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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 health board: Mask mandate to continue into November, tied to pandemic case numbers

Monroe County health board: Mask mandate to continue into November, tied to pandemic case numbers

Monroe County’s indoor mask mandate, for the vaccinated and unvaccinated alike, will continue into November and possibly even beyond—until the county’s positive COVID-19 case numbers drop to fewer than 50 cases per week per 100,000 residents. That was the unanimous vote of Monroe County’s

OK’d by Bloomington city council: Wheeler Mission rezone for program expansion, not bed number increase

OK’d by Bloomington city council: Wheeler Mission rezone for program expansion, not bed number increase

On a unanimous vote Wednesday night, Bloomington’s city council approved a rezone for a property owned by Wheeler Mission, so that its shelter beds can be shifted to a parcel that the nonprofit acquired in May of this year. In zoning district terms, the rezone is from mixed-use

Careers, not jobs: Bloomington Transit GM describes new bus driver contract

Careers, not jobs: Bloomington Transit GM describes new bus driver contract

On Tuesday night, Bloomington Transit’s five-member board approved a new four-year collective bargaining agreement with AFSCME Local 613, the bus drivers union. Under the new contract, for full-time fixed-route bus drivers in their third year of service, the hourly wage will increase from $19.69

County commissioner described as mocking county clerk, as tough talks on election space continue

County commissioner described as mocking county clerk, as tough talks on election space continue

Two local groups have issued statements about Zoom video-conference footage from a Monday meeting between county commissioners and the county election board, to discuss needs for physical space. “One of our commissioners openly mocked our elected county clerk on screen,” reads part of the statement from the Monroe County

Dissent from some social workers, as Bloomington’s national conference on police social work kicks off

Dissent from some social workers, as Bloomington’s national conference on police social work kicks off

On Monday, a bit after noon, a half dozen protesters gathered at the west entrance of the Monroe County convention center. They confronted Bloomington chief of police Mike Diekhoff as he arrived at the National Conference on Police Social Work. Diekhoff didn’t break stride as he entered the building,

Bloomington fire department’s top ISO score feted

Bloomington fire department’s top ISO score feted

On Friday morning, just outside the pavilion at Switchyard Park, Bloomington mayor John Hamilton and city council president Jim Sims undraped a new logo on the fire department’s Engine 5. The new design features the numeral “1” and the phrase “ISO Class,” to highlight the Bloomington fire department’s

Township trustee sues city of Bloomington over records requests about displacement of homeless encampments

Township trustee sues city of Bloomington over records requests about displacement of homeless encampments

Perry Township trustee Dan Combs has filed a lawsuit against the city of Bloomington. The suit demands that the city produce records related to decision making and the development of policies connected to displacement of homeless encampments in the last year. The lawsuit was filed Thursday evening. By midday on