard from Nov. 1-5 where tenants and landlords were asked if they wanted to participate.

This new program, introduced by the Indiana Supreme Court on September 13,seeks to utilize the over $410 million in federal funds provided to Indiana state and local governments last December for emergency rental assistance (ERA).

On November 1, the program announced new eviction reforms, including that courts must advise tenants and landlords at the first hearing of any eviction of alternative solutions such as rental assistance or participating in a settlement conference, in which tenant and landlord engage in a discussion facilitated by a neutral helper to ensure productivity on both sides. Participation in the eviction diversion program would pause the proceedings for 90 days or until either landlord or tenant requests it. However, both landlord and tenant must first agree to participate in the program, which has been an issue since landlords may worry about waiting on rental assistance payments that may or still have never arrived, an opinion shared during an eviction hearing in Lawrence Township Small Claims Court by Robert James, whose firm, Sandlin Law group, represents five of the twenty top evicting landlords and property managers in Marion County.

However, according to the Indianapolis Star, a positive for landlords is that participating in the program would allow them to obtain rent owed and late fees without having to make legal arguments in court, where a favorable outcome is not guaranteed.

On Friday, the Bloomington Fire Department conducted a prescribed burning of a home at 1213 South High Street as a training exercise.

Matt Murphy, owner of Foursquare Construction and local landlord who lives in the area, says he felt a burning in his throat as he smelled what he suspected was lead-based paint.

Murphy then bought several lead paint test kits at Bloomington Paint. He says all of the tests came back positive for lead.

“I think I sort of assumed that in tandem with all that other prep work that they would have tested for lead, but it would appear that they did not,” said Murphy.

Murphy lives about 150 yards directly west of the burn site on the corner of Ruby Lane and Nancy Street. He says he noticed ash and debris from the burn in his garden. He also spoke with his neighbors who saw similar debris.

“They're quite concerned and upset and hoping for some direction and communication from the city of Bloomington,” said Murphy.

The city has since responded to the possible lead contamination. A Google form was organized for residents to request remediation in the area at no cost.

“Local health officials recommend keeping kids and pets away from the ash until testing indicates if it is hazardous,” says Fire Chief Jason Moore in a press release.

City officials say the fire department will contract with Servpro, a company that specializes in biohazard cleanup. The cleanup process will consist of using a HEPA filtered vacuum which the city says experts consider the best way to conduct this kind of cleanup.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management, who approved the permits required for the training, will take ash samples to measure the extent of the contamination.

Murphy called a representative from IDEM, a few city officials and the mayor’s office. He described what he heard back after contacting them.

“IDEM did indeed sign off in this and they were the ones who suggested or requested the removal of the vinyl siding and some of the other materials, and I think they had to check for mercury and various fluorescent lights and switches that are common in older homes, but bizarrely did not have anybody check for lead paint,” said Murphy.

The home was built in 1951 - wherein, lead paint was commonly used for homes of that period. It wasn’t until 1978 that federal regulations banned the use of lead paint in residential homes.

Lead paint can have devastating impacts on the human body, according to Gabriel Filippelli, the executive director for the Environmental Resilience Institute and researcher at IUPUI.

“It's particularly dangerous for children,” says Filippelli. “And that's because they absorb a lot of the lead that they're exposed to. Adults don't absorb quite as much. Not only do they absorb a lot of lead, but their neurological systems are developing. And lead is a neurotoxin, so it becomes particularly problematic.”

According to the World Health Organization, once lead enters the body - it is distributed to organs such as the brain, kidneys, liver and bones.

At high levels of exposure, lead attacks the brain and central nervous system, causing coma, convulsions and even death.

Gabriel Filippelli is the Executive Director for the Environmental Resilience Institute and the Director of the Center for Urban Health.

Children who survive severe lead poisoning may be left with intellectual disability and behavioral disorders. Even at lower levels of contamination, lead can affect brain development in children.

It’s worth noting that there is no safe exposure level when it comes to lead.