David Brent Johnson’s encyclopedic knowledge of jazz seems to have come from a lifetime of devotion to the music. But WFIU’s jazz director didn’t “see the light” until his 20s — while drinking coffee in a Kirkwood cafe. Michael G. Glab gets the story of this Bloomington legend in Big Mike’s B-town. Click here to read the full story.
A medication can lower the risk of contracting HIV by more than 90 percent in some people. But obstacles, including the cost of getting it and the stigma of using it, prevent some people from even trying. Writer Hayley Miller and photographer Nicole McPheeters report on how Positive Link is working to break down these barriers. Click here to read the full story.
Advocacy group Friends of Lake Monroe wrote a letter to Limestone Post in response to the article “Property Rights, Public Good, Campaign Contributions” by Susan M. Brackney. In the letter, they argue that the article did not go far enough to address the public’s need for clean water, among other issues. Read the entire letter here.
The plight of bees could also be the plight of the human race. When writer Erin Hollinden decided to start her own beehive, and save the world, she found plenty of support from a community of experts and other beekeepers. Read about how she got her hive humming here.
While Columbus’s architectural treasures have been admired for decades, it wasn’t until 2011 that the Miller House and Garden, designed by architect Eero Saarinen, opened for public tours. Writer Jenny Elig and photographer Adam Reynolds take us to the family home of J. Irwin and Xenia Miller — and inside the architectural jewel. Click here to read the full story.
Bev Knight’s collection of more than 400 varieties of azaleas started with a UPS delivery to a doctor. Now her family’s Azalea Path Botanical Garden and Arboretum is known nationwide for its woodland flowers (among other plants). Videographer Duane Busick calls the southern Indiana destination “a hidden patch of paradise.” Watch his video here.
“I think there are a lot of forces at work in our culture that divide us, and this show is a work of art that cultivates empathy in the most beautiful and moving way,” says Kate Galvin, Artistic Director of Cardinal Stage Company, about its season finale, Fun Home. The Tony Award-winning musical adaption of Alison Bechdel’s graphic memoir of the same name is a dark comedy Bechdel’s childhood in a family-run funeral home, her coming of age and coming out, and her relationship with her own closeted father. Click here to learn about the production, as well as Cardinal’s community programs for the show.
Block parties, summer fairs, art shows, theater, music, comedy, and festivals galore — these define a Bloomington summer. And that’s just the first weekend! Writer Benjamin Beane gets us going with a sampling of the events and activities on the first weekend in June. Click here to read the full story.
Single city blocks all over Bloomington generate more rooftop solar energy than the entirety of Indiana University’s Bloomington campus, says writer Matt Flaherty in this guest column. What’s most troubling, he says, is that IU’s “dollars-and-cents analysis of solar power is the fundamentally wrong approach for IU to take.” Click here to read the full story.
Discover the science of fermentation at WonderLab After Dark: Beers & Brews. The museum will be open late on May 18 for the 21+ crowd to explore the exhibits and visit with local brewers and yeast experts. Click here to learn more about the event (and some fun facts!) from Museum Educator, Jared Katz.
A family project of photographing Bloomington’s history became a mission for Derek Richey to preserve its past. Now he works with a fervor to preserve the houses that give our community so much character, because “that’s why people want to live in Bloomington,” he says in this profile by Michael G. Glab. Click here to read the full story.
A bill introduced in the Indiana House this year would have limited local governments’ ability to regulate such things as logging on private property, even if, for example, the logging threatened to damage Lake Monroe. But it isn’t just about private property vs. public good, writes Susan M. Brackney. Special interest groups and campaign finance play a role, too. Click here to read the full story.
Limestone Post is happy to announce our first print edition, an art magazine dedicated to local history and our community’s unique character. Limestone Post’s A Sense of Place: Calling Bloomington Home for 200 Years will arrive just in time for Bloomington’s and Monroe County’s bicentennial celebrations. This commemorative print issue will showcase a variety of creative local talent — with long-form articles paired with illustrations, photography, recipes, creative writing, and other artwork that reflect upon how our community has grown and changed over the years. Click here to read more about Limestone Post’s A Sense of Place.
Last year, IU research associate and policy analyst Luke Wood wrote an article in LP about a potential clash between Indiana’s moderate Republicans and the Trump administration. Now, with the Indiana primaries over, he looks at how the Trump era has affected Democratic politicians and voters in Indiana ahead of the 2018 midterm election. Click here to read the full story.
Getting the right gift for a mom on Mother’s Day is important. And finding it doesn’t have to be that hard. What would be better for Mom than a bouquet of flowers or a living plant? Writer Jared Posey finds out where to go, what to look for, and how to make it special. Click here to read the full story.