Sign in Subscribe

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.

Homeless encampment in southwest quarter of Bloomington displaced, mayor on site for work

Homeless encampment in southwest quarter of Bloomington displaced, mayor on site for work

An encampment where reportedly up to a dozen people were living in the southwest quadrant of Bloomington was cleared Thursday morning by city staff from public works and the community and family resources department (CFRD), with police officers standing by. The land is city-owned property on the northwest corner of

Permanent sign for Inkwell made possible by Bloomington’s hearing officer

Permanent sign for Inkwell made possible by Bloomington’s hearing officer

Since fall of 2021, temporary banners have served as signage for Inkwell Bakery and Cafe’s second location at Woodlawn and Atwater avenues, on the southwestern edge of Indiana University’s Bloomington campus. Those banners can now be swapped out for permanent signs, based on Wednesday’s action by the

$375 for graphics work on TV election advertisement gets scrutiny from Monroe County commissioners

$375 for graphics work on TV election advertisement gets scrutiny from Monroe County commissioners

A $375 item for graphics work on a TV ad to promote voting in the 2023 municipal election drew some discussion from Monroe County commissioners at their first regular meeting of 2024 on Wednesday morning. It was not the dollar amount that they were concerned about. Getting the attention of

Local officials sworn in, Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson says, “It’s time to get moving.”

Local officials sworn in, Bloomington mayor Kerry Thomson says, “It’s time to get moving.”

Starting a few minutes after noon on New Year’s Day in Bloomington’s city hall, the mayor, city clerk, city councilmembers, and the Ellettsville clerk treasurer were sworn into office to start four-year terms. The chambers were packed, including the upper level, leaving some to stand in the lobby.

2024 Bloomington Polar Bear Plunge at Lake Monroe on New Year’s Day: A loonier time than usual

2024 Bloomington Polar Bear Plunge at Lake Monroe on New Year’s Day: A loonier time than usual

At 10 o’clock sharp, several dozen hearty souls launched themselves from the swimming beach at Lake Monroe Paynetown Recreation Area into the frigid waters of the reservoir. The annual New Year’s Day ritual—when the symbolic grime of the previous 12 months gets washed away by whatever curative

Column: Staring into the civic sun in 2024, the year of a solar eclipse

Column: Staring into the civic sun in 2024, the year of a solar eclipse

In 2024, the local civic cosmos could see some big changes, in the same year when a rare literal cosmic event will unfold. On April 8, a solar eclipse will briefly cast a shadow directly over the Bloomington area, turning daylight into gloam. (Yes, that is an awfully fancy word

Column: Who will be the next president of the Bloomington city council, and does it even matter?

Column: Who will be the next president of the Bloomington city council, and does it even matter?

If the 2024 edition of Bloomington’s city council can get through its first two calendar days without violating Indiana’s Open Door Law (ODL), that will be an improvement over the group that was sworn in four years ago. On Jan. 2, 2020, two days after taking office, the