March 26, 2026: Hopewell South put off, women’s commission lockout, former H-T building to be sold, and more

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.

Thursday: No need to worry about staying warm, but take rain gear for early in the day. Showers and possibly a thunderstorm are very likely before 8 a.m. but clearing is expected after 9 a.m. However, by 8 p.m. the chance for rain returns at about 50% and then overnight increases to about 100%. The high on Thursday is expected to be around 84F°.

Friday: Put on something to stay warm and dry, because the day will start from an overnight low of around 45F° and won’t get warmer than 53F°. There will be a strong chance of scattered showers until 2 p.m.

Sign up for weather alerts: Monroe County emergency alert system

Recent articles

• After lockout, Monroe County women’s commission meets on ‘Women in Government Plaza’.  A properly noticed meeting of the Monroe County women’s commission was nearly thwarted when members found the courthouse locked and were denied their usual room—over a calendar error. They met outside instead. County officials have pledged that it won’t happen again.
• School district moves to unload $3M former Herald-Times property amid budget pressures.  MCCSC has initiated the sale of the former Herald-Times building, citing financial constraints and steep renovation costs estimated at $35 million. After a public hearing where no one spoke, the board voted unanimously to proceed, with a published notice of intent required in 30 days.
• Monroe County test run clears voting machines for May 5 primary.  Monroe County’s voting machines passed a routine logic and accuracy test using about 4,000 ballots designed to trigger every scenario. Under bipartisan oversight, results matched expected results, clearing a key step ahead of the May 5 primary.
• Point of contention for Monroe County commissioner candidates: Listening versus results.  At a League of Women Voters forum, Democratic commissioner candidates Trent Deckard and David Henry contrasted styles—collaboration versus results—while debating vote centers, a new jail site, ICE cooperation, and restoring public trust in county government.
• After 5 months, ruling still pending from highest court for Bloomington annexation case.  Bloomington’s long-running annexation fight is half over. The city has lost in two west-side areas, while a constitutional case covering five other territories remains pending. A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision could shape an expected ruling soon.

Quick notes

Hopewell South PUD: Postponed. On Wednesday night, Bloomington’s city council voted 6–3 to postpone consideration of the Hopewell South PUD until April 1. The three who voted against postponement, because they wanted to vote to approve it Wednesday night, were: Isak Asare; Sydney Zulich; and Courtney Daily. I hope to have a more detailed write up of the meeting published by mid-day on Thursday.

Resignation from CIB: Adam Thies. At the Wednesday meeting of the Monroe County capital improvement board, Adam Thies announced his resignation. As the reason, he cited his departure from his position at Indiana University to join Ratio Architects, a private firm, which meant the potential for conflicts of interests, which he wished to avoid. The appointment is the Bloomington mayor’s to make and is constrained by partisan balancing requirements not to be a Democrat.

MCCSC advisory council. Monroe County Community Schools Corporation superintendent Markay Winston is launching something she is calling the Strong Schools, Strong Community Advisory Council. She puts it like this: “I’m looking for up to 40 community members — including parents and guardians, teachers, support staff, and students — to join me and members of our Board for three discussions on April 15, April 29, and May 6, from 6 to 8:00 p.m. Council members will learn about the challenges and opportunities facing MCCSC and share their perspectives. Input will help inform the corporation’s long-term planning to sustain academic excellence in our schools and strengthen our schools, now and in the future.” Here’s a link: apply to participate by Tuesday, March 31. 

Stickers. My day was made on Tuesday this week when someone I bumped into in the wild and they asked me for a B Square sticker. There are a precious few remaining.

Music in Transit. Do you remember this B There item from November last year, featuring two photos of local musicians playing on a Bloomington Transit bus, as part of the Music in Transit project? The complete videos are now posted on YouTube. There’s a whole collection under that link. If you’d like to see Six Foot Blonde singing on a bus, start here: Six Foot Blonde. Bloomington Transit buses never looked better!

Eco Heroes art contest! This year’s theme of the city of Bloomington’s Eco Heroes art contest is: Our Nature at Night. From the city’s website: “Entries based on the theme are encouraged in a wide range of formats, including written, visual, or performance art. We welcome posters and illustrations, sculptures and 3D art, textiles, essays and poems, photography, music, or whatever best connects you to the theme Our Nature at Night.”

The deadline for submitting entries is April 7. That’s still plenty of time!

Eat on Kirkwood. You know what’s more fun than arguing about whether Kirkwood Avenue should be open or closed to car traffic? Actually heading over to Kirkwood and eating at one of the restaurants participating in Bloomington Bites Bingo, from March 29 to April 7.

County council candidates needed. Two Democrat county councilors are competing for their party’s nomination as a candidate for the county commissioner District 1 seat. With no declared Republican candidate, at least not yet, one of the two will be leaving the council at the end of 2026. That means there will be a vacancy to be filled on the seven-member council.

Now is a good time to start training up for the job, if you think you might be interested. To get you started, here’s a just-released report: food and beverage tax distribution report. Do all those columns and rows of numbers make you feel all tingly? If so, you might should consider serving on the county council.

On the calendar

Candidate forum: March 30 (clerk, prosecutor). Looking ahead to next week, on Monday (March 30), a candidate forum hosted by the League of Women voters is set for 6–8 p.m. at Tri-North Middle School.

Advertised as participating are candidates for the Democratic Party’s nomination for Monroe County clerk: Tanner Dale Branham and Tree Martin-Lucas. Also appearing on the ballot for the Democrats is Joe Davis. Appearing on the ballot as the sole candidate for the Republican Party’s nomination is Julie Hays. The publicity from the League of Women voters states: “All candidates from both parties have been invited to participate; those named have accepted our invitation.”

As part of the same event, candidates for the Democratic Party’s nomination for prosecuting attorney, Benjamin Tyron Arrington and Erika Oliphant, are set to answer questions.

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 Thomas!

This very, very good boy is a husky. Here’s what the shelter staff have written about Thomas:

Thomas is a fun-loving, energetic guy! He has never met a stranger and has the cutest zoomies when he's excited. Thomas is good on a leash, is housetrained, and know sit and shake. His current foster said he has been very easy to have around! She reports he has great house manners, crate trained, and loves car rides. He has also done very well with her own dog. If you're looking for a new best friend, Thomas is your guy!

Photo Finish: 6th Street & Washington 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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