This is the WFHB Local News for Thursday, September 16th, 2021.

Later in the program, we have Civic Conversations - a monthly podcast in collaboration between WFHB and the League of Women Voters of Bloomington-Monroe County. Our guest today is Keri Miksza, chair of the Bloomington chapter of the Indiana Coalition for Public Education. Our topic of conversation is Public Education. That’s coming up in today’s feature report.

Also coming up in the next half hour, the Monroe County Community School Corporation approved a new policy to allow rapid antigen testing for students returning to school after contracting Covid. More in today’s headlines.

But first, your Statehouse Roundup:

President Biden announced a plan for mandated vaccinations for private sector employees utilizing the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to enforce a policy for mandated vaccination. In the wake of this announcement, Governor Eric Holcomb issued a statement in response stating, “I believe it is fundamentally a citizen’s right to choose whether or not to get the vaccine.”

This negative response to President Biden’s decision was mirrored by Attorney General Todd Rikita who also made a statement concerning the legality of the mandate stating, “My team and I, along with other like-minded attorneys general, are reviewing all legal action on how to stand against these authoritarian actions by the Biden administration."

Attorney General Rokita went on to assure Indiana residents that, "We will be prepared to file suit if Biden seeks illegal actions restricting Hoosiers’ liberties.”

MCCSC School Board Talks Rapid Antigen Covid-19 Testing and Bus Driver Shortage

The school board approved changes to Covid-19 procedures for returning to school during the September 14th Monroe County Community School Board meeting.

Board member Erin Cooperman explained why the school district will allow rapid antigen testing as a method to return to school after contracting Covid-19.

During public comment, concerned resident Ashlie Moore questioned board members about a new technology the MCCSC school board will implement to address the transportation issue. Moore said the money could be better spent on hiring more drivers.

Board members discussed a five-year contract with Tyler Technologies to improve the bus tracking system. MCCSC Director of Technology Tim Pritchett presented the contract.

The school board approved the contract unanimously.

Bloomington Commission on Sustainability Discusses a Report from Environmental Resilience Institute

At the Bloomington Commission on Sustainability meeting on September 14th, Assistant Director of Sustainability, Lauren Clemens shared a report from the Environmental Resilience Institute in collaboration with Monroe County. The report assessed how well prepared Monroe County is to face the effects of climate change.

Clemens outlined what Monroe County is the most prepared for, and the least prepared for.

The commission also worked on an ordinance that would aim to reduce plastics locally. The ERI will be presenting the Next Steps Report to the county council on September 28th.

Utilities Service Board Approves Agreement with Wessler Engineering 

At the September 13th meeting the Bloomington Utilities Service Board approved an agreement with Wessler Engineering Inc. to help control their SCADA systems.

Director of Bloomington Utilities Vic Kelson, explained why the SCADA system is important for the city.

The board approved the Agreement with Wessler Engineering, Inc. unanimously. Assistant Director of Environmental Programs James Hall asked the board to approve funding to expand the scope for LAB Cal Module for WIMS (Water Information System Management).

This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, September 15th, 2021.

Later in the program, the Bloomington City Council will take a final vote on annexation tonight at 6:30 p.m. during a special session. WFHB News spoke with Monroe County Residents Against Annexation Member Margaret Clements about her hopes and expectations ahead of tonight’s meeting.

Also coming up in the next half hour, Zero Day hacks and StubHub refunds on Better Beware - your weekly consumer-watchdog segment with Richard Fish. More at the bottom half of tonight’s program.

But first, your Environmental News Brief:

Over this past summer, a mysterious and unknown illness was affecting songbirds throughout Indiana. This illness causes neurological symptoms that result in widespread sickness and death among the bird populations. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is still investigating the illness, but has now lifted the moratorium on bird feeders throughout the state. The Department recommends that before setting up your bird feeder, check to make sure there are not any sick or dead birds in your yard, as well as to thoroughly clean the bird feeder at least once per week.

Last week, Sunrise Bloomington, a subset of the Sunrise Movement, held a meeting announcing the launch of their “Disclose Divest Reinvest” campaign. The goal of the campaign is to call on Indiana University to shift away from the use of fossil fuels in favor of more sustainable and environmentally friendly energy. The concerns derive from the recent wildfires and flooding in multiple states that many have attributed to climate change. The group believes that it is important for IU to make investments in clean energy despite the cost, in order to have a sustainable planet for future generations.

Meteorologists with the National Weather Service have recently responded to Hoosiers who are questioning why the sun is looking a lot more red than usual. Due to the smoke particles coming from the wildfires in the western United States, there is a smoke layer in the sky that is filtering the sun’s rays. These smoke particles scatter the light in the sky, which impacts the wavelength and causes the sun to appear red. This occurs under certain conditions such as when the air flows precisely from the west coast to the midwest. While this is an interesting phenomenon, it is important to understand that it negatively affects air quality in our state.

Ellettsville Town Council

Photo courtesy of the Town of Ellettsville.

The Ellettsville Town Council approved amendments to the zoning map on 3888 West State Road 46, Bloomington, IN. The council initially motioned to table to vote until more council members could be in attendance, however since it had been tabled for the same reason multiple times, the council agreed to move ahead on the ordinance to ensure it was heard before the 90 day deadline.

There was a significant amount of public comment surrounding the issue. Residents in the area expressed concern that the new multi-unit development will over-saturate traffic and lead to more accidents. Member of the community, Linda Summers, spoke on behalf of her neighborhood to share why she did not want the council to approve the zoning amendment.

Similarly community member, Megan Pease, urged the council to vote no on the zoning plan. She explained why she believes the community has nothing to gain from the complex being developed.

Ridge Group chief operating officer Tyler Ridge, explained that since the zoning at the site was marked as a C-3 zone, they could go ahead with the apartments or someone else could come along with a larger project. Ellettsville resident Brian Thomas commented on the poor zoning in the area.

Council member Dan Swafford conveyed reluctance and said he sympathized with the residents opposed to th...

This is the WFHB Local News for Tuesday, September 14th, 2021.

Later in the program, we revisit a feature report from WFHB Correspondent Brianna Devin on the history of PCB Contamination in Bloomington. Also coming up in the next half hour, the Bloomington Walk to End Alzheimer’s Raised Over $100,000 Over the Weekend. WFHB News spoke with Kyle Davern, manager for the Bloomington Walk to End Alzheimer’s.

Bloomington Walk to End Alzheimer’s Raised Over $100,000 Over the Weekend

Nearly 440 people participated in the Bloomington Walk to End Alzheimer’s over this past weekend.

The walk happened in-person at Switchyard Park, and remotely by watching an online ceremony where people participated in a local walk in their own neighborhoods.

Participants raised over 100,000 dollars to help the care, support and research of the Alzheimer’s Association.

WFHB News spoke with Kyle Davern, manager for the Bloomington Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Davern shared some of the work the Alzheimer’s Association does.

“We’re the leading voluntary health organization for Alzheimer’s care support and research,” he said. “We work with families who are impacted by Alzheimer’s and all dementias.”

Davern says participants in the walk were “energized” and “excited” to take part in the in-person portion of the event.

He said that level of excitement helped the fundraising effort. Davern explained how the 100,000 dollars raised over the weekend will be spent.

“The biggest thing is funding for research on how to find a cure for this disease,” he said. “It doesn’t have a way to cure or slow down the progression of the disease.”

More than six million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease - a leading cause of death in the United States. In addition, more than 11 million family members and friends provide care to people living with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, according to data from the Alzheimer’s Association.

Davern touched on the effect Alzheimer’s has on one’s life and how it impacts family and friends providing care for their loved ones.

“Being able to equip caregivers with those tools and knowledge of the disease so they can help better prepare and provide a better quality of life for the individual living with the disease,” he said.

He elaborated on how Alzheimer’s disease impacted him on a personal level.

“It gave me a new perspective on just being able to understand the different stages of the disease, how to properly care for someone living with the disease,” he said.

Davern says more information for local in-person and virtual programs are available at alz.org/indiana/programs. You can also call the 24/7 Helpline at 1-800-272-3900

Covid-19 Press Conference

Photo courtesy of University of Michigan.

At the September 10th meeting, Mayor John Hamilton shared a positive message about the rate of Covid-19 cases in Bloomington.

On behalf of the Monroe County Board of Health, Health Administrator Penny Caudill gave an update on vaccinations in Monroe County. She shared that there are vaccine clinics available at schools to make it easier for families to get vaccinated, and that Monroe County’s vaccination rate is slowly but steadily going up.

During public comment,

This is the WFHB Local News for Monday, September 13th, 2021.

Later in the program, the Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Bloomington raised more than 100,000 dollars over the weekend. WFHB News speaks with Kyle Davern, Manager for the Bloomington Walk to End Alzheimer’s. More coming up in today’s feature reports.

Also coming up in the next half hour, the Bloomington City Council voted on increasing salaries for officers at the Bloomington Police Department by 5,000 dollars. More in the top half of tonight’s show.

Bloomington City Council Votes on Increasing Salaries for Bloomington Police Officers

Screenshot. CATS.

The Bloomington City Council voted on increasing salaries for officers at the Bloomington police department by 5,000 dollars. Council Member, Dave Rollo, supported the salary increase, and laid out why the additional funding was necessary.

Council member Ron Smith, pointed out that the cost of training police officers outweighed the additional salary increase. Council member Susan Sandberg, commented on Bloomington’s need for a quality police force.

During public comment Kamala Brown-Sparks, Interim Chair of the Community Advisory on Public Safety Commission, and the daughter of the first African American Police Officer for the BPD, spoke on behalf of programs where officers live in the city where they are serving, and partnering more with social services.

The city council voted 7-1-1 on the budget increase. The next meeting will be September 15th.

Bloomington Historic Preservation Approves Request to Install Solar Panels in Prospect Hill District

The Bloomington Historic Preservation Commission approved a request to install solar panels on a house in the Prospect Hill Historic District at the September 9th meeting.

According to Housing and Neighborhood Development staff member Gloria Colom, the commission believes in balancing the preservation of both historic and ecological resources, and recommends the approval of the solar panel installation.

Commission member Chris Sturbaum, explained his thought process on the subject.

The motion was approved. The next meeting will be held on September 23rd.

Bloomington City Council Committee of the Whole Presents Ordinance to Limit Length of Meetings

At the Bloomington City Council Committee of the Whole, Council Member Steve Volan, asked the council to consider capping the amount of time allotted for a single city council meeting at five and a half hours. He said it is better to break up the work instead of staying up until two or three in the morning.

The ordinance he presented would require unanimous consent to continue the meeting. Meaning, if one council member wanted to recess for the night after five and a half hours, then the council would have to adjourn for the night. Vice-President Sue Sgambelluri asked on behalf of the individuals who might not be able to make public comment the following day.

Council member Isabel Piedmont Smith was in favor of the ordinance. She explained why supports it. Council Member, Susan Sandberg agreed the meetings are arduous, but was cautious to make such a rigid ordinance in case of special circumstances. Volan agreed he would be willing to concede on an amendment that would make it take two council members instead of only one to adjourn the meeting. The council voted 4-1-4 on the ordinance.

Monroe County Storm Water Management Board Discusses Conservation Efforts

On September 8th, the Monroe County Storm Water Management Board worked on improving agricultural fields around the county airport property. Stormwater Management M-S-4 Coordinator, Kesley Thetonia, updated the board on conservation efforts needed for field erosion near Karst Park.

This is the WFHB Local News for Thursday, September 9th, 2021.

Later in the program, we have Prescription for Healthcare - a collaboration between WFHB and Medicare for All Indiana. Our guest today is Dr. Ed Weisbart, a retired family physician from St. Louis and chair of the Missouri chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program. More coming up in the bottom half of tonight’s program.

Also coming up in the next half hour, the City of Bloomington will host the Black History 101 Mobile Museum on Saturday. More in today’s headlines.

But first, Emily McCoy has today’s Statehouse Roundup:

This week Statehouse Republicans announced their plan to introduce abortion laws similar to the abortion ban legislation in Texas during next years Legislative Session. State representative Sue Errigton publicly disagreed with the proposed plan, citing that 49% of pregnancies are unintentional and often caused by a lack of education and accessible contraception. Representative Errigton urges that the focus should be on providing funds to pregnancy prevention and not by finning women that seek medical clinical abortions.

Representative Errigton also called out statehouse republicans for the number of women that are killed or severly injured because they seek outside medical abortions. Stating that if this new legislation were to be passed, this number would only climb higher. “Indiana shamefully holds the title for the third highest maternal mortality rate in the nation and we will sink lower if we force women out of the safety of a licensed medical clinic.”

The expected drafts of Indiana's new redistricting maps are expected to be publicly announced on September 14th. State Representative Tim Wesco will then hold meetings gathering public feedback on these map drafts on September 15th and 16th. On August 31st, State President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray and House speaker Todd Huston announced a new online portal that will allow citizens to draw and submit their own ideas on new district boundaries. Representative Bray commented, “This portal is a great opportunity for Hoosiers to share their proposed maps with lawmakers.”

Monroe County Commissioners 

At the Monroe County Commissioners meeting on September 8th, Director of Emergency Management, Allison Moore, shared that this month is Emergency Preparedness month. She encouraged residents of Monroe County to sign up for alerts through their Emergency Alert Program.

The commissioners unanimously approved a partnership between Ivy Tech’s nursing program and the correctional facility. Monroe County jail commander Sam Crowe said the program would be mutually beneficial, and introduce nursing students to an area of the field that typically gets less staffing.

During public comment, Laurel Tanneberger, spoke up about the Seven Oaks appeal made about the mask mandate in schools. Since an appeal had been filed, County Attorney Jeff Cockerill stepped in to say the correct procedure to bring the matter to the commissioners would be through Seven Oaks first. This is what she had to say before being redirected.

The Board of Commissioners will virtually host the Appeal Hearing for Seven Oaks on September 16th.

Monroe County Board of Health

Photo courtesy of University of Michigan.

The Monroe County Board of Health discussed the possibility of extending the county’s indoor mask mandate during its September 8th meeting. County Health Administrator Penny Caudill said that the mask mandate will likely extend beyond the September 30th deadline.

Caudill said the health department received complaints from business owners when it comes to enforcing the mandate. Board member Carol Touloukian questioned whether the energy spent on enfo...

This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, September 8th, 2021.

Later in the program, we have an excerpt from Tuesday's Interchange, "Authority and U: On the Anti-Democratic Campus,” with guest Steve Volan, a scholar of human geography and a city council member in Bloomington, Indiana since 2004. More coming up in today’s feature report.

Also coming up in the next half hour, Classic Scams on Better Beware, our weekly consumer-watchdog segment on WFHB. More coming up following today’s feature report.

But first, your environmental news brief:

The path of hurricane Ida has left destruction to many pipelines and cables in the Gulf of Mexico. For example, a substantial oil spill has been found off of Louisiana’s coast in which three pipelines are leaking. Talos Energy has been diving in the area of the pipeline in order to stop the leaking but does not take responsibility for the spill. Luckily, the rate of oil reaching the surface has slowed down over the weekend. The Coast Guard has begun monitoring the situation and assessing the environmental impacts of the spill.

A recent study through the Indy Star has sought to understand how much of the U.S. carbon emissions are coming from Indiana. According to the research, 290 million metric tons of energy-related carbon dioxide was released into the atmosphere in Indiana in 2018 which places the state as the 8th most polluting state in the country. Indiana is also more reliant on coal than other areas of the country. In both 2019 and 2020, more coal was consumed in Indiana than all but two other states. At the current moment there is no movement at the state level to move away from fossil fuels. The study emphasizes reducing fossil fuel consumption as being the main solution to the pollution. The recent United Nations climate report indicates that a degree of urgency is needed to address carbon emissions.

Opposition has been growing against a proposed pipeline connecting Kentucky to new gas-fired electric generators in Posey County, Indiana. Environmental organizations have cited the environmental impacts to parts of Indiana and Kentucky that could be greatly affected by the pollution and construction of the pipeline. Similarly, the increase in emissions from the electrical generators could further harm air quality in the state. The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has warned that the pipeline would hurt many animal and plant species, including those on the endangered species list. CenterPoint Energy, the company behind the project, is still waiting approval from the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission to begin construction.

Indiana to House 10,000 Afghan Refugees in the Coming Weeks

The first group of Afghan refugees arrived at the Indianapolis International Airport on Thursday of last week.

Refugees will be taken to Camp Atterbury - a military base in Southern Indiana that was selected as a temporary site for refugees.

According to a report by the Associated Press, refugees include American citizens, Afghan allies who helped in the military effort and, “those deemed as venerable Afghans by the US government.”

About 5,000 refugees will arrive at Camp Atterbury in the coming weeks. Governor Eric Holcomb said Camp Atterbury will temporarily house evacuees until they are placed in permanent housing.

Indiana Adjutant General, Brigadier General R. Dale Lyles described why Camp Atterbury was chosen and the process behind vetting refugees.

Officials say that Camp Atterbury has the capacity to temporarily house 10,000 people if it becomes necessary to house more refugees.

General Lyles says that over the course of the next ten weeks, non-governmental agencies will work to resettle the evacuees.

This is the WFHB Local News for Thursday, September 7th, 2021.

Later in the program, the City of Bloomington will host the Black History 101 Mobile Museum from 9 a.m. to noon on September 11th at City Hall. We spoke with James Sanders, chair of the City of Bloomington Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission. More coming up in today’s feature report.

Also coming up in the next half hour, President of IU Health Brian Shockney says that the hospital system has postponed non-urgent surgeries due to the rising number of patients with Covid-19. More in the top half of tonight’s program.

Local Joint Covid-19 Press Conference

Photo courtesy of University of Michigan.

At the September 3rd Covid-19 Press Conference, Mayor John Hamilton cautioned residents about increasing Covid-19 rates.

Health Administrator, Penny Caudill, shared that Monroe County is currently in the yellow advisory category for Covid-19 cases, however, the trajectory is moving toward the orange distinction.

According to the Indiana County Covid-19 guidelines, an orange status means that there is medium to high community spread. It also means more precautions should be put into place, for example, it is recommended that the size of gatherings be limited and common places in workspaces be limited.

Monroe County Commissioners President, Julie Thomas, reminded residents that the county is offering financial assistance for those who need help with utilities and rent. Residents of Monroe County can contact their township trustee for more information. She also encouraged members of the community to help each other.

President of IU Health, Brian Shockney, shared that the hospital is postponing non-urgent surgeries due to the rising numbers of patients with Covid-19. He explained that the number of patients at the hospital are predominantly non-vaccinated individuals.

The resounding message at the press conference was that individuals should get vaccinated because it is helping, and it will help even more if everyone gets the vaccine. The next press conference will be held on September 11th.

Ellettsville Plan Commission 

Photo courtesy of Elletsville.

The Ellettsville Plan Commission discussed an amended Governor Park Landscape plan. At the September 2nd meeting, Planning Director Kevin Tolloty presented an amended plan with less shrubbery and less sidewalks. Petitioner Hayden Lockhart said aspects of the project have cost more than expected, resulting in changes to the landscaping.

Commissioner Don Calvert did not mind the missing sidewalk. He said as long as one sidewalk leads to State Road 46, the plan is still fine.

Commissioner Sandra Hash motioned to approve the amendment with conditions. Commissioners approved the motion 5 to 0.

Monroe County Commissioners

 

Monroe County Commissioners announced their intent to establish a voting precinct and district review committee. County Attorney Jeff Cockerill said that the resolution at the September 1st meeting was more of an announcement. He said the goal was to encourage residents to apply now so the committee could be ready to roll once Monroe County gets information from the state.

Commissioner Julie Thomas clarified that interested residents can apply for the committee online. You can find the board and commission application at co.monroe.in.us/boards.

Feature Report:

The City of Bloomington will host the Black History 101 Mobile Museum from 9 a.m.

The City of Bloomington will host the Black History 101 Mobile Museum from 9 a.m. to noon on September 11th at City Hall at 401 North Morton Street.

The museum will feature a collection of 7,000 artifacts of Black memorabilia dating from the trans-Atlantic slave trade era to hip-hop culture. This collection was founded and curated by Dr. Khalid el-Hakim, a keynote speaker at the city’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. 

WFHB News spoke with James Sanders, chair of the City of Bloomington Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commission. Sanders describes the artifacts as “jarring” and “polarizing,” but he still believes it is important for our community to acknowledge this difficult history. 

“That’s important to display,” says Sanders. “That’s important for people to see where things came from, how they progressed, contrasting to how things are now.” 

Listen to the full interview to hear Sanders outline his view of the importance of having a museum in this community dedicated to Black history, Covid-19 safety measures the museum will put into place, event partners and sponsors and more.

This is the WFHB Local News for Thursday, September 2nd, 2021.

Later in the program, the 4th Street Festival of the Arts and Crafts will take place over Labor Day Weekend. WFHB News spoke with President of the Festival Committee Sidney Bolam about what the festival will entail. More coming up during today’s headlines.

Also coming up in the next half hour, the Buskirk Chumley Theater will require vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test ahead of its fall season. We spoke with Executive Director Jonah Crismore about what led to that decision.

But first, Emily McCoy has your Statehouse Roundup:

On Tuesday this week Mark Figg discussed in an interview, the ongoing annexation process in Monroe County and its correlation with housing development. Figg served as a Chairman of the Bloomington Economic Development Incorporation in 2019 and 2020. Figg also partook in the committee that overlooked the recent housing study completed in 2020.

According to Figg, the outcome of the housing study showed strong housing scarcity that has caused housing prices to increase. Figg commented that the annexation of Monroe County will be beneficial to the city’s housing development in the long run, by decreasing housing scarcity. The newly annexation areas would be held under the city’s recent Unified Development Ordinance which looks into land use and Bloomington city development.

Figg continued on to address concerns on rising taxes from county residents living in the proposed annexation zones. Advising that while there will be a tax increase, the long term benefit of that would be a decrease in housing scarcity and housing prices overall. Allowing for more urban economic development in the county.

"The Board of Bloomington Economic Development incorporation actually made housing scarcity our number one economic development," said Figg.

Monroe County Board of Zoning Appeals 

The Monroe County Board of Zoning Appeals considered granting a variance retroactively. At the September 1st meeting, County Planner Anna Crecelius discussed a slope variance at South Oak Ridge Drive. She pointed out that the petitioner had already started working on the land, and that the petitioner was pushing the debris off their property.

Board member Skip Daley wondered why staff had presented a variance instead of moving to enforcement. He questioned Crecelius on why the planning department had not gone straight to mediation.

Daley suggested the board continue the variance for 30 days to give the petitioner time to create a remediation plan. Board member Margaret Clemens commented on the importance of discouraging actions like this from happening again. She added her surprise that someone would take these actions without consulting the county first.

An initial vote to continue the variance failed. Clemens moved to deny the request along staff recommendations. This motion passed 3 to 2, with board members Skip Daley and Bernie Guerrettaz dissenting.

4th Street Art Festival Returns After Covid Hiatus

The 4th Street Art Festival will return this weekend after its cancellation last year due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The event will run from 10 AM to 6 PM Saturday and 10 AM to 5 PM Sunday, featuring 80 artists working in a wide range of mediums.

Sidney Bolam, president of the 4th Street Arts Festival Committee, described the festival’s offerings this year.

The festival will return with new measures in place to protect against the transmission of COVID-19.

The past year has been a difficult one for artists, according to Bolam, because of the absence of art fairs and public shows.

Bolam encouraged Bloomington residents to support local art organizations, as artists recover from income shortages incurred during the COVID-19...

This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, September 1st, 2021.

Later in the program, The Buskirk Chumley Theater recently announced that it will require vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test ahead of its fall season. WFHB News spoke over the phone with Jonah Crismore, Executive Director of the Buskirk Chumley, about the new policy. That’s coming up in today’s feature report.

Also coming up in the next half hour, we have Better Beware - your weekly consumer-watchdog segment hosted and produced by Richard Fish.

But first, your environmental news brief:

Hurricane Ida, now classified as a tropical storm, recently made landfall in Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane with winds reaching 150 miles per hour. The U.S Geological Survey has announced that the force of the winds and the storm stopped and reversed the flow of the Mississippi River. The river's flow went from two feet per second south to half a foot per second north. This is an extremely rare occurrence, as the last time it occurred was during Hurricane Katrina. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and other researchers have found that climate change has increased the amount of natural disasters per year and has also increased the intensity, thus making them more deadly.

Residents of Tell City Indiana living near a former General Electric factory have recently filed a lawsuit against General Electric citing the effects of the contaminants that the plant released into the environment on the property values and human health in the area. The contaminant trichloroethylene was found on 76 properties. Researchers believe that there is a connection between this contaminant and an increase in Parkinson’s disease. General Electric has stated that they are fully committed to working with Tell City to complete an assessment of the damage and fix the situation.

A federal judge has recently struck down a Trump-era environmental rule that removed federal restrictions against pollution of the nation’s waterways. The policy had allowed farmers, real estate developers, and others to discharge pollutants such as fertilizers, pesticides, industrial chemicals, and other harmful substances into streams and wetlands. The Biden administration was firmly against this policy due to the possibility of serious environmental harm that would result from a continuation of the Trump-era policy. Environmental groups celebrated the decision as a victory for clean water and scientific integrity.

Bloomington City Council Special Session

The Bloomington City Council discussed removing parcels from annexation at its August 31st special session. Council members sponsored multiple amendments removing land from annexation ordinances. Council member Matt Flaherty addressed public concerns around how the annexation lines are drawn. He said the lines can look arbitrary because in a way, they are.

Council member Steve Volan proposed an amendment that would remove a parcel around Lori Lane. He clarified that he did not support many arguments against annexation, but that the narrow entrance to Lori Lane would not support added city traffic.

Council member Sue Sgambelluri shared her criteria on what should be exempt from annexation. She said the annexation process was thorough and surgical and that removing areas from annexation should be equally surgical.

Council members voted for 2 of the 3 proposed amendments, removing a total of 6 parcels from current annexation ordinances. The council will consider more amendments in the future leading up to the September 15th final vote.

Hubbub at the Park

Amidst all of the hubbub going on with the city budget meeting...