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Dave Askins

Dave Askins

Bloomington, Indiana

Dave Askins is editor and publisher of The B Square Bulletin. A Hoosier native with a background in math and linguistics, he previously co-founded the Ann Arbor Chronicle with his wife, Mary Morgan.

ACLU lawyer tells Monroe County officials: 300 beds for new jail is not enough

ACLU lawyer tells Monroe County officials: 300 beds for new jail is not enough

Leading up to a Sept. 16 public hearing on an increase to the jail LIT (local income tax), ACLU attorney Ken Falk has sent a letter to Monroe County officials telling them that 300 beds for a new jail in Monroe County is “clearly an inadequate number.” Falk is the

CIB heads to Sept. 16 public meeting on convention center design with updated Big City concept

CIB heads to Sept. 16 public meeting on convention center design with updated Big City concept

At its Wednesday meeting, Monroe County’s capital improvement board (CIB) got updates on two main fronts, in its effort to complete an expansion of the Monroe Convention Center by the end of 2026. The expansion of the center is planned for the spot east of the current facility, across

Murals to be painted on traffic calming circles west of downtown Bloomington

Murals to be painted on traffic calming circles west of downtown Bloomington

Five traffic calming circles in a neighborhood just west of downtown Bloomington will have murals painted on them this fall. At its regular Tuesday meeting, Bloomington’s board of public works approved the street closings required for local artist Erin Tobey to paint the murals at five intersections in the

Short term rentals boost innkeeper’s tax revenue, Bloomington mulls impact on housing supply

Short term rentals boost innkeeper’s tax revenue, Bloomington mulls impact on housing supply

The impact of short-term rentals in Bloomington came up as a topic in two separate public meetings on Monday, and could factor into more conversations among public officials before the end of the year. Short term rentals (STRs) are the kind of accommodations provided by companies like Airbnb and Vrbo.

Campus notebook: Weekly free speech vigil at IU Bloomington, long-time activist hosts Sunday edition

Campus notebook: Weekly free speech vigil at IU Bloomington, long-time activist hosts Sunday edition

For the third week in a row, at 11 p.m. on Sunday night (Sept. 8), a crowd gathered for a candlelight vigil at Indiana University’s Sample Gates, where Kirkwood Avenue dead ends at the western edge of the Bloomington campus. The vigil has been organized to protest a

Analysis: Bloomington’s living wage to hit $16.22 an hour in 2025, but work like video services is left out

Analysis: Bloomington’s living wage to hit $16.22 an hour in 2025, but work like video services is left out

In 2025, Bloomington’s “living wage” will reach $16.22 an hour. Of that $16.22, up to $2.43 can be in the form of health insurance offered to a covered employee. The increase in 2025 will boost Bloomington’s living wage by $0.47 an hour (about 3

Monroe County sheriff seeks dismissal of Indiana AG action on immigration policy, calls lawsuit ‘baseless’

Monroe County sheriff seeks dismissal of Indiana AG action on immigration policy, calls lawsuit ‘baseless’

This past Wednesday (Sept. 4), Monroe County sheriff Ruben Marté filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit that was brought by Indiana attorney general Todd Rokita, over the sheriff’s policy for dealing with immigration status. The policy applies to “immigration and/or citizenship status of suspects, offenders, witness(es)