Bloomington Police investigate fatal crash
On August 6th at approximately 7:08 p.m., officers with the Bloomington Police Department responded to the intersection of W State Road 46 and the on-ramp for southbound I-69 in reference to a vehicle crash with injuries. Upon arrival, a teal 1999 Chevrolet S-10 pickup was located on top of the guardrail on the southeast corner of the intersection. The S-10 had significant damage and the two occupants were trapped inside the truck. The other vehicle involved was a white 1998 Toyota 4Runner sport utility vehicle.
Bloomington Fire Department personnel extricated the occupants of the S-10. They were later identified as a 33 year-old Bloomington man and a five year-old male. Both occupants of the truck were transported to IU Health Bloomington Hospital by ambulance. Once at the hospital, the man was rushed to emergency surgery, but later died from injuries sustained in the crash. The five year-old child was flown by LifeLine helicopter to an Indianapolis hospital and is currently in critical condition.
The eastbound lanes of State Road 46 were closed until approximately 9:15 p.m. as Crash Reconstructionists from BPD investigated the scene. It was determined that the S-10 had a green left-turn arrow and was attempting to turn from westbound State Road 46 to go southbound on I-69. The 4Runner had been eastbound on State Road 46 and failed to stop at the red traffic signal for eastbound traffic, where it collided with the passenger side of the turning S-10.
The driver of the 4Runner is a 46 year-old Bloomington woman. She is currently hospitalized due to injuries sustained in the crash.
The investigation remains ongoing and no further information is available for release at this time.
Bloomington Chamber “postpones” event after threats of protest
“In consultation with Bloomington Women in Leadership (BWIL) leaders, Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce President Eric Spoonmore has announced the Lieutenant Governor’s event on August 9 will be postponed to a future date to be determined.”
. . . this was the message found on the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce official Facebook page as of 9:30pm last evening. The event which was canceled was billed as an empowerment session for women in the community, with Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch the Keynote Speaker. The event had been planned for over a year, according to the Chamber’s previous marketing.
Why did the Chamber cancel the event? It seemed to happen immediately after threats of protest, coming in the form of an email distributed to a number of those in the Bloomington area media. The email was sent by Sarah Bauerle, with no information as to which, if any, organization she was officially representing, even though she uses the pronoun “we” within the text. Both the Monroe County Democrat Party and ‘Concerned Hoosiers’ were cited in the email.
It is unknown if this is the same person as Sarah Bauerle Danzman, Ph.D., an Assistant Professor of International Studies at Indiana University Bloomington. The email did not originate from an Indiana University account. Here is the email in its entirety:
After staying silent on SB1 – a near total abortion ban that puts Hoosier lives at risk – the Greater Bloomington Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch at a private luncheon at the Graduate Hotel on Tuesday, August 9 at 11:30. Lt. Gov. Crouch will be giving a talk on “Empowering Women Leaders IN Indiana.” This talk is a slap in the face of all Hoosier women after the Indiana State House voted on Saturday to take away access to safe, compassionate, and evidence-based reproductive healthcare. We call on the Chamber to rescind this invitation, sponsors to pull out of the event, invitees to decline to show up, and we ask Bloomington business owners to stand up in support of women and girls’ basic rights.
Concerned Hoosiers and the Monroe County Democratic Party will assemble outside the Graduate Hotel on August 9 at 11am to discuss what it means to empower women leaders and to make our voices heard.
– Sarah Bauerle
The email requests those to not show up and for business owners to “stand up in support of women and girls’ basic right,” even though the message of the event itself was branded as promoting the empowerment of those exact rights.
While the Chamber did not politicize this event, is it too much to have a well-respected speaker and the second highest ranking state official deliver a message of empowerment to women, even after controversial legislation is passed?
Is this a warranted protest, or is this counter-productive to those angered by the new state law?
Is this another example of what many call the ‘Cancel Culture’, and is the postponement of this event a regression for our community?
These are questions which might not have concrete answers, but hopefully, will become the topics of honest dialogue over the coming months.
Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce President Eric Spoonmore did not respond to a late evening request by the South Central Indiana News Network.
The Chamber’s BWIL is defined on their website as a professional women’s group founded in 2019, which empowers, inspires, and engages through mentorships, professional development, and community. It is is said to support professional women and their allies to build a meaningful network of women through intentional peer and mentoring relationships. The BWIL also states that they offer regular meetings and professional development opportunities to meet professional needs and help [members] reach [their] aspirations.
City of Bloomington enters lease agreement with Constellation Stage and Screen to manage John Waldron Arts Center
The City of Bloomington has signed a contract with Constellation Stage & Screen that will allow the new theater and film company to lease the John Waldron Arts Center for five years. Constellation Stage & Screen, an organization that formed as a merger of Cardinal Stage, Bloomington Playwrights Project, and Pigasus Institute, will be responsible for the daily operations of the Waldron Arts Center, including managing the annual production schedule of the Center’s Firebay Theater and 3rd-floor auditorium. The organization will also work with a Visual Arts Committee, composed of City- and Constellation-appointed individuals to host four visual arts exhibitions in the Center’s visual arts galleries each year.
Constellation Stage & Screen took control of the Waldron’s management on July 1, 2022. As part of its management, the organization will initiate a set of interior upgrades to the building. These upgrades were approved by the City’s Board of Public Works on July 5th and include the installation of new technical equipment and theater seating, as well as the creation of a new cafe. The facility will be closed through early fall 2022 so these repairs can be completed.
The Waldron officially reopened on January 4 of this year under the management of the City.
This Week in Hoosier History
1900 – James H. Pierce was born in Freedom, Indiana. Nicknamed “Babe,” he played Indiana University football before moving to Hollywood where he appeared in many movies. His most famous role was that of Tarzan in 1927. His wife, Jane Burroughs, was the daughter of writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, who had created the original “Tarzan” stories.
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