Johnson sentenced in 2021 Bloomington murder
Eric Quentin Johnson has been sentenced to 45 years in prison for the 2021 murder of 32-year-old Teresa Michael of Bloomington. Johnson was arrested a few weeks after the incident in South Carolina to where he fled in Michaels vehicle. He pled guilty to strangling Michael before setting her apartment on fire in hopes to cover up his actions. The two were a couple for less than a year after meeting online and Johnson moving to Bloomington from his home in Georgia.
Historic Marker to be installed for Juneteenth
Bloomington’s Switchyard Park will host a ceremony at 2pm on June 19th to celebrate the installation of a historical marker to highlight prominent African Americans. The ceremony will correlate with the town’s Juneteenth holiday, and the marker at Switchyard Park will specifically commemorate African Americans in Bloomington who assisted with the Underground Railroad. The project goal is to help uncover, document, preserve, and restore Black heritage sites and history.
$10 pet microchipping in June
The City of Bloomington Animal Shelter and the Monroe County Humane Association are providing reduced fees for microchip services to pet families within the local area. During the month of June, both organizations will offer microchipping for $10 per animal. This will also include the registration of the microchip. Walk-ins will be welcome at the Bloomington Animal Shelter, M/T/Th/F 12-5 and Saturday and Sunday from 12-3. The Monroe County Humane Association will operate by scheduled appointments.
Starbucks employees look to unionize
Workers at the Indiana Avenue Starbucks in Bloomington have filed a petition to become unionized, making it the 6th Starbucks in the state to do so. It is reported that 90% of the store employees have signed on to request a Union election through the Starbucks Workers Union. Among the demands, an increase in pay to $20 an hour.
Lawrence County Landlord Appreciation Luncheon today
The Lawrence County Housing Task Force will host a Landlord Appreciation Luncheon at the Men’s Warming Shelter in Bedford on Tuesday, June 11 from 11:30-1 pm. The event will assist in networking, sharing local resources, and seeking input on how the community can best partner with landlords and property managers to strengthen housing security.
BTown Diner to close its doors
The owners of the BTown Diner announced that they will be permanently closing by the end of July. The Walnut Street eatery graced the Bloomington Downtown for 10 years, but explained that they have not been able to fully recover from the challenges to the economy since 2020, stating that they, “just cant survive the astronomical inflation rates.”
This Week in Hoosier History
1816 – The Indiana Constitutional Convention met for the first day in Corydon. There were 43 delegates from 15 counties.
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