Back to the drawing board, as Monroe County continue search for viable jail location
Monroe County has been looking for a location to build a new County Jail for quite some time, and now the County Commissioners have ruled out the ‘Thomson Site,’ a large acreage of county-owned land west of Rogers Street in Bloomington, across form Switchyard Park.
The Commissioners addressed County Council earlier this week with a list of challenges attached to that potential option, ranging from increased costs due environmental clean-up to delays in the timeline due to the relocation of electric powerlines.
This is the second site ruled out, including the parcel of land between I-69 and Rockport Road, which was not a good fit for a number of reasons, including that it was too far out of the way for the traffic that would be needing to utilize the facility.
Next on the list of possible sites for the new 25-acre Justice complex seems to be a 400-acre lot on the Northside of Bloomington.
Bloomington’s Mayor Thomson issue release on ‘Traveling Town Halls’
The following is a release issued by the Office of Mayor Kerry Thomson on 02/28/2024 . . .
Open and accessible government comes to the people
Mayor Kerry Thomson is committed to an open government that is accessible to all Bloomington residents. In that spirit, she will be out in the community conducting a series of traveling town hall meetings. Every other month, a listening session will be held in each of the six City Council districts, starting in District 1, represented by Councilmember Isabel Piedmont-Smith. In the intervening months, Mayor Thomson will hold a town hall on a specific topical issue.
The first listening session will take place on Monday, March 18, 6-7:30pm at Summit Elementary School, 1450 W Countryside Ln. Mayor Thomson will be accompanied by Councilmembers as well as Planning and Transportation and Housing and Neighborhood Development department directors.
What questions or concerns do you have? What issues are important to you? How can the City better serve the community? Please attend the town hall in your district, or another one that fits your schedule, for an opportunity to engage directly with City officials.
Details about future traveling town halls will be announced via the City’s social media channels, so keep a lookout for a town hall near you. The tentative schedule is as follows:
March, Council District 1: listening session / April: topical issue / May, Council District 2: listening session / June: topical issue / July, Council District 3: listening session / August: topical issue / September, Council District 4: listening session / October: topical issue / November, Council District 5: listening session / December: topical issue / January, Council District 6: listening session
Interdisciplinary summit delves into future of music and AI in changing landscape
The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, in collaboration with partners on campus and within the Bloomington community, will delve into the profound impact of generative artificial intelligence on the music landscape with “AlgoRhythms: The World of Music and AI,” a dynamic pop-up summit set to unfold March 29 and 30.
The groundbreaking event will offer exploration, celebration and discussions on the evolving creative landscape. Contemplation and discussion with scholars and industry leaders will cover questions such as “What does it mean to be a music artist or composer in the age of AI?” and “Who will own AI-generated music?” Registration is now open. The summit is free to attend.
Event highlights include:
Thought-provoking panel discussions led by industry luminaries on crucial topics such as “Copyright Law in the Age of AI,” “AI Tools Empowering Artists,” “Startups in Music and AI” and “Emerging Creativity in AI.”
Networking opportunities to connect with leading national thinkers, startups and legal minds in the vibrant IU/Bloomington creative ecosystem. Attendees will have a chance to foster collaborations that bridge the gap between music, technology and law.
Hybrid sessions with a blend of in-person and online engagement through Zoom, ensuring accessibility and participation from a diverse audience.
The summit aims to be a catalyst for partnerships that fuel innovation through collaborations between the Jacobs School of Music, IU Innovates, the Maurer School of Law, the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering, the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design, and the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, as well as the IU Herron School of Art + Design in Indianapolis. The collaboration extends to the Bloomington creative community through a strategic partnership with the Dimension Mill and Rock Paper Scissors.
This Week in Hoosier History
1933 – The Indiana Legislature adopted the cardinal as the official state bird.
For more local news . . . Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson