Oct. 15, 2026: Bloomington 2027 budget approved 6–1; Monroe County ballot problems; new deputy police chief; housing code changes; Health officer removal hearing

Weather Talk

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

Thursday: It’s a close call, but take an umbrella or rain gear. You might not need it early in the day, but chances of showers increase as evening approaches, and you’ll feel extra smart if you have a way to keep dry. The temperature will reach a high of 78F°.

Friday: Take a rain jacket. If you don’t get caught in the rain, it will still help keep you warm on a day when the high temperature is supposed to reach just 57F°.

Sign up for weather alerts: Monroe County emergency alert system

Recent articles

• Bloomington council approves 2027 budget 6–1, with president as lone dissenter.  Bloomington’s city council adopted the 2027 budget on a 6–1 vote, with Isak Asare dissenting over whether city spending delivers clear, measurable benefits to residents. The council withheld millions for housing and parking projects. Matt Flaherty and Kate Rosenbarger were absent.
• Monroe County election board reviews problems with accessible ballot system.  Questions about Monroe County’s electronic absentee ballot system dominated Wednesday’s election board meeting, with about a dozen voters reporting problems. The board took no action to change systems.
• Ryan Pedigo named deputy chief of Bloomington police department.  Ryan Pedigo has been named Bloomington police deputy chief, replacing Scott Oldham, who requested a return to the rank of lieutenant. Pedigo, a 19-year department veteran, will continue for now as public information officer, including conducting daily 11 a.m. press briefings.
• Bloomington plan commission gives nod to housing code changes, zoning for 2 voluntary annexations.  On Monday (Oct. 12), Bloomington’s plan commission recommended the new zoning for two voluntary annexations. The commission also recommended UDO changes easing rules for duplexes, cottages and ADUs.
• Monroe County health board sets Oct. 22 hearing on possible removal of health officer.  Monroe County’s health board voted 5–0 to schedule an Oct. 22 hearing on whether to remove health officer Sarah Ryterband, less than two years into a four-year term. The board disclosed no specific allegations and raised the possibility of terminating her contract without cause.

Other notes

Ban on ALPRs. On a 7–0 vote on Wednesday night, the city council passed an ordinance banning automatic license plate reader technology in Bloomington. The total meeting time was five and a half hours. The B Square hopes to have coverage published by the end of the day on Thursday.

Early voting numbers. Through the first seven days of voting at the North Showers location on Morton Street, 3,906 people have cast a ballot.

This is a stat that’s easy to check for yourself on the early voting dashboard that Monroe County government has set up. In years gone by, I would check in at early voting and collect those numbers daily so that I could report them. Now I don’t have to do that, because the county government is reporting the numbers for everybody.

On the calendar

County Commissioners. There is no regular meeting for Thursday (Oct. 15). But on Friday at 3 p.m. they are supposed to come out of recess from their meeting that started last Thursday (Oct. 8). The meeting on Oct. 8 was recessed until after their 3 p.m. executive session on Friday (Oct. 9).

But when Julie Thomas and Jody Madeira came out of recess last Friday, they immediately recessed the meeting again until this Friday (Oct. 16). The topic of the executive session was pending litigation, which is one of the topics that Indiana’s Open Door Law allows public officials to discuss behind closed doors. The apparent pending litigation was the planned lawsuit by the former county health director, Lori Kelley, who alleges her termination was unlawful.

It’s not clear if the business the commissioners want to take up when they come out of recess is connected to the health board’s now public intent to hold a hearing on the removal of health officer Sarah Ryterband.

HHFB Book Fair: Oct. 15-20. Hoosier Hills Food Bank’s 42nd annual Community Book Fair opens Thursday (Oct. 15) at the Monroe County Fairgrounds, with more than 100,000 books and other items for sale through Tuesday (Oct. 20). Admission is $10 on Thursday (free for veterans and active-duty military) and free the rest of the fair, with regular prices including $3 hardcovers and $1 paperbacks. Sunday is half-price day, followed by $10-a-bag Monday and $5-a-bag Tuesday, with all proceeds benefiting the food bank’s hunger-relief programs [book fair map and schedule].

Pizza Trail: Oct. 1–31. October is pizza month. And in Bloomington this is commemorated with a Pizza Trail that Visit Bloomington is promoting. The idea is you sign up for a mobile pass, which sounds like a kind of digital punchcard. Every time you check in with one of 20 different local pizza joints, you get a credit. And at the end you can redeem the points for gift cards to ... pizza joints. There

Book crawl Oct. 23–24. You probably know what a bar crawl is. It’s that, but with bookstores. From the organizers:

As we continue to sell tickets, we wanted to let you know along with the keynote speakers on Oct. 25, Wright Thompson and Michael Koryta, we are also launching our first Bloomington Book Festival Book Crawl. It will be happening Oct. 23–24.

Here is what the book crawl will look like: 9 participating bookstores — Book Corner, Caveat Emptor, Knitting Romance, MCPL Friends of the Library, Morgenstern Books, Naughty Dog Books, Redbud Books, Steve’s Book-O-Rama, and Vintage Phoenix.

• Begin at any of the above participating bookstores to pick up your passport.
• A single purchase (ANY purchase, no minimums) from EACH store gets you a stamp in your passport. (A purchase is necessary to receive a stamp.)
• Each stamp is an entry into a raffle to receive 2 free tickets to The Bloomington Book Festival on Oct. 25, 2026.
• Each fully completed passport is an entry into a raffle for the grand prize: over $500 in gift cards, autographed copies of Wright Thompson’s “The Barn” and Michael Koryta’s new release “Die Famous,” and 2 free tickets to this year’s Bloomington Book Festival.
• Once your passport is completed or you are finished with the book crawl, leave your passport with the last bookstore you visited.
• The drawing for the prizes will take place the morning of Oct. 25.
• The winners will be contacted that morning via email and text and announced on our social media!

Meet: Bunny!

This very, very, good girl is a mix of an Anatolian shepherd and a Great Pyrenees. Here’s what the shelter staff have written about Bunny.

Bunny is a friendly, wiggly young dog who is just a total sweetheart!

Photo Finish: Walnut Street & Kirkwood Avenue

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

Thanks for reading. I hope you have great weekend!

Dave Askins
734-645-2633
dave@bsquarebulletin.com

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