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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 hits $160K in food and beverage tax distributions for COVID-19 business relief, looks for approval of another $200K

Monroe County hits $160K in food and beverage tax distributions for COVID-19 business relief, looks for approval of another $200K

At their regular Wednesday morning meeting, Monroe County commissioners authorized another $95,500 in support of COVID-19 relief for tourism-related businesses outside the city of Bloomington. Nine business received grant awards ranging from $2,500 to $23,000. That adds to the total of $68,352 they approved

Monroe County imposes hiring freeze, assessor says half of all assessed property value could vanish due to COVID-19 “disaster” claims

Monroe County imposes hiring freeze, assessor says half of all assessed property value could vanish due to COVID-19 “disaster” claims

At the county council’s work session held Tuesday night, Monroe County assessor Judy Sharp sketched out one possible dire impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: Half the assessed value of property in the county could disappear. The assessed value is the figure on which city, county, school and other

Seven in-person polling locations set for June 2 primaries in Monroe County as election board says: Please vote by mail

Seven in-person polling locations set for June 2 primaries in Monroe County as election board says: Please vote by mail

On Tuesday at noon, at the the fourth continuation of a meeting that was initially convened on April 2, Monroe County’s election board approved the use of seven in-person polling sites for the June 2 primary election. At Tuesday’s meeting, one of the sites was still not

Initial talk on 2021 Bloomington budget to come at Wednesday’s “budget advance” meeting, could include sidewalks

Initial talk on 2021 Bloomington budget to come at Wednesday’s “budget advance” meeting, could include sidewalks

Bloomington’s city council will be meeting on Wednesday next week (April 29) for its annual “budget advance.” It’s a part of the planning process for the mayor’s development of the budget for the city’s next fiscal year. The city’s fiscal year coincides with the calendar

Little 500 notebook: Cutters are the only team

Little 500 notebook: Cutters are the only team

The 70th edition of the Little 500 would have be run today at Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. But it was cancelled over a month ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic, like so many other events across the country. The storied bicycle race this year would have featured

Monroe County election board girds for June 2 in-person primary balloting, but all voters to receive applications to vote by mail

Monroe County election board girds for June 2 in-person primary balloting, but all voters to receive applications to vote by mail

Monroe County’s election board is preparing for the upcoming June 2 primary election by promoting the no-excuse absentee voting option that the state’s election commission has enacted just for this year’s primary. The June 2 date is a postponement from the originally scheduled May 5 primary.

Column: “Breaking Away” sometimes means taking a delightful detour

Column: “Breaking Away” sometimes means taking a delightful detour

[Note: The Little 500, the bicycle race at the center of the 1979 movie “Breaking Away,” has been cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was scheduled to be run on Friday (women’s) and Saturday (men’s) this weekend.] Last July, I managed to arrange a