Noon Edition

Indiana Public Media
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Noon Edition is a weekly radio program inviting your participation on news and issues facing the southern and central Indiana community

  1. Aug 21

    How to move forward with cuts to SNAP, Medicaid programs

    The One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 is projected to reduce Medicaid enrollment by 7.5 million people. That includes more than 340,000 in the state of Indiana. That equates to an 18.5% drop in Medicaid in the state that ranks among the steepest in the country. It’s put stress on hospitals – particularly in rural areas -and healthcare providers to take care of uninsured patients in the state. Another four million people have lost access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits as a result of the bill, including roughly 92,000 in Indiana. Read more: Medicaid and SNAP cuts will harm students and local economies The impact hits hard on school children in the state. According to the Indiana Department of Education, fewer than half of the one million children eligible for free meals at school are getting them. That’s because in Indiana, more than two thirds of the schools eligible for the federal meal service program opted out this year. Indiana ranks 47th in the nation for participation in the program. Read more: Cuts to SNAP, Medicaid could impact free school meals at high-poverty schools On this week’s Noon Edition, we'll explore how federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid are affecting local individuals and families struggling with food insecurity.  GuestsJulio Alonso, Executive Director, Hoosier Hills Food BankTim Clougher, Assistant Director, Community Kitchen of Monroe CountyErin Macey, Director, Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute

  2. Aug 14

    How to address affordable housing in Bloomington

    The impending demolition of around two dozen apartments at Seminary Pointe has shined the spotlight on the lack of affordable housing in Bloomington. The low-rent apartments are on property that will be developed as part of the Bloomington Convention Center expansion. Advocates offered various ideas to save the apartments, but they have been cleared for demolition as soon as Oct. 1. Read more: Group offers deal for Seminary Pointe, convention hotel One of two proposals for a hotel near the convention center includes plans for an apartment complex at the Seminary Pointe site that would include 27 low-cost units to replace those being torn down. The Redevelopment Commission will decide on which proposal to accept next month. One area the city is planning for low-income housing is in the Hopewell Neighborhood. But that project has been slow moving. Planned five years ago on the site of the old Bloomington Hospital, no new homes have been built. Read more: Hopewell South passes city council unanimously However, earlier this year, the city council OK’d a planned unit development that allows for up to 98 affordable homes on small lots in one section of the neighborhood. That’s about three times more than what the usual zoning would allow. And in January, Mayor Kerry Thomson proposed changes to make it easier for low-income residents to become home owners, and in February, the council also approved changes to the Unified Development Ordinance that increased incentives for building low-income housing. Read more: Mayor proposes change to make more lower-income residents homeowners But affordable housing continues to be one of the big issues facing Bloomington residents and officials. On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll talk about the state of affordable housing in Bloomington and efforts by the city to address the issue. Join us on the air by calling 812-855-0812 or toll-free at 1-877-285-9348. You can also send questions for the show to news@indianapublicmedia.org.   You can also record your questions and send them in through email.  GuestsMayor Kerry Thomson, (D) BloomingtonAnna Killion-Hanson, Director, Bloomington Housing and Neighborhood DevelopmentBryce Greene, Organizer, Bloomington Democratic Socialists and Bloomington Homes For All!Nathan Ferreira, Executive Director, Bloomington Housing Authority

  3. Aug 7

    How to address the challenges of rural health care

    Rural Hoosiers already face obstacles in getting health care. There are counties that face shortages of doctors and nurses, treatment facilities or are located in health care deserts. Two counties bordering Monroe - Brown and Owen – don’t have hospitals. Others have had to scale back services. Read more: Greene County hospital to end labor, delivery services Rural Hoosiers are also more likely to have higher risk factors such as higher rates of smoking, high blood pressure and obesity. Coupled with higher rates of poverty and fewer options for health care, it presents even more challenges for those needing care. That access only gets harder with cuts to Medicare and changes to Medicaid. Read more: Americans begin to lose Medicaid under Trump's work rules On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll discuss the financial and staffing issues for rural hospitals and the challenge of treating those in need in health care deserts. GuestsChris Lunsford, Director, Owen County Emergency Medical ServicesBrenda Reetz, CEO, Greene County General HospitalDr. Robert Stone, Palliative Care Physcian, IU Health

  4. Jul 31

    What to expect at this year's Taste of Bloomington festival

    The Taste of Bloomington returned last year after a five-year hiatus and was, by all accounts, a resounding success. But that success led to some changes this year. Around 20,000 people attended last year’s event along the Kirkwood Ave. cooridor, leading to crowd congestion on the street and around vendor areas, and a lot of trash to deal with. So, this year, organizers are expanding the footprint of the festival and tweaking the layout of vendors to provide more space. They’re also moving the kid’s area from People’s Park to inside at the Monroe County History Center. There will also be more vendors this year – 75 compared to 50 last year – and a third music stage added at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Read more: Taste of Bloomington website The festival will run from 3 to 10 p.m. And, like last year, all food will cost $5 or less. On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll talk with the festival organizer and vendors about what they learned last year, changes coming this year and what food and drink will be available. GuestsBob Costello, Owner, Village Deli and Soma Coffeehouse and Juice BarJordan Davis, Organizer, Taste of Bloomington and General Manager, The Chocolate MooseMike McAfee, Executive Director, Visit BloomingtonRachel Wiehe, Owner, Weirdough Cookie Co.

  5. Jul 24

    MCCSC entering new school year amid tighter budget, new laws

    A new Monroe County Community School year starts on August 5. One of the big changes this year will be a ban on students having access to cell phones during the school day. It’s the result of a new state law that does not allow students to access personal wireless devices, such as phones, smartwatches and tablets. Parents decried the new law, citing the inability to check in with their children in case of an emergency. But last month, the school board adopted the new rule. Read more: Despite concerns, MCCSC board passes state-mandated student cellphone policy The corporation continues to deal with the fallout from 2024’s Senate Enrolled Act 1, which reduces property tax revenue for public schools and requires sharing with charter schools. The loss of funding forced MCCSC to lay off 61 food service, health aide, and custodial employees last year. It also froze teacher salaries and did not fill some open positions. Read more: MCCSC board gives financial update, discusses changes to cellphone policy Following the implementation of a fiscal plan by the corporation, MCCSC says it has turned a projected $30 million deficit by 2030 into a projected $35 million surplus. The corporation is also facing a decrease in student enrollment. There were just under 10,000 students last year. Over the next 10 years, that number is projected to drop to around 8,500. And all of these changes come at a time when artificial intelligence is changing the landscape of education. Read more: Teachers worry AI is impacting students' critical thinking On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll discuss new and ongoing issues facing Monroe County students, parents, teachers and administrators with a new school year set to start in a couple weeks. GuestsErin Cooperman, President, MCCSC Board of TrusteesJenny Noble-Kuchera, President, Monroe County Education Association

  6. Jul 17

    What’s next for those losing their temporary protected status

    Following a Supreme Court decision in June that the president had the authority to end the Temporary Protected Status program, the Trump administration is ending protections for immigrants from more than a dozen countries. Read more: Trump can begin deportations of Syrian, Haitian TPS holders, Supreme Court says Now, hundreds of thousands of immigrants living and working in the U.S. legally will lose that protected status and could face deportation. More than a half dozen countries have already had their TPS ended, others are set to expire by this fall. Protected status for more than 330,000 displaced Haitians ends next week. The Temporary Protected Status program was passed by Congress in 1990 to allow eligible migrants to live and work in the U.S. if it was too dangerous to return to their home countries due to natural disasters, armed conflict or other circumstances. But many of those losing status and being sent back to their home countries may be encountering just those conditions. On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll discuss the benefits of having Temporary Protective Status, what losing it will mean, and the role of immigrant support groups at a time when immigrants are under increasing political and social threats. Guests Elizabeth Dunn, Professor of Geography at IU BloomingtonGurinder Kaur, CEO of Immigrant Welcome CenterArwa Ghalawan, Syrian American Community Advocate

  7. Jul 10

    With public camping now illegal, what's next for Monroe County's unhoused population?

    Indiana's Senate Enrolled Act 285 went into effect July 1. The new law prohibits camping, sleeping, or sheltering long-term on publicly owned land without permission. If unhoused people don’t move into a shelter or diversion program with 48 hours of being given a warning, they can be charged with a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. Read more: A cop, a homeless man, and a provider: The street view of new state law’s consequences At the same time, local organizations dedicated to fighting homelessness and providing services to unhoused people are making major steps to expand and create new paths towards permanent housing and long-term stability. Read more: Homelessness initiative would offer year of subsidized rent On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll discuss the short and long-term impacts of the new state law, the current state of homelessness response in Monroe County, and what the future looks like for organizations that provide services for unhoused people in Bloomington and beyond. Guests:Reverend Forrest Gilmore, Executive Director at Beacon, Inc.Mary Morgan, Executive Director of Heading Home of South Central IndianaBrian Giffen, Homelessness Response Coordinator with the City of Bloomington.

  8. Jul 3

    Celebrating America's 250th birthday during a time of divide

    On Saturday, the United States will celebrate its 250th birthday. In towns and communities across the nation, Americans will gather to honor the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, when the 13 colonies announced their split from Great Britain. And over the past 250 years later, those 13 colonies grew to 50 states and the United States has become one of the world’s superpowers. Read more: Indiana going all out to celebrate America’s 250th birthday Indiana University has a number of events scheduled this summer to commemorate the anniversary. An exhibit at the Lilly Library titled, “The Declaration of Independence: The Motives, The Moment,” looks at how the colonies reached the point of insurrection. Watch: WFIU’s The State of Inquiry Podcast: America 250 And, the nation’s capital is celebrating with a two-week long “Great American State Fair” on the National Mall. But like most events over the past decade or two, claims of its politization have driven a wedge into the celebration. But for some, the celebration of the country’s 250th birthday has turned into more of a wake. Read more: America turns 250. Not everyone is celebrating On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll discuss America's 250th anniversary - if we're living up to the revolutionary ideals, how today's cultural wars fit in the country's history, how we’re celebrating the Fourth this year and why some may not feel like celebrating. GuestsErika Dowell, Executive Associate Director, IU’s Lilly LibraryLeslie Lenkowsky, Professor Emeritus, IU School of Public and Environmental AffairsCarl Weinberg, Retired Teaching Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences at IU Bloomington

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About

Noon Edition is a weekly radio program inviting your participation on news and issues facing the southern and central Indiana community

Information

  • Creator
    Indiana Public Media
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    975
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023
  • Show Website
    Noon Edition

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