March 9, 2026: Hopewell South, bicycle racing, high school hoops

Civic Solver

Civic Solver turns Bloomington’s everyday civic life into a puzzle. This week’s game is a jigsaw puzzle.

Weather Talk

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

Monday: You might need a light jacket early to handle temperatures of 50F°. But the high of 70F° means you won’t need that jacket later. Hang on to your hat, because the wind could gust up to 23 mph.

Tuesday: Keep rain gear handy, because there could be a patchy drizzle before 8 a.m., then isolated showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. The high will be around 75F°. Plan on rain Wednesday night.

Sign up for weather alerts: Monroe County emergency alert system

Recent articles

• Photos: Candy Stripe Criterium brings bicycle racing back to Bloomington streets.  Temperatures in the low 40s made for a crisp early Sunday morning (March 8) for the Candy Stripe Criterium bicycle race hosted by the Cycling Club at Indiana University. It was part of a two-day event. Photographer Kathryn Coers Rossman was on hand to capture some of the action. 
• Sunday Funnies: Hawk v. Fish.  Hawk: This daylight-saving time shift is stressing me out so bad that I’m losing the red feathers from my back end—the ones my species is named after. Thinking about seeing a hawk doctor. What does Fish say?
• Monroe County property transfers through March 4, 2026.  This report includes new property transfers in Monroe County that haven’t previously been reported by The B Square, with dates ranging from to Feb. 3 to March 4, 2026. The data in this report comes from Beacon, the county’s online geographic information system for property and parcel data.
• Hoops: Terre Haute North rallies late to deny Bloomington South sectional title 44–39.  Bloomington South held a narrow second-half lead in Saturday’s Sectional 13 championship at Martinsville, but Terre Haute North Vigo finished stronger down the stretch. The Patriots erased the deficit in the final minutes and secured the sectional title 44–39 over the Panthers.
• Hoops: Bloomington South, Terre Haute North Vigo set for sectional championship showdown.  Bloomington South and Terre Haute North Vigo advanced through Friday’s semifinals to set up a 7 p.m. Saturday showdown for the Sectional 13 championship at Martinsville. South beat Terre Haute South Vigo 60–45, while North Vigo cruised past Bloomington North 78–39 to reach the final.
• Bloomington council signals support for Hopewell South PUD zoning, but won’t vote sooner than March 25.  The Bloomington city council signaled support for the Hopewell South housing development, but put off a final vote until March 25. The proposal would allow about 98 homes on 6.3 acres of city-owned land near 2nd and Rogers, more than the roughly 28 units allowed under current zoning.

Quick notes

Milestone: One year of Hawk v. Fish. Sunday marked the 52nd edition of the weekly comic Hawk v. Fish. That is one year’s worth.

Official year-end fund balance report. Are you thinking of running for city council or mayor in 2027? In last Thursday’s Almost Daily Bulletin, the mention of the year-end cash balances report for 2025 might have piqued your curiosity. You might have wondered: What are the longer-term trends for these numbers?

Here’s a shared Google Sheet with numbers back to 2011. If you’re not thinking of running for city office, get yourself up to speed on these trends anyway—because anybody who knocks on your door asking for your vote should be able to answer ballpark questions about trends for the city’s revenues in its basic funds.

On the calendar

City plan commission: Cancelled. The regular Bloomington plan commission meeting for Monday at 5:30 p.m. has been cancelled.

Innkeeper’s tax revenue. On the noon Tuesday (Marc 10) meeting agenda for the convention and visitor’s commission is a review of innkeeper’s tax revenue. The numbers for January 2026 show a dramatic increase compared to January 2025, but that is, I think, due to a change in the timing for the revenue reports, not an actual increase. But I am not 100% sure.

Appeal: $27,000 in fines. On the 5:30 p.m. Tuesday (March 10) meeting agenda for the board of public works is an appeal by Wells & Wells for fines connected with notices of violation—for work right-of-way use on North Lincoln Street and North Washington Street dating back to September last year. The city has an escalating fine schedule, and the total reached $27,700.

$195,000 Route 13 funding. On the 5:30 p.m. Tuesday (March 10) meeting agenda for the Monroe County council is an appropriation of $195,000 to support Bloomington Transit bus Route 13. For B Square background, see: Bloomington Transit: Route 13 safe for at least six weeks; testimony urges tweaks, not termination

City budget priorities. Bloomington’s city council has a work session set for Wednesday (March 11) at 6:30 p.m. to discuss budget priorities for 2027.

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 Donut!

This very, very good girl is a Labrador retriever. Here’s what the shelter staff have written about Donut:

I am new to the shelter and we are all getting to know each other. If you are interested in adopting, stop by the shelter for a visit.

Photo Finish: 9th Street & Morton Street

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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