Cleveland Dietz

Davis Bowman used to fill his display windows to the brim so that people could see what he had to offer when they walked by, but passersby could not see inside his store. Now, the owner of The Flower Shoppe has a different strategy. He stocks his display windows so people can get a look … Read more

The Ellettsville Town Council voted unanimously May 28 to monitor part-time employee hours to comply with the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Council President Scott Oldham, Vice President Dan Swafford, Dianna Bastin and David Drake were present for the May 28 meeting. Philip Smith did not attend. The look-back period will begin June … Read more

Steven Kain attended his last school board meeting May 20 as Richland-Bean Blossom Community School Corp. superintendent. All school board members were present. Kain was RBBCSC superintendent for 19 of the last 30 years during three different stints. “I can be partially blamed for him leaving the first time, and you can blame me for … Read more

Gov. Mike Pence established a matched grant system for school corporations and a training program for school resource officers May 7 when he signed Senate Enrolled Act 1 into law. The Indiana Secured School Fund grant through the Indiana Department of Homeland Security will offer up to $50,000 for school corporations and charter schools with … Read more

Richland-Bean Blossom Community School Corp. school board members voted unanimously to change the hours cut for part-time employees at a special meeting on April 26. “It became apparent that there were going to be significant impacts on student instruction,” said Dana Kerr, school board president. The new resolution will allow student-assigned instructional assistants to work … Read more

Officials approved $272,926 for the Stinesville Road bridge replacement project during the May 3 meeting of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners. The money will go to Bean, Longest and Neff and South Central Regional Sewage District as the county prepares for bridge construction. Bean, Longest and Neff will get $270,000 for a construction engineering … Read more

Ellettsville Christian Church hosted more than 70 cyclists overnight on May 9. The cyclists were five days and 315 miles into the Cover Indiana Bicycle Tour, a seven-day, 360-mile Habitat for Humanity fundraiser. The tour has raised as much as $60,000 in the past, according to Doug Taylor, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of … Read more

Construction crews will begin work on a Stinesville bridge in August. The Stinesville Road bridge over Jack’s Defeat Creek has been classified as “structurally obsolete” since 2008. The 53-year-old bridge is used by 90% of Stinesville residents and is the access for emergency personnel. An inspection by Indianapolis consulting firm Bean, Longest and Neff in … Read more

The Monroe County Council considered a 1% food and beverage tax levy during its April 23 work session. The tax would fund the Bloomington-Monroe County Convention Center’s expansion. “It’s certainly not an ‘if you build it, they will come’ situation,” said Mike McAfee, executive director of Visit Bloomington. The convention center was built in 1977 … Read more

YMCA of Monroe County officials and supporters introduced the nonprofit to Ellettsville business leaders over breakfast last week. Speakers included Roberta Kelzer, executive director of YMCA of Monroe County; Kit Klingelhoffer, chair of the YMCA Chairman’s Round Table Committee; Darby McCarty, chair of the Smithville Charitable Foundation; and Angie Raake, human resources director and marketing … Read more