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NOTE: This news article featuring the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce's President & CEO, Eric Spoonmore, was originally published by Dave Askins from B Square Bulletin on Wednesday, March 4th, 2026.  A rate case field hearing is held in Bloomington city council chambers on the proposed rate increase for drinking water rates for City of Bloomington Utilities customers. (Dave Askins, Feb. 25, 2026) Drinking water rates for City of Bloomington Utilities (CBU) customers will be going up for all classes of customers, with an order expected later this summer.
That’s been known since late June last year, when CBU was holding discussions with Indiana University and Washington Township to develop the proposal. IU and the township had formally opposed CBU’s rate increase four years ago, which is why CBU had to have meetings with those two big customers this time around. IU and IU Health are also formally opposing the current increase. After Bloomington’s utilities service board adopted the proposed rate increase in early September, it was submitted to the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) for review. The IRUC docket for the case is a convenient online repository for all the filings as well as a schedule of important events, like the evidentiary hearing, to be held on April 30.
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NOTE: This news article featuring the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce was originally published by Janis Reeser from The Herald-Times on Wednesday, January 28th, 2026. The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce is launching a new health insurance option for its members.
The program, ChamberCare, is designed for small and mid-sized businesses and is available exclusively to chamber members. It offers competitive pricing, statewide provider access and enhanced customer service features, according to a community announcement. ChamberCare is a multiple employer welfare arrangement, or MEWA, available to businesses with two to 50 employees. It offers expedited claims, low-cost medications, affordable outpatient procedures and access to every major hospital and health system in Indiana through the TruConnect provider network. NOTE: This guest column article featuring President & CEO Eric Spoonmore, was originally published by The Herald-Times on Friday, November 28th, 2025. On Nov. 3, the Monroe County Council voted to reject the purchase of the North Park property between Bloomington and Ellettsville to construct a $230 million justice complex. The project included a new jail and sheriff’s department, nine new courtrooms with accompanying judges’ chambers and new offices for the prosecutor’s staff, county clerk’s staff and the public defender’s office.
While the proposal for North Park failed, one fact remains: County officials remain committed to the urgent need for, at minimum, a new jail. The existing facility is inadequate and no longer meets modern operational standards. A safe, humane, and functional jail is a critical component of a forward-looking justice system. Fortunately, there are viable and accessible sites near Bloomington where the county can construct a new facility that better reflects our community’s values. And while the jail itself does not need to be located downtown, all other justice-related services absolutely should remain there. NOTE: This news article featuring Senior Director of Government & Community Relations, Christopher Emge, was originally published by WFHB on Tuesday, October 14th, 2025.  Photo courtesy of the Herald Times. The Bloomington City Council met on September 30th. During the meeting, a proposal to name a section of Bloomington the “Stadium District” was introduced. The naming would be the area surrounding Miller-Showers Park. In today’s feature report, WFHB News Correspondent Katrine Bruner speaks with Co-Founder of Heartwork Brewing Aubrey Williams and Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce’s Christopher Emge about naming an area in Bloomington the “Stadium District.” She also features perspectives from residents of the area who pushed back against the proposal.
NOTE: This article featuring the Chamber's 4 Under 40 Award Winners, was originally published by Bloom Magazine in the October/November 2025 issue. 
NOTE: This media advisory featuring the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, was originally published by Indiana University on Thursday, October 9th, 2025.  The 2023 Futurecast panelists at the Indianapolis ArtsGarden in downtown Indianapolis. Photo courtesy of the Indiana University Kelley School of Business How will deregulation, artificial intelligence and U.S. tariffs affect economic growth and the rate of inflation in coming months? Will the Federal Reserve again cut rates, with some governmental data suggesting a softening labor market looming? Will the economic picture become clearer in 2026?
And how will the Indiana economy perform, in comparison with the nation? What will result from the state’s new economic development strategy? Economists at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business will address these and other questions during their Futurecast 2026 economic outlook tour, which begins Oct. 29 in downtown Indianapolis. They will present economic forecasts for the nation, Indiana and communities across the state. Beginning with the 8 a.m. event at the Indianapolis Artsgarden, panelists will provide insights on predicted trends in gross domestic product growth, inflation, interest rates, employment and industry. They will evaluate the most likely scenarios overall for businesses and factors that may shape both the economy and financial markets next year. NOTE: This news article featuring President & CEO, Eric Spoonmore, was originally published by Indiana Public Media by Ethan Sandweiss on Friday, September 12th, 2025.  Devan Ridgway / WFIU/WTIU News Just south of downtown on Walnut St., businesses and property owners say they’re losing business over problems caused by street homelessness. Despite the efforts of local government and nonprofits, some locals said they haven’t seen improvements. Ty Osborne grew up at Stahl Furniture. That’s no exaggeration — his father has managed the store since 1976 and bought it from Ray Stahl in the early 2000s.
“Now my son's the third in the business,” Osborne said. “He's third generation of Osbornes running the store, and I want to have a location where he's got a future, and where I've got a future.” That location, he said, isn’t in Bloomington. Just south of downtown on Walnut St., businesses and property owners like Osborne say they’re losing business over problems caused by street homelessness. Despite the efforts of local government and nonprofits, some locals said they haven’t seen improvements. “A lot of days we come to work, and we have to work an hour just to open up our front door with all the paraphernalia, food and clothing and bedding that's been left there,” Osborne said.
NOTE: This news article featuring Senior Director of Government & Community Relations, Christopher Emge, was originally published by WTHR Channel 13 by Ashton Hackman on Friday, September 12th, 2025.
Dubbed the "Stadium District," the Greater Bloomington Chamer of Commerce is working alongside the city of Bloomington to make it a reality.
Hoosier football fans are in full swing for another season and still hyped up after a historic 2024 season for Indiana.
City leaders are building off that excitement, launching a new district in the city at the area around Walnut Street, the SR 45/46 bypass, and 17th Street on the north end of Bloomington as visitors enter town from the north.
NOTE: This news article featuring President & CEO, Eric Spoonmore, was originally published by WRTV 6 by Taj Simmons on Tuesday, August 12th, 2025.
NOTE: This article featuring President & CEO, Eric Spoonmore, was originally published in Bloom Magazine's June/July Issue. |
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