Author: Dave Askins

Week 11: Next-to-last protest against free speech policy on IU campus underscores pro-Gaza roots

Free speech policy protest at Sample Gates, Indiana University Bloomington (Nov. 3, 2024)

Sunday night was the 11th week in a row for a protest at Sample Gates in Bloomington, against Indiana University’s new “expressive activities” policy, which was effective Aug. 1.

Sample Gates is the spot where Kirkwood Avenue dead ends at the western edge of the Bloomington campus.

On the university campus, during the 7-hour window from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., the policy prohibits expressive activities like vigils.

According to emeritus professor Russ Skiba, who led things off on Sunday, next week will mark the final protest, telling the gathering that in the next couple of days “you’ll get word on exactly why that is, but it’s a good reason.” [Added at 12:37 p.m. Nov. 4, 2024: news release on final protest]

Skiba added later during his remarks that protesters who attended the weekly vigils would be able to look back and say: “We are proud to have been involved in this. We believe this is something that made a difference at Indiana University.”

The university’s policy needed people to come out and make “a moral stand,” Skiba said.

The origin of the new “expressive activities” policy is connected to the pro-Gaza encampment on Dunn Meadow in spring of this year, which led to two days in late April, when the university used state police in riot gear to break up the encampment. Continue reading “Week 11: Next-to-last protest against free speech policy on IU campus underscores pro-Gaza roots” →

Bloomington set to OK $1.2-million land deal for 150-bed hotel in Trades District

Appearing on the Monday meeting agenda for Bloomington’s redevelopment commission (RDC) is a $1.2-million land deal in the Trades District, north of city hall.

Under the terms of the agreement, Alluinn IU Trades District Hotel, LLC would pay $1.2 million for the land—which are parcels included in the public offering that was made by the RDC in June 2023.

The planned sale is not surprising news. In May, the RDC approved a letter of intent (LOI) with Alluinn  to build a 150-bed hotel on the land, which is expected to cost around $35 million.

The  hotel is expected to complete construciton in the second half of 2026. Continue reading “Bloomington set to OK $1.2-million land deal for 150-bed hotel in Trades District” →

Monroe County early voting continues brisk pace, ends at noon on Monday, Nov. 4

Early in-person voting Monroe County, Indiana (Nov. 2, 2024)
Early in-person voting Monroe County, Indiana (Nov. 2, 2024)
Early in-person voting Monroe County, Indiana (Nov. 2, 2024)
Early in-person voting Monroe County, Indiana (Nov. 2, 2024)

At 9 a.m. on Saturday morning, under clear skies and a temperature of 37 F degrees, a line of voters stretched from the door of the Monroe County election operations building at 3rd and Walnut streets, around the building, down 3rd Street, nearly to College Avenue.

At 9 a.m. when the door opened, the line shrank, but more voters filled in the ranks at the tail end. By 10 a.m. the end of the queue still stretched to mid-block between Walnut and College.

The first voter in line emerged from the exit just about 5 minutes after going into the building. A handful of others, wearing “I voted” stickers, came out around the 10-minute mark.

The day before, on Friday before the Tuesday, Nov. 5 election, better than 200 voters per hour voted early in person at the election ops building. Continue reading “Monroe County early voting continues brisk pace, ends at noon on Monday, Nov. 4” →

Monroe Convention Center expansion moves ahead with final design, election ops sees last votes

Last Wednesday (Oct. 23), the final project definition (aka schematic design)  for the expansion of the Monroe Convention Center was approved unanimously by the Monroe County capital improvement board (CIB).

The CIB’s approval will allow the architect, Schmidt Associates, to begin the actual design phase of the project.

The project will put a roughly 60,000-square foot building on the south side of 3rd Street between Walnut Street, across from the Bloomington Transit bus center, and College Avenue, across from the existing 40,000-square foot convention center.

The project architect is Schmidt Associates, with consulting support from Convergence Design. The construction manager on the job is Weddle Brothers. Continue reading “Monroe Convention Center expansion moves ahead with final design, election ops sees last votes” →

Bloomington city council, mayor fight: Can legislative body raise pay grades without breaking state law?

Nicole Bolden, Bloomington city clerk (Oct. 30, 2024)
Matt Flaherty, Bloomington city councilmember (Oct. 30, 2024)
Courtney Daily, Bloomington city councilmember (Oct. 30, 2024)
Gretchen Knapp, Bloomington deputy mayor (Oct. 30, 2024)
David Hittle, Bloomington planning director (Oct. 30, 2024)
Sharr Pechac, Bloomington human resources director (Oct. 30, 2024)
Margie Rice, Bloomington corporation counsel (Oct. 30, 2024)
Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson (Oct. 30, 2024)
Bloomington city councilmembers Hopi Stosberg and Isak Asare (Oct. 30, 2024)

At its Wednesday meeting, Bloomington’s city council approved three salary ordinances for 2025—one for the city’s police officers and firefighters,  one for the city clerk’s staff,  and one for the other employees of the city, including the members of AFSCME (American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees).

The bitter deliberations on two of the three ordinances revealed a rift between Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson’s administration and at least some of the councilmembers. The almost five-and-a-half hour meeting did not end until just before midnight.

The one uncontroversial ordinance was about pay for police officers and firefighters. The recently ratified collective bargaining agreements with the two public safety unions gave police and firefighters alike substantial increases.

Despite the rancorous debate, there was no dissent from any councilmember on either of the two other ordinances.

The acrimony stemmed from proposed amendments to the ordinances, which were provided to the public and the administration just 90 minutes before the meeting started at 6:30 p.m.

Towards the end of the meeting, the elected city clerk, Nicole Bolden gave the city council her take on the proceedings: “I have been been horribly disappointed by the dog whistles, the impugning of people’s motives, characters, capacity, competence, intelligence, that have happened this evening and other evenings by members of the administration, by members of council.” Continue reading “Bloomington city council, mayor fight: Can legislative body raise pay grades without breaking state law?” →

Monroe County OKs $167K in social services grants named after Sophia Travis

At its meeting on Monday, the Monroe county council approved $167,000 in social services grant awards to 42 different projects.

The top award this year, of $9,730, went to a collaborative effort to fund CPR training for several nonprofits.

Participating in the collaborative application were Middle Way House, Amethyst House, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Bloomington Creative Glass Center, Bloomington Montessori School, Cancer Support Community, Lotus Education & Arts Foundation, Monroe County History Center, Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard, People and Animal Learning Services, Tandem Community Birth Center, Windfall Dancers, and Wonderlab.

Rounding out the top 10 grant awards for this year were: Susie’s Place ($8,420); Indiana Recovery Alliance ($7,250); Big Brothers Big Sisters ($6,650); Beacon, Inc. ($6,330); New Hope for Families ($5,750); Boys and Girls Club ($5,380); Hoosier Hills ($5,270); and New Leaf New Life ($5,250).

In 2013, the grant program was renamed in honor of Sophia Travis, who served on the county council from 2004 to 2008. She worked as a councilor to “assure the applications for the limited funds available for support would be considered in a fair, even-handed and transparent process.” Continue reading “Monroe County OKs $167K in social services grants named after Sophia Travis” →

Monroe County OKs 2025 budget, but might see near term push to bump pay for sheriff’s deputies

Monroe County councilors from left: Marty Hawk, Geoff McKim, Trent Deckard, Jennifer Crossley, Kate Wiltz, Peter Iversen. Cheryl Munson was absent with illness. (Oct 28, 2024)

A budget for 2025 that calls for $122.5 million in spending, when home-ruled funds are included, was approved by the Monroe County council on Monday night.

The vote was 5–1, with dissent from Marty Hawk. Cheryl Munson was absent with illness.

As councilor Geoff McKim noted, the 2025 spending plan is technically a “deficit budget” for both the general fund and the PS LIT (public safety local income tax) fund. Continue reading “Monroe County OKs 2025 budget, but might see near term push to bump pay for sheriff’s deputies” →

Week 10: IU free speech policy protesters cite uneven enforcement for ESPN GameDay football crowds

Free speech policy protest at Sample Gates, Indiana University Bloomington (Oct. 27, 2024)

Sunday night was the 10th week in a row for a protest at Sample Gates in Bloomington, against Indiana University’s new “expressive activities” policy, which was effective Aug. 1.

Sample Gates is the spot where Kirkwood Avenue dead ends at the western edge of the Bloomington campus.

On the university campus, during the 7-hour window from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., the policy prohibits expressive activities like vigils.

The timing of the regular Sunday night protests is meant to deliberately violate the new policy. In recent weeks, the protest has started at around 10:30 p.m. so that participants who have already been sanctioned by the university and threatened with termination for further violations of the policy, can still speak on the campus side of the plaza. Continue reading “Week 10: IU free speech policy protesters cite uneven enforcement for ESPN GameDay football crowds” →

Monroe County council at-large hopefuls field questions at forum

From left, candidates for Monroe County at-large county council at the Oct. 26, 2024 candidate forum: Democrat Trent Deckard, Democrat David Henry, and write-in candidate Joe Davis. Due to illness, incumbent Democrat Cheryl Munson, who appears on the ballot, was not able to attend.

The contest for the three at-large county council seats is one of two local races where Monroe County voters will have any kind of choice on Nov. 5.

The Democrats whose names appear on the ballot for the pick-up-to-three race are: Cheryl Munson, Trent Deckard, and David Henry.

Also appearing on the ballot for the at-large county council race will be a blank space where voters can write in a name. The only candidate whose name will get any official tallies is Joe Davis. It’s only because Davis has filed the paperwork to register as a write-in candidate that a blank space appears for the race.

On Saturday, Davis, Deckard, and Henry appeared at a candidate forum hosted at Bloomington’s city hall. Munson was not able to attend the event, due to illness. She attended a late-September forum hosted by the League of Women Voters.

Saturday’s forum was recorded by CATS: Oct. 26, 2024 candidate forum. Continue reading “Monroe County council at-large hopefuls field questions at forum” →

District 3 Monroe County commissioner hopefuls: VanDeventer, Madeira field forum questions

The only local race that gives Monroe County voters a choice between a Democrat and a Republican on Nov. 5 is the District 3 county commissioner contest between Jody Madeira (D) and Joe VanDeventer (R).

On Saturday, Madeira and VanDeventer fielded questions at a candidate forum held on Saturday in Bloomington’s city hall. The forum was recorded by CATS: Oct. 26, 2024 candidate forum.

Whichever candidate prevails, the District 3 seat will see a new face starting in 2025. Madeira won the Democratic Party’s primary over incumbent Penny Githens. VanDeventer won the Republican Party primary over Paul White, Sr.

Madeira or VanDeventer will join incumbent Democrats Lee Jones and Julie Thomas (District 2) as the third county commissioner. Jones’s seat is not up for election this cycle. Continue reading “District 3 Monroe County commissioner hopefuls: VanDeventer, Madeira field forum questions” →