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Almost Daily Bulletin

May 19, 2025: Tornado aftermath, 2026 budget planning, vote centers, parking tickets

Past weather

For people who want some help cleaning up from the Friday storms, Monroe County emergency management has sent the following:

Are you in need of cleanup assistance from the May 16th storm? The Monroe County Emergency Management Agency and the Monroe County Community Organizations Active in Disasters (COAD) are coordinating with the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief of Indiana to provide cleanup assistance to residents in need. If you would like to request storm cleanup assistance, please fill out the following form. On the form, please fill out the first 5 lines and the signature line. If you are unable to fill out the form or have any questions, please feel free to request assistance by calling 618-499-2215 or emailing indianabaptisthelps@gmail.com.

According to the National Weather Service, out of the half dozen reports of tornadoes, there was one confirmed touchdown in Monroe County which had a preliminary rating of EF-2. That's based on estimated peak winds of 128 mph. The track length was 35.3 miles, and the maximum width was 350 yards.

According to a Monroe County emergency management news release, donations of tarps and totes are being accepted at Sherwood Oaks Christian Church at the following times:

Monday, May 19: noon to 5 p.m.
Tuesday, May 20: noon to 5 p.m.

Future Weather

Based on the National Weather Service forecast in text and charts here's some advice:

Monday: No worries today about staying dry until after noon, and even then you can probably get away without taking an umbrella. The chance of rain from 1 p.m. through 6 p.m. is 10–20%. You're probably not going to overheat, unless you exert yourself, because the high temperature will be around 75°F.

Tuesday: Warmth is again not a challenge, with a forecasted high of 73°F. But plan on an umbrella or a rain slicker or at least a big broad brimmed hat, because starting early Tuesday morning around 3 a.m. there's almost a guaranteed chance of rain all day Tuesday, lasting at least through early Wednesday morning. With that rain comes a 30–50% chance of thunderstorms.

Sign up for weather alerts: Monroe County emergency alert system.

Roundup of recent articles

On the calendar

Election board decision on vote centers? Set for 5:30 p.m. Monday (May 19) is the second public hearing held by the election board on establishing vote centers in Monroe County. There could be a vote by the board on Monday right after the hearing. Vote centers are different from the kind of precinct-based polling locations that are currently used by Monroe County. At a precinct-based polling site, only voters from specified precincts can cast a ballot there. Vote centers are polling places where a voter who is registered in any precinct can cast a ballot. For B Square background, see: First hearing on vote centers in Monroe County in the books, second one set for May 19.

On Monday, if only two of the three election board members attend, that's enough for a quorum. But even if the vote on vote centers came out 2–0, that would count as a failed vote, because under state law, adopting vote centers requires a unanimous vote of all three election board members.

Beckwith visit and protest. At 6 p.m. on Monday (May 19) lieutenant governor Micah Beckwith is scheduled to visit the Ellettsville Town Hall. A protest has been organized. The reason for the protest is an April 24 video released by Beckwith on X (formerly Twitter). Here's a transcribed excerpt from Beckwith's video:

Many, many men and leaders in our nation's history...they were fighting for equality for all. But they're not taught that today, and that's why you had the Senate Democrats who were getting up talking about the three-fifths compromise like it was some sort of terrible thing in our past. It was not. It actually was the exact opposite that helped to root out slavery and lead us into a more perfect union that we now see, where black, white, red, brown, all people can have equal representation, that three fifths compromise was all about.

The Indiana Capital Chronicle has covered Beckwith's video, and reaction from historians to it.

Convention center expansion: Redevelopment commission; Monroe County CIB; Bloomington city council. At an April meeting of Bloomington's redevelopment commission (RDC), up to $100,000 was approved for review of the former Bunger & Robertson site for use by Dora Hospitality to develop a hotel to support the expansion of the Bloomington convention center. For B Square background see: Site review for hotel takes step forward, as project lags behind Bloomington Convention Center expansion.

But this Monday's RDC meeting has been cancelled, so there's no chance for a public update on the hotel project at that meeting. The 3 p.m. Wednesday (May 21) meeting agenda for the Monroe County capital improvement board (CIB) does not include an update on the hotel project. But it's possible that it might get some airtime, if a board member asks about it.

The funding for the convention center project is coming from Bloomington's share of the 1% countywide food and beverage tax. Appearing on the Bloomington city council's 6:30 p.m. Wednesday (May 21) meeting agenda is an appropriation of $10 million from the food and beverage fund balance to be used for the project. Here's the fiscal impact statement for the appropriation:

As of April 21st 2025, the cash balance of the Food and Beverage Tax Fund (Fund 4439) is $19,943,164. The appropriation and expenditure of $10,000,000 will reduce the remaining cash balance to $9,943,164. The City’s cash balance will be used to pay the first two debt service installments of $2,922,284, the open PO for Schmidt Architects $9,847,184 and to fund the debt service reserve revenue stabilization fund at $3,800,000. Additional food and beverage tax revenue will be used to fund the construction and pay future debt service on the bonds.

Replying to an emailed question from The B Square about how the arithmetic adds up to an immediate need for $10 million, city controller Jessica McClellan wrote: "We receive food and beverage funds every month, so this revenue is ongoing. There will be more revenue to meet our contract obligations to the architect throughout the year."

Traveling town hall (June 2). Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson is holding the next edition of her Traveling Town Halls on Monday, June 2, at University Elementary, 1111 N. Russell Rd. It's set for 6 to 7 p.m. Also scheduled to attend are Jane Kupersmith, who is director of economic and sustainable development, and councilmember Hopi Stosberg.

Handmade Market (June 7). Looking ahead a few weeks, the Handmade Market is set to take place on Saturday, June 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from the news release: "Over 100 regional artists will showcase an incredible selection of modern handmade goods such as jewelry, apparel, bath and body products, housewares, local foods, and much more. Artist booths will fill the Monroe Courthouse lawn and the adjacent blocks of Kirkwood Ave and 6th Street."

Lemonade Day (June 7). Set for the same day as the Handmade Market is Lemonade Day, which is a national movement of sorts. From the Lemonade Day website: "Lemonade Day is a free, fun, experiential learning program that teaches youth how to start, own and operate their own business—a lemonade stand. The foremost objective of Lemonade Day is to empower youth to take ownership of their lives and become productive members of society—the business leaders, social advocates, volunteers, and forward thinking citizens of tomorrow."

Meet Indy!

Up for adoption, as of May 18, 2025, at the city of Bloomington's animal shelter is Indy Here's another link: all animals up for adoption at the shelter. (The photo is from the city's website.)

This very, very good girl is a Belgian Malinois. Here's what the shelter staff have to say about Indy:

Indy is one fantastic Malinois. She is super affectionate, wicked smart, and looking for a home to spend her days in. If you're looking for a mature dog who still has a lot of hiking ahead of her, look no further than our gal Indy. We know she'll make an excellent pal.

Photo Finish
Walnut Street & 6th Street (alley)

The mural filled with guitars by Adam Long in the alley next to The Bluebird is "new," but based on the date, as of 2023, which means I managed not to notice it for a couple of years.

The Photo Finish items are drawn from the B There section of the B Square website.

The geographic coverage of the B There section is pretty limited. Please consider occasionally contributing to The B Square's B There section some brief factual observations about the world outside your own head, as you go about your normal business. (Photos are optional for B There.) The mechanics of making a contribution are pretty straightforward—just let me know if you'd like to learn the ins and outs. If you're looking at this bulletin in your email inbox, you should be able to reach me by hitting Reply.

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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