Dec. 29, 2025: Voting patterns, hotel deal, hoops victories

Year end news quiz

This week’s Civic Solver is a 15-question year-end news quiz . It is set up to give time bonuses for fast solving. The quiz does not come near exhausting of all the important news that happened in 2025. If you decide to wager on your performance, please keep it friendly. A test audience reports that the quiz is very hard. So please limber up a bit before starting the quiz. You don’t want to pull a mental muscle in these final days of the year.

Reminder: About this distro list

Here’s a reminder about how you can add yourself to the distribution list for the Almost Daily Bulletin—instructions that you should feel free to pass along to anyone who asks. Use this link, and from there, fill in your email address, check the box agreeing to receive emails from The B Square, and choose whatever tier you like, including the ‘Free’ one.

Just like it says on the signup form, “Even though this tier is free, it gets you all the news and information that anyone gets who is contributing money to The B Square.” That’s a basic principle that I will never compromise.

Of course, the whole thing is made possible by some of you who are in a position to help subsidize news and information for everybody else in the community, and see a benefit from doing that. Thank you!

You can join the folks who are already contributing by using the same sign up form.

Weather Talk

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

Monday: Wear a warm coat and hat when you head out in the morning. We’ll be coming off an overnight low of 19F° and the high will be just around 27F° Be ready to hang onto your warm hat, because it will be windy, with steady breezes from 15 to 20 mph and gusts as high as 41 mph. The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory.

Tuesday: Bundle up in the morning because the overnight low will be around 17F°, and it won’t get much warmer than 29F°. The wind will be less severe but won’t disappear completely. Wear some shades or at least take them with you, because it will be mostly sunny.

Sign up for weather alerts: Monroe County emergency alert system

Roundup of recent articles

• Panthers win holiday hoops tourney with victories over Muncie Central, Avon.  After a weeklong holiday layoff, Bloomington High School South Panthers looked refreshed, not rusty, winning the Community Cars Tournament with victories over Muncie Central Bearcats (60–58) and Avon Orioles (64–55). Duncan Combs and Jack Clark led the way as the Panthers improved to 6–2.
• Monroe County property transfers through Dec. 22, 2025.  This report includes new property transfers in Monroe County that haven’t previously been reported by The B Square, with dates ranging from Dec. 11 to Dec. 22, 2025. The data in this report comes from Beacon, the county’s online geographic information system for property and parcel data.
• Sunday Funnies: Hawk v. Fish.  Hawk: Eggs Benedict is more appropriate than biscuits and gravy to eat off disposable dishware. Why does Fish agree?
• Monroe County sheriff: Armed, dangerous suspect at large, fled through airport then to Greene County, seeking tips from public.  Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies pursued a stolen SUV across the county airport tarmac on Christmas Day before losing sight of the suspect in Greene County. The suspect may be armed and dangerous. Anyone with information is asked to contact the sheriff’s office.
• No land deal yet, but CIB keeps Dora in game for Bloomington Convention Center host hotel at least until Jan. 21, 2026.  With no land deal in hand, the Monroe County CIB has given Dora Hospitality a bit longer to produce a viable host-hotel proposal. Talks over the College Square site remain stalled by a major funding gap; without progress, the CIB will issue a new RFP at its Jan. 21, 2026 meeting.
• Midterm math: How Bloomington city council votes cluster after two years.  At the midpoint of Bloomington city council’s four-year term, enough roll call votes exist to analyze voting patterns. Using a purely statistical method applied to 67 split votes, The B Square finds some clear two-member blocs.

On the calendar

Just for bills. Bloomington’s board of public works is holding a meeting, off its usual schedule, at noon Monday (Dec. 29) for a very short agenda, just to approve the payroll and claims. Worth noting: At the end of the year, board president Kyla Cox Deckard will be passing her one-decade milestone of service on the board.

Land for new bus operations. The Bloomington Transit board has set a special meeting for 11 a.m. on Tuesday (Dec. 30) to consider approving an agreement to buy land where a new operations center can be built. Long in the works, this will be the first time the location of the property is publicly disclosed. The new operations center would replace the Grimes Lane facility, but would not involve the downtown transit center, which is totally separate. For B Square background see: PCB detection in 1 of 10 tests prompts more borings at possible location of new Bloomington Transit facility.

Naked trees only. The Monroe County waste reduction district has announced that Christmas trees can be dropped off at any of the usual locations for the next few weeks. No ornaments can still be attached. From the MCWRD: “The District partners with Rumpke Trash & Recycling Services and Blue Stone Tree, to provide holiday tree recycling from Dec. 26, 2025 through Jan. 17, 2026.

Natural trees, wreaths, and garlands will be accepted at all five district recycling centers. Before dropping off trees for recycling, all decorations, including, but not limited to, ornaments, lights, artificial snow, garland and tinsel must be removed.” No artificial trees! Here’s the complete news release.

Puzzlefest! Mark your calendar for Jan. 25 from noon to 4 p.m., because the Monroe County History Center is sponsoring a jigsaw puzzle competition, which will take place from 1-3 p.m. at the Switchyard Park Pavillion.

For the competition, teams of four race to complete the same 500-ish piece puzzle. The competition signup is currently open online. The registration fee for a team of four is $60 and proceeds go to support educational programming at the Monroe County History Center. But guess what: Completing puzzles can be a spectator sport. It’s free to watch the competition and participate in the puzzle sale/swap.

Starting in 2026, from Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. you can donate puzzles to the puzzle swap at the History Center.

Anyone who drops puzzles off at the History Center through Jan. 24 will avoid a wait on Jan. 25 and will get extra tickets to use in the swap.

Meet Dozer!

This very, very good boy is a Shar Pei mix. Here’s what the shelter staff have written about Dozer:

Dozer is a total lovebug. His previous owners noted that while he has vision issues, he does seem to be able to sense shadow and movement. He's loved meeting other dogs and loves kids-but with his special needs would be better suited with older children. Dozer doesn't let his vision slow him down, and he loves to romp and play!

Photo Finish: Fairfax SRA

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

Thanks for reading. I hope the final few days of 2025 give you enough momentum down the runway to achieve liftoff into the new year!

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

Sponsors stand with local civic journalism

The B Square Bulletin is made possible by financial supporters who believe in informed, engaged communities. Learn more about our supporters and how you can get involved.

Trusted by renters for more than 30 years, Renaissance Rentals is proud to support independent journalism that helps our community thrive.

WFHB is Bloomington's volunteer-powered, community radio station broadcasting in south-central Indiana and streaming at wfhb.org. WFHB believes in the importance of independent journalism and proudly supports The BSquare Bulletin.

Myers Croxton Group supports the B Square Bulletin and its independent journalism. We’re proud to have designed its visual identity and for creating distinctive brand identities for the clients and organizations we represent.

Bloom Magazine proudly joins The B Square Bulletin in its mission to give Bloomington’s residents “the information they need to help our community thrive.” Look for Dave Askins’ “At City Hall” column in every issue.

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. It’s a 15-question year-end news quiz .