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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.

Analysis | From transit, to climate, to basic services: A changing trajectory for Bloomington’s income tax proposal

Analysis | From transit, to climate, to basic services: A changing trajectory for Bloomington’s income tax proposal

An op-ed written by Bloomington’s mayor, Democrat John Hamilton, published Friday morning in The Herald-Times, tries to make a case for Bloomington’s city council to enact a quarter-point increase to the local income tax. The Friday morning op-ed by the mayor resurfaced the idea

County board of health turns recs into regs after university imposes quarantine on Greek houses due to “alarming” number of COVID-19 cases

County board of health turns recs into regs after university imposes quarantine on Greek houses due to “alarming” number of COVID-19 cases

Two and a half weeks ago, on Aug. 5, Monroe County’s board of health issued a set of recommendations for residential and communal living facilities, to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic virus. The recommendations also applied to Indiana University Greek houses. On Friday, the county

Committee gets more perspective on police as Bloomington city council weighs 2021 budget proposal to swap out sworn officers

Committee gets more perspective on police as Bloomington city council weighs 2021 budget proposal to swap out sworn officers

A Wednesday night meeting of the Bloomington city council’s standing committee on public safety put some new information about Bloomington’s police department in front of the four-member group. Committee member Isabel Piedmont-Smith told Bloomington police chief Mike Diekhoff, who was on hand to answer questions, “I

100th anniversary of women’s voting rights commemorated by Monroe County commissioners as COVID-19 uncertainties linger in fall election prep

100th anniversary of women’s voting rights commemorated by Monroe County commissioners as COVID-19 uncertainties linger in fall election prep

Aug. 26, 2020 was Women’s Equality Day in Monroe County. Making it so was a proclamation from Monroe County’s three county commissioners, which they issued at their regular weekly meeting on Wednesday morning. The occasion was the 100th anniversary of another proclamation, issued by U.S. Secretary of

Monroe Fire Protection District presents “massive” budget to county council

Monroe Fire Protection District presents “massive” budget to county council

On Tuesday night, Monroe Fire Protection District (MFPD) chief Dustin Dillard presented a 2021 budget to the county council that weighed in at just shy of $12 million. That’s better than three times the 2020 adopted budget, which totals around $3.7 million. But as Dillard put it, “It’

Bloomington’s proposed shuffling of engineering, parking would reverse, re-work similar move made in 2014

Bloomington’s proposed shuffling of engineering, parking would reverse, re-work similar move made in 2014

Part of last week’s 2021 budget proposal from Bloomington mayor John Hamilton might make some residents feel like it’s 2014 again. In early July of 2014, then-mayor Mark Kruzan got the city council’s approval for a re-organization of city departments that moved two divisions out

Fire protection in Monroe County to be a fully involved topic in coming weeks

Fire protection in Monroe County to be a fully involved topic in coming weeks

The Monroe Fire Protection District (MFPD) will be in the spotlight in the next few weeks and months. Two townships in Monroe County, Benton and Washington, are looking to join the district starting in 2022, in a process that’s now underway and could be in front of county commissioners