WFHB Bloomington Community Radio
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:59 — 45.0MB)
Subscribe: RSS
This is the WFHB Local News for Monday, August 21st, 2023.
Later in the program, you will hear a report from local journalist Dave Askins of the B-Square Bulletin on Bloomington annexation, taken from his “Morning Bulletin.” More in today’s feature report.
That’s Vinal Lee – he’s the local chair of Community Organizations Active in Disaster or COAD. Fire, flood, tornado, mass shooting – how can you help Monroe County be ready and respond? Find out later in the show on a new episode of Activate! But first, your daily headlines:
Board of Public Works Passes Ordinance Targeting Tents in Public Right-of-Way
During its meeting on August 15th, the Bloomington Board of Public Works heard an ordinance against camping in the public right-of-way. Public Works Director Adam Wason presented the ordinance.
Board President Kyla Cox Deckard said she believes this is an issue of accessibility. She said the public needs to be able to access the public right-of-way without obstruction.
Vice President of the Board Elizabeth Karon asked for clarification on how the “fines” portion would be included in the ordinance. City Attorney Mike Rouker addressed the question.
During public comment, local resident Sydney Zulich spoke against the ordinance saying she believes it vilified people who are unhoused.
The board approved the ordinance unanimously. It awaits the city council for final approval. The Bloomington Board of Public Works will meet again for its regular session on August 29th.
Bloomington Board of Park Commissioners Votes to Ban Tents in Public Parks
During the August 16th meeting of the Bloomington Board of Park Commissioners, the board heard a resolution on the use of structures on park properties, specifically addressing tents in public parks. Director of the Parks and Recreation Department Paula McDevitt explained the resolution and endorsed the proposal.
During public comment, representatives from both Downtown Bloomington, Inc. and the Bloomington Chamber of Commerce spoke in support of the initiative. Conversely, a handful of residents took to the public mic to voice their concerns about the policy. Community Volunteer Erin Nicholson said unless the city can fully support its unhoused population, displacement is not the answer.
Indiana Recovery Alliance worker Kyle Halvorsen criticized previous public comments that were in favor of the policy. He said he would prefer the city to take a more humanitarian approach when it comes to the unhoused population.
Local resident Hannah Gorman expressed disappointment in the proposal of the ordinance, saying the passage of the policy will have a negative impact on the community.
The motion passed by a unanimous vote. The Bloomington Board of Park Commissioners will meet next on August 22nd.
Feature Report:
In today’s feature report, local journalist Dave Askins of the B-Square Bulletin provides a report on Monroe County residents who received notices last week regarding the status of their property in light of Bloomington’s annexation efforts. This comes from the B-Square Bulletin’s “Morning Bulletin.” Dave Askins has more.
WFHB News is proud to partner with The Media School at Indiana University to offer internships and volunteer opportunities in broadcast journalism. Last month The Media School hosted the High School Journalism Institute, drawing hundreds of students from all over the country to Bloomington for a week of intense workshops. WFHB hosted the podcasting workshop, where students produced new episodes of Activate!, our weekly feature spotlighting people working for positive change in our community. Every Monday during the month of August you get to hear their work.
This week’s episode was produced by Nishka Mishra. Nishka lives in Mason, Ohio where she is active in her community as a volunteer. During her week in Bloomington Nishka produced TWO episodes of Activate!, including today’s segment featuring Vinal Lee, chair of Community Organizations Active in Disaster. Fire, flood, tornado, mass shooting – how can you help Monroe County be ready and respond? Find out right now on a new student-produced episode of Activate!
Credits:
You’ve been listening to the WFHB Local News,
Today’s headlines were written by Kade Young, in partnership with Cats – Community Access Television Services.
Our feature was produced by Dave Askins.
Activate was produced by Nishka Mishra, Chad Carrothers and Michelle Moss in partnership with the Bloomington Volunteer Network and the IU Media School.
Our theme music is provided by Mark Bingham and the Social Climbers.
Engineer and Executive producer is Kade Young.
