Dec. 11, 2025: ICE action in Bloomington, homeless encampment, donations to nonprofits, COLD weather

Civic Solver

Do you hate jigsaw puzzles? Even if you can play them on your computer machine? Don’t fret, because this week’s puzzle is a word search. Find the link to it at the end of this bulletin. As always, if you decide to wager with your friends based on your puzzle solving time, please try to keep things friendly. I finished this week’s puzzle in 2 minutes and 14 seconds.

Weather Talk

Based on the National Weather Service forecast in text and charts here’s some advice.

Thursday: Wear a warm coat and a hat, because the day will start from an overnight low of 29F° and it won’t get warmer than about 31F° the whole day. Try to wrap up any errands early in the day. Then slow way down. The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory from 5 p.m. on Thursday (Dec. 11) to 10 a.m. on Friday (Dec. 12). Total snow accumulations are expected between 2 and 4 inches. Plan on slippery road conditions for Thursday evening and Friday morning.

Friday: Dress warm, but the temperature is not the big concern on Friday. The overnight low of 27F° leads to a daytime high of around 36F° on Friday. Slow down. There’s a chance of some flurries.

Use Friday to get ready for plummeting temperatures starting Saturday when the high will be around 20F° then fall to about 0F° by the time the sun comes up on Sunday. Through the day on Sunday, it won’t get any warmer than 10F°. Warming stations will be open at various locations around the county starting Saturday morning.

Sign up for weather alerts: Monroe County emergency alert system.

Roundup of recent articles

• Afghan asylum seeker taken into custody in Bloomington; ICE holding him in Brazil, Indiana jail.  A Bloomington resident with a pending asylum case was detained Monday by federal agents after leaving Broadview Learning Center. He is now held by ICE at the Clay County Justice Center in Brazil, Indiana. His family says he followed all requirements and has received no explanation for the detention.
• Pressure mounts on Monroe County to halt Thomson encampment clearance.  Opposition is rising to Monroe County’s plan to clear the Thomson encampment. After protests, commissioners delayed the move to Dec. 15, but county councilors want commissioners to take a longer pause. They question the funding source, how residents were notified, and the lack of a relocation plan.
• Monroe County council mulls donations to BEDC, Seven Oaks Classical School.  Monroe County council on Tuesday will weigh two uncommon donations—$1,800 to Seven Oaks Classical School and $30,000 to the BEDC. County commissioners declined a Seven Oaks grant contract last month. County councilors made a similar donation to the BEDC last year. [Outcome: The donation to Seven Oaks was approved, but the donation to BEDC was postponed until next week.]

Quick notes

Bloomington plan commission? Remember that Monday there was no agenda posted for the Bloomington plan commission? Early Monday, the reason became evident—the meeting was canceled for lack of any business to conduct.

Special council meeting on Hopewell. Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson has called a special meeting of the city council for Dec. 15 at 4 p.m. in the Allison Conference Room at city hall to talk about the Hopewell development. The mayor can call a meeting, because one of the basic powers of the city executive under state law is to call meetings of the council.

On the calendar

Conversation about homelessness. Set for 1 p.m. on Thursday as a part of the work session for the Monroe County commissioners is a conversation about homelessness in the context of the planned clearance of the encampment at the Thomson property.

Note: The time for the work session this week is specified as 1 p.m. That’s a departure from the normal practice of starting the work session 10 minutes after the regular meeting concludes. The regular meeting starts at 10 a.m. Regular meetings always include time for the public to address the commissioners on topics not on the agenda. So it’s possible that the regular meeting could see a lot of commentary from the public mic about the pending clearance, which is currently scheduled for Dec. 15.

But for people who want to weigh in on the topic of homeless camps and who work a regular day job, it could mean making a choice between attending the 10 a.m. regular meeting and the 1 p.m. work session. For B Square background see: Pressure mounts on Monroe County to halt Thomson encampment clearance.

Dec. 12: Latin Jazz Big Band. Vick Luna and his big band are playing the Blockhouse Bar at 8 p.m. on Friday (Dec. 12). From Vick: “Latin Jazz Dance Party with a 20-piece live big band! Featuring the music of Tito Puente, Pérez Prado, and more. Bring them dancing shoes and be ready to dance!” Here’s an introduction to Vick from the B Square’s coverage two years ago: Sliding into the holidays: Expectations for Christmas Eve blown away.

Meet Arrow!

This very, very good boy is a border collie. Here’s what the shelter staff have written about Arrow:

Arrow is an older border collie who very much identifies as a border collie. He would thrive in a home with an owner who would make sure his brain and body get enough work to help keep his anxiety at a manageable level. Arrow would prefer a home without the fast, unpredictable movements of younger humans, with a consistent routine that includes him in the adventures. At the shelter, he was able to hang with other neutral, chill dogs during playgroup, although Arrow preferred to observe the festivities.

Photo Finish: Grant Street & Kirkwood Avenue

The Photo Finish items are drawn from the B There section of the B Square website.

Thanks for reading. I hope you stay warm over the weekend!

Dave Askins
734-645-2633
dave@bsquarebulletin.com

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Civic Solver

Civic Solver turns Bloomington’s everyday civic life into a puzzle worth cracking — from familiar faces to local landmarks. A weekly reason to stay curious: Complete this week’s puzzle.