This is the WFHB Local News for Wednesday, May 20th, 2026.

In today’s newscast, you’ll hear Bloomington professor Dr. Linda Smith, warning parents of the effects of excessive screen time on youngsters. Learn more later in the show in a feature report.

Also coming up in the next half hour, “What Can You Do?” on Better Beware – your weekly consumer-watchdog segment on the WFHB Local News.

Bloomington formally closes road to unsafe Club House Drive bridge, as officials dispute ownership

By Dave Askins

The bridge on Club House Drive looking east towards SR 37 in Bloomington’s Lower Cascades Park. (Dave Askins, May 16, 2026)The city staff decision on an emergency closure of Clubhouse Drive in Lower Cascades Park, which leads to a failing bridge next to SR 37, was ratified through a resolution by Bloomington’s board of public works on Tuesday (May 19).

The bridge was closed last Thursday, after an inspection by Monroe County government found the span unsafe for vehicular traffic heavier than 5 tons. Earlier, city staff had placed a “5” over the “9” on the posted weight limit for the bridge, which was consistent with the recommendation in the inspection report.

But at Monday’s work session, city engineer Andrew Cibor told the board, “Five tons is not a very high weight limit, and a lot of vehicles exceed that.” Even with a limit posted at five tons, a lot of vehicles weighing over five tons would probably still drive over it. “Just to reduce that risk, we decided to close [the bridge],” Cibor said.

Director of public works Adam Wason indicated that the types of vehicles in question are fairly common, saying, “When we’re talking about vehicles that exceed five tons, that could be a truck with a lawn mowing business trailer on the back. That could be … some of the heavier duty pickup trucks … ”

At Monday’s work session, city attorney Audrey Brittingham framed the action as the board’s ratification of what staff had already done in the field under the board’s general authority over the public right of way in Title 12.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Brittingham drew a distinction between closing the road, over which the board of public works has authority, and closing the bridge, which the city is keen to stress it does not own and is not responsible for. Brittingham put it like this:

“The city is closing the road and not the bridge, because at this time … we don’t believe that we own the bridge, and that we have the authority to close the bridge. But … the board has the authority over the roads and the rights-of-way on either side of the bridge.”

Lingering in the background is a dispute between Bloomington and the Monroe County governments over who has responsibility for the repair and replacement of the bridge. At Tuesday’s meeting, James Roach called on the two local government units to sort out the situation. He put it like this: “I would encourage the city and the county to bring this to a conclusion as soon as possible, and I know that everyone will be doing everything they can to do that.”

That was the latest edition of B Square Bites – a collaboration between B Square Bulletin and WFHB. To read the full article, you can visit B Square Bulletin dot com and look for the headline: “Bloomington formally closes road to unsafe Club House Drive bridge, as officials dispute ownership.”

Bloomington residents criticize lack of traffic citations after injury crashes

By Kade Young

Photo by Jessie Grubb.The Bloomington Transportation Commission met on May 18th. One resident said she was struck by a pickup truck while crossing at College Mall Road and Covenant Drive in December 2025. She criticized the police department for not issuing a moving violation.

“You can make the safest streets possible, make the best speed limits, put your infrastructure in place, but if the police don’t enforce the law, that’s my beef,” said the resident.

She continued, saying she didn’t appreciate Police Chief Mike Diekhoff’s reaction to the situation.

“The police don’t enforce the rules of the community. It’s like playing a board game without rules, but with much greater consequences,” she said.

Her speaking time expired; however, a motion was made to allow her to finish her statement. She said traffic enforcement changes driver behavior.

“If the ticket is given, it has the person who caused the problem have some skin in the game for the community having to send out the emergency response group,” she said.

Another local resident Paul Rousseau said he was seriously injured in a 2024 crash involving a vehicle.

“I was struck by a car and thrown up over the hood and nearly killed. I was waiting at a stop sign at East Third Street and Heritage,” said Rousseau. “It was a life-changing injury.”

Rousseau said the driver was never cited for a moving violation nor tested for drugs or alcohol.

“None of that was done. The driver wasn’t even cited,” he said.

Commission Member Mark Stosberg said he doesn’t see these as isolated incidents.

“We have not just isolated incidents, but a pattern of vulnerable road users being struck by motorists when it was clearly their fault,” said Stosberg.

No formal vote was taken. Transportation staff said additional intersection safety improvements remain under evaluation.

The next regular session of the transportation commission will take place on June 8th.

Featured Segment:

(Photo courtesy of the National Institutes of Health).A researcher at Indiana University is warning parents of the effects of excessive screen time on youngsters. When kids spend most of their time staring at phones, tablets, TV and computers, what happens to their brain? Correspondent Ethan Poto has that story in a feature report produced in partnership with The Media School at Indiana University.

Up next, “What Can You Do?” on Better Beware – your weekly consumer-watchdog segment on the WFHB Local News. We turn to host and producer Richard Fish for more.

Credits:
You’ve been listening to the WFHB Local News,
Dave Askins produced B Square Bites.
Today’s headlines were written by Kade Young, in partnership with Cats – Community Access Television Services.
Today’s feature story on the physics of play was produced by Ethan Poto in partnership with The Media School at Indiana University. Theme music by Ethan Poto.
Better Beware is produced by Richard Fish.
Our theme music is provided by Mark Bingham and the Social Climbers.
Engineer and Executive producer is Kade Young.
Anchors are Ben Sharpe and Aidan Verde.