Parents, educators, and advocates say the Indiana General Assembly passed harmful and unnecessary laws that are taking effect this school year. They say public schools, including those in the Monroe County Community School Corp., face a “slate of hate” — laws that underfund mandates, intimidate vulnerable students, and even create a “chilling effect” on librarians. Above, students are greeted on the first day of school at Fairview Elementary School by members of the city of Bloomington’s Commission on the Status of Black Males. | Photo by Garrett Ann Walters

Parents, educators, and advocates say the Indiana General Assembly passed harmful and unnecessary laws that are taking effect this school year. Laws that prioritize private over public schools, underfund mandates, intimidate vulnerable students, and even create a “chilling effect” on librarians, they say, amount to a “slate of hate.” | Click here for an education deep dive by Steve Hinnefeld.

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    Welcome to Limestone Post, an independent magazine committed to publishing informative and inclusive stories about Bloomington, Indiana, and the surrounding areas. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, our mission is to focus on solutions-based journalism, as well covering the arts, outdoors, social-justice issues, and more. You can donate here and subscribe for free! If you’d like to learn more, send us an email.

    October 2, 2023

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During legislative sessions at the Indiana Statehouse (above), any member of the Indiana House of Representatives or Indiana Senate can sponsor a bill. While a bill in either chamber must pass through a series of gatekeepers before becoming law, conflicts of interest among the lawmakers are usually not considered. | Limestone Post

This is the second article in a two-part series on lax ethics rules in the Indiana State Legislature. Both articles come from a joint investigation between the Indiana Environmental Reporter and the Arnolt Center for Investigative Journalism that shows how some Indiana lawmakers stood to benefit financially from environmental legislation they introduced or supported. Click here for the article.

The primary reason Salt Creek was dammed in the 1960s was to control floodwaters downstream. While the Monroe Lake Control Tower (above) regulates water flow from the reservoir through the dam, the rest of Lake Monroe has become a valuable resource for drinking water, recreation, industry, wild habitat, and other uses well beyond its watershed. | Photo by Anna Powell Denton

“Lake Monroe is a reservoir, and all reservoirs eventually fill up,” says Michelle Cohen, executive director of Lake Monroe Water Fund. But, she adds, those who rely on the lake for drinking water, recreation, and other uses have the power to extend its life as long as possible. Writer Michael G. Glab takes a deep dive into the health of Lake Monroe. Click here for his report for Deep Dive: WFHB & Limestone Post Investigate.

Janiece Jaffe’s onstage performances were “all-encompassing encounters,” writes Krista Detor. And each partnership in her countless collaborations was “an act of musical alchemy.” Above are longtime collaborators (left) David Gulyas and Curtis Cantwell-Jackson. | Photo courtesy of the Jaffe/Reardin Family

Janiece Jaffe’s artistic journey “was powerfully informed by countless collaborations … each partnership an act of musical alchemy,” writes Krista Detor in this tribute to Bloomington’s legendary musical artist. “She was a uniquely generous and catalytic artist whose collaborations recurred over decades and whose memories will be cherished forever.” Click here to read Krista’s tribute to Janiece.

The “Breaking the News” exhibit at the Monroe County History Center tells the history of journalism in Monroe County. Jill Bond, news director for the The Herald-Times, says our community does not need to become a news desert. | Limestone Post

Guest Column: Auction of Newspaper Archive Will Support Local News Fund

Jill Bond, news director for The Herald-Times, says Monroe County does not have to become a news desert. “We can regain local control of access to information about our community,” she says. For starters, Bond created a local news fund at the Community Foundation and is auctioning more than 1,000 books of newspapers, spanning about 100 years, to support the fund. Click here to read Jill Bond’s column.

Members of the Indiana House of Representatives and Indiana Senate meet during legislative sessions to pass laws at the Indiana Statehouse (above). Many of those lawmakers have economic interests in the industries that stand to benefit from the laws those lawmakers author and vote on. | Limestone Post

Lax Ethics Rules Could Create Conflicts of Interest for Indiana Lawmakers

The Arnolt Center for Investigative Journalism and the Indiana Environmental Reporter reviewed statements of economic interest filed in 2022 by Indiana’s state lawmakers. They found more than 100 bills enacted from 2019 to 2022 that benefit industries the authors have ties to, creating at least the appearance of a conflict of interest. Click here to read their findings.

A nurse dispenses liquid Methadose, an FDA-approved medication that helps people addicted to opioids. Myths about will power and moral weakness keep people with opioid use disorder from receiving effective medications like methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. | Photo by Whitney Hayward/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images

Myths Persist about People with Opioid Use Disorder

Myths about will power and moral weakness keep people with opioid use disorder from receiving effective medications, say Melissa S. Fry and Melissa Cyders, IU professors who study opioid use disorder and the attitudes that surround it. First published in The Conversation, their article dispels myths that make people hesitant to support science-based treatments. Click here to read their article.

Off-Night Productions is a new theater company co-founded by Melinda Seader and Aubrey Seader in Bloomington. Above, the creative team for Off-Night’s first show, “Proof,” blocks and runs transitions during rehearsals. (l-r): Cassie Hakken (director), Valerie C. Kilmer (Claire), Phil Christiansen (assistant stage manager), and Steve Scott (Robert). “Proof” runs July 16–18 at Rose Firebay Theater, Waldron Arts Center. | Photo courtesy of Off Night Productions

Off Night Productions Increases Theatrical Roles for Women and Nonbinary Artists

Off Night Productions is a new theater company dedicated to giving more leadership roles to female and nonbinary artists, as well as giving service-industry workers the chance to participate. Writer Hiromi Yoshida spoke to the mother-and-daughter co-founders, Melinda Seader and Aubrey Seader, and several key players in their inaugural production, Proof. | Click here for more about Off Night.

The U.S. electrical grid is a complicated network of wires that traverse the continent and connect with regional private operators who then transmit and distribute power. Some call it “a patchwork of operators with competing interests,” writes Rebecca Hill. Indiana’s electricity comes primarily from coal, natural gas, and a growing renewables market, but the transition to renewables is not without problems. | Photo by Benedict Jones

The Power Struggle in Indiana’s Changing Energy Landscape Deep Dive: WFHB & Limestone Post Investigate

Indiana’s electricity comes primarily from coal, natural gas, and a growing renewables market. The transition to renewables, though, is not without problems, and the grid operators, regulators, and Indiana legislators are at odds with how to handle it. Rebecca Hill takes an in-depth look at Indiana’s power structure, as part of Deep Dive: WFHB & Limestone Post Investigate. Click here to read about the transition of Indiana’s energy landscape.

While Matt Hart says his latest book, “FAMILIAR: via Walt Whitman, obliterated from the Spanish of León Felipe,” is a new work “that enacts/evokes some resemblances” to Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself,” he says the two poems are “wildly different” from each other.

New Poetry Book by Matt Hart Is ‘Reconceived’ Translation

Matt Hart’s book-length poem FAMILIAR is called “a joyous obliteration” of Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself,” by way of a Spanish version of Whitman’s poem by León Felipe. Local poet Hiromi Yoshida interviewed Hart about his work and specifically this book, which was published by an imprint of local publisher Ledge Mule Press. | Click here to read about Matt Hart and FAMILIAR.

Gingko, bald cypress, sassafras, and paw-paw are just a few of the notable species of trees that give Indiana University’s Bloomington campus its “entrancing” appeal. Trees and green spaces have received “great care” ever since the current campus was established, writes Laurie D. Borman. The sprawling tree above, at the edge of Dunn Meadow, north of Indiana Memorial Union, is suspected of being the oldest tree on campus: a bur oak about 180 years old. | Photo by Jeremy Hogan

Trees Do More Than Add ‘Charm’ to IU Campus Deep Dive: WFHB & Limestone Post Investigate

Ginkgo, bur oak, bald cypress, sassafras, and paw-paw are just a few of the notable trees that — in addition to their practical value — give Indiana University’s Bloomington campus its “entrancing” appeal. Since IU bought twenty acres from Moses Fell Dunn in 1883, writes Laurie D. Borman, great care has been given to IU’s beloved trees. Click here for an article and photo gallery on the trees of IU.

Bloomington has become a hub of comedy in the Midwest for seasoned, touring professionals and young, local comedians, says writer Christine Brackenhoff. And while Bloomington’s comedy fans are welcoming, they’re also known to give genuine feedback. (clockwise from top left) Emil Wakim (photo by Tall and Small Photography), Shanda Sung (photo by Christine Brackenhoff), Emily Davis (courtesy photo), Mat Alano-Martin (photo by Christine Brackenhoff), Harlan Kelly (courtesy photo), Maria Bluck (photo by Tall and Small Photography), and James Tanford (photo by Christine Brackenhoff).

Bloomington Is a Hub — and Curator — of Live Comedy

Bloomington has become a hub of comedy in the Midwest for many reasons, writes Christine Brackenhoff. For young comedians, seasoned professionals, and savvy comedy fans, Bloomington is home to a dynamic and welcoming comedy environment. With the Limestone Comedy Festival celebrating its 10th year next month, here’s a look at the local laugh scene. Click here to read Christine’s article.

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  • Random Quote

    “I talk to people who grew up here, and they can’t live in their hometown because they can’t afford it.” —Tonda Radewan, coordinator of the Eviction Prevention Project in Monroe County, in “Struggling with Housing Supply, Stability, and Subsidies” by Steve Hinnefeld, for part 1 of the series “Deep Dive: WFHB and Limestone Post Investigate”
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