Jan. 29, 2026: Snow plowing, school financing, former H-T building, Perry Township trustee vacancy
This edition includes reports on snow plowing, MCCSC financing, the candidates in the vacancy caucus for the Perry Township trustee, and the former H-T building now owned by MCCSC.
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Weather Talk
Based on the National Weather Service forecast in text and charts here’s some advice.
Thursday: Slow down, bundle up. There will be patchy freezing fog before 9 a.m. We’re coming off an overnight low of around –5F° and the forecasted high is just 21F°
Friday: Keep your warm clothes on. The overnight low will dip down to 1F° between Thursday and Friday. The high temperature on Friday will be just 19F°.
Sign up for weather alerts: Monroe County emergency alert system
Recent articles
- MCCSC board OKs no raises for non-teacher pay, gets finance report, hears safety update. This report includes everything you wanted to know about MCCSC’s board meeting—from flat pay and stipends for union and non-union staff, to reshaped teacher grants, required fund transfers, public concerns over finances and ICE, a safety review, and approval of the 2028-29 calendar.
- Private roads, public emergency: Snow exposes Monroe County plowing gap. Heavy snow and bitter cold exposed a long-standing Monroe County issue: dozens of subdivisions remain unplowed because their roads are private and not in the county inventory. Councilors and commissioners may be considering emergency options.
- MCCSC board to take up pay, stipends, and financial update at first 2026 meeting. The MCCSC board will meet Tuesday (Jan. 27) for its first regular meeting of 2026, with newly elected president Erin Cooperman presiding. The agenda includes compensation for non-teachers, changes to Teacher Appreciation Grants, and a district financial update.
- Bloomington board of public works to consider $424K contract for Hopewell South infrastructure design. Bloomington’s board of public works will consider a $424,200 contract with CrossRoad Engineers on Tuesday for preliminary engineering for the Hopewell South project, covering surveys and street-and-infrastructure design for a planned affordable, owner-occupied neighborhood south of 1st Street.
Quick notes
Campaign finance filings: Mayor. I have not yet done a line-by-line analysis of the required annual filing, but in the second year a four-year term, Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson’s campaign fundraising efforts in 2025 yielded $54,791.51 in donations, which put her 2025 year-end cash-on-hand figure, after expenditures, at $127,642.99. By way of comparison, for the second year of his final term, in 2021, then-mayor John Hamilton’s fundraising effort that year was $23,419, which after expenditures left his cash-on-hand number at $48,681.
On the calendar
Emergency disaster declaration. On the 10 a.m. Thursday (Jan. 29) agenda for Monroe County commissioners is the ratification of the emergency disaster declaration in connection with the snowstorm over the weekend. The declaration expires after seven days.
At Thursday’s meeting I hope it is made clear what, if any, effect the declaration actually has. The wording says that it imposes a travel warning, and also serves to (emphasis added) “activate the response and recovery aspects of all applicable county disaster emergency plans” and authorizes “the furnishing of aid and assistance under the plans.” So where are the documents with the plans?
It is possible that the question of private road snow plowing might get some airtime during the Thursday meeting of the commissioners.
Former Herald-Times building: Thursday (Jan. 28). In 2022, the Monroe County Community School Corporation (MCCSC) purchased the eight acres of land that include the former Herald-Times building. Now, the school board is looking to the community for input on how it should be used.
The building is located at 1900 S. Walnut St. across from Bloomington High School South. The property is currently being used for material and equipment storage as well as for bus parking. [slide deck]
A public community forum is scheduled for Thursday Jan. 28, at 6 p.m. in Bloomington High School South’s Carmichael Hall auditorium. Feedback can also be submitted through an online survey.
Vacancy caucus for Perry Township trustee: Jan. 31 According to Monroe County Democratic Party chair Chrissie Geels, the vacancy caucus to replace Dan Combs for the remainder of his term as Perry Township trustee will be held at 2 p.m. on Jan. 31 in Bloomington city council chambers. There will be three candidates in the caucus, according to Geels. The links go to the candidate statements hosted on BloomDocs:
Meet Dudley!
This very, very good boy is a St. Bernard mix. Here’s what the shelter staff have written about Dudley:
Dudley is a solid dude with a solid heart. He's beefy, friendly, and house-trained. He recently went on an outing where he met lots of people and adored everyone he met, plus gave tons of kisses!
Photo Finish: Madison Street & 7th Street
The Photo Finish items are drawn from the B There section of the B Square website.
Thanks for reading. I hope you have a great 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. This week’s puzzle is a 10-question news quiz: 10-Question News Quiz.
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