Bloomington Police Investigate Early Morning Shooting
Just after 5am on Thursday, the Monroe County Central Emergency Dispatcher Center received a 911 call from a 35 year-old man reporting a burglary in progress at his residence in the 1700 block of S Pinestone Court. While officers were en route, the caller claimed that the suspect had busted in the window to his bedroom and was attempting to gain entry, so he had shot at the person. The person attempting to enter the residence then reportedly fled the scene and was last seen running northbound from the area.
Officers arrived at the residence and did indeed locate a broken window in the bedroom of the residence. Investigators also located several bullet holes around the broken window from rounds that had been fired from inside the home. At approximately 5:21 a.m., the Dispatch Center received another 911 call from a man claiming that he had been shot. The caller advised Dispatch that he was in Switchyard Park at the basketball courts near the Bloomington Police Substation. Officers and ambulance personnel responded to Switchyard Park and located a 39 year-old man with multiple gunshot wounds. It was determined that the man was the individual that had been shot in the 1700 block of S Pinestone Court and that he had not been shot at the park. It is believed that he had driven himself to the park after fleeing from the residence on foot. The man was transported to IU Health Bloomington Hospital by ambulance, and was later transferred to an Indianapolis hospital for further treatment of his injuries.
Both individuals involved in the incident were known to one-another. The investigation remains ongoing and, at this time, no charges have been filed. Upon the conclusion of the investigation, the report will be forwarded to the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office for review to determine if criminal charges are warranted. There is no further information that will be released at this time.
Richmond Police Officer Seara Burton removed from Life Support
Officers lined the Hospital corridor Thursday to honor Officer Seara Burton as she was wheeled to the operating room where she would be taken off of Life Support, yesterday. The 28 year-old Officer was shot in the head in the line of duty on August 10th during the traffic stop of 47 year-old Phillip Mathew Lee. Doctors treating Officer Burton determined that she would be unable to recover from her injuries and that life support would be stopped, and that she would become an organ donor.
Lee will likely have his Attempted Murder charge amended to Murder, by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. He is also charged with several other felonies.
Numerous infrastructure improvement projects are underway in Bloomington
Bryan Park Pool
Bryan Park Pool is open Saturdays and Sundays only from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. The final day of pool operation for the 2022 season is Labor Day, September 5. On Labor Day the pool is open 11am-7pm
New accessible platform at Frank Southern Ice Arena
The Frank Southern Ice Arena is gearing up for the 2022-23 ice season with the construction of a new, accessible platform on the northwest side of the ice pad that will allow unobstructed views of the ice for guests who use wheelchairs. The Frank Southern Ice Arena opens on October 14, with general admission public ice skating daily during scheduled times.
B-Line Trail between 7th and 8th Street re-opens
Contractors have removed 60′ in stacked bricks from the Johnson Creamery smokestack. Parks and Recreation has removed the fencing across the B-Line Trail between 7th and 8th Streets to re-open the trail, which has been closed since January as a safety measure. The temporary orange barricades marking the B-Line Trail detour through the City Hall parking lot have also been removed.
Late last year the smokestack was determined to be potentially dangerous and early this year City staff issued an unsafe order. A portion of the B-Line trail adjacent to the smokestack was closed as a public safety measure. The Bloomington City Council and Historic Preservation Commission worked with the property owner to find a solution that respected the historic site, and Bloomington history, while prioritizing public safety. The resulting decision was to preserve the smokestack at a lower height. The smokestack still stands as a reminder of Bloomington’s history and the B-Line trail around it can once again be enjoyed fully and safely.
Hidden River Pathway Project
The two-year downtown stormwater infrastructure reconstruction project to address flooding during rain events continues. Contractor Milestone is completing the new culvert under Grant St between Kirkwood and 4th and into the alley south of Grant. Grant continues to be closed from 4th to Kirkwood. The alley on the east side of Grant, between Trinity Church and Longfei Restaurant, will remain closed.
The City will continue to coordinate with other construction and road projects as they reconstruct 1,829 feet of culverts to protect downtown area residential and commercial buildings. This project is on track to be finished by the February 2023 deadline. For more information about the project visit: bloomington.in.gov/utilities/hidden-river.
Hopewell Phase 1 East
The landscape along 2nd Street has changed significantly with the removal of six structures along the south side of the roadway. The demolition of the large warehouse at 640 Morton Street will continue into next week. Demolition activities will then move to the warehouse at 635 Rogers Street. Material haul off will continue for the next few weeks for disposal and recycling. The below photo shows the continued demolition of the 640 Morton Street warehouse.
The Hopewell Phase 1 East project site is bounded by 2nd Street to the north, 1st Street to the south, B-Line to the east, and Rogers Street to the west. Additional information about the project and the contractor can be found at the following links: https://bton.in/mRp~I, hopewellbloomington.org & renascentinc.com
IU Poplars Building Demolition
Due to the current demolition phase of the Indiana University Poplars Building on 7th Street, west of campus, N Grant Street will be closed between E 6th and E 7th from September 6th to September 20th. The sidewalks adjacent to the building will also be closed during each of these closures. Closures will be 24 hours a day.
Ivy Tech Bloomington partners with French Lick Resort to offer internships for Hospitality students
Ivy Tech Community College’s Bloomington campus has entered into a partnership with French Lick Resort to offer career experience for students through paid internships. Beginning this fall, Hospitality Administration/Culinary Arts and Baking and Pastry students at the Bloomington campus will gain hands-on skills at this premier, Four Diamond resort. French Lick Resort includes two Four Diamond historic hotels, two nationally-acclaimed golf courses, a casino, two world-class spas, more than a dozen food and beverage venues, and retail shops. Students will have the opportunity to work in audio/visual, food and beverage, hotel operations, human resources, recreation, and gaming at the French Lick Resort Casino.
Students accepted into the program will have employee housing with a gym and swimming pool available at a subsidized rate, which aligns with their Ivy Tech course schedules. Scholarship funding is available to cover costs of fuel, housing, and food, in addition to paid work experience that counts toward earning their associate degree. Ivy Tech Bloomington offers a top American Culinary Federation-accredited culinary program, having earned “exemplary status” through 2027. The program offers multiple certificate and associate degree options that can be completed in as little as one-to-two years, and that lead to industry-recognized credentials. Ivy Tech Bloomington ranked No.17 in the top 50 Culinary Schools in the U.S. by Best Choice Schools. Students train in 10,000 sq. ft. state-of the-art kitchen and baking labs, along with a student-run restaurant, The Yellowwood.
This Week in Hoosier History
2009 – Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off from Cape Canaveral. Among the crew was pilot Kevin A. Ford from Montpelier, Indiana. He served many roles in his career at NASA, including that of commander at the International Space Station.
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