Indiana fugitive caught in Utah after a decade on the loose
Indiana fugitive Jody Russell Trapp, has been found in Orem, Utah, using the name Abram Hochstelter. Trapp, who was charged by the FBI with money laundering back in 2012, fled the state before his hearing. Trapp was an electrician who was also a co-founder of a mobile app which combined geocaching with scavenger hunts, called Treasure Hunts. US Marshalls, who assumed the case 5 years ago, will return Trapp to Indiana’s Southern District to be tried for his original charges.
City Clerk Nicole Bolden Invites Applications for Vacant Positions on the Bloomington Arts Commission
The City of Bloomington Office of the City Clerk is accepting applications to fill vacant positions on the Bloomington Arts Commission. Established in 1980, the Bloomington Arts Commission provides a means for the City of Bloomington to stimulate and encourage community appreciation for and participation in the arts. The conservation and development of the city’s artistic resources are essential to the social, educational, and economic growth of the city. Artists, works of art, and artistic institutions contribute to the quality of life and the general welfare of the citizens of Bloomington. The time requirement is approximately 5 hours per month. There are two vacancies on the commission. To learn more about each of the City’s boards and commissions, including mission statements, membership requirements, current membership listings and term lengths, meeting schedules and location, visit here.
Potential applicants are urged to attend a meeting of their desired board or commission prior to applying.
City of Bloomington Awards 2021 Digital Equity Grant Funds to Nine Area Nonprofits
The City of Bloomington Information & Technology Services Department (ITS) announces the 2021 Digital Equity Grants awards to support Bloomington-based nonprofit organization efforts to bridge the digital divide and increase digital resources for residents. The Digital Equity Grants program funded nine area nonprofits a total of $50,000 in funds this year, an increase from $35,000 awarded to six nonprofits in 2020. The Digital Equity Grants program sought proposals from nonprofits for projects that build capacity in the community to address digital equity challenges, in the following ways:
This year’s recipients, programs supported, and grant amounts follow:
Area 10 Agency on Aging, $4,700; Artisan Alley, $4,000, Courage to Change Sober Living, $6,800, Farmer House Museum/TechHeroes, $5,400, Hotels for Homeless, $7,600, Monroe County Public Library, $1,000, Monroe County United Ministries (MCUM), $7,000, New Leaf New Life, $4,200, South Central Community Action Program, $9,300. More information is available at https://bloomington.in.gov/digital-equity.
Monroe Lake Upcoming Activities
Elkinsville History Tour at 9:30 a.m., Nov. 7
Join us for a combination driving and walking tour through the “town that was”. Elkinsville was once a center of commerce and community for a remote part of Brown County. That changed with the construction of Monroe Lake. Discover the history of this town, walk its former main street, and find out what happened to it after the lake went in. 2 hours 30 minutes (including drive time)
Sign up at bit.ly/elkinsvilletour2021 by Nov. 3, limited to 10 (recommended for ages 12+), $10 per person *FULL, follow registration link to add yourself to the waiting list
Meteor Shower Walk from 6 to 8 p.m., Nov. 11, Fairfax SRA
Drop by to take a self-guided stroll around the fields at Fairfax SRA along a path lit with luminaries as you watch the night sky for streaks of light from the Taurids meteor shower. Several info posts will also be set up along the path to help you learn more about meteor showers. This is an all-ages-friendly event. Visitors should dress warmly and bring a flashlight. Hot cocoa will be available at the starting station; please help us be more sustainable by bringing your own travel mug.
Parking will be on your right shortly after entering Fairfax SRA. Watch for signs. The event itself is free, although donations will be graciously accepted. Admission to Fairfax SRA is also free during the offseason. Please monitor the event page for weather-related updates at bit.ly/meteorshowerwalk2021.
2nd Annual Monroe Lake Holiday Hiking Challenge, Nov. 25-28
We challenge you to forget about shopping and holiday stress … spend your time outside instead, exploring the beauty of the outdoors along our Monroe Lake trails. The Holiday Hiking Challenge consists of hiking ALL of Monroe Lake’s trails and completing the challenge activities. Each of our trails will have at least one challenge station where you will need to complete the posted activity and take a photo to document it. Everyone who completes the challenge and submits their photo set by the deadline will be entered into the prize drawing.
Complete instructions, including a marked trail map and the website to submit your photo set, will be posted on the Facebook Event page (no Facebook account needed to view) on the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 24: bit.ly/2021-monroe-hike-challenge
NEW VOLUNTEERS invited to participate in 2021-22 Winter Eagle Watch, a Citizen Scientist Project
For the past nine winters, Monroe Lake has collected data on eagle activity here at the lake thanks to more than 5,600 field reports that have been filed by our dedicated “Citizen Scientist” volunteers. We are about to enter our 10th winter of eagle observations.
In preparation for this winter, we are opening this program up to NEW VOLUNTEERS. Volunteers in this program commit to completing two total hours of observations EACH MONTH (minimum of 30 min. per individual observation, from December through March. A field report must be submitted via a website form for each observation.
Prerequisites for NEW volunteers:
– Watch a 40-minute video about eagle identification at Monroe Lake
– Watch a 40-minute video about bald eagle mating, nesting, and fledging behavior
– Complete a DNR Volunteer Application
– Complete a DNR Volunteer Agreement
Potential new volunteers must email Jill Vance, Monroe Lake Interpretive Naturalist, at jvance@dnr.IN.gov by 5 p.m. on Nov. 24 to get the links to the videos and copies of the volunteer forms.
Videos must be viewed and completed volunteer forms submitted by no later than Nov. 28.
Upcoming Virtual Programs
- LIVE PRESENTATION Tuesday, Nov. 30 at 11:30 a.m., Canada Geese, An Avian Family. If your life revolves around your spouse and children, then the Canada goose is your kind of bird. In the world view of Canada geese, family is everything – and their families certainly seem to be everywhere. Jill Vance, interpretive naturalist, will discuss the life cycle and behavior of this common species – and you’ll learn why Canada geese weren’t always as omnipresent as they are today. This live stream will be hosted on the this Facebook Event page. (For those unable to watch live, a video recording will be available on the Monroe Lake Facebook Videos tab, as soon as the live stream concludes.)
Virtual Program Collection: View on Demand
Facebook LIVE Programs: Recordings of the Live Broadcast
Click here to view recordings of ALL our previous live broadcasts
- NEW! The Landscape of Indiana: Ice Age to Modern Age (9/28/21)
- NEW! Rocks Tell a Story, the Geology of Monroe Lake (10/11/21)
- NEW! Monroe County Geology “Hot Spots” (10/13/21)
This Week in Hoosier History
1928 – The Madonna of the Trail monument was dedicated in Wayne County. The statue honors pioneer mothers of the covered wagon days. It is one of 12 identical statues placed in each state along the old National Trail Road, which extends from Maryland to California. The monument pays tribute to the courage, faith, and strength of women who helped build the nation.