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WGCL News — Indianapolis Archdiocese New Policy on Transgender Students

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By: Keith Klein (Photo: Catholic News Agency)

Transgender students may be barred from attending Catholic schools in central and southern Indiana, according to a new policy from the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Archbishop Charles C. Thompson directed schools to work with transgender, gender non-conforming, and non-binary students to “pastorally address their needs in alignment with the church’s teachings to navigate the difficult issues related to sexual identity… and living in accordance with church values.” The directive continues: “Any student whose gender has been legally changed from their biological sex, or who has chemically and/or surgically altered their given biology, may not be eligible for enrollment.” The document also says that parents who enroll their children in a Catholic school must understand, affirm, and support the archdiocese mission and policies. The archdiocesan schools participate in the state’s voucher program, which uses public dollars to fund scholarships to private schools. Democratic lawmakers have introduced several bills to prevent discrimination against students, staff, and teachers in voucher schools, but none have passed.

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WGCL News — Saharan Dust Cloud Heading to Indiana

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By: Keith Klein (photo: The Indy Channel)

A Saharan dust cloud is continuing its move northward from the Gulf of Mexico. Dust from the Sahara usually impacts the United States once or twice a year. However, this latest wave will be a little more intense. By tomorrow the dust will impact Indiana, continuing into the weekend. The dust will create a milky looking sky at times during the day. It will bring poor air quality to the area. Those sensitive to air quality or those who have respiratory conditions may experience issues. Be on the lookout for vivid sunsets and sunrises. The dust particles in the atmosphere will cause light to be scattered, resulting in vibrant colors as the sun sets and rises.

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WGCL News — TikTok Video Leads to Expulsion at Purdue

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By: Keith Klein (photo WLFI.com)

Purdue has expelled an undergraduate student over racist messages he shared on social media last week. “Purdue President Mitch Daniels announced the immediate expulsion of student Maxwell Lawrence,” university spokesperson Tim Doty said. “The president determined that, in addition to being racist and despicable, repeated statements posted on social media by Lawrence appear plainly intended to incite others and therefore create a risk of public safety issues in the current environment.”

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WGCL News — MCCSC Looks to Improve WI-FI Connectivity

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By: Keith Klein (photo: Indiana Public Media)

When the MCCSC began online instruction, about 360 families had a hard time connecting their kids to Wi-Fi.  Superintendent Judy DeMuth says the district will use a CARES grant to install hot spots on buses to be driven into neighborhoods with low connectivity. The MCCSC will receive an estimated $1.9 million through the Fund. The Corporation will, also, purchase hot spots for families who need one for connection.

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WGCL News — IU Fall Enrollment Strong, 2020 Pridefest Goes Virtual

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Photo: Visit Bloomington

By: Keith Klein

IU has set a new record for students enrolling.  It’s still not clear how many will show up in the fall. Universities are facing more uncertainty than usual because of the pandemic. IU Bloomington will see a beginner class similar in size to previous years. Beginner class refers to first-time undergraduate students. “We have a strong number of deposits,” said David Johnson, vice provost for enrollment management. As of last week, 9,340 students had paid deposits to enroll in the fall, a 1% increase over last year. About 9,000 deposits are typical for the Bloomington campus. Johnson is optimistic there will be about 8,000 students in this year’s beginner class. One reason is the record number of deposits. Another is reservations for orientation.

The Bloomington Pridefest annual celebration will go virtual this year due to the pandemic. Bloomington PRIDE organizers say the event will take place online over three days at the end of August and include a vendor expo, musical performances, and workshops, among other virtual activities. “We did not make this decision lightly,” PRIDE Board Chair Janae Cummings said”. The 2019 festival saw more than 20,000 visitors.

Veteran’s Affairs is seeking information that could lead to those responsible for smearing tar and feathers on graves in the “Confederate Mound” section of Crown Hill Cemetery earlier this month. “We are committed to maintaining our cemeteries as national shrines, including cleaning these gravesites, which memorialize those interred at the cemetery,” VA officials said. Groundskeeperswere able to clean most of the substance off the graves, but some remnants remain. The Confederate Mound is federally-owned and does not belong to Crown Hill Cemetery, though it is on its property. 1,600 Confederate prisoners of war were buried at the site after they died at Camp Morton, a military base in Indianapolis.

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WGCL News — Renaming IU Campus Buildings, Persimmon Festival Postponed

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Photo: Limestone Post

By: Keith Klein

76 members of the IU’s biology department sent a letter to administrators expressing concern with the view held by former university president David Starr Jordan, who was a proponent of eugenics — the practice of selective breeding in humans.  The faculty wants IU to rename Jordan Hall. The biology department is housed in Jordan Hall. The building is named after David Starr Jordan, IU president from 1884 to 1891. Jordan was a well-regarded scientist during his career, but he is controversial because of his advocacy of eugenics, the practice of selectively breeding humans. Jordan’s take on eugenics included preservation of the Anglo-Saxon/Nordic race. The biology department letter argues he took things further than most. When IU President McRobbie announced plans to review all named buildings on all IU campuses, he warned the task would be complex and will take time.

The News Tribune in Jeffersonville, Indiana reports some Southern Indiana retailers are seeing historically high firearms sales, which started with the pandemic and isn’t shown signs of slowing. Tynae Deaton, manager at Everything Concealed Carry in Clarksville, said the store recently was so busy, they sold out of merchandise and had to close for a few days to restock. People are looking for something to defend themselves. Pistols were the most popular to start, but, she said, now, more people are looking to shotguns for home defense.

The Mitchell Persimmon Festival is the latest cancellation due to the pandemic. The 74th edition of the festival, originally slated for September of this year, will now take place Sept. 18-25, 2021. The festival is canceled because of concerns related to COVID-19. The main sticking points were maintaining social distancing, sanitizing restrooms, tracking attendees, and possible issues with food supplies.

Police are reminding drivers in Indiana it will be illegal to hold a cellphone or electronic devices while behind the wheel starting Wednesday, July 1.

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WGCL News — Monroe County COVID-19 Update and Bloomington Hospital Re-Use Project

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PHOTO: Indiana University Libraries

By: Keith Klein

Monroe County’s death toll from COVID-19 is now 23 – up five from the previous day’s report.

Monroe County’s total COVID-19 death number rose by 12 to 203, the largest single-day increase the county has.

Anyone in Indiana who wishes may get tested for the new coronavirus can do so at an OptumServe testing site.

5,463 Monroe County residents have been tested. All but three of Indiana’s newly confirmed COVID-19 deaths occurred after June 11.

To date, 371,182 test results have been reported to the state agency, and about 11% of those results positive for the virus.

Indiana’s weekly pandemic death update at nursing homes shows deaths at those homes increased by 71 to 1,082 in a week.

A series of public forums on redeveloping the current IU Health Bloomington Hospital site once the new one opens in 2021 has begun.  The current hospital site is 24-acres.

“This is an opportunity for the public to participate in the initial planning discussions so that we are sure the future development reflects both the needs of our citizens and the ambiance of our City,” says Vi Simpson, Chair of the Hospital Reuse Committee.

Skidmore, Owings and Merrill is the architecture firm that will lead the project.  Firm Partner Doug Voight says, “We see this is an opportunity to build a new hub within the fabric of Bloomington.”

The 24-acre site cost $6 million in 2018. 

Deputy Mayor Mick Renneisen says the project could cost over $100 million over the next decade through both private and public funding.

The plan shows the removal of every existing structure on the current site except for the parking garage and the Kohr Administration Building.

Members of the public can make suggestions and give feedback, as well as complete a survey, on the project’s website. 

The next meeting is in late July or early August.

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WGCL News: Reopen Our Schools Act and The Oscars

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PHOTO: American Wire

By: Keith Klein

Indiana Congressman Jim Banks (pictured above) introduced a bill to block federal funding for schools and colleges if they don’t offer classroom teaching by this fall.

Banks said the goal of his Reopen Our Schools Act is for schools to resume in-person, classroom teaching by Sept. 8.  If the legislation is passed, schools could lose funding if they did not open by the deadline. 

The legislation is “to prohibit the Secretary of Education from providing funding to certain educational institutions unless they return to in-person instruction.”  The bill is co-authored with Wisconsin Representative Tom Tiffany.   Banks represents Indiana’s 3rd Congressional District.

“We can’t expect our parents to go back to work if our kids are left at home,” he said.

Additionally, Banks, a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, says wide-scale remote learning has not been effective.

“We have a whole generation of kids we are leaving behind if we don’t get them back in the classroom in the fall,” Banks said.

Keith Gambill, Indiana State Teachers Association president says threatening K-12 schools with loss of funds is not helpful. He described the legislation as “irresponsible.”

Gambill says Banks’ bill would hurt schools at a time when many districts are trying to help students who lack a device or broadband service at home. Access, he says, will be vital if schools continue some type of remote learning in the 2020-21 school year.

Political observers say it’s unlikely Banks’ legislation would gain enough support in the Democratic-controlled House to be approved.

The Coronavirus is delaying The 2021 Oscars ceremony to April 25,  from its originally scheduled February 28. 

The pandemic halted film production globally, decimated theater chains, and delayed summer’s most anticipated releases. Just last week Hollywood studios were allowed to restart film and TV production. The Academy is, also, putting together a task force to develop new diversity and inclusion standards for Oscars eligibility by July 31.

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