Sept. 10, 2026: Local income tax increase, jail lawsuit timetable, end of summer
This morning's edition includes reports on a local income tax that has been enacted, the timetable for the ACLU’s lawsuit over conditions at the Monroe County jail, and a column from the editor about the end of summer.
Civic Solver
We’re skipping the puzzle for this week and probably a few more weeks. The news operation is stretching me ever thinner. Puzzles seemed like a good place to conserve time and effort.
Weather Talk
Based on the National Weather Service forecast in text and charts here’s some advice.
Thursday: Take rain gear, because it will rain, possibly all day long, so you will need it. The high will be around 80F°.
Friday: You won’t need rain gear until maybe around 5 p.m. and until then it will be partly sunny with a high around 81F°.
Sign up for weather alerts: Monroe County emergency alert system
Ways to get B Square reports
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Recent articles
If you don’t want to wait until Monday or Thursday for the Almost Daily Bulletin, and you’d prefer to check whenever you like on the most recent headlines from The B Square, complete with their synopsis, here’s the link: The B Square’s Most Recent 20
- Monroe County income tax rate to rise to 2.205% in 2027. Monroe County’s income tax rate will rise from 2.14% to 2.205% on Jan. 1 after the county council voted unanimously to restore the juvenile-services rate to 0.095%. The increase amounts to $32.50 a year more for a taxpayer with $50,000 of taxable income.
- Federal court sets timetable for Monroe County jail lawsuit, with key motions due in March 2027. A new federal court order puts the Monroe County jail lawsuit on a schedule stretching into 2027, with discovery starting this month and key motions due in March next year. Meanwhile, county officials remain divided over where and how to replace the aging jail.
- Editor’s Note: Summer in Bloomington is over. Labor Day weekend, Bloomington’s 4th Street Festival, music and dancing all point toward summer’s end. But a typewritten poem about the courthouse hawk and fish gives the season one last gift, and captures a piece of what makes Bloomington home.
Other notes
C’mon B Square readers, shape the future of your library! From the public library: “We’re creating a new strategic plan for the Monroe County Public Library, and we want to hear from you! Take our short survey and share your experiences and ideas. Your feedback will help us better serve you, your household, and our community.”
On the calendar
County council 2027 budget presentations. The fourth night of the Monroe County council’s budget sessions is set for Thursday (Sept. 10) at 5 p.m. Presenting on Thursday will be the county fair, planning department, extension services, assessor’s office, aviation department, and auditor’s office.
Friends of Lake Monroe hits the decade mark: Sept. 13 Friends of Lake Monroe marks its 10th anniversary with live music from Frank Jones and the Undertones, a look back at a decade of work, and light appetizers on Sunday, Sept. 13, at The Fields Clubhouse. Doors open at 6 p.m., with remarks at 7 p.m. and music at 7:30. Tickets are $35 for members, $40 for non-members or $250 for a table of eight, and sales close Sept. 7.
Big Book Sale: Sept 18-21. The Friends of the Library will be hosting their Big Fall Book Sale in Meeting Room 1B/C at the Downtown Library with thousands of items at bargain prices. The 2026 Big Fall Book Sale will be open to the public Sept. 18–21 with a special early-bird sale for Friends members on Sept. 17. For hours on specific days, check the book sale webpage.
New Leaf New Life benefit book event: Sept. 23. Authors Chastidy Mader, Ryan Mader, Nordia McNish and Trunnis Goggins II will discuss resilience, recovery, purpose and second chances Wednesday, Sept. 23, from 6–8 p.m. at Redbud Books, 408 W. Kirkwood Ave. Tickets cost $20, with $12 from each ticket benefiting New Leaf New Life, which supports people affected by incarceration and reentry.
Nerd Nite Bloomington: Sept. 25. Bug sex, imperfect maps and the Great Molasses Flood get the 15-minute-talk treatment at Nerd Nite Bloomington #6. Doors open at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, with presentations starting at 7:30 p.m. at The Bishop Bar in Bloomington. Organizers would like people to RSVP.
Up for adoption?
For the last few hours, the city of Bloomington’s animal shelter website has been down, so there’s no featured animal up for adoption today. Maybe the website will be back up by the time you are reading this!
Photo Finish: College Avenue & Kirkwood Avenue
A 9/11 memorial installation stands at Fountain Square in downtown Bloomington, marking 25 years since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. The work, by Bloomington artist Jerry Collins, uses colored stripes to encode the names of nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks. (Dave Askins, Sept. 9, 2026)
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
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