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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.

Monroe County needs poll workers: “I’ve gotten to be such good friends with somebody in another party!”

Monroe County needs poll workers: “I’ve gotten to be such good friends with somebody in another party!”

Last Thursday’s meeting of the Monroe County election board included at least one newsy item: Election workers are still needed for the May 3, 2022 primary elections. Early in-person voting starts on April 5, which is just four weeks away. That makes the need to get enough workers

Photos: “There is syrup at the bottom of this hill !!!”

Photos: “There is syrup at the bottom of this hill !!!”

This weekend The B Square continued its relentless coverage of the maple syrup beat with a visit to Thomas Westgård’s sugar camp southeast of town. On Saturday, a day with clear skies that saw the temperature hit 75 F degrees, Westgård hosted a maple syrup workshop. Here’s what

Opinion | Dereliction of duty: When Bloomington city councilmembers abstain on $30-million votes

Opinion | Dereliction of duty: When Bloomington city councilmembers abstain on $30-million votes

On Wednesday night, Kate Rosenbarger and Steve Volan abstained on the vote granting a $30-million tax abatement for Catalent—but not because they had some financial conflict or even an appearance of one. The resolution passed with six votes in favor, one more than the five-vote majority it

Updated: [Governor rescinds emergency order] Mask mandate rescinded by Monroe County health board effective after March 3

Updated: [Governor rescinds emergency order] Mask mandate rescinded by Monroe County health board effective after March 3

Monroe County’s indoor mask order was rescinded on a unanimous vote of the Monroe County board of health at its Thursday afternoon meeting. The indoor mask mandate is no longer in effect after the end of March 3—at midnight between Thursday and Friday. The mandate is connected with

Catalent tax break gets just a 6-vote majority from 9-member Bloomington city council, but it’s enough

Catalent tax break gets just a 6-vote majority from 9-member Bloomington city council, but it’s enough

A six-vote majority on Bloomington’s nine-member city council was enough Wednesday night to grant pharmaceutical company Catalent a tax abatement in exchange for a capital investment of $350 million and 1,000 new jobs. The additional jobs would grow the pharmaceutical company’s local workforce by about

Conversion of building for in-person early voting: Contracts OK’d by Monroe County now total $109K

Conversion of building for in-person early voting: Contracts OK’d by Monroe County now total $109K

On Wednesday afternoon, the now vacant former NAPA building at the corner of 3rd and Walnut Streets showed little sign of its planned conversion for use as the location for in-person early voting for Monroe County. The first day of early voting is April 5. Primary Election Day is

Bloomington violated state, local law on historic preservation commission appointments

Bloomington violated state, local law on historic preservation commission appointments

In under two and a half minutes at its Feb. 16 meeting, Bloomington’s city council approved eight appointments to the city’s historic preservation commission (HPC). Abstaining on the vote were Dave Rollo and Ron Smith, who both said that they’d received such late notice of the proposed