June 1, 2026: Graduations, convention center upgrades, recycled vinyl records, Ellettsville merger
This week’s edition includes reports on commencement ceremonies at Bloomington North and Bloomington South, as well as upgrades to the Bloomington Convention Center and the possible Ellettsville-Richland Township reorganization.
Civic Solver
We’re skipping the puzzle for this week.
Weather Talk
Based on the National Weather Service forecast in text and charts here’s some advice.
Monday: Wear something light that dries fast if it gets wet, because there is a minor threat of sprinkles from about 10 a.m. through about 5 p.m.—but it’s only about 10-20%, which is not enough for an umbrella. Otherwise it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 79F°.
Tuesday: Wear whatever you like. You can wear a jacket just for fashion, because it won’t be hot enough to make you overheat. It will be sunny, with a high near 77F°.
Sign up for weather alerts: Monroe County emergency alert system
Recent articles
- Bloomington High School North graduation 2026: That’s a wrap!. On Saturday morning (May 30), Bloomington High School South held commencement exercises for the Class of 2026. Included here are a report on the remarks by student speakers and photographs.
- Bloomington High School South graduation 2026: Where will you choose to water the grass?. On Saturday morning (May 30), Bloomington High School South held commencement exercises for the Class of 2026. Included here are a report on the remarks by student speakers and photographs.
- Sunday Funnies: Hawk v. Fish. It's graduation season which means Hawk and Fish have some weird compliments for each other.
- Monroe County property transfers through May 26, 2026. This report includes new property transfers in Monroe County that haven’t previously been reported by The B Square, with dates ranging from April 17 to May 26, 2026. The data in this report comes from Beacon, the county’s online geographic information system for property and parcel data.
- Innkeeper’s tax helps pay for upgrades to existing Bloomington Convention Center. Monroe County’s CIB approved $2.1M in renovations for the existing convention center, using $1.6M from innkeeper’s tax reserves approved by the CVC, and about $500,000 of its own construction funds. The work covers HVAC, masonry, DOAS and windows.
- Ellettsville, Richland Township OK fiscal impact for merger; police coverage issue gets sharpened. Ellettsville and Richland Township officials separately approved a fiscal impact analysis for a proposed merger, sending it to the state for review. Questions about police service in rural areas surfaced before two hearings in June and a possible Nov. 3 vote.
- Bloomington-based Secretly Group to release special edition albums as part of June 5 recycled vinyl campaign. Landlocked Music will join stores in the U.S., Canada and U.K. for a June 5 reclaimed-vinyl release event backed by Secretly Group, which also marks its 30th anniversary with August concerts in Bloomington.
- Bloomington police seek suspect after gunfire at rooftop party on North Walnut, no injuries. Bloomington police are seeking a suspect after a man fired several .45 caliber rounds into the air during a Sunday rooftop party at The Rive on North Walnut Street. No injuries or damage were reported.
On the calendar
College Avenue closure south of 3rd Street. On the 5:30 p.m. Tuesday (June 2) meeting agenda for Bloomington’s board of public works is a request for the closure of College Avenue south of 3rd Street where the convention center expansion is being constructed. The closure is planned from June 30 through July 24. The closure is requested for the remaining work that needs to be done on the skywalk connector over the street.
Wrapping up Hopewell South. On the 5 p.m. Monday (June 1) meeting agenda for Bloomington’s redevelopment commission (RDC) are a few separate items related to the city council’s approval of the Hopewell South PUD. Among them is the acceptance of the city council’s conditions that it imposed on the rezone. Another item related to Hopewell South is an approval for staff to move ahead with the platting.
Closure of Kirkwood to cars. On the 6:30 p.m. Wednesday (June 3) meeting agenda for Bloomington’s city council for possible enactment is an ordinance that would close Kirkwood Avenue to motor vehicles for every year between April 1 and Nov. 15. For B Square background, see: Kirkwood proposal, power struggle over Bloomington streets, cued up for June 3
Bloomington Handmade Market: June 6. This year’s event, held on the downtown courthouse square, is supposed to include over 120 midwest artists, food trucks, live music, and more. The time is Saturday, June 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It’s promoted as a free, family-friendly event featuring everything from ceramics, jewelry, clothing, prints, candles, home goods, and fine art to specialty foods and one-of-a-kind gifts.
Garden Walk: June 6-7. The Bloomington Garden Club will host its 37th annual Summer Garden Walk on Saturday, June 6, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday, June 7, from noon to 4 p.m. The self-guided tour will feature six private gardens around Bloomington, along with a flower show at Hilltop Garden and Nature Center. You can buy $10 tickets are from local vendors, with proceeds supporting children’s gardening education programs and other local beautification projects.
Bingo Brunch at Cardinal Spirits: June 28. It’s every Sunday 12-2 p.m. at Cardinal Spirits: Bingo Brunch with celebrity callers! You might wonder: What is the Cardinal Spirits definition of celebrity? It needs to be flexible enough to include ... me, the founder of The B Square. I plan to apply all the principles I have learned about government meeting procedures to bingo calling—in the best possible way! You have never heard letters and numbers sound so great.
Meet Roscoe!
This very, very good boy is a shar-pei mix. Here’s what the shelter staff have written about Roscoe:
Roscoe is a charming medium sized dog who is affectionate and snuggly. He does well walking by other dogs but prefers not to directly interact. And don't let his teensy ears fool you—Roscoe is sure to be a great listener after a long day!
Photo Finish: Ferguson Dog Park
A golden retriever named Muddy Waters routinely catches a second ball with one already in his mouth. (Dave Askins, May 31, 2026)
The Photo Finish items are drawn from the B There section of the B Square website.
Thanks for reading. I hope your week is off to a great start!
Dave Askins
734-645-2633
dave@bsquarebulletin.com
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