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This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, January 26th, 2022.
Later in the program, MCCSC bus drivers complained about poor working conditions during last night’s school board meeting. More in your daily headlines.
Also coming up in the next half hour, “Three Scams, Three Media” on Better Beware – your weekly consumer-watchdog segment on WFHB.
But first, your Environmental News Brief:
Recently, news station WTHR 13 out of Indianapolis created a list of the most important environmental bills that have been proposed at the Indiana Statehouse. Senate Bill 65 would make admittance to all of Indiana’s environmental state parks free for veterans. Another bill would make the mastodon, a relative of the mammoth, an official state fossil. House Bill 1378 would require that drinking water be tested for lead in preschools and child care facilities. Confined feeding operations, which are large collections of animals tightly packed together, tend to produce more waste than some of Indiana’s cities. Senate Bill 122 would call for an annual inspection of the operations to ensure pollution prevention. House Bill 1335 would limit how power plant companies can manage and dispose of coal ash, a byproduct of the burning of coal.
A few of the bills proposed in the state legislature have to do with climate change, with two seeking to establish task forces to determine the threat of climate change on the state and another to create a resolution that states, “the Indiana General Assembly acknowledges climate change as a serious problem for Indiana.” These bills are in response to a push by an Indiana student group called Confront the Climate Crisis who actively push legislators to address the possible effects of climate change on the state. Last week, the group met at the Indiana Statehouse to show support for the bills, but the head of the Senate Environmental Affairs Committee, Republican Mark Messmer of Jasper, was unavailable to meet with the students. Despite a lack of statewide attention, communities and cities around the state are taking their own steps to address climate change, such as through long-term goals of being carbon neutral and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
A study from the ScrubHub team at the Indy Star has found an explanation for why Bloomington, and other parts of the state, have experienced little snow this winter. Called a “snow drought” this weather event is defined as a, “a period of abnormally little snowpack for the time of year.” For example, on average, Indianapolis would have received a combined total of 12 inches of snow from the start of the winter until now. However, the city has only received six-tenths of an inch of snow, drastically lower than the average. Estimations for the remaining 2022 winter also predict that the state won’t be getting much more snow. The yearly likelihood of a “snow drought” will only increase as the planet continues to warm.
MCCSC School Board Meeting: Bus Drivers Complain of “Climate of Intimidation” While Board Approves New Covid-19 Policies
Public comments were tense at the Monroe County Community School Corporation meeting on Tuesday.
During the school board meeting, bus drivers complained of a “toxic work environment.” Rocky Laster, a bus driver and parent at MCCSC, criticized the working conditions in the transportation department.
Jody Neal, a concerned mother, expounded on the transportation issue at the school corporation.
The school board approved a new contract for next school year with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the trade union that represents the school corporation’s bus drivers.
In other school board news, the MCCSC Board of Trustees made amendments to the school system’s Covid-19 policies.
Superintendent Dr. Jeff Hauswald said the current system left schools with staff shortages as the Omicron variant continues to sweep through the state.
Changes include: an isolation period of five days if someone tests positive for Covid-19 in accordance with new CDC guidelines and an acceptance of a negative antigen test, as they are less difficult to obtain than a PCR test.
Hauswald elaborated on the changes.
As part of the new policies, MCCSC will no longer publicly update Covid-19 data on its website. The board ended up approving the policies with one board member, April Hennessey, dissenting.
Monroe County Commissioners Discusses STEAM and Covid-19 Policies
At the Monroe County Commissioners meeting on January 19th, County Attorney Jeff Cockerill gave background information on a program between the Richland Bean Blossom School Corporation and the Redevelopment Commission which funds STEAM – Science Technology Arts and Math programming.
Commissioner Lee Jones said that the Redevelopment Commission is not obligated to sponsor the programming and applauded the use of the funds.
The commissioners also approved an addendum to the Monroe County Coop Plan, titled “Vaccine and 15 Testing Requirement Policy Per OSHA Standard.”
Cockerill shared changes to Occupational Safety and Health Act standards.
The addendum was approved unanimously. The next County Commissioners meeting will be held on January 26th.
Feature Reports:
Up next, we turn to coverage of last week’s Bloomington City Council meeting, as the council debates the number of standing committees and outdoor seating on Kirkwood Avenue. This previously aired during Monday night’s news.
Up next, “Three Scams, Three Media” on Better Beware – your weekly consumer-watchdog segment on WFHB. We turn to host and producer Richard Fish 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.
Kite Line is produced by Mia Beach.
Better Beware is produced by Richard Fish.
Our theme music is provided by Mark Bingham and the Social Climbers.
Engineer and Executive producer is Kade Young.
