Ivy Tech IT students demonstrate their knowledge, earn scholarships, and network with employersMore than 100 students got the chance to show off their information technology (IT) skills and meet with local tech employers Friday at the 2025 IT Challenge presented by Google and hosted by the School of Information Technology at Ivy Tech Community College.
“Google’s support of Ivy Tech and our students comes at a time when our IT programs are growing, our student enrollment is growing, and career opportunities in IT in Indiana are in high demand,” said Mike Bottorff, Vice President, School of Information Technology. “We appreciate the support and the exposure a major employer like Google can give to our students in a hot career market today.” At the Challenge event Friday, Ivy Tech students demonstrated their IT knowledge by competing in real-world challenges, showing what they have been learning in their classes, and having a chance to earn scholarships.
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Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI) seeking input on Quality of Place in Monroe County11/10/2025 Below is a link to a short survey from Regional Opportunity Initiatives (ROI) seeking input on Quality of Place in Monroe County. It’s just one page and only takes a few minutes to complete. ROI plays a key role in driving community and economic development across the Indiana Uplands, your feedback helps support that important work.
We want to hear from you! This short survey will help us understand what makes Monroe County a great place to live and work — and how we can improve. Your input will inform our Quality of Place & Workforce Attraction Plan, which will include strategies for improving amenities, services, and workforce support for current and future residents. It only takes a few minutes, and your answers will make a difference! Express is excited to announce our Food Drive benefiting Hoosier Hills Food Bank, and we’d love for you to join us in making a difference! 📍 Drop-off Location: 333 E. Winslow Rd., Bloomington, IN 47401 🗓️ Date: November 5th – December 5th 🕒 Time: Anytime Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM We invite you to gather non-perishable food items to help fight hunger in our community. If it’s easier for you, we can schedule a time to pick up your donations and deliver them to Hoosier Hills Food Bank on your behalf.   Everyone is invited to attend Hope for the Holidays presented by IU Credit Union, the seventh annual holiday tree festival and charity auction to benefit New Hope for Families, November 17–19 at Switchyard Park Pavilion in Bloomington.
Attendees will see more than 50 unique and festive holiday trees decorated by local businesses, organizations, groups and families. In addition to all the lights and tinsel, visitors can enjoy free cookies and cocoa, holiday music, and live performances. Santa will make an appearance on Tuesday. This family-friendly event is free to attend and open to the public. “I remember seeing the poster promoting the Hope for the Holidays tree festival years ago and I knew I wanted to be a part of it,” said Betsy Smith, co-chair of this year’s tree festival. “It's an amazing community event filled with generosity and creativity from local individuals and businesses coming together.”  The Monroe County Capital Improvement Board is excited to provide the latest project update on the Bloomington Convention Center. Along with the City of Bloomington and other community partners, our goal is to keep you informed throughout the process until we are ready to open in January 2027. Please see the attached for construction highlights as well the latest on the 1% for the Arts. We appreciate you sharing the information with others to help with lines of communication. For construction/ site question, please contact Construction Manager, Weddle Bros. Building Group, LLC, Attn: Andrew Scere at 812-214-2900 The Monroe County Capital Improvement Board maintains an updated website to view renderings and follow the progress at MonroeCIB.com.  As families prepare for the holiday season, locally owned home care provider Dynasty Haven is encouraging the community to make this time of year safer, more comfortable, and more connected for aging loved ones.
Through its Holiday Haven initiative, Dynasty Haven is offering personalized in-home support to help seniors maintain independence and joy during the holidays, from assistance with daily routines and meal prep to companionship, light housekeeping, and wellness check-ins. The team's mission is simple: to ensure no senior feels alone or overwhelmed during the holiday season. Dynasty Haven also provides "Meet Your Caregiver" visits before services begin to ensure comfort and compatibility for every family served. Families and facilities interested in learning more about Dynasty Haven's Holiday Haven services can reach out for personalized options: [email protected] or (812)-369-4076 Finkbiner previously served as senior director of business operations at the University of Texas at San Antonio, and is back at Ivy Tech, where she started her professional career Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington has named Chera Finkbiner as vice chancellor of finance. Finkbiner previously served as the senior director of business operations at the University of Texas at San Antonio where she served as the lead for finance and budget and led a shared services team providing services for administrative and executive offices, capital projects, real estate, facilities, and campus operations.
Finkbiner has returned to Ivy Tech Bloomington, where her professional career began. She started as the front desk clerk and is an Ivy Tech alumnae. “It’s incredibly meaningful returning to Ivy Tech, where I began my career in higher education, truly a full-circle moment. As a graduate, I know firsthand the transformative power of an Ivy Tech education,” Finkbiner said. “It changed my life and opened doors for me to earn my bachelor’s and master’s degrees and grow my career in higher education. I’m thrilled to be back in Bloomington and look forward to contributing to the community in a positive and impactful way.”  City of Bloomington City-Wide High-Speed Fiber Internet Project on Track for 2026 Completion11/4/2025 The City of Bloomington’s fiber initiative—a partnership with Meridiam/mStreet Fiber to bring high-speed internet to all of Bloomington—is more than 50 percent complete, putting the project on track for completion by the end of 2026. This marks a significant milestone in the initiative, one of the most substantial construction projects in the city’s history.
Project construction in public rights-of-way has been on pause since the beginning of the 2025 due to the business collapse of AEG, the project's primary construction contractor. Activity has picked up in recent weeks as mStreet Fiber has worked to remediate lingering AEG issues and bring nearly-complete zones online.
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