Bloomington Police arrest bomb threat suspect
On August 29th at approximately 7:20pm, Officers with the Bloomington Police Department responded to Target at the Bloomington College Mall, in reference to a bomb threat. Upon the arrival of officers, a man matching the description of the suspect was located near the front of the store and was detained; he was eventually identified as 41 year-old Rama Asuri. Officers assisted Target employees with evacuating the store, as multiple customers reported that the suspect had told them that there was a bomb inside his backpack.
Officers then began checking the business and located two unattended shopping carts containing backpacks inside the store. At that point, the entire College Mall was evacuated to ensure the safety of all employees and visitors. Members from the Indiana State Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team were requested and responded to Target to assist with the investigation. ISP EOD members determined that the two backpacks did not contain explosives and the scene was deemed safe at approximately 10:20pm.
Rama Asuri was transported to IU Health Bloomington Hospital, then to the Monroe County Jail where he was remanded to jail custody for Terroristic Mischief, and Intimidation.
***Criminal Defendants are presumed innocent until and unless convicted in a court of law
Bloomington budget hearings continue
Bloomington City Council continues to hear from Mayor Hamilton and City Department Heads regarding their pleas for funding, for Fiscal Yara 2023. The Council will deliberate over the coming weeks in order to break down the final numbers in a 6-week period. The fiscal year 2023 budget covers the period January 1-December 31, 2023, and will be considered by the City Council with a final vote expected on October 12, 2022. The full budget proposal is available at bloomington.in.gov/budget.
Attorney General Todd Rokita successfully defends law requiring reporting of abortion complications
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has won the dismissal of a lawsuit challenging an Indiana law requiring physicians, hospitals and abortion clinics to report 25 listed abortion complications to the Indiana Department of Health.
Planned Parenthood’s patients historically have been able to choose from two different methods of first-trimester abortion — chemical (medication) abortion and surgical abortion by aspiration (suction). Both methods have caused serious complications at times. Chemical abortions can result in infection, excessive vaginal bleeding, failure to terminate the pregnancy and incomplete abortion. Complications of aspiration abortion may include uterine perforation, cervical laceration, infection, excessive vaginal bleeding, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis, cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest, renal failure, shock, amniotic fluid embolism and coma. In some cases, both methods of abortion have even resulted in women’s deaths.
Planned Parenthood first challenged the law requiring reporting of complications in 2018. They won at the district-court level, but Indiana then won in appellate court. Most recently, Planned Parenthood renewed the challenge at the district-court level based on a different legal argument. Previously, Indiana also won a final judgment on another aspect of the same lawsuit — a challenge to the state’s requirement for annual inspections of abortion clinics.
The dismissal of this lawsuit represents Attorney General Rokita’s fifth legal victory on behalf of Indiana’s pro-life laws since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Indiana Arts Council seeks nominations for Artist Spotlight
Are you, or do you know, a Hoosier entrepreneurial or community-minded artist doing interesting work? Nominate yourself or someone else for IAC’s upcoming ‘Artist Spotlight’! The IAC is working on a new initiative to support local artists through spotlighting their work via The Weekly Scoop and social media. They are currently in the process of seeking nominations for these spotlights, which will become a regular part of The Weekly Scoop soon. They are looking to spotlight artists who are entrepreneurial and doing successful work at the national level while continuing to live in Indiana, and/or artists who are working locally to create a substantial positive impact in their communities. Nominate yourself or somebody else for an artist spotlight.
This Week in Hoosier History
1964 – It was 1:00 am and supposed to be a secret, but somehow fans and photographers found out that the Beatles were arriving in their chartered Lockheed Electra at Weir Cook Airport. It was another secret that they were staying at the Speedway Motel, but that one got out, too. The “Fab Four” were good natured about it as they prepared for two State Fair shows later in the day.
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