This story was updated because a previous version included an inaccuracy The resulting crowd, described by many as the largest they’d ever seen in Bloomington, left businesses strewn with improperly parked cars, lines out the door at college bars like Kilroys and The Upstairs Pub, and 159 calls made to Indiana University police – approximately 39 more than were made in 2024 knew that Little 500 was getting a lot of attention online She was still blown away by the massive crowds she saw across Bloomington from Kirkwood Avenue to the fraternity house row on East Third Street but I don’t remember it ever being this bad,” Slagle said IUPD public information officer Hannah Cornett said officers responded to 36 reports of criminal activity over the weekend most of which concerned underage drinking or “battery resulting in minor or no injury." IUPD made four outright arrests; two for battery one for public intoxication and one for intimidation Despite the comparatively tame nature of the crowd — both IUPD and Bloomington Police reported fewer arrests than in 2024 — people took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to complain about the overflowing crowds on Kirkwood using racist innuendos to describe the predominantly Black crowd “Kirkwood turned into the Bloomington Zoo,” one user wrote “What has happened to Bloomington it looks like Atlanta and I hate it our beautiful town is no longer safe,” another said Cornett said several incidents have been referred to university officials for further review Revelry and drunken crowds from Little 500 weekend usually don’t spill over to Ellettsville a quiet town west of Bloomington with about 7,000 residents Women's race: Kappa Alpha Theta wins record 10th women’s Little 500 title in thrilling finish That wasn't the case the afternoon of Saturday when more than 1,000 people seeking a party showed up at Ellettsville’s 10-acre Marci Jane Lewis Park contains the Ellettsville Youth Sports Complex home of the area’s children’s baseball leagues Practices were in full swing Saturday afternoon when hundreds of out-of-town cars started to arrive They filled the park’s parking lot and nearby Peoples State Bank’s large lot and were parked up and down nearby streets described online as “offering scenic trails and peaceful surroundings to escape the hustle and bustle of city life.” Ellettsville Police Department Lt Zach Michael said calls from concerned parents at the youth ballfields started coming in about 4 p.m many smoking marijuana and drinking alcoholic beverages a DJ was setting up equipment and speakers preparing for a party that clearly had been well-advertised via social media Drugs and alcohol are prohibited in Ellettsville parks and anyone wanting to host an event in a town park must file 11 copies of an application with the clerk-treasurer and get town board approval 45 days in advance mandates that security and emergency medical services be on site and requires organizers to have liability insurance No permit for the unsanctioned event was sought or granted When he got to the park and saw more than 500 people there for a party with traffic backed up as more continued to arrive he called for backup from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and Indiana State Police “As soon as one group of people would leave another 10 more groups would show up,” Micheal said “I watched 200 people leave and then another 300 would show up We’re not sure how it got promoted or where people came from.” four sheriff’s deputies and four state troopers spent two hours dispersing the crowds which had pretty much cleared out by 6 p.m “We don’t want to stifle people from using our park facilities,” Michael said He drove his patrol car into the middle of the park and made loud-speaker announcements informing revelers the party violated the town’s mass-gathering ordinance and they had to leave The DJ sent the same message through his microphone He said there were no altercations or arrests “We told them the event was unauthorized and in violation of town code and they had to disperse,” Michael said “We directed traffic out to the highway and told them to turn right and leave the area.” The party seekers headed back toward Bloomington where Michael said police broke up similar unsanctioned parties on Friday April 25: one at the south-side Monroe County YMCA and one at the city’s Lower Cascades Park Ellettsville requires mass-gathering permits or uncontrolled gatherings which may constitute a threat to public health Contact H-T reporter Laura Lane at llane@heraldt.com or 812-318-5967 Your browser is not supported for this experience.We recommend using Chrome \n\t\t\t\t{{plainDescription(helpers.var.config.descriptionTruncation)}}\n\t\t\t\t{{:~equal(helpers.var.config.readMorePosition 'desc')}}\n\t\t\t\t\t{{~fill(helpers.partial('custom_ccl_v2/shared/read_more_button') {\n\t\t\t\t\t\t...data,\n\t\t\t\t\t\tvar: helpers.var,\n\t\t\t\t\t\ttemplateData: global.templateData,\n\t\t\t\t\t})}}\n\t\t\t\t{{/}}\n\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\tϾplainDescriptionԒ(helpers.var.config.descriptionTruncationԒ)Ͽ\n\t\t\t\tϾ:~equalԒ(helpers.var.config.readMorePosition 'desc'Ԓ)Ͽ\n\t\t\t\t\tϾ~fillԒ(helpers.partial('custom_ccl_v2/shared/read_more_button') {\n\t\t\t\t\t\t...data,\n\t\t\t\t\t\tvar: helpers.var,\n\t\t\t\t\t\ttemplateData: global.templateData,\n\t\t\t\t\t}Ԓ)Ͽ\n\t\t\t\tϾ/Ͽ\n\t\t\t Get your day started in historic downtown Ellettsville at The Caffeinated Cook but they have a great lunch selection of sandwiches soups and salads as well. There is also a wide variety of pastry options from cookies Take the rest of your coffee to go and learn more about limestone while strolling the wooded Limestone Heritage Trail in downtown Ellettsville This easy half-mile trail features several artifacts and sculptures along the way The trail will eventually connect with the Karst Farm Greenway providing a biking and walking trail that spans much of western Monroe County Burn off some energy at the indoor Urban Air Adventure Park can enjoy a multitude of activities to challenge their body and mind in operation since 1860.  This historic landmark is home to lots of curiosities and Stinesville memorabilia and definitely worth a visit It also happens to be on the Bicentennial Fish Scavenger Hunt Visit Bloomington continues to update previous blog posts to help give our followers a great experience Cookies are used for measurement, ads and optimization. By continuing to use our site you agree to our privacy policy Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith was supposed to come to Bloomington for a public town hall April 28. Now, six days before his town hall was set to take place, Beckwith delayed the event until 6 p.m. May 19 and moved it to Ellettsville Town Hall, according to an X post Tuesday.  Cory Grass, Beckwith’s government affairs director and Monroe County Republican Party chair, said in a text to the IDS the delay is due to a scheduling conflict — April 28 is the second to last day of this year’s Indiana legislative session presides over the Senate and can cast tie-breaking votes The April 28 session is likely to run late Beckwith’s communication director Jim Kehoe did not immediately respond to a question on why the town hall was moved to Ellettsville.  Beckwith, a Noblesville, Indiana, pastor, won the Republican lieutenant governor nomination last year in an upset over then-gubernatorial candidate Mike Braun’s pick In recent months, some Republican lawmakers’ town halls have grown heated amid outcry against the Trump administration. National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Richard Hudson told GOP House representatives in March to stop in-person public events.  The Indiana Democratic Party hosted an event this month in Bloomington criticizing U.S. Rep. Erin Houchin in response to what some view as a lack of public availability.  Indiana U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz held two contentious town halls in Muncie and Westfield in March. A discussion featuring Sen. Todd Young last week at the Monroe Convention Center gathered a protest outside of around 100.  Beckwith has previously held town halls without Gov. Braun in Shelbyville and Franklin since taking office.  The Daily Rundown is published Monday through Friday and gives you a quick look at the day's top stories Friday's weekly recap will let you catch up on the most important and most popular stories of the week Find out what the IDS is saying about IU basketball distributed during the IU basketball season WFIU Public Radio WTIU Public Television The speed limit on State Road 46 through Ellettsville will drop from 45 mph to 35 mph on or after Tuesday The reduction in the speed limit will begin at West Arlington Road on the south side of town and extend to Redbud Hill Road on the north side According to the Indiana Department of Transportation the decreased speed limit “is intended to help enhance safety and mobility along S.R All work is weather-dependent and schedules are subject to change Indiana Public Media is the home of WFIU Public Radio WTIU Public Television, including your favorite programming from NPR and PBS. Learn More © 2025, The Trustees of Indiana University • Copyright Complaints Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m A public memorial service will also be held at 11:00 a.m Memorials may be given to High Rock Church Cancer Support Communities of Southern Indiana or to her sons’ education fund in care of Eric Welch the daughter of Daniel Lee and Michelle Leann (Jones) Organ She graduated from Shelbyville High School in the Class of 2005 and went on to earn her bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale Heather married her high school sweetheart they responded to God's call to move to Bloomington Heather thoroughly devoted herself to raising and supporting her three sons Her strength of will could not be dampened by illness as she continued to love and cheer for her boys A young woman full of irresistible life and love she had a tangible effect on those around her it was often sparked by Heather’s imagination or playfulness squealing with joy when she caught the smallest fish in the lake she had a bounce in her step that buoyed those around her She regularly used her quick wit and humor to spread joy Heather especially valued praying for young mothers and snuggling their babies What began as a toddler singing for neighbors on the front porch evolved into high school musicals and eventually a constant melody in her home Her love of worship carries on now as she is singing freely to her Lord and Tiffany Nichols (Erin) of Fort Stewart She was preceded in death by her grandparents Add to Calendar Add to Calendar Add to Calendar Add to Calendar This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors The Ellettsville Police Department has explained how it responded to a sudden influx of people at one of the town’s parks over the weekend.  the department said it began receiving calls on Saturday of a large number of cars and pedestrians gathering at Marci Jane Lewis Park.   Cars were reportedly parked in the streets blocking traffic and in grassy areas The pedestrian traffic included open air consumption of alcoholic beverages and suspected use of marijuana.   they found the gathering quickly growing and exceeding the space in the park area There were also vehicles racing and “doing donuts” on public roadways.  The department said the town of Ellettsville had not issued any permits for the event With the assistance of Indiana State Police and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department the “unlicensed gathering” was dispersed.  The department cited illegal speed contests open alcoholic beverages and use of illegal narcotics as the primary state laws being violated at the event.   Ellettsville PD confirmed to WFIU/WTIU that no arrests were made and that no one was cited for the offenses and that crowd dispersed peacefully.  Read more: IUPD respond to 36 reports of criminal activity over Little 500 weekend– one less than last year This story was updated to add new information Your trip to or through Ellettsville is going to take a bit longer starting this week The Indiana Department of Transportation will reduce the speed limit on Ind The state will reduce the speed limit to 35 mph INDOT said the change will occur “on or after Tuesday Access Bloomington news anywhere with the Herald-Times app The state agency said in a news release that it is reducing the speed limit “to help enhance safety and mobility” along the highway public relations director for INDOT Southeast said via email the agency made the change after receiving "several requests" that prompted a speed study and an evaluation of crashes in the last three years The study and evaluation suggested the corridor would benefit from a lower speed "Making this change aims to improve the overall safety on S.R as speed most commonly indicates the severity of a crash," Nierman said She also said the speed reduction would "improve safety by creating more consistency along the corridor "This change has been made along other corridors of similar type resulting in improved safety in those areas," Nierman said ‘Use extra caution’INDOT asked that drivers “slow down use extra caution and avoid distractions when traveling in and near work zones.” The agency said work is weather dependent The agency said people can monitor road closures conditions and traffic alerts any time via: Boris Ladwig can be reached at bladwig@heraldt.com had provided services since the late 1980s A former employee of the clinic said this week the office closed primarily because of the owner’s age and health challenges “We’ve been looking for a vet to help him since we lost our other vet over a year ago,” said Erin Glenn who was volunteering her time at the clinic this week to make sure clients could pick up their pets’ records She said clients can continue to leave messages on the clinic’s answering machine and she would call them in a matter of days to figure out when they can pick up their records She said the clinic also would continue to provide important pet medication if clients have trouble finding another veterinarian immediately some clients were asking for advice on where to take their pets now and some also expressed disappointment they were not notified about the closure Glenn handed over some paperwork to a couple of customers Tuesday afternoon exchanged hugs with them and wiped away some tears From 2021: Veterinary emergency? Pet owners say it's hard to find help in Bloomington. Here's why. She said the clinic initially planned to stay open longer to give clients more time to find a new veterinarian “If you can express how sorry we are that it happened this way because it was not meant to happen this way,” Glenn said her voice wavering and tears welling in her eyes “I care about these people and I care about their pets And it breaks my heart that it happened this way,” she said Bloomfield resident Kim Pruett stopped by the building Tuesday afternoon to pick up records for her four dogs and three cats so named because the animal has only one ear Pruett said she had been coming to the clinic for more than 30 years “He had such compassion for both people and animals.” “When I had to come in here and have a couple of my animals put to sleep I could even see the tears well up in his eyes,” she said Pruett said she is now going to take her animals to a veterinarian in Oolitic While a recent analysis commissioned by the American Veterinary Medical Foundation indicates an adequate supply of veterinarians nationwide an Indiana state lawmaker last year introduced legislation to address a veterinary shortage and primarily for livestock and poultry owners Glenn said some of the Ellettsville clinic’s clients came from Indianapolis and even Kentucky and a stroke that required him to walk with a cane Glenn said she believes the owner plans to sell the building It was built in 1983 and previously housed a hair salon The building covers 2,260 square feet and was most recently assessed at $147,900 The 2025 Indiana General Assembly is in session and we're following all the bills you care about The Ellettsville Town Council says it can prove to Gov Mike Braun that the town is financially responsible while still needing some property tax revenue Opponents to Braun’s property tax reform have said local governments would lose millions of dollars in revenue. Braun demanded local leaders prove they have not overburdened the taxpayer. Read more: Senate approves 'work in progress' property tax reform legislation, sending it to House During a discussion at last week’s council meeting councilmember William Ellis said the town can prove it has not treated its citizens as “piggybanks.” Ellis said the town has a documented history of limiting property taxes and funding its own capital projects “These other places that are sitting there saying it’s impossible and the sky’s falling the laws are directed towards people like that He suggested bringing in a third-party auditor to conduct an analysis of Ellettsville’s finances Council president Scott Oldham agreed with the concept of Ellis’ idea saying Ellettsville has overcome structural challenges that come with local governments “There is no day-to-day governance for a town,” Oldham said “There’s every two-week governance for a town That doesn’t usually get the job done effectively but here’s Ellettsville succeeding.” Related: County council welcomes talk with Gov. Braun over property tax bill Town manager Michael Farmer liked the idea but said it would be difficult given the schedules of local leaders He also said the state would eventually conduct its own audit anyway Clerk Treasurer Noelle Conyer said a third-party audit would likely cost around $10,000 The council agreed that price would be too expensive and defeat the purpose of proving its financial responsibility to the state the council said an eventual audit will go a long way in proving to Braun that some towns can be both financially responsible and need some additional property tax revenue Ellettsville is central to a bill currently in the Statehouse that would allow the town to receive more revenue from the Monroe County food and beverage tax Read more: Ellettsville tax revenue bill passed in House, now heads to Senate WTTV CBS4Indy Residents and authorities in Ellettsville are trying to make sense of an unexpected surge of people and illegal activity over the weekend as crowds overflowed into the town during Little 500 celebrations The Indiana Supreme Court has ruled that a lawsuit brought by two truckers against retail giant Amazon can move forward despite a Hamilton County judge initially dismissing the suit The Carmel City Council convened for nearly four hours on Monday night the council discussed multiple proposal’s related to the city’s relationships with nonprofit organizations like Christkindlmarkt A man killed outside the Hendricks County Courthouse in Danville reportedly fired a gun before deputies shot him Family members of the man say they think he was targeting an inmate who is charged in the car crash that killed his two great-grandchildren Braun considering deregulation bill affecting K-12 schools Carmel's Home Place neighborhood prepares for redevelopment plan Hinchman Racing Suits celebrating 100 years of protecting drivers Speed camera enforcement starts on northeast side Killer of Beech Grove police officer seeks clemency kills armed man outside Hendricks County courthouse A new survey ranks Indiana number two in the nation for phishing scam victims Former Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday repeatedly invoked the Constitution and said it is what “binds us all together” after receiving the John F Alex Palou came away with his third win of 2025 on Sunday afternoon He led by more than 16 seconds when the checkered flag flew A man who ran a massage business in Ellettsville is being returned to Bloomington to face charges ranging from prostitution to illegal possession of a turtle after his March 30 arrest in Virginia Police in Winchester, Virginia identified the man after a roadside license plate reader noted the car passing which sent a notification to local police that the registered owner was wanted on warrants in Indiana Zhongqiang Teng, 51, from Evansville, is being held without bond awaiting extradition to Monroe County, according to a news release from the Ellettsville Police Department Deputy Chief Anthony Bowlen Ellettsville police received a tip alleging “employees of a local massage parlor located in Richland Plaza were possibly engaging in the illicit sale of sexually explicit services,” the news release said From 2024: Police from multiple agencies search Sun Flower 99 Spa in Ellettsville They conducted surveillance of Sun Flower 99 Spa at 4631 W Richland Plaza Drive and after a 3-month investigation The news release said Teng is charged with two counts of felony prostitution failure to collect or remit the proper amount of sales tax failure to provide requested tax documents and unlawful possession of an eastern box turtle Also charged in connection with the Sun Flower 99 investigation is Xueren Chen who has the same Evansville address as Teng The charges against her are two counts of felony promoting prostitution four counts of misdemeanor prostitution and one corrupt business influence charge A tech park has been proposed in Ellettsville that would include manufacturing would cover about 242 acres north of State Road 46 and south of West Chafin Chapel Road president of the Bloomington-based Abrams-Moss Design Group said the park will be built in three phases starting with a “convenience area” with the potential to house a warehouse/super center retail space and smaller offices “We are looking at the potential for a conferencing center centered around tech uses as well in that area,” she said Moss said that small shopping and restaurants “that you’d visit throughout the day” will be the central focus of the development Read more: Ellettsville Town Council sends UDO back to Plan Commission The second and third phases will be for residential buildings Phase two will see creation of 86 quarter-acre single family lots and roughly 14 two-acre estate lots Phase three will see the development of multi-family residential buildings such as apartments and town homes for roughly 100 people Moss said the goal of the residential areas is to create a neighborhood where people can progress to different homes “So you can start out as a young professional in an apartment and then eventually if you want to downsize in retirement go back and stay in the town homes,” she said While some of the housing will help support the tech park Moss said none of the lots will be exclusive to employees the developers are seeking to rezone the land before starting with infrastructure construction Moss said a traffic study supports the need for traffic lights and for SR 46 to be expanded to a five-lane road — like how it runs through most of Ellettsville — due to other tech parks being built in the area. The development will have 66 acres for a nature preserve and recreation area “The only things that will be allowed to be built are like trails the amount of trees that can be cut,” Moss said Moss noted that the proposals are subject to change No specific tenants have been identified for retail or commercial spaces Editor's note: The original story published online March 21 and in print on March 24 incorrectly identified the age of the man who died in the crash The man who died March 21 when his car left the road and crashed into a heavy limestone "Welcome to Ellettsville" sign at the east edge of downtown was 60-year-old Todd C accident says it's possible Jarvis may have lost consciousness because of a medical condition before the crash The report says that could have caused the 2012 Volkswagen Passat Jarvis was driving to veer off the road and hit the stone Monroe County Coroner Jeff Hall said the official cause and manner of the man’s death are pending autopsy and toxicology results Police said Jarvis sustained blunt-force injuries in the crash Several memorial crosses and flowers have been placed at the crash site where a Y intersection directs westbound traffic into two one-way lanes traveled through grass and hit the welcome sign head-on with "significant" impact “Those are not good neighbors,” said Scott Reynolds, a Monroe County resident who works in Ellettsville and who has created a website, harpindiana.org, to oppose the tech park project each of which would host between 10 and 20 employees The Ellettsville Plan Commission this month recommended that the town council approve rezoning for the project but the council on Monday postponed a vote said the plan commission took action too quickly after the properties were annexed voluntarily Town Council member Bill Ellis said Tuesday that he voted in favor of delaying the vote in part because of the timing issue raised by Reynolds but also because he wanted the decision about the project to be made by the whole council he said he wants to get more information before he reaches a decision Local developer would take project to 'white box' phaseThe developer has said he envisions five or six buildings on the property that would employ primarily highly paid engineers in fields including electronics Bowlen said he and his partners plan to develop the land and construct the buildings to a “white box” stage The rezoning request officially came from Digital Resources Acquisitions LLC which was created in July by Rushville attorney Patrick C according to documents filed with the Indiana Secretary of State’s office Bowlen is the only other person listed on the documents He said he could not identify his partners or prior similar projects because of confidentiality concerns Bowlen did not return a phone message left for him on Tuesday Reynolds told council members Monday the lack of specific information about the project worries him and the speed and secrecy under which the project is being pushed through make him think the developer plans to build a server farm which would house primarily rows of stacks of computer servers Reynolds pointed to a September New York Times column by author and journalist Sean Patrick Cooper who wrote that for many people who live near some of the nation’s 5,000 data centers the installations have become “something of a nightmare.” “People who live near one Northern Virginia Center have complained that the mechanical whir of the fleet of industrial fans needed to cool the sensitive computer equipment inside can sound like a leaf blower that never turns off,” Cooper wrote “Cooling the heavy equipment also diverts great volumes of water even in places where it’s scarce.” The Indiana Citizens Action Coalition on Tuesday called on the Indiana General Assembly to enact a moratorium on data centers to protect Hoosiers from “the rapacious resource needs massive tax subsidies and extraordinary utility cost burden associated with these facilities that could lead to skyrocketing utility bills across Indiana.” “Residents rarely learn how data centers may affect their lives until it’s too late Big tech operators are aggressively deploying nondisclosure agreements to force local officials construction workers and others to keep these projects under wraps.” Reynolds said he knows this first hand: He told council members he formerly worked as an attorney for real estate developers who followed a playbook when they planned controversial projects: Find land form a new LLC to hide the identity of the developers find a local partner who can attend required public meetings move as fast as possible and warn local officials that if they don’t move quickly enough “I stopped doing that work because I couldn’t deal with some of the consequences that I saw with communities,” Reynolds said He said when he read about the plan commission meeting “I was really saddened … because it seemed as though … questions couldn’t be asked and the developer … couldn’t be forced to answer them,” Reynolds said He urged the council to ask the developer tough questions “If they walk away because you ask hard questions… it means they probably didn’t have the best interest of our community in the first place,” Reynolds said Ellis said the backlash against the project surprised him a bit but he is grateful for community members’ input though he said the community should not jump to conclusions about the nature of the project Ellis said Bowlen approached him about six months ago to inquire about having the property voluntarily annexed into Ellettsville Ellis said he referred Bowlen to Ellettsville Town Manager Mike Farmer and Ellettsville Planning Director Denise Line Line said Wednesday morning she was told the developer planned to construct buildings to a "white box" stage but did not have any tenants under contract “No one in Ellettsville was asked to sign non-disclosure agreements.” She also said even if the council approves the rezoning request local officials would have additional opportunities to weigh in on the project because the developer would have to gain approval for the development plan Ellis said the community has experienced residential and business growth but some light industrial development would help broaden the tax base “It offers some exciting opportunities,” he said saying town leaders want light industrial/commercial activity in that area — not subdivisions Reynolds said Tuesday evening he simply recognized the real estate acquisition pattern and wants to make sure the town has all the information it needs to decide whether the project is beneficial to Ellettsville “There’s nothing wrong with growth per se,” he said “but it always has to be in the service of the people who live in the community … We should always think about opportunities for growth in that context and not simply pursue growth for its own sake.” After years of living in Bloomington’s shadow as the less developed and appealing destination the town of Ellettsville has big plans to revive the community Rachel Peden McCarty’s grandparents maintained the Peden Farm in Ellettsville for years since moving there in 1941 when there were only seven houses built on a rocky In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s Ellettsville’s economy was based on agriculture; most residents had farmland they maintained and made business off of People decided to settle in this area specifically because it was by Jack’s Defeat Creek The water from the creek provided power for waterwheels to operate gristmills for grinding grain and for cutting trees into lumber Citizens worked with farmers in surrounding areas because it was less convenient to travel by train [and] a calf ran out of the fence into the road and I hit stop and put the calf into the fence,” she said “That's where Woodgate is located now; it’s a big housing development and a recycling center and senior homes were added to the mix as well “We got our first fast food; there it was a two window go both directions drive thru,” she said So it was a one-stop shop to get anything that you needed for your home.” president of the Greater Ellettsville Chamber of Commerce said the chamber partnered with the Bloomington Monroe County Community Foundation and received a $30,000 grant to fund the community-driven visioning process high school students and not-for-profits gave their input on what change they wanted to see Read more: Ellettsville hoping plan can help revive community “We were being positioned as a community as a place for growth for affordable housing for new workforce attraction initiatives,” she said “We literally have people knocking on our door People wanted to build housing developments they wanted to bring employment opportunities.” Businesses like Bigby Coffee are starting to appear near the downtown area drawing people to our downtown,” she said “That's exactly what we want.” because not only does it aesthetically improve our town but it's amenities that we're always looking for,” Michael Farmer More apartment complexes are being built as well “We are having a building boom; we're just the tip of the iceberg,” he said and there's a lot of people that are interested in annexing their properties all around the town broker and owner of Remax Acclaimed Properties said he is working on building a development on 115 acres next to Edgewood High School “The concept of new urbanism is everything you need,” he said you can walk to a grocery and walk to shopping You walk to whatever you want to but it's also got room for cars Smith said this development will provide a more stabilized commercial center for Ellettsville while also being about 15 minutes to downtown Bloomington the Indiana University campus or the stadium “Conventional development has caused sprawl congestion because you have to drive everywhere to get anywhere,” he said “Projects like this limit that because they give you everything you need in one place but it gives you the chance not to drive as much.” Smith expects to invest over $300 million on things like builders and contractors Smith hopes to price the town homes in the low $200,000s and single-family homes under $300,000 Site work will begin sometime in September The Chamber promotes Ellettsville by sponsoring local events and posts about local businesses and tells stories of the town on social media “We’re working with the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation and other economic development organizations in the county to better tell the story through our communication channels of the town and what we have to offer to attract business,” she said as well as more childcare and medical services are high on the list of wants “All we have is pizza,” Ellettsville resident Patty Lewis said “We do have a Mexican restaurant and I love China Star Lewis has lived in Ellettsville since 1990 and runs her own hair salon from home While the downtown area does need to be upgraded Lewis thinks Ellettsville doesn’t need more apartments She would like things to be more accessible “We want to just run down the road and grab something for dinner And without having to drive into Bloomington,” she said Lewis said she is excited the town included developing parks in the Envision Ellettsville plan She also hopes the plan will help attract and support local vendors at the Fall Festival “I love going to festivals and buying my rings; I want to buy from local people instead of the big box,” she said “I think that this Envision Ellettsville thing is going to be really great for people to be able to come in and we can support each other.” Lewis isn’t worried about competing businesses that this vision plan may bring into town “I’ve been doing this for 40 years,” she said Curtis has seen more people move to Ellettsville because housing is more affordable than it is in Bloomington Residents also like the strong sense of community “Everybody knows each other and that’s the fun of it You can go into the IGA (grocery store) and you’re going to know people.” State Road 45/46 wasn’t very developed It’s since been widened to four or more lanes “Ellettsville was a community that was very disconnected from the rest of the county,” she said 46 really created that connection point and opened up this community.” Ellettsville also had an outdated utility infrastructure and lack of flood mitigation “Some of the things that we were missing were development ordinances a more holistic land use plan,” she said Read more: Ellettsville pauses construction of certain businesses until 2024 Amid plans to grow the town, McCarty thinks older limestone buildings should be preserved. An old cabin from the 1880’s on Vine Street was also moved closer to Town Hall and restored so visitors can learn about its history The Ellettsville History Center has been closed for a while now “I like to preserve photos and memories and stories of what was and is so that we can go back and say ‘this is what we had done and this is where we're going,’” she said Curtis said it has been challenging for the town to get funding and adequate resources to fully implement the plan “It's a challenge to be Ellettsville in the county because most people think of Bloomington and Bloomington is a bit like a force of nature that sort of pulls everyone along,” she said there's a lot of focus on the county government Curtis hopes that over the next 10 to 20 years more people will visit and enjoy what the town has to offer “We recognized that if we didn't have a vision or a plan all of these other people were really going to design our destiny for us,” she said This story has been updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy Brad Taylor calls himself a weekend warrior who bakes — it's his way of sharing his love of sourdough In 2019 he began baking sourdough bread at home who grew up in the San Francisco Bay area of California Taylor was still trying to perfect his bread It was a weekend project he enjoyed on his "little homestead" outside of Ellettsville He switched to using natural leaven when the pandemic put a crimp in his efforts He also looked for new sources to obtain unprocessed flour Taylor found Janie's Mill in Ashkum which has a variety of organic flours and grains He began baking a few of his country loaves to sell to friends and family Beginnings of Bearded Baker 812Fast-forward to the summer of 2024 when Taylor decided to take his baking up a notch "I just really felt the desire to open up a home bakery." He purchased equipment and got a food handler certification for a home kitchen business Then he sent out a survey on Facebook asking people what he should name his business "Pretty much everyone wanted me to call it the Bearded Baker," he said "Since then I've had a lot of good support Closed for restaurants: Parts of East Kirkwood Avenue closed in Bloomington for outdoor dining, festivals What the Bearded Baker makesNow Taylor is baking eight types of sourdough breads, English muffins and sometimes pretzel bites in his home. He sells them online and, for the past month or so, at the Americano coffee shop in Ellettsville on some Saturdays the nearby Phat Daddy's offered space in their restaurant for Taylor to sell his bread Nurturing his sourdough starter and baking loaves from it isn't Taylor's full-time job: His day job is working at Days Band Blades in Ellettsville four days a week "I've always loved to cook and bake from scratch," he said Taylor said he's only working with sourdough trying "to stay in my lane." He doesn't add a lot of "inclusions" in his bread but does offer different types of sourdough One of the more simple sourdoughs he creates is Fancy Sammy Sourdough It's made with his starter and three ingredients — flour water and salt — baked in a bread pan so it comes out with a crunchy crust she had a silent moment that took her back to the Bay Area and said tangy "with a flavor like no other bread you've ever tried." Customer favorites are the Fancy Sammy Sourdough and the cinnamon raisin swirl loaves Taylor has been selling some of his loaves focaccia and dough bites on Saturdays as a pop-up booth next to the Americano coffee shop in Ellettsville He's sold out of his breads on several weekends The main way to purchase his sourdough is online, at https://shop.goairmart.com/thebeardedbaker812 or at Beardedbaker812 on Facebook Check out his Facebook page to find out where he'll be selling his fresh-made bread this coming weekend Contact Carol Kugler at ckugler@heraldt.com Where exactly is the construction site?The site is west of the intersection of North Lenzy Way and Temperance Street (Ind. 46) across the state road from Pizza Pantry The building will be occupied by a Jimmy John’s restaurant Restaurant owner Antoine Houston said the tentative opening date is Nov He said he initially had planned to open the restaurant sooner but the project got delayed in part by bad weather Houston, an East Chicago native, was featured in a 2019 story in The Herald-Times he was general manager of the Eastland Plaza Jimmy John’s and was about to get married to Mary Belcher The couple got married that year and bought three of the Bloomington Jimmy John's restaurants How many people will the new restaurant employ?Houston said the new restaurant will employ between 15 and 20 people the couple's restaurants will employ near 100 the Ellettsville restaurant will have a drive-through a lot more restaurants have featured drive-through service to deliver food more quickly Moving to Ellettsville: This business is moving from a bigger southern Indiana city to a smaller town Who owns the property?Ah & Mh Llc bought the 0.86-acre property on March 18 453 S Clarizz Blvd LLC had bought the parcel in July 2023 for $395,000 from Lenzy Hayes Inc by Bloomington law firm Freitag & Martoglio according to filings with the Indiana Secretary of State’s office The property was assessed at $259,200 this April It previously was vacant and assessed at $3,500 Ellettsville citizens are concerned a new technology park could cause disruptions A lack of transparency around the project is also said to be a problem.  Gerald Johnston lives across the street from the tech park’s proposed location When he moved into his house nine years ago only an empty field faced his property.  “I like peace and quiet,” he said “I thought we were going to have some here but it's changing pretty quickly…we bought a place in the country Kehe, a food retail distribution center was built a few years ago in the field across from his house about a half mile away He and neighbors are afraid a tech park will produce even more noise “I don't know how they'll support the traffic on Starnes Road down to Reeves and out to Flatwoods,” he said “It's really not designed for semi traffic.”  William Ellis, who is on the Ellettsville Town Council, said the land for the tech park already has been annexed into town limits. Officials also recently approved rezoning the 343 acres. The land was labeled as agricultural, where only farming could occur. Now that the land has been rezoned as light industrial it allows buildings related to manufacturing and technology.  what’s that mean?,” Johnston said “What’s the definition of a tech park?”  Scott Reynolds created the site harp (Hoosier Alliance for Reasonable Planning) Indiana The site provides documents and videos about the project so people can stay informed as well as contacts for Ellettsville officials Reynolds also outlines concerns about the pace of the annexation and rezoning process.  “There was really very little information that was being shared and very little information that was being made available by the people who are proposing to develop this property,” Reynolds said.  Ellis said he is aware of citizen concerns about the lack of information available on the project but he isn’t worried about the lack of transparency from developer Greg Bowlen Bowlen did not respond to requests for comment.  “I can understand any companies not wanting to say who they are because there's competition for this,” he said “What they don't want to happen is the competition to pull the rug out from under them or build something similar.”  When it comes to noise concerns, Ellis said features of the park can be negotiated under the town’s Unified Development Ordinance which among other things aims to improve aesthetics.  Read more: Ellettsville Town Council sends UDO back to Plan Commission  “If there's going to be a lot of noise we're going to need this testing for that,” he said that's when we'll actually get into the nuts and bolts of what it is and how to manage it.”  The project is somewhat related to the Envision Ellettsville Plan which outlines goals to further develop and grow the town which the tech park could potentially contribute to the plan doesn't involve anything related to annexation; the land for the tech park was annexed earlier this year.  but that area wasn't in Ellettsville to begin with,” he said Ellis said he would not want the tech park to impact Harman Farm negatively; it’s a mixed-used development that will have homes and shops.  “If what is going in there would impact that it's going to have to be something that complements that [Harman Farm] and complements that expansion with the town's goals.”  Ellis thinks this tech park could be good for business in Ellettsville It has the potential to increase tax revenue New jobs could also become available.  Read more: New future for Ellettsville outlined in ambitious plan  “We know that superconductors are a growing business and we want to be part of that,” he said ‘do you want this to go into another municipality and for them to reap the benefits of the jobs and tax relief or do you want to reap the jobs and tax relief?’ And overall I'd say most Ellettsville residents want to do that.”  Reynolds and Johnston are both worried about the loss of farmland.  “Once you put something like this in you're not going back to farmland,” Reynolds said there's value to the heritage of the community and I think we should be thinking carefully about that.”  Depending on how disruptive the development is Johnston said he’d consider moving.  “If they start throwing white box buildings up I'll have a 12-foot wall built all the way down right away with a gate,” he said “I thought we'd retire here and raise grandkids and garden I'm probably going to look for another place.”  bridges and trails to sewer pipes and water towers In total, town leaders hope the districts over the next 25 years will generate nearly $60 million. The figure raised some eyebrows in a recent Ellettsville Plan Commission meeting When plan commission member Pat Wesolowski asked this month about the list of projects town leaders planned to tackle town attorney Darla Brown said the list likely would be revised as the town develops over the next few years “Forty-eight million dollars and 11 million that’s a pretty good start,” Wesolowski said He wondered how the districts would affect local residents’ tax bills and expressed some doubts about whether the districts could generate that kind of money town council and redevelopment commission member Bill Ellis said a few days later the town could see investments exceeding $500 million from developments planned on the city’s west side alone Tax dollars generated by those new investments would help fund the public infrastructure the town needs to accommodate its growth The plan commission recommended this month that the town council approve the creation of two tax increment financing districts The districts won’t become official unless approved by the town council which is expected to take up the matter in its meeting at 6:30 p.m How Ellettsville's TIF and Riverfront districts would workThe districts would change what can be done with property tax dollars collected from new commercial and light industrial — but not residential — developments within the districts’ borders if a developer built a new commercial building within a TIF district the property taxes from that development could be used only to pay for infrastructure improvements within that district the additional tax dollars generated by the development would be distributed among the taxing districts such as the town and the school corporation Property taxes generated by new residential developments within the district would still be distributed as normal Those dollars also would continue to reduce the amount of property taxes every other taxpayer has to pay — unlike the dollars captured by the TIFs The plans mark a major step in Ellettsville’s development. The money captured by the districts would be overseen and distributed by the reconstituted Ellettsville Redevelopment Commission but it only started meeting in the latter half of 2024 as the town prepared for the creation of the districts Districts would pay for infrastructure improvementsEllis who serves on the RDC as well as the town council said the town needs the districts because Ellettsville’s growth requires infrastructure investment that taxpayers have made clear they do not want to pay for dollars generated by the commercial and light industrial investments within the TIF districts would pay for the needed infrastructure The riverfront district also would allow the Indiana Alcohol and Tobacco Commission to issue an unlimited number of alcohol permits could allow for the creation of microbreweries and for smaller local businesses to compete with some of the larger chains “I’m excited just about revitalizing that whole area,” Ellis said The time horizon for the developments that could be funded through the TIF districts is as of yet unknown because it will take a while for the districts to generate tax revenue Town officials said they hope as the TIF districts generate tax dollars and the city uses those dollars to improve the town's infrastructure the town will attract even more commercial The financial impact of property tax reform on cities and towns was the main topic of Friday’s legislative panel in Ellettsville Elected officials from Monroe County joined residents to discuss Senate Bill 1 and how lawmakers will compensate for less money for public safety and other county services Hall represents portions of Monroe and Jackson counties and all of Brown County He spoke with WFIU/WTIU News after the panel He said a bill that gives counties the option to charge an extra dollar to enter state parks “They’re keeping their nose above water and they’re paying what they need to,” Hall said “Senate Bill 1 will probably have a negative impact on them if we see these reductions for local government so this is a way to sort of help them sustain that.” Hall estimates the entrance fee increase could generate up to $120,000 for the county He also said Innkeepers Tax increases in another bill would provide additional revenue for counties Read more: State park entrance fees could increase under new bill Yoder said if wages and cost of living were keeping up with Indiana's property tax rate some Hoosiers may not feel as desperate for relief "The reality is our property taxes are on the low end compared to every other state in the country but Hoosiers are feeling it because they're having to pay more with less," Yoder said adding lawmakers still have several weeks to debate the financial impacts of Senate Bill 1 "There's a fine line there between police and fire Related: Indiana public schools stand to lose $1.8 billion over two years under property tax relief proposal Hall also addressed large-scale cuts made by the federal government since President Donald Trump took office Hall said while the federal government should be trying to reduce the near $37-trillion national debt it should also be cautious when making cuts that hurt local Hoosier communities sometimes you cut a little too deep and get into the muscle,” Hall said that they react if they see that they’ve cut too much Mayfield said lawmakers continue to be cautious when crafting budgets its hard to appropriate money," Mayfield said "We're trying to create a very conservative budget that we can pivot on It's a very challenging time and we won't know until the last minute what's going to happen." This week, the Trump administration terminated federal funding grants used by Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana Read more: Bloomington Housing Authority opposes housing program funding cuts Click here for more stories from this year's legislative session Ellettsville Town Council member William Ellis told state lawmakers in a hearing Wednesday that the town is being unfairly cut out from money collected for the Monroe County Food and Beverage tax “We’re getting no value for this money going in,” Ellis said “There’s already special legislation written to make Bloomington a stakeholder and Monroe County but where is any mention of any other municipality?” House Bill 1080 would allow revenue generated in Ellettsville from the Monroe County Food and Beverage Tax to go back to the town It currently goes to the city of Bloomington or Monroe County for economic development Read more: New bill would return certain tax revenue to Ellettsville authored by Republican state representatives Peggy Mayfield and Bob Heaton Three people spoke in favor of the bill: Jill Thurman director of the Greater Ellettsville Area Chamber of Commerce; Josh Levesque of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce; and Ellis Ellis said Ellettsville needs the money for public transit and to accommodate a growing population He said the town used to receive federal funding that allowed elderly residents to use non-bus transportation services but since the town is now deemed an urban area Ellis said Bloomington Transit would be the next option but to extend service to Ellettsville could cost over $200,000 that the town does not have Three people spoke against the bill: Jeff Cockerill an attorney for Monroe County; Patrick Tam of the Indiana Restaurant Lodging Association; and Jody Madeira Madeira agreed that Ellettsville needs to address public transit but added that the county food and beverage tax is supposed to be narrowly focused “Monroe County’s FBT funds must be used to finance operate or maintain a convention center or conference center or unrelated tourism and economic developments,” Madeira said could possibly violate Indiana’s constitution by allowing special legislation that does not provide a clear formula for designating certain dollar amounts to Ellettsville Persistent, heavy rains saturated south-central Indiana late Friday into Saturday and Sunday The deluge was too much for Jacks Defeat Creek in Ellettsville firefighters with the Ellettsville Fire Department helped two people escape their flooded homes Ellettsville Town Manager Mike Farmer said Saturday morning “We had a massive rain last night,” he said Mike Farmer said he believes the town experienced a flash flood and lots of water rushed down Jacks Defeat Creek Amanda Chambers has lived in her apartment on Sale Street two years a neighbor assured her it had been a decade since flooding impacted the building that’s in the heart of downtown Ellettsville’s flood zone that 10-year reprieve ended when Jacks Defeat Creek spilled into downtown Ellettsville Chambers was able to move her car to higher ground in time then watched helplessly as nearly 2 feet of water the color of coffee with cream filled her ground-level apartment as a friend used an industrial mop and bucket borrowed from nearby Kenny’s Tavern to sop up filthy water and mud The intersection at East Main and North Sale streets was under water water partially submerged a couple of vehicles that had been parked at Thurman’s Body Shop Mike Farmer said some water also entered the street department and utility building 100-year rain every few months: How Ellettsville is trying to fix its flooding problem Swirling waist-high floodwater in the back of Samantha Farmer’s downtown Ellettsville hair salon moved her Samsung washing machine 10 feet across the room to flood when she saw Friday evening how quickly nearby Jacks Defeat Creek was rising toward its bank as the flow got stronger and faster “I went to bed knowing it would happen,” she said Samantha Farmer had moved much of the furniture and equipment in her salon up high and away from the expected deluge It’s something she’s done frequently during the eight years she’s owned the Sale Street building insurance options are limited and cost prohibitive Her salon is the most low-lying Sale Street structure Samantha Farmer cried when she arrived at the salon Saturday and saw the damage Lake Lemon resident Ryan Greb planned to drive into work in Indianapolis Saturday morning but quickly realized even with his four-wheel drive pickup truck “There is no way in or out,” he said Saturday morning Even fairly shallow water was carrying a lot of debris Greb said he saw flood water rushing around a house that made it look as though it was “sitting in the middle of the lake.” Sandbags were being distributed in Owen County over the weekend as the East Fork of the White River reached and surpassed flood stage Owen County’s EMA director Jack White said late Friday into early Saturday heavy rains caused culverts to blow out and several roads to be washed out nearly 80 roads were closed by flooding Saturday morning Abby Worth of Morgan County’s Emergency Management Agency reported Worth said EMA conducted multiple water rescues at homes where the basement or first floor flooded. A Mooresville man died when he was swept into a culvert while attempting to clear debris A Bloomington developer’s controversial plan to turn 343 acres of farmland on Ellettsville’s west side into a tech park has fallen apart Town officials said the planned sale of the properties will not happen because the would-be buyer’s option to purchase the land has expired Ellettsville officials on Wednesday described the situation as a temporary setback to their plans for more development on the city’s western edge an Ellettsville resident who had opposed the project expressed relief “It would be nice to see something develop there,” said Dan Swafford vice president of the Ellettsville Town Council Resident questions proposal for new developmentThe would-be developer had said he envisioned five or six buildings on five parcels along North Starnes Road Bowlen said he thought between 10 and 20 employees according to the developer and town planning officials Bowlen did not return a phone message left Wednesday Bowlen’s proposal received some pushback in public meetings with residents worried the developer and his unnamed partners would use the land for a noisy water-hungry server farm — though town officials had said they simply did not know what exactly the developer planned to build A rezoning request officially had come from Digital Resources Acquisitions LLC “Given the developer's lack of transparency and apparent discomfort with public scrutiny it's a relief that they have decided not to proceed with the project,” said Scott Reynolds “This outcome demonstrates the power of citizens uniting to ask questions and require answers as well as the need for continued vigilance to ensure that development respects our unique community and place,” he said via email Ellettsville leaders have been trying to foster development on the city’s west side That development would be just south of the state road across the road from the Matson Farms development Town Manager Mike Farmer said he expects other development opportunities to arise for the Umbarger properties though they likely will produce crops next year Farmer said people have talked about developing that property for 40 years — a wind farm solar farm and hog farm have all been mentioned — and he said he expects something to happen on the property sooner or later "Overall it doesn't change the plan," he said The town already has annexed the property and rezoned it and other nearby developments are progressing “I don’t think it’ll be vacant for long," Ellis said Swafford said the area on the town’s west side remains ripe for development and he’d like to see housing or a commercial development along the highway “I seriously don’t think it's going to happen any time soon,” he said A measles outbreak has spread in Indiana with six confirmed cases in Allen County. The Indiana Department of Health reported five new cases on April 9 after the initial case on April 7 There are currently no reported measles cases in Monroe County The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on its website there were 607 confirmed cases of measles in 21 states The Indiana cases were reported after the CDC's latest report On Monday, April 21, people in Monroe County can protect themselves and their children from contracting the highly contagious and potentially deadly virus at a mobile vaccine clinic, happening from noon to 6 p.m. at the Ellettsville branch of the Monroe County Public Library Those eligible for the clinic include unvaccinated individuals of all ages and adults born after 1957 who received their vaccines between 1962-1968 Children should receive two doses of the MMR vaccine — first at 12-15 months and again at 4-6 years before kindergarten Anyone under age 18 must have a parent or guardian present The mobile clinic aims to improve access to routine childhood vaccinations by bringing services to a convenient community location where families already spend time The Monroe County Health Department is hosting the clinic Why should people get the MMR vaccine?According to a news release the MMR vaccine is the best way to protect against three highly contagious viruses — measles "Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent measles administrator of the Monroe County Health Department No additional boosters are needed if the vaccine is given according to the recommended U.S Ellettsville residents may notice cloudy or discolored water this Wednesday as routine fire hydrant testing stirs up sediments in the town’s water supply but you should still run your water until it’s clear to avoid discoloring your laundry or dishes Why will water be brown or cloudy in Ellettsville?Ellettsville residents may see cloudy or rusty brown-colored water coming out of their taps this Wednesday as Ellettsville Public Works conducts water hydrant flow testing from 8 a.m Hydrant flow testing involves opening a fire hydrant to test the water pressure and functionality of the underground water supply (known as a fire main) Keep up to date with Ellettsville news Access Bloomington news anywhere with the Herald-Times app minerals and other sediments from the pipes being stirred up and entering the drinking water system What should I do if my water is discolored or cloudy?Public Works advises residents to flush their system by running cold water through all fixtures This includes kitchen and bathroom faucets They also advise refraining from doing laundry on Wednesday to avoid potential discoloration The hydrants being tested are located along North Smith Pike Two hydrants are also located along West Merry Way Lane Below is a map of the hydrants being tested Ellettsville Public Works will be conducting hydrant flow testing from 8 a.m Contact Ellettsville Utilities at 812-876-2297 for additional information Reach Brian Rosenzweig at brian@heraldt.com Here are the official trick-or-treating hours for area communities For Halloween safety tips, visit safekids.org/tip/halloween-safety-tips Big spooky roundup: Haunted houses, trunk or treating, Halloween events in Bloomington area Just seven miles west of Bloomington is the historic town of Ellettsville Ellettsville is steeped in limestone history State transportation officials are planning major changes to Ind. 46 and the entrance to McCormick’s Creek State Park near Spencer Where is the intersection near McCormick’s Creek State Park?The intersection of Ind 43 is about 2 miles east of Spencer and about 1,000 feet east of the entrance to the state park 46 has a left-turn lane for people heading west and a right-turn lane for people heading east The Indiana Department of Transportation plans to turn the intersection into a roundabout with four exits 46 would take the roundabout’s second exits to continue east or west Drivers heading west would take the third exit to go south onto Ind Drivers heading east would take the first exit to head south on Ind 43 would take the first exit to head east on Ind Drivers would take the new north exit to enter the state park According to a map provided with a letter from an INDOT project manager drivers would take the roundabout’s northern exit and then curve left (west) on a new yet-to-be constructed access road that would run parallel to Ind 46 before swinging north to arrive at the existing state park gatehouse The letter was shared recently on Facebook by Owen County Council member Anton Karl Neff INDOT spokeswoman Sidney Nierman said via email the project “will aim to help enhance safety and mobility” and is a result of “crash frequencies seen at both intersections” along Ind She said a traffic study conducted at the intersection of Ind 43 from 2013 to 2016 showed nearly half the crashes involved rear-end collisions while about one in five crashes involved a left-turn Nierman said the data suggest "signalized intersections with left turns and driver inattention play a large role in crashes at this intersection." She also said data collected between 2013 and 2017 at the intersection of Ind 46 and the park entrance access road showed more than four in 10 accidents involved rear-end collisions while nearly two in 10 involved left turns and another two in 10 involved same-direction sideswipes Nierman said the state agency plans to begin construction in 2028 the state initially planned to make changes to the intersection in a project separate from changes to the state park entrance but has since combined the projects 46 and 43 cost?Nierman said INDOT does not yet have project details or a “final cost estimate” as project design is still in the preliminary phase According to the letter from the project manager the detour would take people through Gosport and Martinsville and include U.S State highway official detours use state roads people also could take Hardscrabble Road to the south or North County Line Road East through Gosport “Access to SR 43 would be maintained from one direction on SR 46 at all times as there is no viable detour for SR 43,” the project manager wrote Would people still be able to access McCormick’s Creek State Park?Yes The project manager wrote that the entrance to the park would remain open through the construction – The Indiana Department of Transportation will reduce the speed limit on State Road 46 in Ellettsville on or after Tuesday The speed limit will decrease from 45 to 35 miles per hour from Red Hill Road to West Arlington Road The reduced speed limit is intended to help enhance safety and mobility along State Road 46 and avoid distractions when traveling in and near work zones and schedules are subject to change.  Serving Lawrence and surrounding counties since 1948 The draft, which includes regulations aiming to increase density and improve aesthetics, is the latest phase of a multi-year project to transform Ellettsville into a bustling community of restaurants If passed at the upcoming town council meeting Aug Ellettsville will require permits for things like Trump flags or Black Lives Matter yard signs in an effort to "enhance the aesthetic environment of the community," while also reducing minimum lot size to facilitate more housing “Nobody from the public showed up,” Ellettsville Town Council member William Ellis said “And this is one of the biggest things that’s going to impact Ellettsville What is the Ellettsville Unified Development Ordinance?Ellettsville’s Unified Development Ordinance is a collection of zoning information and land use regulations organized in one place UDOs are foundational documents when it comes to determining a community’s development direction “One of the things that this UDO stressed is looking toward the future,” said developer Ernest Xi who sits on the UDO steering committee alongside Ellis With the future of development and town regulations depending on a document full of jargon here's what you need to know about the UDO draft The UDO proposes 10 zoning districts split across five basic categories: agricultural industrial and “Planned Unit Development” (PUD) PUD districts are designed to provide more flexibility for development, allowing for a variety of uses and increased density. PUD plans require approval and must comply with Ellettsville’s Comprehensive Plan This special designation confers benefits for developers allowing the UDO’s administrator — who is appointed by the town council — to reduce minimum lot size by 5% without a public hearing The residential category is split into three districts — low medium and high density — while the three commercial subcategories cover development in the downtown area neighborhoods with retail or service-oriented businesses and “general commercial” areas along local roadways Industrial districts account for light or heavy industrial activity The majority of Ellettsville is currently zoned for single-family Zoning districts determine development standards such as minimum and maximum building height and how much impervious surface area is allowed for parking lots or driveways the smallest single-family home must have 950 square feet of living space and the smallest allowable apartment would be 650 square feet What does the Ellettsville UDO say about keeping chickens goats or horses?The UDO lays out standards for signs animals and other features to balance the rights of individual property owners with the aesthetic and developmental goals of the city One set of restrictions concerns non-commercial livestock Residents don’t have to live in an agricultural district to own livestock property owners can own up to eight chickens in residential areas depending on how much outdoor space they have available The proposed UDO also does not allow roosters as non-commercial livestock Large animals like horses and cows are limited to one per five acres of land set aside for the animal while goats and similarly sized creatures are limited to two per acre How does the Ellettsville UDO deal with signs?Another section of the UDO covers sign-related regulations including bans on inflatable and flashing signs Yard signs are allowed for 30 consecutive days only four times per year However, the UDO defines several sign types as exempt, such as government or institutional flags, like the state flag or an IU flag, temporary holiday decorations and political campaign signs, in accordance with Indiana law. State law prevents local governments from restricting campaign signs 60 days prior to an election Political signs that remain up after the election are not exempt Ellettsville Planning Director Denise Line wrote in an email flags for political candidates or Pride flags are examples of flags that would not be exempt from permit and duration requirements Window signs that take up 25% of the window or less do not require a permit Indiana state law limits regulation of short-term rentals like those listed on Airbnb and Vrbo The UDO includes a requirement that property owners offering a short-term rental register with the city and submit to inspections related to building code standards and habitability What does the UDO say about landscaping and invasive plants?The UDO prohibits developers from planting anything from a long list of invasive species The list also prohibits ash trees due to their susceptibility to emerald ash borers No restriction listed in the UDO applies to properties where the restricted item was in place prior to the UDO’s passage meaning property owners with prohibited landscaping won't be required to remove it The first few lines of Ellettsville’s vision statement, nestled in the city’s comprehensive plan paint a picture of a rich downtown surrounded by parks trails and pedestrian networks that connect core neighborhoods It further imagines a strong commercial zone off Ind 46 and large manufacturing and tech businesses to employ its workforce The comprehensive plan is just one piece of “Envision Ellettsville,” a 2-year-old project to grow the city and differentiate it from Bloomington The project aims to have a vibrant community that’s interesting and affordable all while maintaining a “small town feel.” This includes encouraging development with diverse housing types including townhomes or multi-family homes in addition to single family homes The UDO will help update and consolidate standards for development helping the implementation process run smoothly the most consequential change in aiding this vision is the UDO’s 20-foot reduction in minimum lot width for single family homes in low density districts taking the standard from 80 feet to 60 feet “That's a big shift in the type of neighborhood that you're going to end up with and the amount of density that you can get out of an acre,” he said A good comparison would be Bloomington's R2 districts which also have a minimum lot width of 60 feet These include neighborhoods like Covenanter and Matlock Heights Neighborhoods in R3 districts like Prospect Hill Elm Heights and Bryan Park are a step smaller with a minimum lot width of 50 feet said the change could help improve housing affordability Ellis said the UDO must be approved by the Town Council before it takes effect He said while he supports the document overall he has concerns about sign restrictions and some of the architectural specifications including permitted building materials and colors but what I don't want to do is add an ordinance that micromanages construction,” Ellis said But Xi said the requirements are typical and will create a process that may be even quicker than development in similar cities Ellis said his vote will be guided by citizen input and urged members of the public to read the document and bring their concerns to local government but we need to make sure it’s right,” he said The Plan Commission unanimously gave a favorable recommendation for the UDO at its July 11 meeting The next public meeting concerning the UDO will be the Ellettsville Town Council meeting at 6:30 p.m Reach Marissa Meador at mmeador@gannett.com Like most Hoosiers of the baby boomer generation, Ellettsville Police Chief Jimmie Durnil was born and raised on basketball Growing up in Ellettsville in the 1950s, Durnil spent his Fridays packed in the bleachers of the gym where the high school team, the Ellettsville Eagles middle and high school shared a single building the gym on Association Street was Ellettsville’s hub for recreation and entertainment over 1,000 people crowded into the limestone building “It really rocked on Friday and Saturday nights,” Durnil said Durnil himself played for the Eagles in the early 1960s, among the last classes of Ellettsville high schoolers to ever do so. In 1963, the merger that formed Richland-Bean Blossom Community School Corporation brought with it the need for a bigger high school the Eagles had started playing at a new school down the road the school corporation moved out of the building entirely leaving the gym that was once a fount of local community to sit vacant for over a decade Today, the old gym and school building are alive again with the students, staff and teachers of Seven Oaks Classical School a K-12 charter school that moved into the building upon opening in 2016 says the gym is the heart of the school: host to assemblies a place to wait for pickup and more on a daily basis Shipp wants to ensure it remains a “gym for generations.” Fluffy: Historic Indiana Airbnb delights guests with herd of highland cows With Seven Oak’s annual fundraiser Shipp hopes to achieve the structural improvements and facelifts needed to ensure the gym stays standing for decades to come his goal is to preserve the gym not only for future Seven Oaks students who remember spending their weekends in its bleachers “We have a lot of people who have memories of this gym and opening it back up to them just seems right,” Shipp said Seven Oaks hopes to raise more than $30,000 for its gym restoration with the primary goal of improving the building’s acoustics “We have these moments in the life of the school where sound is actually a barrier to participating,” Shipp said With cinder block walls and a wooden barrel vault ceiling which Shipp says can be difficult for grandparents or children with sensory issues during assemblies and concerts Shipp says raising between $20,000 and $30,000 would allow Seven Oaks to reposition its speakers and acoustic foam panels to improve the sound in the gym Shipp said additional money could go toward new bleachers and scoreboards a long-dormant space that was the school’s cafeteria weight room and music room at different points in the building’s life “But there’s a lot more we could do with it.” The fundraiser comes at a time when Seven Oaks hopes to reinvigorate participation from the local community Seven Oaks will host “Battle of the Badges” in its gym a springtime basketball game between Ellettsville’s fire and police departments that’s long drawn big crowds to the gym “I’ve still got the scores up at the station,” said Durnil who helped the police department win two of the three matchups they participated in Durnil hopes to defend the police department’s title this year Durnil said it’s reward enough to play again in the gym where he “I’m so happy they’ve taken this building and made something out of it,” Durnil said Learn more about Seven Oaks' “Gym for Generations” fundraiser at sevenoaksclassical.org/gymforgenerations Reach Brian Rosenzweig at brian@heraldt.com This article has been updated with new information and gallery Heavy snow on Jan. 5 and 6 closed roads, shut down schools, closed businesses and kept many people in the Bloomington area in their homes Tuesday updates: Bloomington, Indiana, businesses, schools closed Tuesday due to cold temps, snow according to the National Weather Service in Indianapolis: You can check this map and list from the NWS: weather.gov/ind/jan562025heavysnow Typical customers who use 4,000 gallons of water per month would see an initial $9.75 monthly increase when the council approves the hike Increases could be smaller or larger depending on the customer’s monthly water usage A typical utility customer’s monthly bill is about $79 That means the hike of $19.50 would increase a typical customer’s total bill by 24% and the sewer portion by about 50% The council discussed the proposal on Monday Subscribe: Read the local news that matters to you Ellettsville Utilities Director Jeff Farmer said the town has not hiked rates for a decade and He said the town has been absorbing a lot of the cost increases it has faced “We haven’t kept pace with costs,” Farmer said The town would use the additional revenue primarily to help pay back dollars it plans to borrow to pay for the new 18,000-square-foot public works building it is constructing north of the town hall and Big Rock Park Farmer said the town's utilities and street departments have their own structures but they’re both in the flood plain and have flooded “several times” in the last decade Fire and police departments moved out of those buildings because of the flooding concerns “We’re outgrowing all of these old structures,” he said He expects the new building to be occupied in spring Town will borrow to pay for utilities' portion of buildingThe council on Monday discussed borrowing up to $5.55 million though a consultant said he expected the town would need to borrow only about $3.65 million Farmer said the bond would help pay for the sewer and water utilities’ portions of the building The remainder of the costs would be borne by the street department He said the community is using about 60% of its sewer capacity and he suspected that the town would not need to increase capacity for at least a decade unless it welcomed a major manufacturing project The town raised water bills last year by 33% in part to help pay for a 10-year plan for infrastructure improvements The town of Ellettsville wants its share of Monroe County's 1% food and beverage tax and is going after it That's how much in annual taxes customers in Ellettsville paid for prepared food and beverages sold there “Do I think it’s fair for Ellettsville to get the food and beverage tax their businesses are collecting? Yes, I do, and I am encouraging others to agree with that logic,” said Monroe County Council member Marty Hawk House Bill 1080, co-sponsored by local Republican state representatives Peggy Mayfield and Bob Heaton would allocate all food-and-beverage tax revenue collected from Ellettsville establishments to the town Ellettsville growth: 240-acre tech park with housing planned for southern Indiana town. Here's what we know. The proposal expands how the money can be spent, allowing it to be used beyond the county's convention center and other tourism-related projects. Proposed uses include economic development, public safety, parks and trails, sidewalks and infrastructure improvements as the town sits on the edge of big residential and commercial growth During a Ways and Means Committee hearing this week saying cash-strapped Ellettsville deserves to benefit from the tax revenue generated within the town Chamber of Commerce representatives in Ellettsville and Bloomington spoke in favor as well County attorney Jeff Cockerill and new county commissioner Jody Madeira testified the county portion of the tax should stay dedicated to county tourism development About 90% of the food and beverage tax collected comes from Bloomington and is redistributed to the city. It is earmarked for the new convention center, a $52 million project that’s been stalled in the planning stage for years John Whikehart is president of the county Capital Improvement Board overseeing the convention center project He said the convention center plan is unaffected by how the county portion of the tax is allocated “It really doesn’t have any impact on the convention center at all,” Whikehart confirmed “The city gets 90% and is using the money for this project During a recent interview about the food-and-beverage tax Ellis said the town he represents generated about $645,200 from 2018 That income would have gone a long way to fund improvements in Ellettsville Ellis led a group opposing the imposition of a food-and-beverage tax in Monroe County the text contained no mention of Ellettsville Hawk said the town dropped the ball by not getting involved in the early discussions about the tax and demanding its share the tax has brought in so much more money than people thought it would,” she said “Ellettsville could use some extra revenue The town needs extra dollars for fire protection We are just asking to be able to spend here what is already being collected from us.” Firefighters from three departments battled a house fire on Saturday night that destroyed a home on Reynolds Drive said they heard the home's smoke alarms sounding around 7:30 p.m. alerted the homeowner and called 911 as well they found heavy fire throughout the entire house "creating an unsafe condition," according to a news release The attached garage was the only area not on fire so firefighters used tanker trucks to shuttle water to the fire One firefighter was treated at the hospital for minor injuries Is it the end of the road for Rural Transit service in the Ellettsville area She’s in her 80s and has lived her entire life in Ellettsville Stephens told town council members during a Sept It was during that meeting that the five-member council voted 3-2 not to provide the $70,000 that would fund Rural Transit trips from Ellettsville to Bloomington and back in 2025 Stephens is among many people who have come to depend on the door-to-door bus service that delivers them to and from town for grocery shopping and doctor appointments I can’t drive and I don’t have any family here very wonderful group of people that help us out when we can’t do it on our own,” Stephens said during the public comment time “I have never in my life asked for anything but I do ask for Rural Transit to help me out sometimes.” Who should pay to subsidize vital transportation service?During the September meeting, council members argued about whether the county, town or Bloomington Transit should provide and fund bus service in the town Rural Transit needs just $70,000 to continue serving the town and immediate area Ellettsville-based Area 10 Agency on Aging’s Rural Transit bus service provides rides for people Riders make a reservation three days in advance and pay $3 each way within a county and $6 each way for a two-county trip Rural Transit made 1,854 trips from the Ellettsville area to Bloomington Area 10 Agency on Aging Director Chris Myers said the nonprofit has enough in reserve to supplement the service through January We already scape by to provide our services with what we have and there’s never enough,” Myers said in an interview this week coming up with funding by the end of the year or we will no longer be able to do that (Ellettsville to Bloomington) trip.” When the bus service was running out of funds for Ellettsville trips at the end of 2023 Rural Transit sought more funding and the Monroe and Ellettsville councils provided cash to see it through this year we are in a situation where we are now having this conversation “We thought there would be other funds available for this service.” Options: New service for $360,000 or fund Rural TransitAt the September meeting, Monroe County Commissioners’ President Julie Thomas offered Ellettsville’s council two options for future bus service in the area One was a $360,000 proposal from Bloomington Transit for a regular bus route to and from Ellettsville in conjunction with a smaller transit bus that could pick up residents at their homes within three-fourths of a mile from the regular route The second was to continue with Rural Transit for 2025 at a cost of $156,989 with the town of Ellettsville contributing 45% “We all know a lot of folks in Ellettsville and around the county depend on Rural Transit,” Thomas said urging the council to appropriate the money to keep the buses running in Ellettsville Town Council member William Ellis said the town doesn’t have the cash to spare Ellettsville is seeking an excess tax levy for the 2025 budget and Ellis said that won’t even provide funds to hire two more police officers and three firefighters to serve the growing town but we don’t run a transit system and we never have,” town council president Scott Oldham said Myers’ nonprofit agency provided the service in Ellettsville until federal funding shifts cut off financial support for what are called urban-to-urban trips we have provided that service without asking the town for help Oldham mentioned the town’s purchase of a $245,000 tri-axle snowplow truck saying that’s where taxpayers want money spent because when it snows they expect the street department to clear the roads who will suffer'Ellis said he’s talking to state and federal officials with hopes of finding funds so Rural Transit can continue serving people in and near Ellettsville Oldham and Trevor Sager voted not to fund the service Pamela Samples and vice president Dan Swafford said the town ought to support the service and voted to provide the money “It’s the people out there that need our service that are the ones who will suffer,” Swafford said who lives in an assisted-living apartment complex on Ind many people who count on Rural Transit to get them to and from,” she said at the meeting “I have to have groceries and I have to go to my doctor appointments and the only way I can get there is by Rural Transit “I enjoy helping people get places when they couldn’t otherwise," he told the council The following press release was written by Kaytee Lorentzen for The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce A bill that could change the way food and beverage tax revenue is distributed in Monroe County is moving through the Statehouse House Bill 1080 would pave the way for the town of Ellettsville to collect revenue from the Monroe County Food and Beverage tax equal to 50 percent of the revenue collected outside the city of Bloomington Read more: Ellettsville makes case to lawmakers for cut of Monroe County Food and Beverage tax According to the bipartisan fiscal impact analysis, the town of Ellettsville could receive an estimated $245,000 in revenue next year $124,000 in 2027 and potentially a smaller amount this year depending on when/if an ordinance is adopted The town's tax revenue would terminate by July 1 The House passed the bill with a vote of 85-4 on Tuesday Matt Pierce of Bloomington said the tax revenue would help save Ellettsville’s rural transit program “The people who are served by rural transit in our community are elderly senior citizens who cannot drive,” said Pierce “They have to get to their doctors’ appointments life-saving kinds of things that happen there.” The latest version of the bill would also allow the city of Shelbyville to be able to adopt a food and beverage tax The bill also allows several counties to adopt and/or adjust their innkeepers tax would cover about 242 acres on Ellettsville’s west side south of West Chafin Chapel Road and north of Ind “The vision for this development is to create a small neighborhood inside of the Ellettsville community that can provide additional … tech jobs,” said Chelsea Moss president of Bloomington-based Abrams-Moss Design Group She made the remarks at a recent public meeting before Ellettsville officials Moss told plan commission members she represented the property owner who also is the CEO of Ellettsville-based telecommunications company Smithville Neither Moss nor McCarty responded to phone messages Moss said in the public meeting the developer plans to build office space dry cleaning and postal service to create a retail area for people who live and work in the development or nearby “None of the tenants are identified at this point,” she said Tech park? Or noisy, thirsty server farm? Southern Indiana officials' plans getting pushback Moss said the development would include starter homes apartments and estates on two acres so people can stay in the development even if their family situation changes Young professionals might enjoy living in the starter homes downsize into a multifamily apartment building the developer plans about 200 residential units with about half of those in apartment buildings Ellettsville officials said the project would align with what they’ve had in mind for the area “It’s going to be a nice development,” said Ellettsville Planning Director Denise Line who recommended the city council approve a required rezoning of the five parcels “This shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone,” said David Drake, president of the Ellettsville Plan Commission which recommended unanimously that the town council approve the rezoning request from the developer Line said the project would include 14 acres of commercial developments 64 acres of industrial developments including small-scale assembly and manufacturing and 66 acres of green space that could be used for trails and parks None of the buildings would be taller than the KeHE Distributors building nearby said while he supports developments that benefit Ellettsville he has some concerns about the Chapel Hill Wilderness project primarily because of its density and potential impact on flooding and traffic Moss said the development would include retention ponds while most low-lying areas would be reserved for parks and trails rather than north on West Chafin Chapel Road A traffic study indicates the additional traffic from planned developments would warrant turning Ind The road currently has two lanes and a turn lane the study acknowledged widening the road “is not feasible.” In the information packet given to town council members the study reads widening would be difficult because of the “tight right-of-way and developments along SR 46” and that “alternate routes should be considered before widening” the state road The tech park is the third major development — and second tech park — proposed on that side of town announced in the last 18 months A Bloomington developer and unnamed partners are planning a 343-acre tech park southwest of the Matson Farms development announced publicly just over a year ago he planned to buy 115 acres southeast of KeHE for a project that would include businesses and housing Potholes, caused by snow, ice and rain endanger cyclists and cause general mayhem when not reported and filled Take for example a pothole on Moore’s Pike reported to the City of Bloomington on Dec described as “so deep it probably leads to China.” But for cross-continental craters and minor holes alike, it’s easy to report potholes in Bloomington, Ellettsville and Monroe County through either a quick phone call or an online form Here’s a breakdown of how to report potholes as well as a few of our favorite pothole self-reports from Bloomington residents in the past year Where do I report potholes?To determine where to report you’ll need to know which local jurisdiction the pothole is in you will need to report it to the city of Bloomington The City of Bloomington has an easy search feature, “myBloomington,” to find out whether an address is in city limits. Go to bloomington.in.gov/mybloomington/ and the site will tell you if it is or isn’t in Bloomington’s city limits To see if an address is in Ellettsville, you can look at Monroe County’s online parcel data map. Visit https://shorturl.at/BOXgh to see Ellettsville’s city limits Monroe County has jurisdiction over most other roads except state roads and those in the town of Stinesville Monroe County?Once you’ve determined who is responsible for filling the pothole you’ll file a report with the corresponding jurisdiction What’s the worst pothole reported in 2024?It’s hard to objectively identify the worst pothole reported in Bloomington but here are a few of our favorite descriptions submitted to the city of Bloomington through uReport in 2024 The “probably leads to China” pothole on East Moores Pike 4: “There’s a pothole here that so deep it probably leads to China It's been there for over a year and no one will fill it It's at entrance/exit of the old movie theater It fills with water and then does not appear to be a hole Someone is either going to hurt themselves walking or damage their car it’s so deep.” 19: “Big juicy pothole just outside bloomingfoods west parking lot.” Looks more like a collapsed drain than a pothole tbh.” April 16: “Like you could pour an entire keg in that pothole and it still wouldn’t be full Not quite sure how you guys have let it get this bad.” Woodlawn Ave just north of Weatherstone Lane on the east side of the northbound lane of traffic before the parking lot entrance This one is a growing problem and in the perfect spot on a downhill for a cyclist to go over their handlebars into the ditch.” a short and sweet description of a pothole on North Union Street Reach Brian Rosenzweig at brian@heraldt.com. Follow him on Twitter/X at @brianwritesnews Here are three housing projects that are projected to welcome their first tenants in 2025 — and one that won't Westgate on ThirdA 16-building construction project on Bloomington’s west side is nearing completion 48 will include 16 multi-family buildings with 330 rental homes ranging from townhomes to three-story apartment buildings Developers also plan to include a clubhouse Half of the apartments will have one bedroom Developers said the units will range from 594 to 1,757 square feet The buildings also will have 11,000 square feet for businesses along West Third Street and 22,000 square feet of office space An executive with BAM Management said this fall rent prices likely would range from $1,500 to $3,100 per unit The first phase of the project is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2025 Local real estate agent and developer Chris Smith said he expects the project to take about 10 years to be completed but the first homes could be move-in ready by September Smith said the first phase of the development will include 135 housing units including single-family detached homes and townhomes While many details about the structures have yet to be determined Smith said he hopes the townhomes will start around $250,000 and the single-family homes in the low-to-mid $300,000 range "Our goal is workforce housing," Smith said He said he is planning the neighborhood to follow concepts of new urbanism, which, according to newurbanism.org quality design and traditional neighborhood structure with housing public spaces at the center and jobs/shops within walking distance Smith said he expects home construction to begin in June The Bloomington Housing Authority recently broke ground on a $2.1 million to provide apartments and child care services to low-income residents The building’s first floor will provide daycare for up to 28 infants and toddlers The second floor will house three 2-bedroom apartments with 584 to 664 square feet The apartments are intended for single parents so their children can go to the on-site child care center while the parent pursues professional development Child care services will be provided by the South Central Community Action Program a Bloomington-based nonprofit that provides energy assistance The building is named The Rev. Dr. Marvin Chandler Early Learning Center He was inducted in the Indianapolis Jazz Hall of Fame in 2010 From 2023: Bloomington native Rev. Dr. Marvin Chandler left legacy as musician, peacemaker Local officials expect the project to be completed in October 2025 While work has begun to turn the historic Kohr Administration Building into apartments will offer 20 mostly one-bedroom apartments while a newly constructed wing will hold another 18 Nine units are earmarked for formerly homeless people with the rest going to people on the waiting list of the Bloomington Housing Authority All of the occupants will have “very low and extremely low” incomes The tenants will be able to live in the facility only because of federal subsidies The $19 million project includes funding from the BHA the city of Bloomington and $10 million in low income housing credits More about the Kohr: Bloomington Housing Authority partners with developer to turn Kohr into affordable housing on the northwest corner of South Rogers and West First streets a prominent Indianapolis architectural firm now called OMS According to a 2019 assessment of the building by Ratio Architects Instead, the sentences will be served at the same time, with Eric Montgomery serving no additional prison time for the Ellettsville victim’s 2021 sexual assault because of the concurrent terms of incarceration appeared in Monroe Circuit Court April 4 to be sentenced under a plea deal the defense and prosecution agreed on and the judge OK’d The victim of the Ellettsville rape was aware of and approved the 10-year concurrent term sex crimes deputy prosecutor Raeanna Moore said Chief deputy prosecutor Jeff Kehr said Moore’s predecessor considered that Montgomery will be imprisoned until 2049 and not released until he is 60 years old the victim didn’t want to re-live the experience through a trial “The victim was in agreement with the plea,” Kehr said Montgomery was transported to Bloomington from the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility in Sullivan County for the court hearing he made a brief statement before Monroe Circuit Judge Valeri Haughton sealed the sentence “I apologize to the court and to the families affected,” he said He told Haughton his mental health is suffering and asked if she can recommend that he have access to mental health programs at the prison He said he’s taking medication for depression and needs help adding $189 in court costs and $200 for a public defender fee to the docket Montgomery will get 817 days of credit for time served awaiting the case disposition The case that sent Montgomery to prison in 2023Montgomery is serving a 36-year prison sentence Haughton imposed in 2023 after his jury convictions for rape furnishing alcohol to a minor and obstruction of justice in the death of 20-year-old Avery McMillan From 2022: Bloomington man charged with rape after IU student found dead at his house The IU student and sorority member from Valparaiso died Aug She was with Montgomery at his mother’s home just west of Bloomington when she died He had picked up McMillan in downtown Bloomington in the early morning hours after she found herself locked out of her apartment Haughton sentenced Montgomery to 15 years for rape one year for furnishing alcohol to a minor and two years for obstruction of justice in that case She added a 19-year sentence enhancement after finding Montgomery’s criminal record made him a habitual offender ELLETTSVILLE – The Ellettsville Fire Department and Monroe Fire Protection District responded to a residential fire early this morning at approximately 5:56 a.m firefighters observed flames and smoke emanating from the roof and sides of the residence Crews quickly initiated an interior attack and thoroughly searched the property The American Red Cross was contacted to assist the displaced residents Duke Energy and Centerpoint Energy were notified and dispatched to the scene to address potential utility concerns The Ellettsville Fire Department expressed gratitude towards the Ellettsville DPW crews for their invaluable assistance the department appreciated the Ellettsville Pizza Pantry’s generous donation of three pizzas to nourish the firefighters after their efforts