Applications are open for this fast-track program designed to help local residents start information technology careers
0 Comments
The City of Bloomington is hosting its fourth annual Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 18, 2026, from noon to 3:30 p.m. at Switchyard Park, 1601 S Rogers Street. The event is free, family-friendly, and open to the public.
Busman’s Holiday and Peyton Womock will perform live music on the outdoor main stage. Attendees are invited to contribute to a sand mandala, a community art project led by members of Artists for Climate Awareness. The City’s Parks and Recreation Department will distribute free native tree seedlings on a first-come, first-served basis. BinaryHeart, a local group of Indiana University students, will be present to accept donations of computers, laptops, and tablets for refurbishment and redistribution to schools and underserved communities. Art for Earth Bloomington, a project of the Center for Sustainable Living, will sell donated art to raise funding for environmental nonprofit organizations. The event will also include food trucks, lawn games constructed from upcycled materials, an electric vehicle display, face painting, various freebies, and booths hosted by local environmental and sustainability organizations. Winners of the Environmental Commission’s 14th annual Linda P. Thompson Eco-Heroes Art Contest will be recognized on the main stage at 1:15 p.m between music sets. Submitted artwork will be on display inside the pavilion. Additional event details are available on the Earth Day 2026 event website bloomington.in.gov/sustainability/earthday. AI search tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews are changing how people find local businesses. A new file called llms.txt gives you a simple, low-effort way to help those tools understand your website — and describe your business accurately.
This post explains what it is, why it matters, and gives you a free fill-in template to get started. If you want to skip ahead to the template, jump to the bottom. The 2026 Downtown Activation Program is an ongoing City of Bloomington partnership, led by Downtown Bloomington Inc., that brings together outdoor dining, pop-ups, and seasonal events to support downtown activity. Outdoor dining, which begins today—Thursday, April 9, 2026—and runs through November 9, is the first seasonal activation to launch under the program. Kirkwood Avenue will continue to operate as a shared-street model, as called for in the Transportation Plan, allowing pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, and motorists to share access.
As part of the outdoor dining component, participating restaurants may install parklets. Parklets are small outdoor seating areas created from on-street parking spaces, expanding dining options while contributing to an active, welcoming streetscape. Participating parklet restaurants this year include:
Dynasty Haven, a locally owned home care provider serving Bloomington and surrounding counties, is highlighting the importance of safe recovery at home following hospital or rehabilitation stays.
Early in-home support can help reduce hospital readmissions and promote independence. Services may include fall prevention, medication reminders, mobility assistance, meal preparation, and monitoring for changes in condition. Dynasty Haven is currently accepting new clients and remains committed to providing reliable, relationship-driven care tailored to individual needs while staying engaged in the local community. DiscoverZzz's "Sleep Walk" series, starting May 2ndLaunch of DiscoverZzz's "Sleep Walk" series, starting May 2nd and open to all adults interested in sleep health. This article brings recognition to sleep challenge at all stages of life and encourages anyone, whether in a senior age group or not to consider joining the walk. Changing of Rhythms - Sleep as we AgeAging - perhaps the most natural part of life shared among all living things. It’s beautiful - to step back and see the timeless wisdom in the process, in our grandparents, in our neighbors, in the seniors in our community. And as we reflect back on life, however long it’s been for us so far, we can see just how quickly our bodies change; sometimes filled with resiliency and sometimes with fragility, the quality of our days often a product of our body’s ability to move, to socialize, to find gratitude, and to sleep.
Just as our height, weight, interests, and overall health fluctuate, as does how we experience sleep. In fact - how much sleep we need changes over time, starting with 14-17 hours per day as a newborn, 9-11 as a school-age child, 7-9 as an adult, and 7-8 as an older adult. While controversial among sleep scientists whether seniors really need less sleep, this fact goes unchanged: as we age, finding quality sleep becomes harder. What, you may ask, happens as we age that causes quality sleep to be less of a given? The simple answer is.. a lot. The City of Bloomington’s Commission on the Status of Children and Youth (CSCY) is accepting nominations for the 2026 SWAGGER Awards, which recognize local youth for positive contributions in their schools, neighborhoods, and community.
SWAGGER, which stands for Students Who Act Generously, Grow, and Earn Respect, celebrates young people who make a positive impact through acts of service and compassion, personal growth, and the ability to inspire those around them. Nominees must reside in Bloomington and may be nominated by educators, coaches, neighbors, friends, relatives, clergy, service providers, or anyone else familiar with the nominee’s character and growth. Nominations are open for youth in the following grade-level categories:
Results from the Parks and Recreation 2025 community survey show strong support for the City’s parks, trails, programs, and services, with 90% of respondents expressing a favorable opinion of the Department.
The survey, conducted in late 2025 with 405 Bloomington residents, asked community members about park usage, satisfaction, and priorities for future investment. The results represent a statistically valid sample reflecting a cross section of Bloomington residents, with responses weighted to match U.S. Census demographics. Residents reported high satisfaction with Bloomington’s parks, trails, and facilities, with average satisfaction scores above 8 out of 10 for overall experience, safety, cleanliness, and access. Bloomington’s trail system and major parks remain among the most widely used community assets. The B-Line Trail (73%) and Switchyard Park (69%) were the most visited locations in the past year, followed by Bryan Park (55%) and Griffy Lake Nature Preserve (48%). |
Check out our Chamber Members news on this blog!
Submit your news to the Chamber by the 10th or 26th of each month to be included in the bi-weekly Membership Matters emails. Archives
Archives
April 2026
Webpage Square Ad Banner spaces are available for members. Download our sizes and pricing sheet for more information by clicking the button below.
|