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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.

5 of 15 provisional ballots accepted by Monroe County election board for Nov. 7 election

5 of 15 provisional ballots accepted by Monroe County election board for Nov. 7 election

The 15 provisional ballots reviewed by Monroe County’s election board on Friday at Election Central were not enough to affect the outcome of any of the races, not even the MCCSC referendum, which passed on a narrow 108-vote margin. But the work of the board on Friday still

Bloomington BZA denies resident’s appeal of citation for backyard parking, storage violations

Bloomington BZA denies resident’s appeal of citation for backyard parking, storage violations

Parked in Joe Davis’s backyard at 530 S. Washington Street are three vehicles and a trailer that have various materials stacked on them. Stacked outside in other places in the backyard, and on Davis’s front porch, are more materials. The city of Bloomington contends that the conditions at

Bloomington mayor-elect asks current mayor not to make strategic choices impacting beyond year’s end

Bloomington mayor-elect asks current mayor not to make strategic choices impacting beyond year’s end

With six weeks left before she is sworn into office, Bloomington mayor-elect Kerry Thomson has sent a letter to outgoing mayor John Hamilton asking him to “refrain from making any strategic or discretionary decisions which will impact beyond December 31, 2023.” The letter was dated Nov. 14, exactly a

Clash over role of future Monroe County jail transition director, possible post-holiday resolution

Clash over role of future Monroe County jail transition director, possible post-holiday resolution

At their regular Wednesday morning meeting, Monroe County commissioners approved two additional studies of the Thomson PUD property, which is currently being considered as a potential new jail site. A Phase 2 environmental study, as well as a wetlands delineation, are both to be done by VET Environmental Engineering, for

Judge reverses Bloomington BZA on variance for downtown condos, orders re-hearing at next meeting

Judge reverses Bloomington BZA on variance for downtown condos, orders re-hearing at next meeting

Monroe County circuit court judge Emily Salzmann has reversed last year’s decision by Bloomington’s board of zoning (BZA) to deny a variance for a proposed development on what is now a surface parking lot west of the CVS building on Kirkwood Avenue. Developer Randy Lloyd’s Cutters Kirkwood

Burn ban due to dry conditions: Monroe one of 16 Hoosier counties

Burn ban due to dry conditions: Monroe one of 16 Hoosier counties

For the next week, Monroe County, Indiana is under a burn ban, declared by board of county commissioners president Penny Githens. The news was released by Justin Baker, who is deputy director of Monroe County’s emergency management agency. The ban went into effect at 4 p.m. on Monday,

Column: How will Bloomington’s 2024 city council build its meeting agendas?

Column: How will Bloomington’s 2024 city council build its meeting agendas?

It is sometimes useful to contrast Indiana’s General Assembly with a local city council, even though there are obvious differences. What they have in common is the fact that they are the legislative branch for their respective levels of government. At Saturday’s 2023 Indiana NOW State Conference, state