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.

This is the WFHB Local News for Monday, November 8th, 2021.

Later in the program, WFHB News covers lead contaminated ash reported by local residents after the Bloomington Fire Department conducted a prescribed burn at a home on High Street. More coming up in your feature report.

Monroe County Solid Waste Management District Board 

At the Monroe County Solid Waste Management District Board meeting on November 4th board member Isabelle Piedmont-Smith asked about the landfill investments in German American Bank that she said were bleeding significantly.

Executive Director at Monroe County Solid Waste Management District Tom McGlasson replied.

Board member Cheryl Munson said it could be due to inflation. McGlasson said he would follow up with the bank.

McGlasson shared that the waste management district used to have a prescription medication drop-off; however, they did not have the proper training to do so. Therefore they only accept over the counter medication now. He shared locations where residents can drop off prescription medications instead.

Munson added that Monroe Hospital also collects prescription medication.

Next, McGlasson presented two options to the board for the holiday schedule to ensure that all staff employees are getting adequate amounts of paid holiday hours.

Board member Piedmont-Smith pointed out that for 2021, employees received one more day of paid holiday vacation.

McGlasson explained that sometimes holidays fall on weekdays, but if there is a holiday on a weekend then they won’t have that holliday off, so the number of holidays allotted can fluctuate.

McGlasson suggested that they table the official decision until the next board meeting on December 9th to ensure the most equitable schedule.

Ellettsville Plan Commission Hears Petition to Rezone Property

Photo courtesy of Elletsville.

On November 4th, the Ellettsville Plan Commission revisited resident Kevin Farris’s petition to rezone his property to C-3 to support his storage business. The council had postponed a decision at the last meeting to ensure the petitioner could attend the meeting and could advocate for his case.

Commissioner Don Calvert expressed concern that if this is rezoned now, the property could be sold to someone else in the future. Once it is zoned C-3 then they couldn’t stop alternative development that they do not approve of.

Farris assured the commission that he has no plans of selling the property, and after he is gone his sons will own it.

Committee president David Drake responded saying he did not think asking these ‘What if? questions’ was an efficient use of time.

The plan commission voted unanimously to recommend the rezoning to the council.

The next plan commission meeting will be held on December 2nd.

Bloomington City Council Hears Reports from HAND and Planning Department

On November 3rd at the Bloomington City Council meeting, the council heard from the Director of Housing and Neighborhood Development John Zody. He presented the HAND Department Housing Report.

Zody shared that there were 537 households in Monroe County that received rental assistance in 2021 as of November 1st.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator Mallory Rickbeil gave a presentation on sidewalk equity improvements in Bloomington.

Rickbeil shared a spacial equity analysis that the planning and transportation department completed which revealed certain demographics were under prioritized.

The next city council meeting will be held on November 10th.

Feature Report:

This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, November 3rd, 2021.

Later in the program, we revisit a report from WFHB Correspondent Kayan Tara on the Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition’s attempts to unionize.

Also coming up in the next half hour, a caution to Facebook users on Better Beware - your weekly consumer-watchdog segment on WFHB hosted and produced by Richard Fish. More following today’s feature report.

But first, your Environmental News Brief:

Indiana University has recently been the recipient of criticism following the decision to cancel a meeting with Sunrise Bloomington, a grassroots environmental organization. This meeting had a goal of discussing possible first steps that Indiana University’s charitable foundation could take to reduce the amount of fossil fuels that power the campus. According to the IndyStar, the meeting was cancelled due to the demand for transparency from Sunrise Bloomington, who want the public to be able to view the discussions. While this is a disappointing setback, it represents the culmination of months of work from Sunrise Bloomington in the form of petitions that called on IU to reveal financial documents that are tied to the fossil fuel industry. As of now, the two parties are still planning to meet on a future date.

After months of discussions in both houses of Congress, moderate Democrats, Progressives, and President Joe Biden have reached a deal on the White House’s Build Back Better Plan. This budget deal allocates $555 billion dollars to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide. One of the key programs in the deal are tax credits for companies that make the purchasing of environmentally friendly products easier and cheaper, such as electric vehicles or the installation of solar panels. Independent experts have predicted that the legislation will reduce the United States’ annual greenhouse gas emissions by almost 17%, which is an important first step in the fight against climate change.

An interesting new environmental development has occurred in the country of Colombia. For many years, wildfires destroyed the beautiful forests of the country, and left barren wastelands in its wake. Researcher Juan Carlos Sesma, a Spanish retail consultant, developed an idea to replace the lost habitats. Using drone technology, Sesma created seed dropping drones that would fly over the burned areas and drop tree seeds, resulting in new forests. At first, the plan was unsuccessful, as most seeds failed to take root. However, the seeds began to be encapsulated with nutrients that enabled them to last longer before being buried. The company, CO2 Revolution, has stated that they will not be satisfied with their work until they have planted one extra tree per person on the planet.

Local Health Officials Discuss Covid-19 Response

Photo courtesy of University of Michigan.

At the Covid-19 Press Conference on October 29th, Indiana University President Pamela Whitten spoke, thanking everyone involved in helping students get back to in-person activities.

IU Health Director Penny Caudill explained when the Covid-19 Health Regulation extension would expire.

She also said that although the mask mandate might end shortly this is not the end of the pandemic. Individuals who have gotten vaccinated will not be required to wear a mask anymore, however precautions should still be taken, and individuals who are unvaccinated are still recommended to wear a mask to protect themselves and those around them.

President of IU Health Brian Shockney shared that the hospital is seeing a steep decline in Covid-19 cases. According to Shockney, Monroe County is doing better than other counties due to our mask mandate.

This is the WFHB Local News for Tuesday, November 2nd, 2021.

Later in the program, WFHB Assistant News Director Noelle Herhusky-Schneider speaks with Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton in our bi-weekly segment, A Few Minutes with the Mayor. That’s coming up in the bottom half of our program. Also coming up in the next half hour, Monroe County Commissioner Penny Githens announced on Sunday that she will run for the District 62 seat in the Indiana House of Representatives.

Monroe County Commissioner Penny Githens Announces Her Candidacy for the District 62 Seat in the Statehouse

Monroe County Commissioner Penny Githens recently announced that she will run for the District 62 seat in the Indiana House of Representatives.

Commissioner Githens made the announcement on Sunday at the Monroe County Democratic Party headquarters on Madison Street in Bloomington.

In the proclamation for the 2022 bid, she shared a list of priorities, including: increased wages, education and mental health resources.

Speaking from a centrist point-of-view, Githens says she hopes to bridge the divide between rural and urban voters in a time of heightened polarization.

"There's no room for compromise, it seems. There's no room for understanding or tolerance," said Githens.

She complained that the current minimum wage is far too low in order to make a living, calling to raise the living wage to at least 15 dollars an hour.

"Keeping a minimum wage of $7.25 an hour has left too many families, especially families with children, in poverty. As a result, Hoosiers spend more of their tax dollars on government subsidies resulting in fewer investments in our future," she said.

Githens also touched on the value of teachers. She said her mother was a teacher and at the time, educators were respected and valued more than they are now.

"Today, especially in Indiana, teachers are undervalued and under respected. That's led to a severe teacher shortage. And we're seeing fewer and fewer students enrolled in teacher training in our colleges and universities here in the state," said Githens.

She said in talking with college students, she finds that more and more of them are not interested in education, due to inadequate salaries for teachers.

"How can we expect somebody who's comes out of college for the $50,000 student deaths to go into teaching?" she asked.

In her speech, she outlined the need for more mental health resources. She described how the lack of available resources has impacted the community. Githens expounded on the issue of poverty and homelessness in Monroe County, saying that the state legislature can do a better job at providing affordable healthcare for low-income families.

"As a county commissioner, I work on issues related to homelessness here in Monroe County and beyond. I know that quality and affordable childcare is a problem. In fact, the cost of childcare is one of the top three reasons families become homeless," said Githens.

She says that these are not new problems and have compounded over the decades. Githens commented that the problems have gotten worse under the GOP supermajority in the Statehouse, and that she hopes to reform the system from the inside.

"We need these to reverse these trends and as I learned long ago, we can't just sit on the sidelines and expect somebody else to do it for us," she said.

According to the Indy Star, the recently-passed redistricting maps show that the once reliably red House District 62 will now become more competitive.

The new maps exclude Martin, Davies and Greene counties while gaining Brown County, more of Monroe County and parts of Jackson County.

According to reporting by Dave Askins in the B-Square Bulletin,

This is the WFHB Local News for Monday, November 1st, 2021.

Later in the program, WFHB News speaks with Brett Voorhies, who was recently re-elected as the president of the Indiana AFL-CIO - the largest federation of unions in the United States. More coming up in today’s feature report.

Also coming up in the next half hour, WFHB Correspondent Abe Shapiro speaks with Julia Vaughn - Policy Director for Common Cause Indiana - about how state lawmakers draw legislative maps every ten years.

MCCSC School Board 

At the Monroe County Community School Corporation Board meeting on October 26th, the board received pleas from parents to ensure the safety of their children from guns at schools after an airsoft gun was reported at Bloomington South High School sending the school into lockdown. During public comment a concerned mother spoke at the meeting about this being the second lockdown at Bloomington South in the last two months.

Another mother spoke on behalf of her son who hasn’t gone back to school since the lockdown. Commenters called for metal detectors at school entrances and clear backpacks.

One parent, Mia Douglas said that there is a lack of communication between the school and the parents about how the school corporation plans to ensure the safety of the students moving forward.

The next MCCSC school board meeting will be held on November 16th.

Monroe County Commissioners 

On October 27th at the Monroe County Commissioners meeting Assistant Director of Parks and Recreation John Robertson presented a service agreement with Trailhead Labs for the purchase of a software called Outerspacial. According to Roberston this program would create interactive maps for parks and trails for county residents.

He also noted that out of the fifteen thousand dollar cost, ten thousand dollars would be funded through a Duke Energy Foundation Grant the county has received.

Commissioner Lee Jones supported the program saying it would make the parks and trails more accessible to the public.

The commissioners voted to approve funding for Outerspatial unanimously.

Board of Health Director Penny Caudill updated the commissioners on the Board of Health’s recommendation to extend the county wide Covid-19 Health Regulation.

Commissioner Penny Githens supported the extension of the mask mandate. She highlighted how the regulations have supported the community’s economy as well.

Board of Health Director Penny Caudill shared that she has talked to surrounding counties health departments who would like to have a mask mandate in place, but they do not have the support from elected officials.

The board voted unanimously to approve the Covid-19 Health Regulation Extension.

The next commissioners meeting will be held on November 3rd.

Bloomington Utilities Service Board 

On October 25th at the Bloomington Utilities Service Board meeting Vice Provost for External Relations for IU Bloomington Kirk White asked how long the backup generator would run if the city ever ran into a power problem so the city can be ready for things like blizzards.

Director of Utilities Vic Kelson said he can get that information for the board in the future.

The next board meeting will be on November 8th.

Feature Report:

Photo courtesy of the Associated Press

Up first, WFHB Correspondent Abe Shapiro speaks with Julia Vaughn - Policy Director for Common Cause Indiana - about how state lawmakers draw legislative maps every ten years. We turn to Shapiro for more.

According to its website, The mission of the Indiana State AFL-CIO is to improve the lives of working families — to bring economic justice to the workplace and social justice to our sta...

This is the WFHB Local News for Thursday, October 28th, 2021.

Later in the program, WFHB News speaks with City Councilman Matt Flaherty about the passage of the 2022 City Budget during last night’s Common Council meeting. 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 during your Statehouse Roundup:

The state of Indiana will start to administer the Covid-19 vaccine for children under 12 years old as early as next week.

According to a press release from the Indiana State Department of Health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are expected to announce a decision on administering vaccines to children from ages 5 to 11 in the coming days.

State Health Commissioner Dr. Kristina Box commented, “we are working to ensure that every county has access to Covid-19 vaccines for children once they are approved.”

State health officials say more than 1300 vaccine sites around the state are ready for that age group. Upon approval, you can visit ourshot.in.gov to see an updated map of vaccine clinics that offer shots to children under 12.

***

Governor Eric Holcomb has asked that the Indiana Supreme Court review a lawsuit he lost against the Indiana General Assembly over a law that gives the state legislature more authority during a public health emergency.

House Enrolled Act 1123 allows the Indiana General Assembly to convene for a special session if the governor declares an emergency. It also regulates how the state spends federal stimulus money.

After its passage, Governor Holcomb vetoed the legislation. Then, lawmakers overrode the governor’s veto. This led to Holcomb’s lawsuit against the General Assembly, which he lost.

In a prepared statement on Friday, the governor said, “This lawsuit is about making sure that state government operates the way our constitution outlines. Our State, and its people, deserve clarity and finality on this important issue, which is why I am filing an appeal today.”

Attorney General Todd Rokita will represent the General Assembly in the appeal and has criticized the governor’s lawsuit.

The attorney general’s office was printed in the Indy Star saying, "He got his answer. Turns out he didn’t like the answer. So, now the taxpayers have to continue to be on the hook for his lawsuit."

***

As cold weather approaches, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration asks Indiana residents to consider donating clothing and infant supplies to Afghan evacuees temporarily housed at Camp Atterbury in Johnson County.

Thousands of evacuees remain housed at Camp Atterbury, including many families who escaped Afghanistan. With cold weather approaching in Indiana, new coats and warm clothes, along with baby and hygiene items, are in critical need according to a press release. More than 40 percent of the population at Camp Atterbury is under the age of 14.

New items are accepted from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at nine National Guard armories across the state, none of which are in Bloomington. However, Any organization or business seeking to make a large donation and cannot deliver to a designated site should contact the Indiana Department of Homeland Security at [email protected].

Bloomington City Council Unanimously Passes 2022 Unanimously

At the Bloomington City Council special session on October 27th, the 2022 budget passed unanimously.

The negotiations were intense at the last meeting on October 13th, with several council members saying that they would vote no on the budget unless certain changes were made by the mayor.

This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, October 27th, 2021.

Later in the program, we hear a selection from a recent Interchange with guest Davarian Baldwin, professor of American Studies at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, and author of In the Shadow of the Ivory Tower: How Universities Are Plundering Our Cities. More 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. More in the bottom half of tonight’s program.

But first, your environmental news brief:

Recently, multiple Bloomington restaurants and stores have begun to transition away from grown in-mass produce to crops from local farmers. This transition has been due to the desire of restaurant owners to support local farmers and use more sustainable and higher quality products. While this may increase the price of foods at some restaurants, it does come with a set of higher quality and standards. This farmer to restaurant relationship has been helpful in allowing both sections of the economy to rebound from the pandemic lows of the last year.

Google has announced that their company will begin to crack down on digital advertising that promotes climate change denial or other falsified climate change information. This will be done by limiting the amount of potential revenue that creators can make from such content. Google will use both automated tools and manual human reviewers to limit posts that include this harmful information. The company has taken climate change seriously, including with a new push to encourage their users to reduce their carbon footprints and lower emissions. This announcement coincides with Google’s crackdown on other misinformation, such as the spreading of conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines.

As Bloomington enters the start of fall, it is important to prepare for the colder weather that will be here soon. Experts recommend that residents check and possibly clean their gutters, as clogged water that freezes can cause damage to your house. Similarly, now is the best time to fix any cracks on your driveway which could potentially result in giant potholes. Gardeners advise that now is also a good time to fertilize your lawns which helps prep the ground to grow green grass once the winter is over for next year's spring and summer months.

Local Officials Discuss Covid-19 Response During Press Conference

Photo courtesy of University of Michigan.

On October 22nd, at the Bloomington Covid-19 Press Conference, Board of Health Director Penny Caudill shared information regarding the Covid-19 vaccines. She said that the annual flu vaccine is going well, and that there is a high demand for booster shots.

Caudill also reported that there will be more direction regarding vaccines for individuals aged 5-11 year-old receiving the Pfizer vaccine soon after committee meetings on November 2nd and 3rd.

She said that the current emergency order has been extended until next month due to our continued rate of community spread.

IU Health Director of Communications and Outreach Shawna Girgis said that the hospital is seeing a downward trend in individuals with Covid-19 in the last few weeks. She also shared New York Times published data on Covid-19 in Indiana.

The next Covid-19 meeting will be held on October 29th.

Ellettsville Town Council Discuss Envision Ellettsville and Halloween Festivities

At the Ellettsville Town Council meeting on October 25th, Envision Ellettsville Committee member Dan Rarey gave an Envision Ellettsville update. He asked residents to keep filling out the Envision Ellettsville Survey,

"The university still has refused to sit down with us and come up with a better plan to improve our working conditions," says one speaker. "That is not acceptable." The crowd cheers, volunteers bang on drums, and the applause continues.

These were the sounds and voices from the Town Hall held by the Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition on September 23. The graduate students at Indiana University in Bloomington have been attempting to form a union for three years now.

Calling themselves the Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition, the group is fighting for better working conditions for graduate students at IU. Their goal is for graduate workers on IU’s Bloomington campus to have adequate pay, benefits, and freedom from discrimination.

Nora Weber, a fourth-year graduate student in the sociology department explains that the coalition started about three years ago when a group of students decided they wanted to represent graduate students as workers.

"We have the grad and professional student government, and that represents us as students, which is part of our dual role on campus," said Weber, "but we are also workers and so we wanted a body that represents us in that role."

Nora expresses why she wanted to join the Coalition and what her informal role is in the unionization efforts.

"Just talking with other grad workers on campus, hearing what they have to say," she says, "and trying to incorporate that into thinking about our mission and how we can serve grad workers across campus."

***

At the Town Hall, one of the founding members of the Coalition, Valentina Luketa, asks graduate students in the crowd to raise their hands if they have faced economic insecurities due to the lack of financial compensation by the University for graduate workers.

"We are, when it's all said and done, not treated with dignity and respect. To demonstrate this, join me. How many of you have struggled to pay the rent? How many of you have worried you're not going to have enough money to buy food? How many of you have taken side jobs, stayed up late at night trying to figure out how to cover all your financial duties?"

Luketa then asks the crowd how many have sold their plasma for money. When the Coalition told Dean Daleke this, he wanted proof of this, Luketa claims.

"He said we still need some proof that we are actually at the end of the day selling our bodies, our plasma. Some of us are participating in sex work, which is an honorable thing to do, but it's something that the graduate students are forced to do in order to survive," Luketa continues.

"How many of you have felt alone, powerless, spent hours devising an email to your course director afraid that if one misplaced word is there, you're going to somehow lose funding for the next year," Luketa says, "How many of you have felt that if you're not quiet and you put your head down and you have to listen to us to those sorts of things that you are going to lose that funding you've been promised?"

"I too have felt very, very powerless. And then we founded the graduate Coalition. Not only did I learn that I was not alone, I have also learned that I, and all of us together, could be quite powerful."

***

IU has a formal policy when a group wishes to work towards unionization, and currently that is what the coalition is working towards.

"Unionization supports everybody. And I think what's really powerful is that some of the big issues that workers face on campus is payment that is not sufficient to meet our base needs," Weber says. "And we will say, well, you know, maybe the university doesn't owe you that. I would argue that based on the percent of classes that we're teaching, the amount of money that grad workers bring into the university, that's not over your head. That's a hurtful, in addition to untrue,

This is the WFHB Local News for Tuesday, October 26th, 2021.

Later in the program, WFHB Correspondent Kayan Tara reports on the Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition’s attempts to unionize. That’s coming up in today’s feature report.

Also coming up in the next half hour, we have Artbeat - a segment where Dr. Filiz Cicek interviews artists, activists and educators about their work.

Monroe County Board of Health Discusses Covid-19 Guidelines

Photo courtesy of University of Michigan.

On October 21st at the Monroe County Board of Health Meeting, Vice Provost for External Relations for IU Bloomington Kirk White shared the effect football games and Hoosier Hysteria have had on the rates of Covid-19 in Monroe County.

He also said that the students and faculty feel safer in the classroom environment with the mask requirement.

Health Director Penny Caudill shared that the Vital Statistics Division had been receiving multiple calls a day concerning confusion about how to receive birth certificates.

Vice President of Operations at Security Pro 24/7 Aaron Waltz shared that the department of health’s complaint inspections have been productive overall.

The next board of health meeting will be on November 18th.

Monroe County Council Approves 2022 Budget 

At the Monroe County Budget Hearing on October 19th, the County Council adopted the 2022 Budget.

 

County Council member Kathy Wiltz gave an overview of the budget’s costs and changes since it was proposed.

Council member Geoff McKim highlighted a few aspects of the budget he thought the public should be aware of. He noted the council funds often go on behind the scenes, and wanted the public to have an understanding of what this budget does for them.

Council member Marty Hawke said that she supported many parts of the budget; however, she doesn’t agree with all of them, so she plans to vote no against the budget.

The council voted 6-1 to pass the budget for 2022.

The next county council meeting will be on November 9th.

Feature Report:

WFHB Correspondent Kayan Tara reports on the Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition's attempts to unionize.

In today’s feature report, WFHB Correspondent Kayan Tara reports on the Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition’s attempts to unionize. Kayan Tara has that story.

Now it’s time for Artbeat - a segment where Dr. Filiz Cicek interviews artists, activists and educators about their work. In today’s segment, Cicek interviews Professor Joanne Hawkins about an Algerian feminist activist. We turn to Cicek for more.

Credits:

You’ve been listening to the WFHB Local News,

Today’s headlines were written by Noelle Herhusky-Schneider, in partnership with Cats - Community Access Television Services.

Our feature was produced by Kayan Tara.

Artbeat is produced by Dr. Filiz Cicek.

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

Engineer and Executive producer is Kade Young.

Anchors are Benedict Jones and Tod Wicks.