City of Bloomington Arbor Day Poster Contest
Parks and Recreation celebrates four decades of environmental stewardship in 2024 with the city’s designation as a Tree City USA for the 40th consecutive year. To commemorate Bloomington’s status as Indiana’s first Tree City USA, the city’s 40th anniversary of being named a Tree City USA, and in recognition of Arbor Day, Parks and Recreation is hosting a poster contest for community members to showcase the profound impact trees have had on the city over the years.
The theme of the poster contest is “A Legacy of Leaves: 40 Years of Putting Down Roots.” Submissions for the poster contest will be accepted March 1 through April 1. There are three entry categories:
- Youth (12 years and younger)
- Student (13 to 18 years)
- Adult
A winner in each category will be selected by a panel of judges to include members of the Bloomington Tree Commission. The winners will be announced at the Arbor Day ceremony April 26 at 9 a.m. at Crestmont Park. The grand prize winner will be featured on the cover of the Fall/Winter 2024 Parks and Recreation Program Guide and will be displayed at City Hall and at Parks and Recreation facilities.
Indiana Attorney General files suit against Apria Healthcare
Attorney General Todd Rokita is filing a lawsuit on behalf of the people of Indiana against Apria Healthcare LLC for a massive data breach that impacted at least 42,000 Hoosiers and 1.8 million people nationwide. Apria is a provider of home healthcare equipment and related services across the United States. Apria provides medical equipment to over 2 million patients across 270 locations, including Indiana.
On September 1, 2021, the FBI notified Apria that an unauthorized third-party was likely able to access their system. The intruder accessed millions of documents containing protected health information and other personal information. Further, the intruder accessed several Apria employee email accounts, including Apria’s CEO.
Apria failed to notify patients about the 2019 and 2021 data breaches until May 2023 – 629 days after the breaches were discovered. Apria’s delayed notification and actions resulted in alleged violations of HIPAA and Indiana law.
Apria allegedly concealed the data breach from their consumers and failed to implement HIPAA policies and procedures. Due to a lack of security and technical safeguards, the unwelcome third party was able to access personal health information and personal identifiable information, such as Social Security Numbers, birth certificates, credit and debit card information, medical histories, addresses, and other identifiable information.
Apria’s notification to patients and consumers was extremely delayed and unreasonable. With this extreme delay, Apria greatly increased the chance of a Hoosier becoming the victim of identity deception, identity theft, or fraud. Apria’s parent company, Owens and Minor, allegedly knew about the breaches when it purchased Apria in March 2022.
The lawsuit consists of the following five counts against Apria:
- Violations of HIPAA’s Notification Rule
- Violations of HIPAA’s Security Rule
- Violations of HIPAA’s Privacy Rule
- Violations of the Disclosure of Security Breach Act
- Violations of Indiana Deceptive Consumer Sales Act
Bloomington announces 2024 Women’s Achievement Award Winners
The City of Bloomington honors and celebrates its outstanding women during Women’s History Month by recognizing recipients of the Women’s Achievement Awards. This year’s award categories include the Woman of the Year Award, and Toby Strout Lifetime Contribution Award. The City of Bloomington’s Commission on the Status of Women is proud to announce Marsha Lovejoy as the 2024 Woman of the Year, and Renee Bridgwaters (Hill) Carter as the 2024 Toby Strout Lifetime Contribution Award recipient.
During the pandemic, and on top of her full time job at Cook Medical, 2024 Woman of the Year, Marsha Lovejoy, started a local chapter of I Support the Girls. I Support the Girls is an international organization that makes essential items like bras, underwear, and menstrual hygiene productions available for women and girls experiencing poverty, homelessness, domestic violence, natural disasters, or other significant challenges. In pursuit of her mission to provide local women and girls access to products that support their health, dignity, and quality of life, Marsha has worked with national brands and local donors and organizations including Indiana Recovery Alliance, Middle Way House, Richland Bean Blossom Community School Corporation, Monroe County Community School Corporation, and Pantry 279. When she’s not volunteering, Marsha is leading public relations for Cook Medical, where she is a fierce advocate and ally for new moms navigating time off, maternity benefits, and a return to work after childbirth. “Marsha has made it the norm to be a mom and an employee,” Marsha’s nominator says, “Her kids sometimes show up in Webex meetings. It’s not weird, it’s not awkward, it’s just a part of life. This makes it okay for other women to be themselves.”
The Toby Strout Lifetime Contribution winner, Renee Bridgwaters (Hill) Carter, has demonstrated a life-long commitment to the youth of her community through her many years of service to the Banneker Community Center. Renee’s unique blend of compassion and high expectations encourage the children she serves at the Banneker After School and Summer Camp programs to reach their full potential. Her commitment to the community extends beyond the Banneker Center and into the surrounding neighborhood, where she makes each neighbor, family, and individual feel cared for and encouraged. Reflecting on her service, her colleagues at the Banneker Center said, “[Renee’s] commitment to the Banneker community, both the center and the neighborhood as a whole, has helped us to continue to flourish as a cultural hub for traditionally underserved community members.”
These Women’s Achievement Award winners will be honored at the 2024 Women’s History Month Luncheon. The luncheon will take place on Thursday, March 28, 2024 at the Monroe Convention Center, 302 S College Ave, Bloomington. Tickets for the luncheon are available at the Buskirk Chumley Theater’s Bloom Box Office.
The National Women’s History Month theme for 2024 celebrates “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.” The theme recognizes women throughout the country who understand that, for a positive future, we need to eliminate bias and discrimination entirely from our lives and institutions.
For more information about the luncheon, please visit the City of Bloomington’s Women’s History Month webpage.
This Week in Hoosier History
1828 – Jefferson Columbus Davis, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Clark County. He was a regular officer of the United States Army during the American Civil War, known for the similarity of his name to that of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and for his killing of a superior officer in 1862.
Davis’s distinguished service in Mexico earned him high prestige at the outbreak of the Civil War, when he led Union troops through Southern Missouri to Pea Ridge, Arkansas, being promoted to Brigadier General after that significant victory. Following the Siege of Corinth, he was granted home leave on account of exhaustion, but returned to duty on hearing of Union defeats in Kentucky, where he reported to General William “Bull” Nelson at Louisville in September 1862. Nelson was dissatisfied with his performance and insulted him in front of witnesses. A few days later, Davis demanded a public apology, but instead the two officers argued noisily and physically, concluding in Davis mortally wounding Nelson with a pistol.
For more local news . . . Check out our archived episodes of What’s Happenin’ and Talkin’ Sports with Nick Jenkinson