Indiana Connectivity Program to help residents without Broadband access
The Indiana Connectivity Program is a new state program designed to find homes and businesses without high-speed internet access and connect them to broadband providers. The new program encourages residents and businesses who are without high-speed internet access to directly inform the state. The state will then determine if they qualify for the necessary funding assistance for construction costs, connect that resident or business with a broadband provider. Those without Broadband access may submit their information HERE starting September 27th or call the Indiana Broadband Connect Center at 833-639-8522.
Bloomington Hosts National Police Social Work Conference
The City of Bloomington and the Bloomington Police Department will host the 2021 National Conference on Police Social Work October 18-20 in downtown Bloomington. The conference will provide an opportunity for national leaders from the law enforcement and social work fields to explore and share successful methods and best practices for embedded social workers in police departments. Registration is requested by October 11th with continuing education credits included in the cost of registration. Keynote speakers for the conference are hostage negotiation expert and professor of psychology and counseling, Dr. Andy Young, and crisis and resiliency specialist Ernest Stevens, a former Texas police officer and subject of the award-winning HBO documentary, “Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops.”
Indiana’s first police agency to employ a full-time, embedded social worker, the BPD launched its program in 2019 as part of a larger effort to expand capacity to address non-criminal situations by establishing connections and building trust in the community; and added two more social workers in 2021.
Monroe Lake Upcoming Activities
Stillwater Marsh Hike, Sept. 26 – Join us for a hike through Stillwater Marsh to learn how Monroe Lake manages this area with wildlife in mind. We’ll explore the crops planted for wildlife food, check out the nesting boxes, see where (and how) the marsh gets flooded each year to create a seasonal wetland, and explore the types of trees, plants, and animals that live here. Free but limited to 20 people, recommended for adults. Register by Sept. 24 at bit.ly/stillwaterhike-sep26-2021 *7 spots open
Northfork Fields Hike, Sept. 26 – Learn more about wildlife management at Monroe Lake as we hike through the fields and check out the levee system in our Northfork area. We’ll explore how this area is managed to support mourning doves, ducks, and other species, including crop plantings, seasonal and year-round ponds, and open woodlands. Free but limited to 20 people, recommended for adults. Register by Sept. 24 at bit.ly/northforkhike-sep26-2021 *15 spots open
Volunteer Workday: Camouflage the Duck Blinds, Oct. 2, Stillwater-Northfork Wildlife Area – Volunteers are invited to help clean, repair, and cut brush to camouflage the blinds in the Stillwater-Northfork Wildlife Area in preparation for the upcoming waterfowl hunting season. Dress for the weather and bring work gloves, hand tools useful for cutting brush, and a water bottle. If you plan to stay into the afternoon, bring a sack lunch. Youth under age 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Meet at the Northfork Check Station located east of Bloomington (off of State Road 46), 1/3 mile south of the intersection of Kent Road and McGowan Road. For directions, call 812-837-9546. Advance registration is requested at bit.ly/camouduck2021 by noon on Oct. 1, but last-minute volunteers are welcome to just show up on Saturday morning.
Bloomington Parks and Recreation’s Kid City Fall Break Days
Kid City Break Days will open this year during Monroe County Community School Corporation’s Fall Break. Break Days take place at the Allison-Jukebox Community Center, at 351 South Washington Street in Bloomington. Break Day hours are 7:30am until 5:30pm. Children should be dropped off by 8:30am and can be picked up beginning at 4pm. Break Days are for children in grades K through 6. The registration fee is $40 per child per day (Bloomington residents) or $45 per child per day (out-of-city residents). Each Kid City camper should bring lunch and snacks each day. Register Here