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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.

Electronic meetings statute stops vote on $5.8M bond issuance by Bloomington parks board

Electronic meetings statute stops vote on $5.8M bond issuance by Bloomington parks board

The final approval of $5.8-million in general obligation bonds appeared on Tuesday’s agenda for Bloomington’s board of park commissioners. It did not get a vote, because only two of the four park commissioners were attending the meeting in person. A special meeting will be scheduled so

Analysis: Bloomington city council to take up local income tax increase again this Wednesday

Analysis: Bloomington city council to take up local income tax increase again this Wednesday

The sole item on this Wednesday’s special meeting of the Bloomington city council is a proposal to increase the countywide income tax by 0.855 points, which would bring Monroe County’s total rate to 2.2 percent. Bloomington mayor John Hamilton re-floated the idea of a local

Monroe County campaign finance: 4 races, 17 candidates, $115K

Monroe County campaign finance: 4 races, 17 candidates, $115K

Primary Election Day is May 3. One limited measure of how much support candidates have among voters is the amount and range of financial contributions to their campaigns so far. For the 2022 election season in the state of Indiana, pre-primary campaign finance forms were due at noon last

COVID-19 pandemic notebook: Cases have bumped up a bit, hospitalizations still low

COVID-19 pandemic notebook: Cases have bumped up a bit, hospitalizations still low

The number of COVID-19 cases in Monroe County was up last week, but they might be showing signs that they’re settling back down. That’s the word from the state’s Monday dashboard update, and confirmed to The B Square by Monroe County health administrator Penny Caudill. Hospitalizations

[Updated] Two shootings overnight, potential connection still unknown: Bloomington police seeking information

[Updated] Two shootings overnight, potential connection still unknown: Bloomington police seeking information

Bloomington police are investigating two early-Saturday shootings within two blocks of each other in downtown Bloomington. [Updated at 5:44 p.m. on May 2, 2022: Bloomington police announced on May 2 that an arrest was made that day in connection with the Kalao shooting.] [Updated at 5:23

Photo: Hawk perched on top of courthouse wishes Monroe County a Happy Earth Day

Photo: Hawk perched on top of courthouse wishes Monroe County a Happy Earth Day

Early Friday afternoon, a red-tailed hawk perched for a minute on top of the Monroe County courthouse weathervane in downtown Bloomington. It could have been surveying the work that’s being done to renovate the Alexander Memorial on the southeast corner of the square. Or it might have been

Striking IU grad student instructors pedal a lap through Bloomington’s downtown

Striking IU grad student instructors pedal a lap through Bloomington’s downtown

Around 12:45 p.m. on Friday, about 60 bicyclists pedaled north on Walnut Street past the Monroe County courthouse with printed signs affixed to their machines that said, “ON STRIKE For Union Recognition.” The chanted slogans like “What do we want? Union! When do we want it? Now!” They