WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
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This is the WFHB Local News for Thursday, January 13th, 2022.
Later in the program, we have the January edition of Prescription for Healthcare – a monthly podcast collaboration between WFHB and Medicare for All Indiana. Our guest today is Kay Tillow – a Louisville-based activist and labor organizer who supports universal healthcare. More in the bottom half of our program.
Also coming up in the next half hour, WFHB’s Youth Radio took to the streets of Bloomington to ask residents how all the rain last December affected them, affected the climate and what can be done to help.
Hollingsworth Won’t Seek Re-Election in 2022
U.S. Representative Trey Hollingsworth who represents the 9th District in Indiana, says he will not seek re-election in 2022.
In an op-ed in the Indy Star, the Republican congressman cited his belief in term limits as the driving force behind his decision.
He says, “I took a pledge to limit my own terms because of this very idea: to remind me to focus on the people and that serving the public wasn’t intended to be a career by our founders.”
Indiana’s 9th Congressional District includes Bloomington and suburbs of Indianapolis and Louisville. Right now, five Democrats have announced their candidacy for the 2022 race along with one GOP candidate and one Libertarian challenger.
According to the Washington Post, Hollingsworth served on the House Financial Services Committee since he took office five years ago. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown University, he co-founded a company that rebuilds manufacturing sites.
Eugene Scott, a national political reporter for the Washington Post, wrote that Hollingsworth ranked among the wealthiest members of Congress during his first term.
Hollingsworth garnered national attention when he was one of 35 Republicans who broke ranks with their own party to establish an independent commission to investigate the January 6th Capitol riot.
In his op-ed, Hollingsworth says, “much of my time in Congress has been invested in battling Washington itself. I voted against bad budgeting, reckless spending and overregulation. I believe we need strong term limits. I hope Congress passes strict lobbying bans. We need to compel our representatives to work to better their constituents rather than better themselves or their careers.”
Republicans have represented the ninth district since 2010. The last Democrat to hold that office was Representative Baron Hill who was elected in 2008, nearly fourteen years ago. The general election will happen on November 8th, while the primaries will take place on May 3rd. The filing deadline is February 4th.
The John Waldron Arts Center Reopens After an Almost Two-Year Closure
Following a 21-month closure, the John Waldron Arts Center reopened on January 4th for use by the public and visual and performing artists.
According to a press release from the City of Bloomington, large events are not expected to take place until later in the year due to a recent spike in Covid-19 cases. A reopening celebration originally planned for last Friday will be rescheduled to a later date.
The John Waldron Arts Center, or simply the Waldron, was built in 1915. It formerly served as Bloomington City Hall and housed the city’s police and fire departments through 1985. In 1990, the city deeded the property to the Bloomington Area Arts Council. The building has since remained an arts venue, and since 1994, has been home to WFHB Community Radio.
In 2010, the city sold the building to Ivy Tech who operated it as an arts space for the next ten years. Then, in December 2020, Ivy Tech announced it would sell the building back to the city, reverting ownership in January 2021.
Since taking ownership of the building one year ago, the city organized the Waldron Task Force, which recommended repairs of the facility. In May of last year, the city announced a $515,000 commitment for capital improvements to address deferred maintenance of the facility as part of the Recover Forward initiative aimed to help the community recover from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Repairs included an upgraded HVAC system to comply with Actors Equity Association requirements, restoration to the building’s windows in a historically accurate manner, a completion of roof repairs, an update of all light fixtures to LED and a repair of water damage throughout the building. In a press release, the city says it’s currently repairing the downspout filtration system to prevent future flooding in the building.
Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton says of the reopening, “This substantial public investment in the required repairs at the Waldron demonstrates the City’s commitment to the arts in Bloomington. The arts need a public space that they can call home. While the Waldron is not a purpose-built space, it continues to serve our arts community, contribute to our local economy, and improve our community’s quality of life.”
According to the press release, the city plans to maintain management of the building for the first half of 2022 while conducting negotiations with a third-party for long-term management of the building beginning in July of this year. Inquiries about using the Waldron Arts Center can be directed to Holly Warren, Assistant Director for the Arts, City of Bloomington, at [email protected].
Warming Stations in Monroe County for Temporary Relief
As temperatures drop to dangerously cold levels, several warming stations in Monroe County will open their doors for temporary relief.
In a press release, the county says these stations are for residents without heat who can come to warm up and continue on their way.
Warmup stations do not include food, showers or places to sleep. If county residents are in need of overnight shelter, they can reach out to local shelters or their local trustees office for other essential needs.
Warming stations include the following locations: Bloomington Fire Station 1 at 226 College Avenue, Bloomington Fire Station 2 at 209 South Fairfield Drive, the Monroe Fire Protection District at 5081 North Old State Road 37 and the Ellettsville Fire Department Headquarters at 5080 West State Road 46 in Ellettsville.
The City of Bloomington encourages residents are experiencing homelessness to seek shelter and or resources at the following locations: Beacon Incorporated at 620 South Walnut Street, A Friend’s Place at 919 Walnut Street, Wheeler Mission at 215 South Westplex Avenue, New Hope Family Shelter at 301 West Second Street or contact Middle Way House’s 24-hour crisis line at 812-336-0846.
Warming stations will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The county asks residents to abide by the rules of each station by wearing a mask and maintaining at least 6 feet of distance between other individuals in the building.
Feature Reports:
Up next, we have the January edition of Prescription for Healthcare – a monthly podcast collaboration between WFHB and Medicare for All Indiana. Our guest today is Kay Tillow – a Louisville-based activist and labor organizer who supports universal healthcare. We turn to our host Karen Green Stone for more.
Up next, WFHB’s Youth Radio took to the streets of Bloomington to ask residents how all the rain last December affected them, affected the climate and what can be done to help. We turn to Producer Wilder Mouton for more.
Credits:
You’ve been listening to the WFHB Local News,
Today’s headlines were written by Kade Young and Noelle Herhusky-Schneider, in partnership with Cats – Community Access Television Services.
Our feature was produced by Karen Green Stone.
Our theme music is provided by Mark Bingham and the Social Climbers.
Engineer and Executive producer is Kade Young.
