The B Square’s Most Recent 20

Former IU quarterback Trent Green on keeping the ball: ‘Know the down and distance.’.  Former IU quarterback Trent Green returned to Bloomington Friday to unveil Dr Pepper’s “Fan Wall of Fame” mural on Kirkwood Avenue. Green also answered a question from The B Square about Fernando Mendoza’s championship-game run and his own two rushing TDs in the 1991 Copper Bowl.

Monroe County election board dismisses complaint against assessor candidate Trimble.  Monroe County’s election board dismissed dueling election-law complaints between Democrat incumbent assessor Judy Sharp and independent challenger Lisa Jeneé Trimble. That leaves their dispute to voters to decide on Nov. 3.

Sept. 3, 2026: City council hires attorney; potential $8.8M student housing deal; street-camping arrest; food inspections.  In this morning's edition: Bloomington’s council hires Jake Rossman as staff attorney; Methodists move toward an $8.8M South Lot sale for student housing; a man is released after his second street-camping arrest; and July food-inspection results are in.

Bloomington city council picks deputy Monroe County prosecutor as new staff attorney.  Bloomington’s city council voted unanimously to hire Monroe County deputy prosecutor Jake Rossman as its new staff attorney, ending a search that began after both council lawyers resigned in February. Rossman's start date is not yet set, but is expected by mid-October.

Monroe County Retail Food Inspections: July 2026.  During 38 of the 59 inspections of retail food establishments done by the Monroe County health department in July 2026, no violations were found. During 5 of them, at least one priority violation was found.

Methodists OK step toward $8.8M deal for student housing at old post office lot.  First United Methodist Church is moving toward an $8.8 million sale of its downtown South Lot to Core Spaces for a 350- to 400-bedroom student housing project. It's the old post office lot. The church would own 100 spaces in the newly constructed parking garage.

Bloomington man released from jail after second arrest under Indiana’s new street-camping law.  A man arrested for the second time this month under Indiana’s new street-camping law was ordered released from the Monroe County jail Monday. Judge Darcie Fawcett released nine of 13 people appearing from custody during the largely procedural initial-hearing docket.

Aug. 31, 2026: Bloomington’s butt logo; ICE-detainer fight; jail population; District 6 race; transit budget.  This morning’s edition includes a column on the proposed design by an outside consultant for a new city logo. It also includes reports on the Rokita-Marté ICE fight, a bid by Joshua Stockton for the District 6 city council seat; and Bloomington Transit's 2027 budget.

Editor’s note: Proposed new Bloomington logo looks like a butt.  Bloomington paid $95,000 for a new visual identity that is polished but generic—and whose giant “B” looks unmistakably like a butt. The city council should use its power of the purse to stop the administration from spending even more to put it everywhere.

Sunday Funnies: Hawk v. Fish.  Which elected officials does Fish talk to when he wants to get something done? The answer might surprise you!

Monroe County property transfers through Aug. 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 Aug. 7 to Aug. 26, 2026. The data in this report comes from Beacon, the county’s online geographic information system for property and parcel data.

Monroe County jail notebook: Population hits nearly 7-week low, rolling 10-day average below 229.  Monroe County’s jail population hit a nearly 7-week low of 216 on Friday before rising to 235 Saturday. The latest 10-day average, 225, is below the ACLU’s 229-person functional-capacity estimate, but above the county’s 186-person figure.

Partial settlement of Rokita-Marté immigration fight, but main ICE-detainer dispute remains.  A consent decree narrows Indiana AG Todd Rokita’s two-year legal fight with Monroe County sheriff Ruben Marté, but leaves the central ICE-detainer dispute unresolved. A hearing on competing summary-judgment motions is set for Oct. 27.

Stockton launches bid for District 6 Bloomington city council seat.  Joshua Stockton has announced a run for Bloomington City Council District 6, the seat Sydney Zulich is leaving to run for mayor. His campaign stresses housing affordability, infrastructure and keeping more city contracts and economic activity local. He's seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination.

Monroe County commissioner: Councilor Henry’s ‘body armor’ reference was a violent threat.  Monroe County commissioner Julie Thomas called councilor David Henry’s “body armor” remark a threat of violence and faulted the rest of the council for staying silent. Henry said he remains focused on justice building conditions as the dispute heads into September budget hearings.

Bloomington Transit looks to $37.6M budget vote amid pending management shakeup.  Bloomington Transit’s proposed $37.6 million 2027 budget is almost twice the size of this year’s, driven largely by a $20 million first phase of a new operations complex. The budget approval by the city council comes amid a management change as well as a potential new board appointment.

Aug. 27, 2026: MCCSC redistricting; Powerline Camp cleared early; food inspections; Cup & Kettle returns.  MCCSC is moving toward redistricting talks as enrollment and financial pressures mount. Monroe County cleared Powerline Camp a week early. June food inspections found priority violations at five establishments. Cup & Kettle has reopened production on Bloomington’s west side.

MCCSC moves toward redistricting talks, board president calls change ‘inevitable’.  MCCSC will schedule a work session to set parameters for possible redrawing of attendance boundaries, reorganization or restructuring. Board president Erin Cooperman called some kind of change “inevitable,” citing declining enrollment, unused building space and financial pressures.

Powerline Camp emptied Tuesday morning after Monroe County moves up deadline.  Monroe County deputies cleared the homeless encampment on the county-owned Thomson property early Tuesday, a week before the original Sept. 1 deadline. Residents objected to the changed date and a new notice that gave no specific time. Many remained unsure where they would go next.

Monroe County Retail Food Inspections: June 2026.  During 48 of the 69 inspections of retail food establishments done by the Monroe County health department in June 2026, no violations were found. During 5 of them at least one priority violation was found.