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Monroe County is preparing new space for early voting and voter registration inside the North Showers building, which also houses Bloomington city hall. Remodeling is supposed to start this month under a $653,600 contract, with early voting to begin April 7, 2026.

Bloomington South and Bloomington North meet again Friday night at Huff Field for the Class 5A Section 15 championship. South dominated their September game 36-7, but North has surged since, winning six straight. The city rivals now battle for a spot in the state tournament’s next round.

Charlotte Zietlow, a stalwart in Bloomington civic life and the first woman to lead both city and county government, has died at 91. Her five-decade legacy spanned politics, business, and activism—from restoring the courthouse to co-founding Goods for Cooks.

After eight months under scaffolding, the century-old Princess Theater building on Walnut Street has a restored facade and a new tenant on the way. Restaurateur Mey Cristobal plans to open Japonee, a sushi-focused eatery, by Dec. 1 in the space that last housed the Village Pub.

At IU’s Futurecast Economic Outlook in Bloomington, Kelley School economist Phil Powell said the region’s wages fell 6.2% over the past year—among the worst in the state—due to IU job losses. Still, he praised local entrepreneurs and pointed to the Trades District as a hopeful hub for innovation.

Bloomington’s redevelopment commission approved $5 million for design work on road projects in the southwest of the city, a $145,000 contract to guide the Hopewell South PUD rezone, and a $58,250 feasibility study on converting the vacant 714 S. Rogers Street building into a new police headquarters.

Last Tuesday, the Monroe County council awarded $174,000 in Sophia Travis Community Service Grants to 44 nonprofits. The meeting also saw discussion about awards to Planned Parenthood and charter schools, and concern about next year’s allocation, which had been cut from $250,000 to $190,000.