Sept. 18, 2025: Mold, more mold, Monroe County budget deficit

Weather Talk

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

Thursday: Slow down and drive slower than you normally do, because you are not in that big a hurry and there could be patchy fog until around 10 a.m. Dress cool and wear shades because it will be sunny and hot with a high of around 89F°

Friday: Same as Thursday minus the fog. But slow down anyway. Forecasted high is again 89F°.

Practice your Midwestern weather talk: “Pretty hot for the third week of September.” Possible replies to that gambit: “Yup.”

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

Roundup of recent articles

• Concrete to be poured for Bloomington convention center footings, city council OKs food and beverage tax resolution.  Since the demolition of the old NAPA Auto Parts building at the corner of 3rd and Walnut Streets in the third week of July, the block just south of 3rd Street, between College Avenue and Walnut, has been clanging with construction work on the Bloomington Convention Center expansion.
• Monroe County budget notebook: Draft deficit for 2026 drops under $4M, 15 health department jobs shifted back to state-funded lines.  The Monroe County council deliberated around three and a half hours on the draft 2026 budget, which at the beginning of the night showed a deficit of around $8 million. By the time the meeting was over, the council had made enough cuts to reduce the deficit to $3.88 million.
• Bloomington OKs mold testing contract for Trades District parking garage office space.  A $1,300 contract with VET Environmental Services to conduct mold testing at the Trades District garage was approved by Bloomington’s RDC at its regular meeting on Monday. To be tested is the ground-floor office space which Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) has leased from the RDC.
• Bloomington OKs more money for 714 S. Rogers mold treatment, Hopewell soil cleanup.  At its regular Monday meeting, Bloomington’s Redevelopment Commission (RDC) approved two significant measures to address environmental challenges at city-owned properties in the future Hopewell neighborhood, as part of continued efforts to prepare the site for future use.
• Preview: Monroe County council to tackle $8M deficit in draft 2026 budget at Tuesday meeting.  The Monroe County Council wrapped up its final budget hearing last Thursday night. But the draft 2026 budget still shows $135.7 million in expenditures with just $127.7 in revenues, for a deficit of $8 million. The $8-million shortfall is set to get some attention at Tuesday's regular meeting.

Quick notes

$520,000 public art project. An online form has been set up to ask for input about the kind of public art you’d like to see installed at the expansion of the Bloomington Convention Center. The project has a budget of $520,000.

Call: 1.866.StrideTeam If you see someone experiencing a mental health or substance abuse crisis call: 1.866.StrideTeam. That’s the message that the Stride Center will be promoting in a publicity campaign it has launched this week. The Stride Center is located on the ground floor of the Monroe County government parking garage on Morton Street, just down the hill from the justice building.

On the calendar

Monroe County board of commissioners: Canceled. The regular 10 a.m. Thursday (Sept. 18) meeting of the Monroe County board of commissioners has been canceled. I am not aware of any specific reason, but it could be simply a lack of business to transact, or the anticipated lack of a quorum.

Board of health health meeting. The Monroe County board of health is meeting at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday (Sept. 18). No agenda is posted yet, but one anticipated topic of discussion is the 2026 health department budget.

Friends of the Library book sale: Thursday, Sept. 18. Thursday. Thursday is just the start of the annual fall book sale by the Friends of the Library at the downtown branch of the Monroe County Public Library. The first day (Thursday) is for members only, beginning at 4:30 p.m. It runs through Monday.

Taste of Tibet: Sept. 20. The buffet starts at 6 p.m. (RSVP is requested). A guided tour of the monastery will be available during the open house from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on the same day. The buffet will include traditional Tibetan delicacies like momos, Pingsha, Alu khatsa, and Tibetan butter tea prepared by the monks.

Former IU trustee Vivian Winston at Bloomington Press Club: Sept. 24. In a news release, the Bloomington Press Club has announced that the speaker for their Sept. 24 meeting, at the Southwest Branch of the Monroe County Public Library, starting at 11:40 a.m. is former Indiana University trustee Vivian Winston. Guests are welcome. Bring your own lunch.

Coffee roasting open house: Sept. 27. Who doesn’t need more coffee? From the news release issued by the folks at Needmore: “Needmore Coffee Roasters invites the community to celebrate the opening of its new dedicated specialty coffee roasting facility with an Open House on Saturday, September 27, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1310 South Monon Drive. Guests can tour the facility, learn about the roasting process, sample freshly roasted specialty coffees, and enter giveaways for free coffee and merchandise. The event is free and open to the public.”

A Little Extra Love: Oct. 3. Local photographer Rodney Margison, in cooperation with Down Syndrome Family Connection, is presenting his first solo exhibition, “A Little Extra Love,” opening Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, from 5–8 p.m. in the atrium at Fountain Square Mall in downtown Bloomington. (Rodney is the managing editor of Bloom Magazine—he’s the guy who receives my column submission for each edition.)

Bloomington Paint Out: Oct. 4. Grab a paintbrush and a canvas and go paint a scene somewhere in Bloomington. From the organizers: “The event is open to professional and emerging artists of all ages and skill levels to create original artwork of any subject in any medium. Stamped/tagged works must be completed that day by 3 pm to be eligible for judging.” The idea is that you check in at Bryan Park in the morning and get an official stamp for your canvas, so that the judges know you created your painting that same day. If you see someone painting with an easel outdoors on Oct. 4, chances are they’re a Paint Out artist.

Pumpkin Launch. 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 deadline for entry is Oct. 15. The competition itself takes place on Oct. 25. For past B Square coverage of Pumpkin Launch: Photos: Cold rain can’t squash Pumpkin Launch 2021

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

Meet Albertosaurus!

This very, very good boy is a husky. Here’s what the shelter staff have written about Albertosaurus:

I am new to the shelter and we are all getting to know each other. If you are interested in adopting stop by the shelter for a visit.

Photo Finish: 4th Street & Walnut Street

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