Early Voting for Bloomington Municiple Elections begins Thursday
Early voting qualifications: All registered voters in Indiana are eligible to vote absentee-in-person at the county election board office beginning 28 days before Election Day. The location to cast your vote early for Bloomington’s Municiple races is the Monroe County Election Operational Office, located at 302 S Walnut Street (former downtown NAPA). The hours are as follows:
Do not forget to bring your photo identification with you . . .
- It must display your photo
- It must display your name and that name must conform to your voter registration record.
- It must display an expiration date and be current or have expired sometime after the date of the last general election.
- It must be issued by the state of Indiana or the U.S. government
30 rural organizations receive grants to support solar eclipse arts, cultural activities
Thirty rural organizations across Indiana will receive funding to host arts and cultural events and programs connected to the 2024 solar eclipse, an event that will blanket parts of Indiana in total darkness on April 8. With funding support from the Simons Foundation as part of its In the Path of Totality initiative, the Indiana University Center for Rural Engagement is leading IU’s rural solar eclipse initiative, providing staff support, resources and outreach for community activities that unite residents around the historic astronomical event. More than 80 organizations in communities with a population under 50,000 applied for $2,000 micro-grants, facilitated by Regional Opportunity Initiatives, to support the implementation of eclipse activities.
The path of totality of the April 8 solar eclipse will cover a segment of North America, including a large part of Indiana, in complete darkness for nearly 4 minutes as the moon shadows the sun. The next time Indiana falls in the path of totality of a solar eclipse will be 2099.
More than 1 million visitors are expected to flock to Indiana in the days leading up to April 8. Communities small and large could more than triple their population numbers during the event. To help local leaders and residents prepare, the Center for Rural Engagement published the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse Planning Toolkit. It features planning resources and safety information about viewing the eclipse, managing crowds and leveraging the eclipse to bolster community interest and capacity for arts and cultural events into the future.
A detailed list of the awardees and their planned events is available on the Center for Rural Engagement website. Counties that received micro-grant support include Bartholomew, Boone, Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Fayette, Gibson, Greene, Henry, Huntington, Knox, Martin, Montgomery, Morgan, Owen, Randolph, Ripley, Shelby, Spencer, Union, Washington, and Wayne.
Indiana’s Covered Bridge Festival opens this weekend
The Covered Bridge Festival is a ten-day festival that sprawls crafters, food trucks, and unique vendors across an entire county – all nestled among the country’s greatest collection of covered bridges. The event takes place Friday, October 13th, through Sunday, October 22nd. 31 Bridges located in 10 different Parke County towns, including: Bellmore, Billie Creek Village, Bloomingdale, Bridgeton, Mansfield, Mecca, Montezuma, Rockville, Rosedale, and Tangier.
The annual Indiana tradition features covered bridges, authentic arts and crafts, fantastic food, and beautiful fall foliage.
Learn more on the The Covered Bridge Festival Facebook page.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Are pets allowed? Because of the layout of the event and thousands in attendance, it is recommended that your pets remain at home. If you bring your pet you might have limited access to buildings and grounds unless you have a service animal.
- Are golf carts allowed? No, they are not allowed at the festival.
- Are Scooters available? Scooter rentals are available in Bridgeton and Mansfield only. Please contact them for availability.
- Do I have to buy tickets? You do NOT need tickets for the Covered Bridge Festival. You can purchase tickets for Bus Tours at parkecountyindiana.square.site
- Will I have cell service? Due to the high number of visitors, cell service is limited. Come prepared to pay with cash if a vendor cannot take card due to service outages.
This Week in Hoosier History
1957 – Visitors enjoy the first Parke County Covered Bridge Festival. This 10-day festival always starts on the 2nd Friday in October. The Parke County Covered Bridge Festival – showcases the county’s 31 historic covered bridges and features authentic arts and crafts, fantastic food, and beautiful fall foliage. Each community has a specialty, plan your trip here.
For more local news . . . Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson