Wednesday, March 19, marks the fifth anniversary of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. Five years ago, hundreds of us gathered around the Bloomington Courthouse Square, incredulous and devastated, when the bombs started falling on Baghdad.

On Tuesday, Feb. 19, House Bill 1117 passed the state Senate by a vote of 33 to 12, paving the way for Indiana Gasification LLC along with the rest of the utility industry to pass costs on to ratepayers without regulatory oversight.  “Any benefit homeowners might see this session from property tax relief would be taken away with passage of this legislation in the form of increased heating and electric bills.  Ratepayers should be outraged.

Geoff McKim, Democratic Candidate for County Council, will be holding a Campaign Kick-Off Event at the Monroe County Courthouse starting at 12PM on Monday, February 25, 2008. McKim will present his policy initiatives for the next County Council, including: an energy-efficiency plan for County Government, support for a diverse economy based on local business, and the creation of a County-wide stormwater utility to protect our water supply. McKim will also be available for questions. All are invited to attend.

Monroe County Councilwoman Sophia Travis today announced that she is seeking election to the Monroe County Board of Commissioners. "Nearly four years ago, the newspaper called me an 'idealist'," she said, "and I am proud of that. Now they can add another adjective: accomplished. I want to bring my experience now to the county's other governing body, the Commissioners."

Mark Stoops, Democratic candidate for Monroe County Commissioner District 2, condemns the Daniels administration's increased logging of local state forests.

"Against the public's wishes, the DNR continues to decimate our state forests for short-term gain. The current plan being pushed by Mitch Daniels will have increased logging to 10 times the past rate by next year, and would allow clear cut areas up to 10 acres in size, The damage to our local parks from logging in Morgan-Monroe and Yellowwood forests will take a century to undo" says Stoops.

Valeri Haughton, an attorney with the Monroe County Public Defender's office, filed a declaration of her candidacy for Circuit Court Judge - Seat 6, Court VII on Thursday, February 14th. "My experiences in the last two years have intensified my belief that I can make a constructive difference in the Monroe County Justice system."

Julie Thomas today announced her candidacy as a Democrat for the Monroe County Council at-large. "Monroe County has a unique character and is a strong and vibrant community," said Thomas, a small business owner and long-time County resident. "As the fiduciary body of County government, the County Council can play a large role in preserving - and building upon - the County's strengths."

Feb. 15, 2008 -- The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is conducting a series of regional summits designed to convince local educators to start drug testing students - randomly and without cause. This policy is unsupported by the available science and opposed by leading experts in adolescent health. The final summit of 2008 takes place on Tuesday, February 19, 2008, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel & Conference Center at Historic Union Station, at 8:30 a.m., downtown Indianapolis.

A coalition of ratepayer and environmental groups today challenged the state of Indiana's approval of Duke Energy's plans to build a massive new coal-fired power plant in Edwardsport, Indiana. The groups are also taking aim at Duke's CEO, Jim Rogers, who has been vocal about the need to curb global warming pollution, but has so far refused to commit his company to cut emissions.

The City of Bloomington's Environmental Commission and Commission on Sustainability, in partnership with EnergyPros, will present "Home Construction and Remodeling for Energy Conservation" on Monday, Feb. 18, 2008. The free, public seminar will take place in the Cook West Room of the Bloomington Convention Center, 302 S College Avenue, from 7-9 p.m.