Cleveland Dietz

State senators from both sides of the aisle honored former District 40 state Sen. Vi Simpson during a Feb. 6 legislative session. The resolution came from District 25 state Sen. Timothy Lanane. In it, he commended Simpson for being the first woman in the Indiana General Assembly to lead the caucus for the Democratic Party, … Read more

The Ellettsville Town Council approved more than $35,000 in expenditures Feb. 11 when Wastewater Treatment Plant Manager Jeff Farmer and Ellettsville Town Marshal Tony Bowlen petitioned it to purchase replacement items. President Scott Oldham, Vice President Dan Swafford, and Councilmen David Drake and Philip Smith presided over the meeting. Councilwoman Dianna Bastin was absent. Bowlen … Read more

Schneider Engineering revealed a timetable for the completion of the Heritage Trail project at a Feb. 6 public hearing. “The intent is to have everything in place so, as soon as the weather breaks in the spring of 2014, things can go,” said Michael Krosschell, a representative of Schneider Engineering. Between now and then, the … Read more

Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington will soon host an event geared toward helping parents and students navigate the Free Application for Federal Student Aid filing process. College Goal Sunday will have financial aid experts on hand from Ivy Tech Community College, Indiana University, Western Governors University, and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis to help navigate the … Read more

The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission will hold an educational meeting regarding the end of the 812 area code at Bloomington High School South on March 7. High demand for the area code resulting from increased use of cell phones, faxes and computers, population growth, and economic progress has contributed to projections that available numbers will … Read more

“I’ve had people come up to me and say, ‘I didn’t know Stinesville had a police department,’” Stinesville Town Marshal Mark Crouch said. “Yeah, they’ve had one for years. I mean, years and years. They replied, ‘I never knew that.’” When Crouch, a retired Bloomington police officer, arrived at the Stinesville Police Department, it was … Read more

A creek restoration project led by the Richland Township Trustee’s Office and the Monroe County Soil and Water Conservation District was cut short when it was determined the bridge that crossed the creek was in such disrepair that it, too, needed to be replaced. The trustee’s office became interested in restoring the Turtleback Creek bank … Read more

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Reserve Division recently donated a vehicle to the Stinesville Police Department. The 1995 Jeep Cherokee comes fully equipped with police gear and 47,000 miles on it. The addition will bring the total number of vehicles at SPD to three. Stinesville Town Marshal Mark Crouch said the offer for the vehicle came … Read more

Senate Bill 275 would replace existing state law that requires county councils to set up property tax payment plans proposed by county treasurers. Under the new law, all counties would be required to accept both lump sum payments and installment plans. In Monroe County, residents can already set up plans to pay their property taxes … Read more

The Monroe County Parks and Recreation Board will vote on proposed improvements for Monroe County parks, including Ellettsville’s Flatwoods Park, at its March meeting. The upgrades, which will begin this summer if approved, will include improvements to the trail system, bridges and playgrounds. Planned improvements include trail maps with distances for all Flatwoods Park trails, … Read more