Noon Edition

Indiana Public Media
  • 5.0 (2)
  • NEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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

  1. 6D AGO

    How to keep Bloomington growing in uncertain economic times

    Indiana University has been the backbone of the Bloomington economy for some time, helping the community avoid the hardships other cities have faced.  But due to funding cuts at the state and federal levels and changes to the property tax laws in the state, that is no longer the case.  Layoffs at Indiana University have continued into 2026. And Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical giant in town, recently announced 400 layoffs. Add in the high cost of living in the city and Bloomington’s economic outlook looks a little bleak.  Read more: Private businesses will bolster Bloomington after IU cuts  Last year, wages in Bloomington fell by 6.2 percent. Statewide, they grew by 5.6 percent.  And in its 2026 Futurecast, the Indiana Business Research Center at IU predicted a less than 1 percent growth for Bloomington and the surrounding area this year.  A market research survey ranked Bloomington below Lafayette and South Bend in “salary and income, job market strength, quality of life and amenities, and industry presence.”  Read more: Bloomington at a crossroads, with urgent need to grow the economy  Former Bloomington mayor John Fernandez, now the CEO of Amplify Bloomington, said the city needs to lean into its quality of life and amenities. But, he said, the city needs to invest in attracting and retaining the 25- to 50-year-old workforce.  On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll be discussing issues impacting Bloomington’s economic outlook and what can be done to ensure a healthy, growing economic forecast going forward.   Guests  John Fernandez, CEO, Amplify Bloomington Carol Rogers, Director, Indiana Business Research Center Eric Spoonmore, Executive Director, Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce

    53 min

  2. APR 24

    The inspiration behind the Oscar-winning movie 'Breaking Away'

    This year marks the 75th anniversary of the men’s Little 500 bicycle race at Indiana University.  Billed as “The World’s Greatest College Weekend,” more than 25,000 people pour into Bloomington for the numerous events leading up to Saturday’s 200-lap, 50-mile men’s race at Bill Armstrong Stadium.  Little 500 is also synonymous with the 1979 movie “Breaking Away,” a coming-of-age tale of four Bloomington “cutters” trying to find their place after high school graduation in a college town. They end up competing in – and winning – the Little 500.    The movie was written by Indiana University grad Steve Tesich, a member of the winning 1962 Phi Kappa Psi team the film is loosely based on. “Breaking Away” was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, with Tesich taking home the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.  READ MORE: ‘Breaking Away’ celebrates 40th anniversary  Dennis Christopher starred in the lead as Dave Stohler, a cycling enthusiast obsessed with Italian racers. That character was based on Dave Blase, who was on the bike for more than half the 1962 race for Phi Kappa Psi. The character’s name was a combination of Blase and team manager Bob Stohler.  Tesich died in 1996 at the age of 53, but his little film about the biggest college weekend in Bloomington remains a must-see.  On this week’s Noon Edition, we'll talk with members of the 1962 Phi Kappa Psi team that was the inspiration behind the Oscar-winning movie, Breaking Away.  Guests Dave Blase, member, 1962 Phi Kappa Psi team John Odusch, member, 1962 Phi Kappa Psi team Rich Burns, member, 1962 Phi Kappa Psi team Bob Stohler, manager, 1962 Phi Kappa Psi team

    53 min

  3. APR 17

    What environmental issues are Hoosiers facing this Earth Day?

    It’s been almost 56 years since the founding of both the Environmental Protection Agency and the first Earth Day in response to public outrage about pollution. A lot's changed since then, with several pieces of landmark legislation passed to protect the water, land, and air of the USA. Over the past year, big changes have been made at the federal and state level to weaken or eliminate existing environmental regulations. On this week’s Noon Edition, we talked with environmental policy experts about the key environmental issues facing Indiana and the United States, from data centers to water pollution, and what environmental deregulation means for Hoosiers. Guests:  Kerwin Olson, Executive Director of the Citizens Action CoalitionChristian Freitag, Executive Director of Conservation Law CenterDavid Van Gilder, Senior Policy and Legal Director of the Hoosier Environmental CouncilJanet McCabe, Former deputy administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency

    52 min

  4. APR 10

    What's behind the planned merger of Ellettsville, Richland Township?

    Last week, a reorganization committee comprised of members of the town of Ellettsville and Richland Township presented a draft plan on how to merge the two governing bodies into one entity. The two governments began exploring the merger last November. The goals are to help avoid stringent Monroe County zoning codes, give residents a bigger voice in local government and mitigate lost property taxes due to changes in the last state budget. Read more: Draft plan complete for Ellettsville-Richland reorganization The draft could receive some pushback from the Town Council, where two members were critical of the selection process for the reorganization committee. Ultimately, the plan will be voted on by residents in November when it will be a referendum on the ballot. Read more: Reorganization subcommittee reports On this week’s Noon Edition, we'll talk with Ellettsville and Richland Township leaders about the proposal to merge the two governing bodies into one entity and what it would mean for residents of the town and county. GuestsWilliam Ellis, Ellettsville Town Council, Ward 2Mike Farmer, Ellettsville Town ManagerKevin Farris, Richland Township representative, Reorganization CommitteeJill Thurman, Director, Greater Ellettsville Chamber of Commerce

    52 min

  5. APR 3

    COTA celebrating 40 years, National Donate Life Month

    April is National Donate Life Month, a time to raise awareness of – and encourage people to sign up for – organ donation. It’s also the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Children’s Organ Transplant Association in Bloomington. COTA’s mission is to “help children and young adults who need a life-saving transplant by providing fundraising assistance and family support.” It’s raised more than $160 million since opening in 1986. Last year, COTA paid out more than $4 million to help with transplant expenses. According to Donate Life Indiana, “more than 1,000 Hoosiers are among more than 100,000 Americans waiting for lifesaving organ transplants. In the U.S., another person is added to the transplant waiting list every eight minutes. Each day, 16 people die because a donated organ wasn’t available in time.” On this week's Noon Edition, we’ll talk about the history of the Children’s Organ Transplant Association, its mission, and what it’s like to be the family of a donor and a recipient. GuestsRick Lofgren, CEO and president, COTASuzanne Seiders, Board member, COTA and parent of child recipientLisa Vanderkleed, Parent of child donor

    52 min

  6. MAR 20

    How to get that perfect lawn and garden ready for this summer

    Friday is the first day of spring, which means Hoosiers will begin spending time on their lawns and in their gardens. And while there’s still likely to be overnight freezes and the ground may not be quite ready, now is the time to prepare for questions such as: When is the best time to plant? What grows well in shade and what needs full sun? How do I prepare the soil, and how much should I mulch? What should I be doing this time of year, and how do I even get started? On this week's Noon Edition, we’ll talk with lawn and garden experts about what grows best in Indiana, when is the best time to plant and what it takes to maintain that perfect lawn and garden. GuestsRamsay Harik, Deep Roots Landscape DesignDorothy Kiser, Monroe County Master GardenersMeagan McKim, Bloomington Valley Nurs

    52 min

  7. MAR 13

    What to make of shortened session at the Indiana statehouse

    The Indiana general assembly wrapped up a shortened session at the end of last month. It may be remembered more for what didn’t get passed than what did. The session was called into order early in December with governor Mike Braun – at the behest of President Trump - urging lawmakers to redraw the state’s U.S. House district maps in order to gain a 9-0 advantage for the GOP. A new map easily passed in the House, but failed by a large margin in the Senate. Read more: Backlash intensifies after Senate kills redistricting push Braun did get several bills passed that were priorities for Republicans. Among them were ones that mandated local government cooperation with federal immigration detainer requests; criminalized street homelessness; banned cell phones in schools; and required poorly performing townships to merge. There were also a number of lesser bills that flew under the radar and made it to the governor’s desk to be signed into law. Read more: Cheers to these less heralded bills On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll discuss this year’s general assembly session, bills that made it – and didn’t make it – to the governor’s desk and what’s in store for next year’s session. Join us on the air by calling 812-855-0811 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.  GuestsNiki Kelly, Editor, Indiana Capital ChronicleLaura Merrifield Wilson, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of IndianapolisKaitlin Lange, Government and politics editor, Indianapolis Star

    52 min

  8. MAR 6

    The U.S. is involved in another war in the Middle East

    The U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran is less than a week old and has enveloped multiple countries in the Middle East. And while the U.S. said it has decimated Iran’s air force and navy, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth cautioned the war was still in its “early” days. Why the U.S. attacked Iran has been open-ended question. After originally touting an imminent threat of attack from Iran and regime change, the White House Tuesday said its reasons for the campaign were: destroying Iran's missile capabilities; annihilating Iran's navy; preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons; and ensuring the regime can't continue to arm, fund or direct "terrorist armies" outside its borders. While acknowledging Iran was a bad actor on the national stage, Democrats have called the U.S.’s attack illegal, saying only Congress can declare war. They’ve also said they’ve seen no justification for the military action. Sen. Mark Waren of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told CNN, “This is still a war of choice that has been acknowledged by others was dictated by Israel's goals and timelines.” On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll discuss the on-going conflict in the Middle East, what a post-war Iran could look like, the U.S.’s standing in the region and the impact of the war on Iranians here in the U.S. Join us on the air by calling 812-855-0811 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.  GuestsHussein Banai, Associate Professor of International Studies, Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, Indiana UniversityBabak Seradjeh, Professor, Department of Physics, Indiana UniversityLadan Shojaei, Ph.D. Student in Mathematics Education, Indiana University

    52 min
See All (959)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

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
    959
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023
  • Show Website
    Noon Edition

You Might Also Like