Mayor’s election campaign post is shared through city’s official account; Russiaville, Indiana tax preparer refuses her services to a lesbian couple; Indiana State Senate Republicans vote to gut hate crimes bill; Monroe County’s Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative saves the county money;  Monroe County Commissioners discuss the need for smoke detectors in rental units. FEATURE Chris Abert talks about the success of the Indiana Recovery Alliance and …

Monroe County’s day reporting and treatment programs for juveniles are saving the county money. That’s according to Deputy Chief Probation Officer Troy Hatfield. Hatfield presented a report on the programs to the Monroe County Commissioners yesterday. The day reporting and treatment programs are part of the larger Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative. The Annie E Casey Foundation piloted the initiative. Indiana joined …

Chris Abert says he founded The Indiana Recovery Alliance after walking along the B-Line trail in Bloomington and handing out blankets years ago. The area non-profit is engaged in what Abert terms Harm-Reduction, helping people experiencing addiction work towards QUOTE Any positive change. The Indiana Recovery Alliance exchanges clean needles and paraphernalia, conducts training on how to reverse overdoses, and distributes …

A veteran of seven previous political campaigns, Kate Rosenbarger has announced her own candidacy for the Bloomington city council District 1 seat now held by Chris Sturbaum. Rosenbarger was deputy director of Liz Watson’s campaign for US Congress in 2018. Now the executive director of TEDx Bloomington, Rosenbarger previously worked as an analyst for NeighborWorks America, a federally-funded nonprofit helping …

In this week’s segment of IN Nature, WFHB’s Kaylnn Huffman Brower discusses the Eastern Massasuga Rattlesnake.

For this week’s feature, Eco Report producer Jan Walker interviews Alfio Saitta, Weatherization Program Manager for South Central Community Action Program.

State Senate Republicans passed an amendment to Indiana’s leading Hate Crimes Bill, yesterday evening. Republican State Senators voted to pass an amendment to Senate Bill 12, which deleted two-thirds of the proposed hate crimes bill; The original 21 page document was cut down to just seven pages, after the State Senate Republicans voted to pass an amendment gutting the bill. …

Republicans Gut Hate Crimes Bill; MCCSC Hosts Inclusivity Event; CBU Discusses High Credit Card Processing Fees; North Range Road to be Closed for a Month; Public Works Director Urges Clean Recycling. FEATURE Assistant news director Sarah Vaughn speaks with local jazz musician Monika Herzig about her Jazz Girls Day clinics that she hosts around Indiana, in anticipation of her February …

Local jazz musician Monika Herzig says mentoring is crucial for teenage girls who want to play or sing jazz. That’s why Herzig is in her second year hosting Jazz Girls Day clinics around Indiana. As Herzig explains to Assistant News Director Sarah Vaughan, it’s all about creating a safe space for girls to collaborate, explore, and just be themselves. The …

Glenn Lassiter and Jim Doud have been together for 40 years. In this episode, we talk about why they finally decided to make it legal. Marriage Equality: Stories from the Heartland is an ongoing project dedicated to recording stories from same-sex couples about their journeys into marriage. Sponsored by the Indiana University’s Department of Gender Studies, the Office for Vice …