From the news director: H-T's 8 staff members published 1,673 news items in 2023
The end of the year is a good time to take stock of what we accomplished and recognize how we added value to our families, our communities and the space we occupy in the world. I am extremely proud of the staff of The Herald-Times. It certainly has felt like our contribution to Bloomington's news landscape has been under especially intense scrutiny and criticism this year.
Whether it was closing out the Monroe County History Center's "Breaking the News" display with (as Dave Askins adroitly observed) "only bearded men" representing the future of local news, WFIU's uninspiring rehashing of widening news gaps, or Bloom Magazine's acidic overview of "Where to get the news," your H-T staff has taken a beating from our friends in media this year.
Despite the negativity, and in spite of the fact we are an eight-person newsroom, the H-T reporters and photographer produced journalism you can't find anywhere else and broke stories no other media outlet in town was following. I am taking this opportunity to highlight just some of the information the H-T brought to you first, and in many instances exclusively, in 2023.
In January, we explained why local residents were seeing more coyotes, reported that Loogootee, Indiana, would have its first pride celebration, explained how politics and privilege play a role in deciding where to install stop signs, and reported Edgewood's football coach was resigning.
In February, we first told you about invasive jumping worms, shared photos from John Mellencamp's performance at IU Auditorium, reported that IU's basketball jerseys honored Black History Month, and brought you an inspiring story about a former IU bus driver turned inventor.
In March, we shared the story of the Carolina dogs rescued from a hoarding situation, explained controversy at Bloomington High School North regarding a litter box experiment, told you about Dr. Schmalz retiring from Monroe Hospital, and related how raising grad worker pay at IU could result in fewer paid positions.
In April, we took a look at what IU's comprehensive plan says about the next seven years, we watched the body camera footage of a man who jumped to his death in front of police officers, and told you about Monroe County's rejection of a proposed winery and Ellettsville's demolition of a man's illegal artistic structures.
In May, we explored what artifacts had been unearthed at Spring Mill State Park, reported Cook Medical was reducing its workforce, told you about the number of experienced employees leaving the Monroe County Health Department, and revealed the city of Bloomington had changed its policy regarding extending sewer outside city limits.
In June, we reported IU's plan to demolish more on-campus student housing, reported the local Catalent plant was eliminating more jobs, explained why Earthkeepers was shutting down, and took you inside the ideas that drove one Mitchell man to participate in the Capitol riots.
In July, we reported that the IU Foundation was tearing down the old Yogi's location, introduced you to the new owners of Lennie's, and shared Mary Craft's story. Craft is a Gosport great-grandmother denied the chance to see her great-grandson in foster care. We're happy to report, thanks to our story and her persistence, Craft now has regular video calls with Tyler and can send him mail.
In August, we told you what the failed opening of a local restaurant looked like from the employees' perspective, asked whether the Indiana attorney general's opinion on Delta-8 was a threat in Monroe County, debunked bad statistics reported by several outlets indicating Bloomington was Indiana's poorest city, reported that a Tri-North student went missing for seven hours, pried open news about a suicide at the Greene County Jail, and introduced you to the people behind Bloomington's newest brewery.
In September, we revealed a proposal to breathe new life into the eastside former Marsh, explained the likely cause of a fireball captured on doorbell cameras, pulled back the layers on what happened with IUPD Chief Jill Lees and a civil lawsuit IU settled over a parking fee; we told you about the city's monolith design and reported on the community reaction to it, and shared a woman's concerns about safety on the B-Line Trail after she was mowed down by a bicyclist with no brakes.
In October, we relayed the story of a man and woman lost in the Hoosier National Forest for three days, reported a judge had sided with Monroe County in Joe Huff's ongoing litigation to try to build a home on the shores of Lake Monroe, brought attention to a MCCSC proposal to align high school schedules, and asked what Jennifer McCormick actually did for MCCSC under her 3-year consulting contract. (McCormick was in town recently to campaign but did not accept our invitation to explain exactly what she did for MCCSC.)
In November, we reported on a plane crash that killed a local entrepreneur, brought you the story of Larry Clay's descent into homelessness, and revealed a pathway for the Kohr building to be developed into affordable apartments.
In December, we examined Curt Cignetti's reaction to being labeled a villain, reported MCCSC's proposal to combine elementary schools to address socioeconomic disparities, reported on Scott Bless's decision to retire as North's football coach and shared the story of one man who tracked his stolen bicycle to Switchyard Park.
The eight staff members of The Herald-Times newsroom posted more than 1,673 new stories, videos and photo collections to our website in 2023, despite being without an IU sports reporter for half of the year and without an IU news reporter for several months. We also work with freelance writers and photographers to bring you even more local coverage.
I'm wrapping up this year impressed with what your H-T newsroom staff did to make our community more informed, better equipped to make decisions, and be engaged in civic life. I am also optimistic about the "future of local news" in Monroe County and am actively working to improve it. You can help by making a donation to the local news fund at the Community Foundation of Bloomington-Monroe County here: https://shorturl.at/bevx9
Jill Bond is news director for The Herald-Times. Reach her at jbond@heraldt.com.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Stories Herald-Times reported first and often exclusively in 2023
