Election Day for Monroe County is opportunity to vote on MCCSC Referendum
Monroe County residents ARE ALLOWED to go and vote for the one item on the ballot this year . . . a 4th referendum in 7 years which would raise taxes AGAIN to provide MCCSC with additional funding, this time slated for pre-school services. Apathy will no doubt be a vote of support to once again, massively increase the operating dollars for a school corporation that many believe has not demonstrated responsible budget management or leadership in recent years. Get out and vote! Find your voting location here
Mayor Hamilton takes final vacation on the taxpayers, visiting ‘Bloomington’s Sister Cities’ in Nicaragua and Cuba
Last week Mayor John Hamilton, several City colleagues, and a contingent of local residents traveled to two of Bloomington’s two Sister Cities: Posoltega, Nicaragua and Santa Clara, Cuba, no doubt, on the dime of the taxpayer.
In Nicaragua from October 28th through the 31st, the group met with Posoltega Mayor Lilliam Mayorga and accompanied her to a community memorial ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the devastating mudslide caused by Hurricane Mitch on October 30th, 1998. They also visited El Comedor Infantil or “the Children’s Cafeteria,” water system facilities, religious leaders, the police chief, and a house recently built in part by Bloomington volunteers.
In Cuba from November 1st through the 4th, Mayor Hamilton and City staff joined members of City of Bloomington Sister Cities, CUBAmistad, a group of Bloomington residents who seek to encourage dialogue and understanding between citizens of Cuba and the USA. In Santa Clara, the group visited the Ernesto Che Guevara Sculptural Complex, the Casa de la Historia, El Mejunje Cultural Center, Marta Abreu de las Villas Central University, Samuel Feijo Professional Art School, an evening neighborhood organization meeting, water department officials, and CMHW radio station.
The Bloomington contingent also met formally with Presidente de la Asamblea Municipal del Poder Popular Osmany Garcia Lopez, effectively the mayor of Santa Clara, and also Governor of Villa Clara Province Alberto López Díaz, as well as other officials in Santa Clara. Discussions included challenges and opportunities in local government and opportunities to strengthen our connections.
Those who traveled to Nicaragua include Mayor Hamilton, Chief of Staff Josefa Madrigal, Latino Outreach Coordinator Ximena Martinez, and CBU Assistant Director of Operations Hector Ortiz Sanchez, along with Francisco Gomez-Scifres, a native of Posoltega who now lives in Indiana. In Cuba the city employees were joined by CUBAmistad members and friends Cynthia Roberts, Sarah Grey, Amy Elizabeth Cox, Adrian Cox-Thurmond, and Yuanna Zheng of Bloomington.
So far as records reveal, this is the first visit of a sitting Bloomington Mayor to either city, happening a mere 60 days before leaving office . . . interesting timing for a City Staff that will likely not be able to pass along any of the experience or knowledge acquired from the trip to the incoming Administration in less than 2 months.
Indiana U.S. Attorney’s Offices announce $6 Million in Department of Justice funding for Hoosier Public Safety Programs
The U.S. Department of Justice announced several new commitments as part of its Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime. Instituted by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in May 2021, the strategy focuses on harnessing federal resources, intelligence, and expertise as a force-multiplier with state and local law enforcement.
The COPS grants announced today funding to help law enforcement agencies hire over 1,730 new law enforcement officers across the country while also providing critical funding to support school safety and continue to advance community policing nationwide. Through this funding, U.S. Attorney’s Offices for both the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana are pleased to announce that the Department’s COPS Office awarded a total of $6,689,417.00 to combat violent crime and maintain public safety in the state. Specific recipients and amounts are as follow:
| Award | Recipient | Amount |
| COPS Anti-Methamphetamine Program | Indiana State Police | $2,000,000 |
| COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program | City of Hobart | $500,000 |
| COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program | Lake Station Community Schools | $375,000 |
| COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program | Logansport Community Schools | $478,843 |
| COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program | New Castle Community Schools | $358,132 |
| COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program | Valparaiso Community Schools | $390,000 |
| COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program | Vincennes Police Department | $337,422 |
| COPS Hiring Program | City of Frankfort | $250,000 |
| COPS Hiring Program | Porter County | $125,000 |
| COPS Hiring Program | Town of Roseland | $125,000 |
| COPS Hiring Program | Tippecanoe County | $1,250,000 |
| COPS Hiring Program | Vincennes Police Department | $500,0000 |
Lastly, the Deputy Attorney General and Associate Attorney General announced that the Justice Department will host a Violent Crime Reduction Summit December 11-13, in Indianapolis. The summit, organized by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs and Bureau of Justice Assistance will bring together 1,500 local and federal partners from across the country, including community and law enforcement representatives from Project Safe Neighborhoods and the more than 50 jurisdictions that have participated in the National Public Safety Partnership.
This Week in Hoosier History
1917 – Edgar Whitcomb, was born in Hayden, Indiana. He was an American attorney, writer and politician, who served as the 43rd governor of Indiana (1969-73). His term as governor began a major rift in the Indiana Republican Party as urban Republicans became more numerous than rural Republicans, leading to a shift in the priorities of the party leadership.
For more local news . . . Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson
