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Houseless advocates knock on mayor’s door as prelude to Monday’s events

Houseless advocates knock on mayor’s door as prelude to Monday’s events

A little after 9 p.m. on Sunday night, Travis Dugan, a man experiencing homelessness, knocked on Bloomington mayor John Hamilton’s door. Hamilton lives in the Elm Heights neighborhood south of the Indiana University campus. A meeting between the two, with more advanced planning, might be taking place sometime

Bloomington ratifies $380K annual animal agreement with Monroe County, Ellettsville

Bloomington ratifies $380K annual animal agreement with Monroe County, Ellettsville

At its meeting last Wednesday, Bloomington’s city council ratified a three-way agreement between the city, Monroe County, and the town of Ellettsville, for animal control services. This year, the contract calls for Monroe County and Ellettsville to pay the city of Bloomington a total of $379,327. Most of

Area state legislators update local residents on state budget, local income taxes, closure of capitol

Area state legislators update local residents on state budget, local income taxes, closure of capitol

At a forum hosted Saturday morning by the League of Women Voters Bloomington-Monroe and the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, three state legislators gave an update after two weeks of this year’s session. Any partisan jostling that unfolded between the two Democrats and one Republican who attended was relatively

Square Meals: Cooper’s hawk snacks in downtown Bloomington

Square Meals: Cooper’s hawk snacks in downtown Bloomington

For a couple hours Saturday morning, a winged creature as big as maybe five robins smooshed together into a single bird perched on a branch outside the window of The Square Beacon’s headquarters on 6th Street in downtown Bloomington. Even though its leaves have been dropped for the season,

IU Health president makes plea on COVID-19 vaccination: “Get the vaccine when your opportunity comes.”

IU Health president makes plea on COVID-19 vaccination: “Get the vaccine when your opportunity comes.”

Brian Shockney, who’s president of IU Health’s south central region, which includes Bloomington and Monroe County, said on Friday: “My personal and professional plea to each of you is to get the vaccine when your opportunity comes.” Registration for vaccination appointments, which are currently limited to frontline healthcare

Enforcement by city, county against encampments in different locations Thursday night: 1 tent remains at Seminary Park

Enforcement by city, county against encampments in different locations Thursday night: 1 tent remains at Seminary Park

Seminary Park Click to view slideshow. During a Thursday night meeting of Bloomington city council’s four-member public safety committee, to hear public comment about the houseless encampment in Seminary Park, Monroe County sheriff’s deputies were patrolling county land further south off Rogers Street. At Seminary Park, after the

Public right-of-way near Bloomington’s Seminary Park cleared, encampment moves into park for now

Public right-of-way near Bloomington’s Seminary Park cleared, encampment moves into park for now

Click to view slideshow. Around 2 p.m. Thursday afternoon, Bloomington police department (BPD) officers told the houseless people living in the encampment near Seminary Park, south of downtown Bloomington, that they could not occupy the public right-of-way. Helped by a couple dozen grassroots volunteers and nonprofit caseworkers from Wheeler