William Ellis

Source: Monroe County Sheriff’s Office BLOOMINGTON — The ACLU of Indiana says it is ending a settlement agreement and preparing for new legal action against Monroe County after leaders rejected a plan for a new jail site. On Tuesday night, the Monroe County Council voted 1–6 against buying land known as “North Park,” near I-69 and State Road 46. Only …

BLOOMINGTON — Monroe County is facing an imminent, high-stakes legal crisis after the Monroe County Council voted decisively on Tuesday night to block the purchase of a proposed jail site at North Park. The decision lands just days before a strict May 29 deadline set by the ACLU of Indiana, effectively torpedoing the county’s primary plan to replace its aging, …

B Square file photo of a community justice response committee (CJRC) meeting, from left: Charlotte Zietlow, after whom the Monroe County jail and justice center is named, county councilor Kate Wiltz, and ACLU lead attorney Ken Falk. (Dave Askins, April 20, 2023) Based on a Wednesday (May 27) filing in U.S. District Court by the ACLU, the long-running federal court …

The Nat U. Hill Room at the historic Monroe County courthouse is packed for Tuesday’s meeting of the Monroe County council. (Dave Askins, May 26, 2026) North Park as a site for a new Monroe County jail now seems clearly dead. The purchase agreement for the land just northwest of Bloomington on SR 46 failed to pass the county council …

Left: Map by the B Square. The proposed Bloomington annexation, indicated on the map, is no longer in play after the Indiana Supreme Court let the court of appeals ruling against the city of Bloomington stand. Right: B Square file photo. Monroe County councilors listen to commentary from the public mic. From left to right: Marty Hawk, David Henry, Peter …

Left: Map by the B Square. The proposed Bloomington annexation, indicated on the map, is no longer in play after the Indiana Supreme Court let the court of appeals ruling against the city of Bloomington stand. Right: B Square file photo. Monroe County councilors listen to commentary from the public mic. From left to right: Marty Hawk, David Henry, Peter …

Left: A couple dozen people attended Tuesday’s county council meeting, which was also covered by Indiana Public Media. Middle: Addressing the county council were (from left): sheriff Ruben Marté; and county commissioners Jody Madeira and Julie Thomas. Right: Monroe County councilmembers. Trent Deckard was absent. (Dave Askins, May 12, 2026) Failing to win approval from the Monroe County council on …

Left: Monroe County commissioners Lee Jones, Julie Thomas, and Jody Madeira. (Dave Askins, April 30, 2026) Right: Map by the B Square. The proposed Bloomington annexation, indicated on the map, is no longer in play after the Indiana Supreme Court let the court of appeals ruling against the city of Bloomington stand. The Monroe County Board of Commissioners voted 3–0 …

Monroe County council from left: Marty Hawk, David Henry, Peter Iversen, Jennifer Crossley, Trent Deckard, Kate Wiltz, and Liz Feitl. (Dave Askins, April 28, 2026) On Tuesday night, Monroe County’s long-running jail debate was the highlight of two separate agenda items. One was about issuing $135 million in bonds towards a new jail and justice center project, with a lot …

Page last updated on April 24, 2026 at 8:34 am Aubrey Seader, City of Bloomington Volunteer Network Coordinator [email protected] or 812-349-3433 Desiree DeMolina, Communications Director, Office of the Mayor [email protected] or 812-349-3406 The City of Bloomington Volunteer Network , which is a service of the City of Bloomington that connects residents with local nonprofit and community service opportunities, …

Map by The B Square. The proposed Bloomington annexation, indicated on the map, is no longer in play after the Indiana Supreme Court let the court of appeals ruling against the city of Bloomington stand. At the Monroe County council meeting on Tuesday night (April 14), residents used the general public comment period to send a clear message about the …

Left: Residents and advocates at the Tuesday (April 14) meeting of the county council. The sign reads: “Save Seminary Pointe.” Right: Seated at the table, CIB members John Whikehart and Galen Cassady field questions from the county council. (Dave Askins, April 14, 2026) The area shaded blue is the former Bunger & Robertson property. The area shaded in gray with …

Map by The B Square. The proposed Bloomington annexation, indicated on the map, is no longer in play after the Indiana Supreme Court let the court of appeals ruling against the city of Bloomington stand. The current tension between Monroe County councilors and Monroe County commissioners over where to build a new jail boils down to their stance on the …

The area shaded blue is the former Bunger & Robertson property. The area shaded in gray with an orange border is the site of the convention center expansion—bordered orange because the Monroe County government contributed the real estate to the project. The areas shaded orange are owned by the Monroe County government. The areas shaded light or dark green are …