Shelby County man injured in tree stand fall
Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating a tree stand accident that occurred Wednesday afternoon in Shelby County. At approximately 4:46 p.m., officers were dispatched to the area near the 4800 Block of North County Road 575 East for an injured person. Initial investigation revealed that Timothy Balting, 46, of Shelbyville, fell approximately 15-20 feet while attempting to move his hang on tree stand. Despite his injuries, Balting was able to use his cellphone to call for medical assistance. He was transported by local EMS to Methodist Hospital with back, arm, and pelvis injuries. Balting was wearing a full body safety harness at the time of the accident, but it was not affixed to the tree.
Conservation Officers remind everyone using elevated platforms to always wear a full body harness, use a tree stand’s safety rope, never try to put up or remove a tree stand by themself, and to always inspect their tree stand before climbing up into it.
Bloomington Infrastructure Update
New Roof for the Barn, and New Trails at Goat Farm Park
Contractors are continuing work on park improvements at Goat Farm Park. The new trails have been laid out, compacted, and graveled in preparation for paving that will make the trails accessible. Improvements on the barn are underway, as new posts are have been set underneath the eastern eave and roofers prepare to put a new roof on the barn next week.
Playground Installation Begins at The Waldron, Hill and Buskirk Park
Workers are on site this week beginning the installation of the new Waldron, Hill, and Buskirk Park playground, which was removed as part of the City of Bloomington Utilities’ Hidden River Pathway Project. Installation of the equipment, which includes a slide, climbing net, and toddler-size play equipment, will take several weeks. Once the equipment is installed, Parks and Recreation will schedule the installation of poured-in-place rubber safety surfacing, which will improve playground accessibility.
Hidden River Pathway Project
The two-year downtown stormwater infrastructure reconstruction project to address flooding during rain events continues and Grant Street between 4th and Kirkwood remains affected. 4th Street is now fully re-open. The culvert is complete and the next steps are repairing and paving the road, alley, and parking lot so, weather permitting, they may be reopened in the next week. 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 project completed all of the demolition on the site and site restoration is wrapping up. This week an old underground storage tank was removed (see below photo) and remediation around the tank is ongoing. Expect continued activity on the site for the next couple of weeks.
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/
Lane Restrictions
Over the next few weeks, Lineal Contracting will be completing a fiber project for Everstream along S Rogers Street, W Patterson Drive, W Grimes Lane, and S Walnut. There will be lane restrictions along those streets as they place both underground and aerial fiber cable. There will be intermittent sidewalk closures as well.
Jackson Creek Trail Phase II
Construction has started on the southern section of the Jackson Creek Trail Phase Two Project. This phase of the project will connect to the trail at Sherwood Oaks Park and continue south to Rhorer Road and then east to connect to the multi-use path along Sare Road. When completed, this project will become a vital neighborhood connection among three City Parks (Sherwood Oaks, Olcott, and Southeast Park) and two Public Schools (Jackson Creek Middle School and Childs Elementary). Construction is anticipated to be completed by the end of this year.
Crestmont Traffic Calming
Construction for the installation of traffic calming devices on 12th Street (Lindbergh to Monroe) and 13th Street (Illinois to Summit) is substantially complete. The traffic calming project was prioritized through the City’s Resident-Led Process of the Traffic Calming and Greenways Program (TCGP). Additional information about the project and the contractor can be found at: https://bton.in/6nWTt
Smith Road Resurfacing
The new sidewalks and ramps for the Smith Road Resurfacing Project were completed last week. This week the contractor is milling and paving, as well as striping the road. All work is expected to be completed by Friday.
Ivy Tech Foundation honors Lynn Coyne as Benefactor of the Year
Ivy Tech Community College’s Bloomington campus named Lynn Coyne, member of the Bloomington Campus Board of Trustees, its 2022 Benefactor of the Year. In a ceremony hosted by Ivy Tech Foundation on Thursday, Sept. 29, Coyne was honored as one of 19 individuals across the state who have considerably impacted Ivy Tech communities and students. The Ivy Tech Foundation Benefactor of the Year recognition honors individuals, corporations, and foundations from Indiana for the gifts and volunteer service they have contributed to the college. In addition to Coyne’s longstanding support of youth arts programming, civic engagement, and Ivy Tech capital campaigns, he established the Ute Coyne Nursing Fund in 2017 as a safety net to assist Ivy Tech nursing students through financial roadblocks toward graduation. Coyne has served as a member of the Bloomington Campus Board of Trustees since 2015. As chair of the current Invest IN Ivy Tech Capital Campaign, he spearheaded an informational campaign that took the Ivy Tech story on the road to service clubs and economic development groups throughout Ivy Tech Bloomington’s 8-county service area. Coyne has a lifetime legacy of leadership and service in Bloomington, including economic development, nonprofit board service, K-12 and higher education, law, and real estate.
This Week in Hoosier History
1976 – The Indianapolis Children’s Museum opened at its new location at 30th and North Meridian Streets. With nearly 500,000 square feet inside and the 29-acre Sports Legend experience outside, it is the biggest and best children’s museum in the world.
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