The individual journeys people take to the emergency medical profession are varied and can differ by geography. Christine Brackenhoff profiles four EMS professionals in south-central Indiana to learn how they got where they are, and why. She also found a strong spirit of interconnectivity for first responders and EMS agencies across our region. Click here for the story.
Students in the American Studies class at Bloomington’s Academy of Science and Entrepreneurship were asked to identify their sense of place. Each student made a video to learn about their special place’s “larger connection to our shared home of southern Indiana.” And as ASE students have done since 2016, they’ve shared their videos with us. Watch their “sense of place” videos here.
Though mindfulness originated in Buddhism, the practice has expanded to companies that offer some form of mindfulness for their workers. And, as Shannon Livengood writes, several local businesses have made it part of their everyday approach “in obvious and maybe not-so obvious ways,” taking into consideration “the well-being of the environment, the consumer, and the business owner alike.” Become more mindful here.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill empowering the Treasury Dept. to eliminate the tax-exempt status of any nonprofit it deems to be supporting terrorism. Without clearly defining key terms, the law “could become a blunt sword that can be used against everybody,” says IU scholar Beth Gazley, who was interviewed by The Conversation for this article. Gazley wrote additional commentary for Limestone Post about how the law could affect Hoosier nonprofits. Click here for the Conversation.
The triennial USA International Harp Competition returns to the IU Jacobs School of Music for the 13th time in May 2025. Executive Director Francine Marseille, board member Elżbieta Monika Szmyt, and past performers Emmanuel Ceysson and Noël Wan talk about what makes this one of the most prestigious harp competitions in the world. Read Hiromi Yoshida’s article here.
The Police Social Support Services Team at the Bloomington Police Department has helped thousands of people since 2019. Critics say police and social workers have differing views of justice — criminal versus social — but the team’s licensed mental health professionals say they offer support that uniformed police officers aren’t trained to provide. Click here to read a Deep Dive on social support services.
Join us as we explore the art of the cocktail. Local bartenders will compete to be crowned the best in Bloomington by our panel of judges and you, the voting audience, as you sip to select BCT’s signature cocktail for 2016. Funds raised by this event will help to ensure diverse programming by local artists and presenters at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.
What are the most common sources of distress among teens? A study conducted in part by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy surveyed teens about specific pressures they face. IU Storyteller Nikki Livingston explores key findings from the survey and how teens can combat distress, burnout, and “grind culture.” Find out how to address the distress.
Beginning in the 1990s, a group of Orange County citizens traveled multiple times to the Indiana Statehouse to encourage lawmakers to grant a gaming license to the town of French Lick. Limestone Post and the Southern Indiana Business Report look back at those early days and how gaming today has affected the town and its citizens. Read the article by Laurie D. Borman and Carol Johnson.
Indiana legislators have not clarified critical language in the state’s abortion ban, which has led to serious negative consequences for women’s healthcare, including endangering the lives of pregnant women. In part 2 of Rebecca Hill’s in-depth look at Indiana’s abortion ban, she writes about the problems that the majority of Hoosier lawmakers choose to ignore. Click here for the article.