Good morning, Bloomington.

A busy Halloween weekend will start on Friday with downtown trick-or-treat from 5-8 p.m. and the Bloomington Book Festival running Friday through Sunday with local and national authors, while family events include Saturday’s Cider Fest at Bloomington Community Orchard from 1-4 p.m., a pumpkin launch at Monroe County Fairgrounds starting at noon, and a vendor market at Badknees & Bloomington Farm Stop.

Firefighters from Monroe Fire Protection District answered a report of a fire at Baker’s Junction Haunted Train late Wednesday and spent several hours clearing the blaze from a tool storage area at the 7800 block of South Fairfax Road—no injuries were reported and the attraction was not affected. Owner Johnny Baker said the Haunted Train will operate as scheduled on the next two weekends, Halloween, and the day after Halloween.

The Indiana University chapter of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity was placed on cease and desist on Tuesday for hazing and is suspended from all activities until further notice—official details were not released.

Palestinian musician Ramzi Aburedwan and his band Dal’Ouna performed a free concert Tuesday night at the Global International Studies Building, blending original songs with traditional tunes from Palestine and the Levant—IU students and professor David McDonald joined the stage to support cultural expression.

Indiana University expanded its free GenAI 101 course to its 805,000 alumni, who can now log in with their My IU accounts to learn essential generative AI skills.

More than 40,000 students, staff and faculty have already engaged with the self-paced course’s eight modules and 16 lessons on topics like prompt engineering—providing practical tools for today’s digital work environment.

Attorney Kris Cundiff accused Indiana University of violating the First Amendment by censoring the Indiana Daily Student after firing its adviser and cutting the print edition — he requested a meeting with administrators to discuss restoring editorial independence.

IU has formed a task force including students, faculty and experts, with members to be named by Nov. 3 to address the clash between business decisions and free press.

Bloomington city leaders are reforming permit processes to speed affordable housing projects and address homelessness while boosting local art and park improvements + aiming to draw new residents and strengthen the community.

The Trades District Block party on Nov. 7th from 5 to 8 will bring people together + showcase the city's push for innovation and quality of life.

Nearly 600,000 Hoosiers who depend on SNAP may not receive benefits in November if the federal shutdown continues—according to a USDA letter sent to the state agency.

State Rep. Gregory Porter has proposed transferring funds to cover the gap while food banks prepare for increased need.

Indiana football coach Curt Cignetti built a veteran team by adding 31 players from the transfer portal and boosting the program's reputation with enhanced facilities; the program upgraded Memorial Stadium with new turf and premium suites during the summer—steps that have changed the team's trajectory.

The Bloomington South boys cross country team will run at the Evansville Regional on Oct.

25 to earn a state finals spot, building on a steady performance at last week's sectional meet. Coach Larry Williams said the rebuilt team plans to keep its top runners together—focusing on depth and teamwork after losing key seniors.

Sports editor Austin Hough offered his forecasts for Indiana high school football state championship winners in classes 6A through 1A—he predicts Carmel will beat Brownsburg in 6A, New Palestine will win in 5A, Chatard will prevail in 4A, Evansville Memorial will top 3A matchups, Andrean will win in 2A, and Springs Valley will come out on top in a widely open 1A contest.

Palmer Ault, a senior forward for Indiana men's soccer and a MAC Hermann Trophy candidate, recorded three assists in a 4-1 win over Wisconsin on Tuesday at Bill Armstrong Stadium—his key contributions have helped the team win whenever he scores or assists.

Ault, who joined Indiana in December after three years at Butler, will feature in upcoming matches against Maryland, Northwestern and Rutgers.

The Vulgar Boatmen Concert

6:30-9:30 p.m. — The Orbit Room — Ticket prices vary — Enjoy an evening of live music with The Vulgar Boatmen in Bloomington.

Jeff Darren Muse at Bloomington Book Festival

4-5 p.m. — The Mill — Free entry — Celebrate literacy and engage with local authors as Jeff Darren Muse shares his journey and writings.

Junior Brown Concert

4-10 p.m. — The Bluebird — Ticket prices vary — Experience the unique sounds of Junior Brown, blending country, blues, and Hawaiian steel guitar.

The Castellows Live Performance

6:00 – 8:30 p.m. — The Bluebird — Ticket prices vary — Enjoy an evening filled with gospel and bluegrass melodies from The Castellows, a rising local music group.

Twitty and Lynn: A Tribute to Conway and Loretta

3-4:30 p.m. — Buskirk-Chumley Theater — Tickets required — Experience a heartfelt tribute as the grandchildren of Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn bring their grandparents' legendary country music to life.

IFS Informed EMDR Training

Nov 5-6 — IU Maurer School of Law — Registration required — A two-day training featuring EMDR through IFS lens with supervised practice exercises.

Darlin' Brando Concert Series

6-9 p.m. — The Orbit Room — $11.33 — Experience a night of live honky tonk music featuring Rikki Jean, Darlin' Brando, and West Fork Revival.

Jacobs Live at the Movies: The Wizard of Oz

2:00-3:30 p.m. — Indiana University Auditorium — Tickets required — Experience the timeless classic 'The Wizard of Oz' with live orchestral accompaniment from talented IU musicians.

Life Science Industry Workshop and Poster Session

11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. — Indiana Memorial Union — Free entry — Engage in learning and networking within the life sciences industry.

Vibration of Light Festival

6-9 p.m. — Switchyard Park — Cost info N/A — Experience a magical evening of cacao and sound healing for heart and spirit nourishment.