Donnie Burgess, WFIU-FM (Bloomington, IN) Journalist Profile

Articles

Deadlines approaching for storm damage relief

2 weeks ago | indianapublicmedia.org | Donnie Burgess

The clock is ticking for residents impacted by recent severe storms to seek physical damage disaster relief. The loan is provided by the U.S. Small Business Administration and offers resources for homeowners, nonprofits and small businesses. Stephen Clark, representative of the administration’s Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience, told the Monroe County Board of Commissioners on Thursday that the county’s local outreach center will close June 18.
Indiana University Trustees discuss budget, expressive activity, Whitten salary

2 weeks ago | indianapublicmedia.org | Ethan Sandweiss |Donnie Burgess

The Indiana University Board of Trustees are scheduled to address several areas of key policy today. The agenda includes votes on changing presidential compensation, the Expressive Activity Policy and post-tenure productivity reviews. That’s on top of the possible tuition freeze and new annual budget that have already been announced. WFIU/WTIU News will report on any changes as they are made. A meeting agenda can be found here.
Bloomington expands baby box service

2 weeks ago | indianapublicmedia.org | Donnie Burgess

Bloomington now has two Safe Haven baby boxes. The boxes allow those who cannot care for a newborn to place the baby in a secure, temperature-controlled, ventilated box, usually at fire and police stations. Once a baby is placed inside and the door is closed, it automatically locks and alerts emergency services. People who surrender their newborns are kept anonymous and protected from legal consequences, per Indiana’s Safe Haven Law.
Rain may cause delay in Karst field improvements

2 weeks ago | indianapublicmedia.org | Donnie Burgess

Drainage and irrigation improvements at Karst athletic fields face potential challenges due to rainfall. The Monroe County Council unanimously approved Tuesday the parks department’s request to spend $80,000 to install upgraded drainage and a sedimentation basin (a pond which traps runoff) on the west edge of fields 11 and 12. Recent heavy rainfall caused water to flow from a nearby farm field onto the Karst property while improvements were being made.
Improvements planned for Karst athletic fields

2 weeks ago | indianapublicmedia.org | Donnie Burgess

Drainage work and other improvements are planned for the synthetic turf playing fields at Karst Athletic Complex. The Monroe County parks department will ask the county council Tuesday to spend $80,000 to install upgraded drainage and a sedimentation basin (a pond which traps runoff) on the west edge of fields 11 and 12.
New county jail financing paused because of state law

3 weeks ago | indianapublicmedia.org | Donnie Burgess

Construction of the new Monroe County Jail may be delayed due to a new financing limit set by Senate Bill 1. Read more: Local communities bracing for lost property tax revenueAccording to the bill, local governments have a three-year “cooling off period” in which they cannot bond or loan more than 25 percent of their total local income tax revenues for any debt issued after May 2025. Greg Guerrettaz, president of Financial Solutions Group, works as a financial advisor to Monroe County.
City council approves 2025 social services grant money distribution

3 weeks ago | indianapublicmedia.org | Donnie Burgess

Over half-a-million dollars’ worth of grant money has been approved for social service programs throughout Bloomington and Monroe County. Related: City council allocates nearly $800K for community program improvementsThe Bloomington City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to distribute $510,377.27 to 35 different agencies. The grant was recommended by the Jack Hopkins Social Services Committee.
Convention center expansion breaks ground, hotel development progresses

3 weeks ago | indianapublicmedia.org | Donnie Burgess

Shovels hit the dirt Tuesday afternoon, putting in motion the long-awaited construction of the 61,000-square foot addition to the Bloomington Convention Center. The Capital Improvement Board manages the project, which is funded by food and beverage tax revenue. Read more: Convention Center expansion picking up steamJohn Whikehart, president of the board, said he’s happy to hear the city of Bloomington and convention center hotel developer Dora Hospitality are making progress in negotiations.
Convention center expansion underway

3 weeks ago | indianapublicmedia.org | Donnie Burgess

Groundbreaking for the Bloomington Convention Center expansion project starts Tuesday. The project is funded by Monroe County food and beverage tax revenue and managed by the Capital Improvement Board. A new, 61,000-square foot building will be built across College Avenue from the current convention center, the site of Tuesday’s groundbreaking ceremony. A skybridge will connect the old and new buildings.
Next bridge inspection cycle for Monroe County begins in 2026

4 weeks ago | indianapublicmedia.org | Donnie Burgess

The next round of bridge inspections in Monroe County will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Monroe County Board of Commissioners Thursday approved an agreement with the Indiana Department of Transportation to begin inspecting the conditions of bridges countywide. The project costs $ 647,669. According to the agreement, inspections are part of a reimbursable grant program. INDOT will cover $518,135 of that cost, with a local match of $129,533.

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