Oct. 23, 2025: Naming places, building houses

Weather Talk

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

Thursday: Put on a sweater or a jacket and maybe a hat when you leave home, because the temperature will be starting from an overnight low around 37F°. Don’t worry about staying dry because it’s not going to rain. In fact, it’s going to be super sunny. The expected high temperature is just 57F°.

The NWS has issued a freeze warning for Friday from 2 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Friday: Friday’s weather is a repeat of Thursday’s, with a high that will be a couple degrees warmer at 59F°.

Did you find your hat? On Monday, Weather Talk included a suggestion to try to remember where you put your warmest coats and hats at the end of the cold weather season in the spring. Did you find your hat? What about your mittens? If you didn’t, please keep looking and good luck.

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

Roundup of recent articles

• City council again mulls ‘Stadium District’ as name for area around Bloomington urban wetland park, as liquor zone question looms.  Returning to the Bloomington city council’s agenda for Oct. 22 is a resolution that would give an official name to a swath of territory around an urban wetland park called Miller-Showers Park on the north side of the city. (The council postponed the resolution until Nov. 5. But read the article now, so you will be up to speed in a couple of weeks!)
• Bloomington eyes more housing in Hopewell project—but zoning code changes are needed to maximize potential.  At the city planning commission’s November meeting, Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson is hoping to have a significant zoning change in Hopewell South ready for review. The change would be needed in order to allow for the kind of denser development Thomson would like to see there.
• Photos: Habitat for Humanity teams with IU Kelley, Whirlpool for Bloomington Blitz Build.  Last Saturday, Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County wrapped up a Blitz Build at its Osage Place development, which first broke ground in 2021. The development is situated on about eight acres on the southwest side of Bloomington—west of the intersection of Rockport and Rogers, next to RCA Park.
• Vote postponed on $5M TIF set-aside for southwest Bloomington infrastructure planning.  At its Monday meeting, the Bloomington Redevelopment Commission put off a vote on a resolution setting aside $5 million in TIF funds for public infrastructure planning in the city’s southwest quadrant. But the reason for the delay does not appear to be based on the merits of the policy choice.

Quick notes

Survey: Public health services. Yes, I know there’s a certain fatigue for surveys—there’s just so many of them. But when your local government asks for your feedback on your own perspective, I think it’s worth considering. This one is from the Monroe County health department on your view of public health services. For example, how important do you think access to vaccinations is? How about access to free blood pressure screenings? Here’s the link: public health services survey.

On the calendar

$43,000 crash investigation grant. On the 10 a.m. Thursday (Oct. 23) meeting agenda for Monroe County commissioners is an item that would accept the award of a $43,000 crash investigation grant from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute. The money will pay for overtime expenses for all crash responses by members of a new crash response team, as well as the purchase of new and updated crash reconstruction equipment, and training. The new team is supposed to document, analyze, and reconstruct crash scenes so that causes can be identified and recommend road safety improvements, among other things.

Sale of Thomson PUD property? On Thursday’s (Oct. 23) work session agenda for the board of Monroe County commissioners is an item that says the county council will be asked for an authorization to sell the Thomson PUD property. It was, at one point, considered as the location of the new jail. Work sessions generally follow the regular meeting, which starts at 10 a.m., after a short break.

Vote centers. On Thursday (Oct. 23) 1:30 p.m. a special meeting will be held on vote centers. For B Square background see: Push now to reopen Monroe County vote center debate resisted by board chair, clerk

Pumpkin Launch: Oct 25. The city of Bloomington hosts a competition every year involving the construction of a contraption to fling a pumpkin as far as possible. It’s Pumpkin Launch! The competition itself takes place this Saturday Oct. 25. For past B Square coverage of Pumpkin Launch: Photos: Cold rain can’t squash Pumpkin Launch 2021

Little 500 fall racing series: Nov. 1, Nov. 2. Mark your calendar for Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 for cyclocross and street sprints.

Meet Kenny Doggins!

This very, very good bog is a beagle. I wonder if he knows how to sing that very, very famous song, “Highway to the Danger Bone.” Here’s what the shelter staff have written about Kenny Doggins:

Kenny Doggins is a very good boy who is scared of the world. This guy loves people, loves other dogs, is house trained and is the gentlest babe ever. He is also afraid of so many things: shadows, any sudden noises, strangers, his reflection, etc. He needs a very patient owner who is fully committed to helping him thrive, growing his confidence...loving him forever. He's currently in a foster home where his foster moms report that aside from being scared and nervous, he is amazing with their dogs, has never had an accident, is an excellent snuggler and a pretty easy guy to love. If you'd like to meet Kenny Doggins, apply today!

Photo Finish: 3rd Street & College Avenue

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