March 23, 2026: Hopewell South, election prep, voting, pretty birds

Civic Solver

Civic Solver turns Bloomington’s everyday civic life into a puzzle. This week’s game is an 11-question quiz about the responsibilities of county officials. You will do better than you think. You know why? Because this quiz doesn’t stop at 10 questions. It goes all the way to eleven!

Weather Talk

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

Monday: Put a warm jacket back on, because the day will start from an overnight low of just a few degrees above freezing and will reach a high of just 49F°. Wind gusts could go as high as 25 mph. It’s not supposed to rain.

Tuesday: The overnight low on Monday will get all the way down to freezing, so keep your warm jacket on to start the day, but have a plan to shed it sometime because the high will get to 57F°. It’s not supposed to rain.

Sign up for weather alerts: Monroe County emergency alert system

Recent articles

• Photos: Pretty birds in a Bloomington park.  On Sunday (March 22) around 11 a.m, Bloomington’s Miller-Showers Park was alive with fancy birds two days into spring under sunny skies with the temperature at 77F° and climbing towards the forecasted high of 84F°. Cardinals, robins, hawks, ducks—what else could you want?
• Sunday Funnies: Hawk v. Fish.  Hawk: This past Friday, when candidates for local office went around banging on the doors of potential voters, they each picked a number, N, and then hit the door exactly N times for every voter. So weird. How does Fish explain this to the Hawk?
• Monroe County property transfers through March 18, 2026.  This report includes new property transfers in Monroe County that haven’t previously been reported by The B Square, with dates ranging from Feb. 25 to March 18, 2026. The data in this report comes from Beacon, the county’s online geographic information system for property and parcel data.
• Hopewell South PUD heads back to Bloomington city council amid flurry of proposed conditions.  Bloomington’s city council will again consider the Hopewell South PUD on March 25, with 13 proposed conditions highlighting lingering concerns. Legal limits on amending the plan complicate the path forward, and while approval seems likely, another delay could also be possible.
• Final prep for primary voting in Monroe County includes split vote on poll worker training packet.  With early voting starting April 7 and a registration deadline on April 6, Monroe County’s election board approved poll-worker training, on a split vote after debate over safety details. Poll sites await final approval but some absentee ballots have already been sent.
• Lawsuit over student IDs for voting prompts sparring over question: How long is brief?.  With early voting weeks away, Indiana officials are urging a judge to deny a bid to block a law barring student IDs at polls, arguing the challenge came too late and lacks merit. Plaintiffs say it burdens young voters; the state calls it a modest clarification of existing requirements.

On the calendar

Democratic Party primary candidate forum: County commissioner, House District 61. On March 23, the League of Women Voters is hosting a forum for Democratic Party candidates for Indiana House District 61 representative (Matt Pierce and Lilliana Young) and Monroe County commissioner, District 1 (Trent Deckard and David Henry). The time is 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Location is Tri-North Middle School.

Public test of election equipment. The public test of the voting equipment to be used in for the May 5 primary election will be done on Tuesday, March 24, at 9:30 a.m. at the Monroe County Government Center 501 N. Morton Street (That’s the new early voting location).

4,559 trip hazards. On the 5:30 p.m. Tuesday (March 24) meeting agenda for Bloomington’s board of public works is a contract worth up to $300,000 with Precision Concrete to eliminate trip hazards by saw-cutting pieces of misaligned slabs to make them level enough to pass muster. It’s not a solution that works for every trip hazard, but it’s cheaper than pouring new slabs. The basic approach is not new this year, and neither is the firm hired to do the work.

Long-term finance committee. On the 5 p.m. Tuesday (March 24) meeting agenda for the Monroe County council is a resolution to re-establish the council’s long-term finance committee. I don’t see an item on the agenda to approve the transfer of the county-owned land to the Monroe County CIB for purposes of constructing a convention center host hotel. That probably means the county commissioners, which also have to approve such a transfer, will go first, at their meeting on Thursday (March 26).

Art installation at convention center expansion. On the 3 p.m Wednesday (March 25) meeting agenda for the Monroe County capital improvement board (CIB) is an update on the art installation.

Hopewell South PUD. On the Bloomington city council’s regular 6:30 p.m. Wednesday (March 25) meeting agenda is consideration of the Hopewell South PUD. The council put off a vote three weeks ago. For B Square background, see: Hopewell South PUD heads back to Bloomington city council amid flurry of proposed conditions

Zingtrain: April 1. Brought to you by the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, this is a full day of training at the Bloomington Convention Center from the world’s leading experts in customer service—Zingerman’s Deli in Ann Arbor, Michigan. That’s not just the chamber telling you that, it’s me—former Ann Arbor resident for two decades—telling you that. And check this out: This event is free to everybody, chamber members and non-members alike. The chamber’s event description has more details. Lunch will also be provided!

Trashion Refashion: April 12. Trashion Refashion has announced the release of ticket sales for this year’s event, which is set for April 12, at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Organizers describe the event like this: “This beloved event blends high fashion with sustainability, showcasing over 50 original, upcycled designs modeled by a diverse cast of community members. A highlight of Bloomington’s arts scene since 2010, the show promotes environmental sustainability and artistic creativity while challenging conventional notions about beauty and consumerism.” It’s a fundraiser for the Center for Sustainable Living. There’s more information in the link to the news release, but here’s a direct link to purchase tickets.

Ms. Lake Lemon: May 16. Start your training regimen now. This amazing contest of skill is to be held at Riddle Point Park this year. Monitor the Ms. Lake Lemon Facebook page for details, as they become available. The B Square covered last year’s inaugural event.

Meet Charlie!

This very, very good girl is a bully breed mix. Here’s what the shelter staff have written about Charlie:

Charlie is a sweet and sensitive young lady who with a bit of time and patience will have lots of love to give!

Photo Finish: Kirkwood Avenue & Washington Street (Buskirk-Chumley Theater)

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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