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Jail update: Monroe County elected officials working on ‘clear movement’ plan as April 15 ACLU deadline nears

Jail update: Monroe County elected officials working on ‘clear movement’ plan as April 15 ACLU deadline nears

Monroe County councilors and commissioners agreed the downtown jail fails constitutional care, conflicts with community values, and can’t be renovated. With an April 15 ACLU “clear movement” deadline looming, officials debated cost, sites (including North Park), and next steps.

Anonymous caller claims gun in school bathroom stall; MCCSC orders districtwide ‘soft lockdown’

Anonymous caller claims gun in school bathroom stall; MCCSC orders districtwide ‘soft lockdown’

Ridership decline in 2025 for Bloomington Transit, board weighs ridership targets

Ridership decline in 2025 for Bloomington Transit, board weighs ridership targets

Feb. 5 meeting to review Dora ‘south option’ convention center hotel; mayor’s news release leaves CIB head ‘baffled’

Feb. 5 meeting to review Dora ‘south option’ convention center hotel; mayor’s news release leaves CIB head ‘baffled’

Bloomington MLK celebration highlights Coretta Scott’s activism and unfinished work

Bloomington MLK celebration highlights Coretta Scott’s activism and unfinished work

Watching IU win the national football championship: View from inside Nick’s English Hut

Watching IU win the national football championship: View from inside Nick’s English Hut

Indiana University claims first college football national championship: View from inside Assembly Hall

Indiana University claims first college football national championship: View from inside Assembly Hall

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K-12 Schools

Anonymous caller claims gun in school bathroom stall; MCCSC orders districtwide ‘soft lockdown’

Anonymous caller claims gun in school bathroom stall; MCCSC orders districtwide ‘soft lockdown’

MCCSC placed all schools on a “soft lockdown” Jan. 22 after an anonymous caller told BPD he was in a school bathroom stall with a gun and would “shoot up the school.” No school was named. SROs swept all 23 buildings; no credible threat was found.

Archived Live Report: MCCSC board annual reorganization (Jan. 6, 2026) | Cooperman now board president

Archived Live Report: MCCSC board annual reorganization (Jan. 6, 2026) | Cooperman now board president

Inside MCCSC’s weather-related school closure decisions

Inside MCCSC’s weather-related school closure decisions

No teacher pay raises through 2027: MCCSC OKs contract, state grant stipends to be decided

No teacher pay raises through 2027: MCCSC OKs contract, state grant stipends to be decided

MCCSC board hears tentative labor agreement, OKs 2026 budget

MCCSC board hears tentative labor agreement, OKs 2026 budget

MCCSC board hears updates on student attendance, health and safety

MCCSC board hears updates on student attendance, health and safety

MCCSC advances $181M budget for 2026 amid declining enrollment, rising costs

MCCSC advances $181M budget for 2026 amid declining enrollment, rising costs

Local Government

Jail update: Monroe County elected officials working on ‘clear movement’ plan as April 15 ACLU deadline nears

Jail update: Monroe County elected officials working on ‘clear movement’ plan as April 15 ACLU deadline nears

Monroe County councilors and commissioners agreed the downtown jail fails constitutional care, conflicts with community values, and can’t be renovated. With an April 15 ACLU “clear movement” deadline looming, officials debated cost, sites (including North Park), and next steps.

Ridership decline in 2025 for Bloomington Transit, board weighs ridership targets

Ridership decline in 2025 for Bloomington Transit, board weighs ridership targets

Feb. 5 meeting to review Dora ‘south option’ convention center hotel; mayor’s news release leaves CIB head ‘baffled’

Feb. 5 meeting to review Dora ‘south option’ convention center hotel; mayor’s news release leaves CIB head ‘baffled’

Hopewell South PUD prompts mayor’s last-minute affordability financing proposal—could now see action by Bloomington council

Hopewell South PUD prompts mayor’s last-minute affordability financing proposal—could now see action by Bloomington council

Monroe County jail impasse: After $4.2M North Park design spend, council-commissioner rift persists

Monroe County jail impasse: After $4.2M North Park design spend, council-commissioner rift persists

Bloomington council approves $778K CDBG plan amid long-term federal decline

Bloomington council approves $778K CDBG plan amid long-term federal decline

Bloomington approves new special events policy amid disputed attendance figures, denied records requests

Bloomington approves new special events policy amid disputed attendance figures, denied records requests

Connections

Bloomington MLK celebration highlights Coretta Scott’s activism and unfinished work

Bloomington MLK celebration highlights Coretta Scott’s activism and unfinished work

At Bloomington’s MLK celebration Jan. 19, UC Davis historian Traci Parker urged the audience to see Coretta Scott King as a central architect of the movement, not simply MLK’s widow. The program also honored Ruth Aydt with the MLK Legacy Award.

Watching IU win the national football championship: View from inside Nick’s English Hut

Watching IU win the national football championship: View from inside Nick’s English Hut

Indiana University claims first college football national championship: View from inside Assembly Hall

Indiana University claims first college football national championship: View from inside Assembly Hall

Photos and video from Kirkwood Avenue: Post-game national championship celebration

Photos and video from Kirkwood Avenue: Post-game national championship celebration

Downtown Bloomington watch-party rush: Lines wrap blocks as IU plays for football national title

Downtown Bloomington watch-party rush: Lines wrap blocks as IU plays for football national title

Sunday Funnies: Hawk v. Fish

Sunday Funnies: Hawk v. Fish

Sunday Funnies: Hawk v. Fish

Sunday Funnies: Hawk v. Fish

Old B Square

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Five years, one final B Square Bulletin: Thank you!

Commissioners OK Monroe County zoning overhaul, 13 possible remaining topics to be tackled in 2025

Repair not demolish: Bloomington looks to add 1 to affordable housing inventory

3-judge panel hears arguments in Bloomington annexation appeal, ruling expected in a few months

Dec. 18: Monroe County development ordinance (CDO) teed up for final vote by commissioners

Almost Daily Bulletin

More

Jan. 22, 2026: Convention center hotel, Coretta Scott King, football championship

Jan. 19, 2026: Deadly house fire, Iran protest, jail impasse, last-minute UDO proposal

Jan. 15, 2026: New festival policy, Northgrove subdivision, North-South hoops, IU football, 2026 county budget order, 2025 year-end Bloomington budget

Jan. 12, 2026: Jail lawsuit, wrongful termination, basketball, football, ICE protest

Jan. 8, 2026: Dan Combs dies, candidate filings, new city council president, new school board president, residential TIFs

Business

More

CIB braces for no-deal scenario with preferred hotelier on Bloomington Convention Center

Bloomington rejects all 5 bids for Hopewell East, plans new offering in 2026

‘Stadium District’ sidelined: Bloomington council votes 7–1 to nix naming plan for now

Retail notebook: Fresh facade for Princess Theater building means possible Dec. 1 opening for new downtown dining spot

IU Kelley School panelist drops ‘rough‘ news about Bloomington wages, points to Trades District as site of ‘creative collision‘

Situation Desk

More

‘No internet, no witness!’ Bloomington rally condemns Iran’s lethal crackdown, communications blackout

Updated: 2 dead | Suspect in Monroe County house fire with 4 victims guarded by sheriff’s deputies at Indianapolis hospital

After Peach Bowl win, IU football team lands safely, then has minor taxiway incident

Photos: Protesters rally on Bloomington courthouse square after ICE shooting in Minneapolis

Speakers at Bloomington rally denounce U.S. attack on Venezuela, call out history of intervention

Sports

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High school hoops: South rallies past North in second half to claim 50–43 rivalry win

Photos: Kirkwood Avenue Peach Bowl victory celebration

Panthers win holiday hoops tourney with victories over Muncie Central, Avon

Bloomington South Panthers survive late scare, outlast North Vigo 71–68 in overtime

New Palestine shuts out Bloomington South, ends playoff run for Panthers

B There

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Courthouse square

6th Street & College Avenue

Courthouse square

Courthouse square

Courthouse square

Civic Ticker

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Vote center action for Monroe County fails 2–1, needed 3–0 unanimous vote to pass

Teachers petition MCCSC for clear reduction-in-force policy amid budget strains

Bloomington's College-Walnut study comes back to life, with $95K more funding, more detailed analysis

Aja Jester appointed to vacant seat on MCCSC board

Former state police general counsel named jail transition director by Monroe County sheriff

Editor's Notes

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Editor’s Notebook: Embrace our shared geography, please do not let me die with stickers left over

Editor’s Notebook: Standing with the Indiana Daily Student by sharing the load

Editor's Notebook: Unplanned eye surgery disrupts timeline, but B Square vision still clear

Editor's Notebook: Getting from a nest to a soaring newsroom will take more financial support

Editor's Notebook: Paying the dues for Total News—please help fund it

Property Transfers

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Monroe County property transfers through Jan. 13, 2026

Monroe County property transfers through Jan. 8, 2026

Monroe County property transfers through Dec. 29, 2025

Monroe County property transfers through Dec. 22, 2025

Monroe County property transfers through Dec. 16, 2025

Civic Solver

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Civic Solver: Jan. 19, 2026

Civic Solver: Jan. 12, 2026

Civic Solver: Jan. 5, 2026

Civic Solver: Dec. 29, 2025

Civic Solver: Dec. 22, 2025

Live Reports

More

Archived Live Report: Bloomington city council organizational meeting (Jan. 7, 2025) | Asare now president

Archived Live Report: Election Central candidate filings (Jan. 7, 2026)

Archived Live Report: MCCSC board annual reorganization (Jan. 6, 2026) | Cooperman now board president

Archived Live Report: Convention center host hotel, Hopewell rezoning