Coming up in this edition of Eco Report, Agrivoltaics and Climate Resilience as Environmental Correspondent Zyro Roze brings us Part Three of his discussion with Sam Carpenter on bills opposed and backed by the Hoosier Environmental Council in the 2024 Legislative Session. The full four-part interview will be available online after the show as an E.R.X Eco Report EXTRA, to be found at WFHB.org. This story appeared in the “Daily Journal” of Franklin. A controversial bill that would strip wetland protections in Indiana is the first to head to the governor’s desk after being fast-tracked by the Indiana General Assembly. House Bill 1383, authored by Rep. Alan Morrison, R-Versailles, clarifies various wetland definitions and eliminates certain wetland rule-making requirements. The bill would shift some Class III wetlands down to Class II, a class that already has few protections because of another state law passed in 2021. The Senate approved the bill 32-17 on Tuesday, less than a month after its first reading in the House. Some residents, environmentalists and state senators have expressed concerns that it was fast-tracked despite heavy opposition. Environmental activists and some state legislators also questioned whether the bill would actually protect wetlands or dwindle them further. In 2021, Indiana passed another controversial bill that left nearly 80% of the state’s wetlands unprotected, with only 25% of wetlands being mitigated since then, according to the Hoosier Environmental Council, or HEC. A one-acre wetland can typically store over one million gallons of water, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. This means nearly 400 million gallons of water storage has been removed without mitigation since 2021, according to data from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. Indiana has also lost 85% of wetlands in the last 200 years, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously against the EPA, leaving the fate of wetlands in the state’s hands, Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell, said during the Senate vote on the bill Tuesday. Indiana is already seeing accelerated wetland loss, said Indra Frank, environmental health and water policy director for the HEC. The continued stripping of wetland protections is “very discouraging,” she said. Sens. Greg Taylor, D-Indianapolis, and Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, questioned how involved environmental consultants and groups were in the legislation. During the committee hearing on the bill, 26 people — including organizations involved in drafting the bill — testified in opposition to the bill. Only three testified in support. Builders, environmental activists and consultants, including the HEC, and IDEM staff helped draft the legislation last July, Niemeyer said. Representatives from the Indiana Builders Association told the Indiana Capital Chronicle the bill was a compromise to prevent permitting delays. Profit over people! Even though the bill passed, please contact the Governor today to voice opposition to this legislation. Last week we aired a story about olive trees. Following is more information. In a Counterpunch article by Joshua Frank, it is noted that olive trees in Palestine, in addition to being a means of economic sustenance are a long standing cultural practice. The harvesting of olives on wild trees extends back thousands of years. The razing of such groves has had disastrous results including soil erosion, and climate change. Since 1967, more than 800,000 Palestinian olive trees have been illegally uprooted by the Israeli authority accordinging to a 1921 Al Jazerra report.

This is the WFHB Local News for Thursday, February 15th, 2024. This month, the League of Women Voters of Bloomington and Monroe County welcomes Karen Jepson-Innes, WonderLab executive director, and Kelly Debikey, their education director, to share with our audience the many exciting opportunities that WonderLab Museum of Science Health and Technology offers to Bloomington residents. More in the latest edition of Civic Conversations. Also coming up in the next half hour, we have coverage on the latest city of Bloomington Redevelopment Commission meeting. Bloomington Redevelopment Commission The Bloomington Redevelopment Commission met on February 5th to discuss the future of the Showers West renovation project. In December, the city of Bloomington received several bids regarding the use of Showers West as the police headquarters and fire department administration, along with two firehouse renovations and a new fire logistics building. Mayor Kerry Thomson gathered a taskforce to evaluate the project and determine what the city’s next steps should be. The Bloomington Redevelopment Commission voted to reject all construction bids for the renovation project. The city plans to continue construction on Fire Station 1, designs for Fire Station 3, and find a potential new home for the fire logistics building. Current residents will be allowed to stay at Showers West, but new lease agreements are on pause. The next redevelopment meeting will take place February 19th. Feature Report: This month, the League of Women Voters of Bloomington and Monroe County welcomes Karen Jepson-Innes, WonderLab executive director, and Kelly Debikey, their education director, to share with our audience the many exciting opportunities that WonderLab Museum of Science Health and Technology offers to Bloomington residents. The WonderLab was formed in 1995 by a small group of Bloomington citizens interested in the importance of science education within a community. The goal of the WonderLab was to teach and make science education fun while also creating a permanent museum that celebrates the importance of science exploration and discovery. We turn to host Jim Allison for more on the latest edition of Civic Conversations on the WFHB Local News. Credits: You’ve been listening to the WFHB Local News, Today’s headlines were written by Elyse Perry, Kelsey Pease, Kade Young and Noelle Herhusky-Schneider, in partnership with Cats - Community Access Television Services. Our feature was produced by Becky Hill. Our theme music is provided by Mark Bingham and the Social Climbers. Engineer and Executive producer is Kade Young.

This is the WFHB Local News for Tuesday, February 13th, 2024. Later in the program, we cover the latest Monroe County Personnel Administration Committee and the Waste Reduction District Board. More in the top half of tonight’s show. Also coming up in the next half hour, we have Lil Bub’s Lil Show – a co-production between the WFHB Local News and Lil Bub’s Big Fund. But first, your local headlines: Monroe County Personnel Administration Committee Photo by Benedict Jones. The Monroe County Personnel Administration Committee met on February 6th. For the start of the new year Council Member Jennifer Crossley was nominated for the chair position. She accepted the nomination and it passed unanimously. Health Department Lori Kelley shared that they received feedback from WIS on their job description edits. Council Member Goeff McKim asked what the health department’s goal is with the job description changes. Kelley responded. McKim said he would support moving the positions from 35 hour positions to 40 hour positions. Board of Health Chair Steve Pritchard shared that they have an increased workload, and need more staff to handle the new Health First Law. Council Member Marty Hawke responded that WIS doesn’t look at the amount of work, but they look for an increase in responsibilities. McKim agreed with Hawke saying that just because staff members have more work to do, it doesn’t mean that they are doing more skilled labor necessarily. Kelley pointed out that even if they do create new positions, they do not have enough office space to accommodate the positions. Kelley also reiterated that the Vital Entry and Registrar positions should be reclassified due to the fact that so much depends on the positions. Crossley suggested that as a temporary solution, they should increase the hours to 40 hours per week, and continue to collaborate to figure out more long term solutions. The committee did not reach any final decisions on the matter, but will continue to work with the Board of Health to reorganize the Health Department’s staffing structure. Monroe County Waste Reduction District Board The Monroe County Waste Reduction District Board met on February 8th, Board Member Isabel Piedmont-Smith asked for an update from Controller Catherine Martin about a transfer of funds that occurred to pay back an unexpected amount due on the closure bond debt account. Executive Director for the Monroe County Solid Waste Management District Tom McGlasson, Jr. clarified that the county will not need an additional appropriation on this. During department reports, Waste Reduction Specialist Kayla Strand provided a report on behalf of the administration department. Finally, Environmental Compliance Director Lee Paulsen provided an update on the November groundwater testing, which he said has remained consistent compared to previous months. The Waste Reduction District Board of Directors will meet again for its regular session on March 14th. Feature Report: Up next, we have Lil Bub’s Lil Show – a co-production between the WFHB Local News and Lil Bub’s Big Fund. We turn to that segment right now on the WFHB Local News. Credits: You’ve been listening to the WFHB Local News, Today’s headlines were written by Noelle Herhusky-Schneider and Kade Young, in partnership with Cats - Community Access Television Services. Lil Bub’s Lil Show is produced by Christine Brackenhoff and Stacy Bridavsky. Our theme music is provided by Mark Bingham and the Social Climbers. Engineer and Executive producer is Kade Young.

This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, February 14th, 2024. Later in the program, we have Deep Dive: WFHB and Limestone Post Investigate where we look into issues regarding Health, Housing, and the Environment that directly impact residents of Monroe County. Today we look into Food Insecurity in Monroe and Brown Counties. More in today’s feature report. Also coming up in the next half hour, “Counterfeit Websites” on Better Beware – your weekly consumer-watchdog segment on WFHB. More following today’s feature. But first, the latest edition of Deep Dive: This is Deep Dive: WFHB and Limestone Post Investigate where we look into issues regarding Health, Housing, and the Environment that directly impact residents of Monroe County. We are looking into Food Insecurity in Monroe and Brown Counties. In Bloomington, one out of every ten residents cannot access the food they need. That’s according to the 2021 Bloomington Food Access Report. United Way of South Central Indiana reports that Monroe County has a 16 percent food insecurity rate, which is higher than both the state and national averages. In Brown County, the food insecurity rate is 10.6 percent, according to Feeding America. According to the Bloomington Food Access Report the top five barriers to accessing food are high food prices, time to prepare food, low wages, housing costs, and limited transportation. In addition to low wages a percentage of residents said that social security benefits were too low to cover the cost of living. WFHB News spoke with Julio Alonso, Executive Director and CEO of the Hoosier Hills Food Bank. According to its website, Hoosier Hills collects, stores and distributes food to non-profit agencies that feed the hungry in Brown, Lawrence, Orange, Owen, Martin and Monroe counties. We also spoke with the Executive Director of Mother’s Cupboard Community Kitchen in Nashville, Indiana, Jill Baker, who explained that people can’t afford to pay for groceries after they have paid for their rent and utilities. Tune in next week to learn more about how food insecurity impacts residents of Monroe County. To read the full article written by Christina Avery and Haley Miller, and photographed by Olivia Bianco, visit Limestone Post Magazine. Better Beware: Up next, “Counterfeit Websites” 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. Our feature was produced by Kade Young and Noelle Herhusky Schneider. 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.

This is the WFHB Local News for Monday, February 12th, 2024. In today’s feature report, local journalist Dave Askins with the B Square Bulletin discusses the mention of “Inciting Joy” by Ross Gay in a recent city council meeting. We turn to Dave Askins for more. More in today’s feature report. That's Timber Tucker from the Bloomington Pickleball Club. It's the hot new thing in recreational sports, but all of our local courts are outdoors. The club is lobbying the city to install permanent indoor pickleball courts for year-round play. Hear more later in the show on a new episode of Activate! But first, your daily headlines: Bloomington City Council On February 7th at the Bloomington City Council Meeting, Council Member Shruti Rhana shared why she ran for the position and why she is stepping down. Next, Capital Improvement Board Member Doug Bruce gave an update on the Convention Center Expansion Project. Bruce shared information on the convention center’s current usage, and why its expansion is necessary. Bruce continued, outlining the Capital Improvement Board’s task force’s work moving forward. Council Member Matt Flaherty asked if the board had any idea yet if they would need more funding than the Food and Beverage Tax revenue, or if that would be sufficient. Bruce responded that at this time they think the revenue from the Food and Beverage tax will be sustainable. Council Member Kate Rosenbarger asked where the convention center gets most of its visitors from. Bruce responded the majority are from Indiana.. Rosenbarger followed up and asked if the expansion aims to reach people from out of the state. Bruce said that they haven’t discussed that yet, but that if the space is larger it could open the doors for more national groups. Rosenbarger suggested that if the number of out of town guests does increase, that the Capital Improvement Board consider purchasing a shuttle to drive groups of people from the airport. Council Member Isak Asare asked if the board had discussed how the convention center is used when there are no ongoing conventions. Council Member Dave Rollo also asked about the other uses of the center, and noted that when it was created it was intended to also be used as a civic center. Bruce responded that the board has not discussed that yet. The next Bloomington City Council meeting will be held on February 14th. Monroe County Commissioners Photo by Benedict Jones. At the February 7th meeting of the Monroe County Commissioners, the commissioners rejected a motion for the rezoning of Worm’s Way property from Agriculture/Rural Reserve to Pre-Existing Business. The Property Owner, Martin Heydt, requested the property be rezoned to allow future businesses to buy and use the land. In response to Heydt’s comments, many members of Windsor Private, a neighborhood adjacent to the Worm’s Way property expressed their disapproval of rezoning. Local Real Estate Agent Julie Booze, a resident of Windsor Private, has shown the property twice for Heydt. Both times, the sale failed due to Heydt advertising the property improperly. Another Windsor Private homeowner, Mike Hofstatler, shared concerns about the impact of rezoning on property values in the neighborhood. Commissioner Julie Thomas responded saying that the residents of Windsor Private bought their properties with a neighboring garden supply store, and that rezoning that land to allow industrial business would impede on the residents. All three commissioners voted ‘no’ on the motion to rezone Worm’s Way property after hearing over an hour of debate, nearly half of which was public comment in opposition to the rezoning.

This is the WFHB Local News for Thursday, February 8th, 2024. In today’s feature report, WFHB correspondent Brookelyn Lambright brings to us a new segment called History Unbound. This news segment explores American history and culture through a critical lens. More in the bottom half of our program. Also coming up in the next half hour, Dark Past, Bright Future – a segment produced by Bring It On’s Liz Mitchell featuring accounts of Black history that often go overlooked. More following today’s feature report. But first, your local headlines: Bloomington Board of Public Works The Bloomington Board of Public Works approved the lane, sidewalk, alley and road closure request from Milestone Contractors for the Clear Creek Tunnel Project at their meeting on January 30. This project, previously known as the Hidden River Pathway Project, aims to prevent flooding downtown on Kirkwood Avenue. Public Works Director Adam Wason shared the history and need for the project. This phase of the Clear Creek Tunnel Project will affect the area around Dunn Street and Indiana Avenue where they meet Kirkwood Avenue. Kyle Baugh, an Engineering Field Specialist on the project, talked about the project timeline. Thomas Gott, the Milestone Project Manager, interjected that the planned shutdown of Indiana Avenue will be between May and June when most college students are off campus. Wason added that the construction timeline could impact Bloomington businesses and festivals, but the Board is in communication with the downtown business owners and organizers. Board member Kyla Cox Deckard added that this project, though disruptive, is necessary to maintain downtown. The board members approved the lane, sidewalk, alley and road closure request from Milestone Contractors for the Clear Creek Tunnel Project. The Board of Public Works will meet again on February 13th. Feature Report: In today’s feature report, WFHB correspondent Brookelyn Lambright brings to us a new segment called History Unbound. This news segment explores American history and culture through a new lens. Today, she breaks down Lady Liberty and why the ideals America attaches to her are not always reality. She also speaks with local community members about their understandings of Lady Liberty, and the assistant director for the center of documentary research and practice at IU, Barbara Truesdell. That’s coming up on History Unbound on the WFHB Local News. Now it’s time for Dark Past, Bright Future – a segment produced by Bring It On’s Liz Mitchell featuring accounts of Black history that often go overlooked. Today, Mitchell presents a brief history of Garrett Morgan, the black inventor of the automotive traffic control light, and the story of an unsung black race car driver, Fred Patterson. We turn to Liz Mitchell for more. Garrett Morgan Frederick Patterson Credits: You’ve been listening to the WFHB Local News, Today’s headlines were written by Elyse Perry, in partnership with Cats - Community Access Television Services. Our feature was produced by Brookelyn Lambright. Dark Past, Bright Future is produced by Liz Mitchell. Our theme music is provided by Mark Bingham and the Social Climbers. Engineer and Executive producer is Kade Young.

This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, February 7th, 2024. Later in the program, we take a look at the most recent episode of Bring It On – WFHB’s Black affairs program. Hosts Clarence Boone and Liz Mitchell put the spotlight on Black History Month in Bloomington. More in today’s feature report. Also coming up in the next half hour, Stand - Or Tap - And Deliver! on Better Beware – your weekly consumer-watchdog segment on the WFHB Local News. More following today’s feature. But first, your local headlines: City of Bloomington Utilities Service Board Photo courtesy of Schmidt Associates. At the January 29th meeting of the Bloomington Utilities Service Board Meeting, representatives from Blucher Poole Wastewater Treatment Plant requested approval for multiple agenda items pertaining to facility updates. These updates include a belt press replacement costing about $16,180 and P-L-C upgrades. Council Member Kirk White asked if the P-L-C upgrades would improve cybersecurity. Blucher Poole Data Analyst Jill Minor responded. Council President Megan Parmenter addressed the multiple projects going on at Blucher Poole and requested a master plan. Capital Projects Manager Daniel Hudson said the plant is working on a five year master plan. The next Bloomington Utilities Service Board meeting will be held on February 12th at 5:00pm. Feature Report: In today’s feature report, we take a look at the most recent episode of Bring It On – WFHB’s Black affairs program. Hosts Clarence Boone and Liz Mitchell put the spotlight on Black History Month in Bloomington. Bring It On welcomes guests Shatoyia Moss from the City of Bloomington and Dr. Gloria Howell and William Lawrence from Indiana University. Here in Bloomington, the Black History Month theme for this year, “Blacks in Cinema,” celebrates the profound impact and enduring contributions of Black individuals in the world of film. Bring It On airs each Monday on WFHB at 6 p.m. To listen to the full program, visit this link. We turn now to that segment on the WFHB Local News. Up next, Stand - Or Tap - And Deliver! on Better Beware – your weekly consumer-watchdog segment on the WFHB Local News. 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 Noelle Herhusky-Schneider, in partnership with Cats - Community Access Television Services. Our feature was produced by Chantalle LaFontant. 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.

This is the WFHB Local News for Monday, February 5th, 2024. In today’s feature report, local journalist Dave Askins of the B-Square Bulletin provides an update on an annexation lawsuit hearing on February 8th. More in today’s feature report. That's Kathy Romy from One Hundred Plus Women Who Care, a philanthropy club supporting local nonprofits. Find out how they raise fifteen or even twenty thousand dollars in one hour later in the show on a new episode of Activate! But first, your daily headlines: Monroe County Election Board Photo courtesy of CATS - Community Access Television Services   At the Monroe County Election Board meeting on February 1st, County Clerk Nicole Browne gave her update to the board. Browne shared the deadline to register to vote in the next election is coming up, and shared the primary early voting hours. Lastly, she shared legislative updates she is following. Later in the meeting, the Election Board discussed the late CFA filings of City Council Candidates Isak Asare and Steve Volan. Volan explained that he was late filing his CFA-4 by a few hours, and he incorrectly submitted his CFA-11. The board fined Volan for the late CFA-4 form, and gave him a warning for his CFA-11 filing as it was his first time with that specific form. Candidate Asare was not present at the meeting. It was his second late filing, and the procedure would be to charge him for the days that he was late. He was three days late making the fine $150. County Attorney Molly Turner-King recommended that the board table their vote on the fine. The board tabled the final decision on the fine to ensure that the candidate Asare had received the letter about the late filing. The next Monroe County Election Board meeting will be held on March 7th. Monroe County Board of Commissioners Photo courtesy of CATS - Community Access Television Services During the January 31st meeting of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners, the commissioners presented to the public on the State of the County. Commissioner Julie Thomas started off the address by saying the county is facing parallel issues to that of global issues, but that they are tackling them locally. Commissioner Penny Githens provided an update on the distribution of opioid settlement funds in the county. Thomas then clarified developments regarding the county’s intention to build a new jail. Commissioner Lee Jones recapped the county’s environmental considerations concerning the Houston South Vegetation Project. The next Monroe County Board of Commissioners meeting will take place on February 7th. Feature Report: In today’s feature report, local journalist Dave Askins of the B-Square Bulletin provides an update on an annexation lawsuit hearing on February 8th. We turn to Askins for more. It's part lottery, part democracy, and all heart. 100+ Women Who Care is a giving club, pooling individual donations into a cash prize awarded to local nonprofits four times a year. Their first meeting of 2024 is this coming Wednesday, when the club will donate fifteen thousand dollars to charity...maybe even more. Club member Kathy Romy is here to tell us how it works on a new episode of Activate!, coming your way right now on the WFHB Local News. Credits: You’ve been listening to the WFHB Local News, Today’s headlines were written by Elyse Perry, Kelsey Pease and Noelle Herhusky-Schneider, in partnership with Cats - Community Access Television Services. Our feature was produced by Kade Young. Activate was produced by Chad Carrothers and Michelle Mo...

This is the WFHB Local News for Thursday, February 1st, 2024. Later in the program, we have Part Two of the latest edition of Prescription for Healthcare, where we welcomed Dr. Michael Hicks, Distinguished Professor of Economics and Business Research and Director of the Center for Business & Economic Research at Ball State University. More in the bottom half of our program. Also coming up in the next half hour, Dark Past, Bright Future – a segment produced by Bring It On’s Liz Mitchell featuring accounts of Black history that often go overlooked. But first, your local headlines: Bloomington Utilities Service Board Photo courtesy of Schmidt Associates. At the January 29th meeting of the Bloomington Utilities Service Board Meeting, representatives from Blucher Poole Wastewater Treatment Plant requested approval for multiple agenda items pertaining to facility updates. These updates include a belt press replacement costing about $16,180 and PLC upgrades. Council Member Kirk White asked if the PLC upgrades would improve cybersecurity. Blucher Poole Data Analyst Jill Minor confirmed. Council President Megan Parmenter addressed the multiple projects going on at Blucher Poole and requested a master plan. Capital Projects Manager Daniel Hudson said the plant is working on a five year master plan. The next Bloomington Utilities Service Board meeting will be held on February 12th at 5:00pm. Ellettsville Town Council Photo courtesy of Elletsville. The Ellettsville Town Council met on January 22nd to discuss a new initiative, Ordinance 2024-02, a plan for implementing a new e-commerce utilities platform to pay bills and transfer funds online. Council member William Ellis asked if the platform would allow residents to pay their utility bills online with their bank information. Deputy clerk Noelle Conyer responded affirmatively, saying that the platform would make it easier for customers to set up and track payments. The town is already paying for most of the services required for the platform. The council ultimately decided to table Ordinance 2024-02 until their next meeting. Next, the council discussed approving the hiring of two new employees for the Department of Public Works. The first position, called Labor 1, is an existing position that needs to be filled. The second, Labor 2, is a new position without currently authorized funds budgeted towards its salary. Town Manager Mike Farmer clarified that the first-year salary for Labor 2 was planned to be covered by the current DNR Next Level Trails grant. Farmer further explained that after the grant runs out, the recent increase in water rates is supposed to cover the salary for Labor 2 in the future. Farmer requested that the funds for Labor 2 be authorized by the clerk’s office to proceed with the hiring process. The council approved the hire of Labor 1 and approved permission to hire Labor 2 while salary funding is pending authorization. The next Ellettsville Town Council meeting will be held on February 5th. Feature Reports: Up next, we have Part Two of the latest edition of Prescription for Healthcare, where we welcomed Dr. Michael Hicks, Distinguished Professor of Economics and Business Research and Director of Center Business Economic Research at Ball State University. His work has appeared not only in scholarly sources but also in such publications and media as Rolling Stone, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, NPR, and Fox Business News. Dr.