Sept. 24, 2026: New local income tax framework, $1M for Beacon, convention center updates

Weather Talk

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

Thursday: No rain gear is needed after Wednesday’s all-day drizzle, but it will be cloudy. The high will be around 73F°.

Friday: Take your sunglasses along, because it will be the same as Thursday, but with mostly sunny skies. The high will be around 72F°.

Sign up for weather alerts: Monroe County emergency alert system

Recent articles

• New members join CIB, CVC as Bloomington convention center approaches operational handoff.  Two Monroe County convention-related boards added members this month as the convention center expansion nears completion. The CIB also approved up to $296,000 in added limestone-support costs, while the CVC reviewed the shift to CIB oversight and new bookings for the expanded center.
• Monroe County council adds $1M in support for Beacon Center to proposed 2027 budget, after $4M financing setback.  Monroe County’s proposed 2027 budget now includes $1 million in ED LIT money for Beacon Inc.’s planned West 3rd Street housing and shelter complex, helping fill a $4 million financing gap that forced the nonprofit to split construction into two phases.
• CBU fills in some details behind countywide boil-water advisory, including 1.06 NTU reading.  A power outage and equipment failures at Bloomington’s water plant led to a brief turbidity violation and countywide boil-water advisory. The measurement showing levels too high came about 5 p.m. Saturday, and fell below the limit by 6 p.m. It was not announced to the public until 12:04 a.m. Sunday.
• Monroe County local income tax group mulls shared municipal rate approach.  Monroe County’s MUST ended its first meeting without recommending a local income tax rate. But members showed support for a shared municipal-services approach that could let Bloomington replace revenue a city-only rate could not. Bloomington Transit funding is an open question.

On the calendar

$35,000 more for encampment cleanup. On the 10 a.m. Thursday (Sept. 24) meeting agenda for the Monroe County commissioners is an additional 10 days of work from Bio-One at $3,500 per day to clean up the Powerline Camp, which was cleared a month ago. The original contract was for 20 days of work for a total of $70,000.

Elections update. On the 1:30 p.m. Thursday (Sept. 24) meeting agenda for a special meeting of the Monroe County election board is an update on absentee ballots.

WFHB fundraiser: Listen to Kade and Dave. On Thursday (Sept. 24) starting at 5 p.m. I will be joining WFHB news director Kade Young on the mic for a fundraising round with our friends over at the community radio station. If you are wondering how you can possibly listen to the radio without a radio, head over to the listen live link that streams the signal over the internet. If listening to two men with names that almost rhyme talk shop and ask you for money is not your idea of fun, head straight to the donate link and chip in for WFHB.

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.

From the Ground Up: Sept. 26. The Monroe County Master Gardener Association will host its annual fall gardening program Saturday, Sept. 26, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ivy Tech Community College’s Shreve Hall, 200 Daniels Way. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. This year’s program focuses on vegetable gardening, with sessions on soil health, community and urban gardening, natural pest control and container gardening, plus a panel discussion. Registration is $25.

According to the gardeners: “Monroe County Master Gardeners provide food for this event, and boy can they make a delicious snack! The event is not on a football game day, so if folks are looking for something else to do, come learn about veggie gardening.”

Parks investment priorities plan: Sept. 28. Bloomington’s board of park commissioners will hold a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28, at the Switchyard Park Pavilion, 1601 S. Rogers St., to review a plan for investing in aging parks facilities and addressing maintenance needs. The proposed 2026 Investment Priorities Plan includes projects at Bryan Park Pool, Winslow Sports Park, Olcott Park, Banneker Community Center, RCA Community Park and Cascades Golf Course, as well as long-term options for Frank Southern Ice Arena. The plan also explores a possible $7.3-million general obligation bond in 2027. No final action is scheduled, and public comment will be taken. The plan is available at

Ellettsville–Richland reorganization town hall: Sept. 30. The League of Women Voters of Bloomington-Monroe County will host a town hall from 5:30–6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30, at the Monroe County Public Library’s Ellettsville Branch, 600 W. Temperance St. The public can ask questions about the proposed Ellettsville–Richland Township reorganization and its possible consequences. Panelists are James Perry and Justin Ross of IU’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs and IU Maurer School of Law student Colby Wicker.

Organizers say the event is intended as an informational session, not a debate. Questions may be submitted in advance to league@lwv-bmc.org Background on the reorganization is available at https://ellettsvillerichlandinfo.org For B Square background see: Ellettsville–Richland reorganization headed to November ballot

Bloomington Paint Out: Oct. 3. The fifth annual Bloomington Paint Out takes place rain or shine on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Bryan Park, with artist check-in from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Woodlawn Pavilion. Artists of all ages and skill levels can paint anywhere in Bloomington, with finished work due by 3:15 p.m. for judging in several age and experience categories. Free classes, supplies and artist demonstrations will be offered at the pavilion from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There is no registration fee or advance registration.

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: Gourdy!

This very, very, good boy is a bully breed mix. Here’s what the shelter staff have written about Gourdy:

Gourdy is a large and enthusiastic guy who loves spending time with people, has enjoyed meeting dogs here at the shelter and keeps a tidy kennel!

Photo Finish: Courthouse square

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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