I’ve been thinking a lot about momentum lately or as the late-great Congressman Mo Udall dubbed it, “The Big Mo”.

Not the buzzword kind, but the real kind—the real McCoy that shapes how a community sees itself and how the outside world sees us. The kind that encourages someone to visit for the first time, to come back for the tenth, or to take a leap and build a life here.

That’s why the success of the IU football team this season matters so much—We want the storybook sequel that lives beyond the falling confetti, cheering fans, and the Hoosiers' first National Championship.

Yes, this run has brought excitement. Yes, it’s created packed restaurants, watch parties, alumni gatherings, and a jolt of energy downtown. But the real value of this moment goes far beyond a single game or weekend.

It’s about narratives. And Bloomington needs a new one.

Monroe County will partner with Indiana University as one of ten High-Tech Crime Units in the state, according to a press release from the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council. The units will assist Indiana's prosecutors with processing digital evidence to enable faster turnaround for investigations.

Other counties funded for this project are Allen, Dearborn, Delaware, Knox, Lake, Madison, St. Joseph, Tippecanoe and Vigo.

​Read the full release here.

Indiana University Bloomington and Ivy Tech Community College have reached a new transfer agreement that will allow students who have enrolled in courses after June 1, 2021 to transfer credits, upon completion of an associate's degree, to one of nine baccalaureate programs at IU Bloomington as juniors. 

 The agreement will cover five main subject areas, including: 

• Informatics 
• Elementary Education 
• Criminal Justice 
• Biology 
• Psychology   

If you are an Ivy Tech student and you are interested in learning more about how credits from your associate degree can transfer to IU or other schools throughout Indiana, visit here. For more information on the guaranteed transfer agreement, go to Ivy Tech's page ​to read official remarks and learn about requirements. 

​Whitney Koelling has joined the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce from IU’s O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) Masters of Public Affairs (MPA) program. She is a Paul D. Coverdell Fellow who is using her experience from her Peace Corps service in the remote Pacific islands of Samoa to work as part of the Chamber's Advocacy Team as Public Policy Specialist for the next two years.

After having spent an extended period of time overseas, she is happy to call Bloomington her new home. Outside of work she loves to kayak on Lake Monroe, eat at many of Bloomington’s delicious local restaurants, and take her Rottweiler puppy to Switchyard Dog Park.

Monroe County Commissioners approved a new mask mandate for indoor public places throughout the county, in response to an increase in COVID-19 cases, positivity rate, the Delta variant, and new CDC guidance. 

The mandate takes effect at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 5 and applies to indoor public places, including restaurants and retail stores. Read the full order here.

Businesses will be required to post signs regarding this mandate. Signs are available at the Chamber office (421 W. 6th St, southeast corner of 6th and Rogers), at Monroe County offices on the square, and Downtown Bloomington Inc.

Indiana University has also reimplemented a mask mandate on all campuses for all students, staff, faculty and visitors effective Thursday, Aug. 5.

An analysis of first-floor commercial space in downtown Bloomington was the focus of a 2021 Capstone project by Indiana University O'Neill School students.

The report makes several recommendations, including:

• Improve wayfinding and access to public information downtown.
• Engage the student community downtown.
• Revitalize the courthouse square by incorporating more community space.
• Make the post-COVID recovery a community affair.

Read the full report here, or watch a presentation on the report here.

The Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute presented a report to Monroe County Commissioners about this area's climate resilience.

The Hoosier Resilience Index is a survey to help local governments understand how prepared they are for the impacts of climate change. The main impacts are increases in extreme heat and extreme precipitation. The most vulnerable populations, including low-income and minority residents, will be the first to feel the impacts, according to researchers Andrea Webster and Zach Richardson.

Watch the presentation at the commissioners' March 24 working session here. A written report is forthcoming.

Janet McCabe, director of  Indiana University's Environmental Resilience Institute, has been nominated to be deputy administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

​McCabe was nominated by the administration of President-Elect Joe Biden, and must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate. She previously served in the Obama administration as the EPA's acting assistant administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation.

McCabe is also a professor of practice at the IU McKinney School of Law at IUPUI. Read more about her background here.

Dawn Johnsen, an Indiana University law professor who is also married to Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton, was picked to be part of President-Elect Joe Biden's transition team.

Johnsen will serve on the Department of Justice agency review team, to review DoJ operations and plan for the upcoming transition of power. The 29-member team will also be responsible for reviewing the Federal Election Commission, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, the Commission on Civil Rights, the National Council on Disability, the U.S. Access Board, AbilityOne, the State Justice Institute and the Legal Services Organization.

Read an Indiana Public Media article about her appointment here.

The Hoosier Safe Six campaign, a collaboration led by the Chamber, kicked off a community-wide effort to keep Bloomington and Monroe County healthy, safe and open. The initiative was launched as Indiana University students return to town amid concerns of the spread of COVID-19.

​The campaign includes customizable graphics that businesses and organizations can use, a "real talk" roommate discussion guide, and the Hoosier Safe Six Pledge to support the community. 

The effort is a collaboration with the Chamber, Indiana University, Ivy Tech Bloomington, the City of Bloomington, Monroe County Health Department, Monroe County Community School Corporation and Richland-Bean Blossom School Corporation.