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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.

Pandemic notebook: Surge subsiding, but slowly

Pandemic notebook: Surge subsiding, but slowly

The current surge in COVID-19 case numbers seems to be past its peak statewide and in Monroe County. But IU Health south central region president Brian Shockney said on Friday that this one seems to be a little different from previous surges. That’s because hospitalization numbers are decreasing

Rumblings among Bloomington city council members about voting against 2022 budget

Rumblings among Bloomington city council members about voting against 2022 budget

Climate action, non-motorized transportation, and police pay are current sticking points between Bloomington’s city council and mayor John Hamilton, as the 2022 city budget process builds towards a mid-October council vote. At their committee-of-the-whole meeting on Wednesday, Bloomington city council members reviewed each of

Monroe County commissioners deny rezone for 125 single-family houses: “No matter what we do, people are going to be angry with us.”

Monroe County commissioners deny rezone for 125 single-family houses: “No matter what we do, people are going to be angry with us.”

A rezone petition for a 44-acre piece of land south of Bloomington’s current boundaries was denied on a unanimous vote of the three Monroe County commissioners at their regular Wednesday meeting. The rezoning, from estate residential (RE1) to medium density residential (MR), would have allowed around 125 single-

Bloomington mayor gets in last word on city council’s resolution about police pay

Bloomington mayor gets in last word on city council’s resolution about police pay

Despite opposition from mayor John Hamilton’s administration, on Sept. 8, Bloomington’s city council approved a resolution supporting $5,000 more in base pay for police officers. A “resolved” clause in Res 21-27 says in part that the city council “expresses its support for an increase to salaries

Reports of bad tasting Bloomington water continue, CBU says good taste will take a while to work its way back through pipes

Reports of bad tasting Bloomington water continue, CBU says good taste will take a while to work its way back through pipes

On Monday, reports of Bloomington’s tap water tasting and smelling bad continued to come into the city’s uReport system. One example: “The smell and taste of the water has been absolutely disgusting for at least three weeks. Has the cause been found yet? It makes me nauseated to

Water rate increase: Bloomington reaches settlement “in principle” with IU, other rate case opponents

Water rate increase: Bloomington reaches settlement “in principle” with IU, other rate case opponents

A planned water rate increase for Bloomington utilities (CBU) customers will likely be put in place as planned on Jan. 1, 2022. That was the big news out of Monday’s regular meeting of Bloomington’s utilities service board (USB). At Monday’s meeting, CBU director Vic Kelson told the

Convention center expansion talk picks back up: “People want to be together.”

Convention center expansion talk picks back up: “People want to be together.”

Two recent meetings of Monroe County officials featured renewed enthusiasm to start thinking again about the convention center expansion project. The downtown project, which Bloomington and Monroe County officials have been pursuing for a few years now, had hit yet another rough patch in early March 2020, just before the