Sunday Funnies: Hawk v. Fish
This week Hawk reveals the actual origin story for the name of the state where we live, and it involves a guy named Edward VerDahntid.
Dave Askins
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
Bloomington Transit’s board reviewed key performance indicators Tuesday as total ridership fell from about 2.5 million trips in 2024 to 2.3 million in 2025. Members questioned whether changes in counting and fare enforcement affected results and asked staff to return with 2026 targets.
Jan. 22, 2026: Convention center hotel, Coretta Scott King, football championship
This edition includes lots of local photos from the day of the IU vs. University of Miami football game, a report on the keynote speech from MLK Day, and Wednesday's news about a hotel for the convention center expansion.
Courthouse square
The banner hanging in front of Caveat Emptor says: “Get your IU championship gear here!”
Feb. 5 meeting to review Dora ‘south option’ convention center hotel; mayor’s news release leaves CIB head ‘baffled’
The Monroe County CIB will hold a special meeting Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. to consider Dora Hospitality’s proposal to build a 200-room hotel on city-owned parcels south of the existing convention center. CIB president John Whikehart criticized Mayor Kerry Thomson’s related news release as factually wrong.
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.