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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.

Bloomington city council includes memory of BearCat purchase in COVID-19 emergency powers for mayor

Bloomington city council includes memory of BearCat purchase in COVID-19 emergency powers for mayor

At its Wednesday meeting, Bloomington’s city council approved an ordinance that gives the city’s mayor and controller more flexibility to act in the context of an emergency, like the current COVID-19 pandemic, without following standard procedures or existing laws. One of the amendments to the ordinance, adopted

Bloomington: $550K in COVID-19 small business relief loans awarded so far using food and beverage tax proceeds, about $250K already distributed

Bloomington: $550K in COVID-19 small business relief loans awarded so far using food and beverage tax proceeds, about $250K already distributed

In a press release issued Wednesday afternoon, the city of Bloomington announced that a total of $550,700 has now been approved in loans to 22 businesses that applied for COVID-19 relief funds. The city currently has a pool of $2.5 million to draw on for loans to

Monroe County commissioners OK $68K in first round of COVID-19 relief funding, using food and beverage tax proceeds

Monroe County commissioners OK $68K in first round of COVID-19 relief funding, using food and beverage tax proceeds

Ten Monroe County business owners outside the city limits of Bloomington will be getting an email sometime Wednesday with an agreement for COVID-19 relief grant funds. Once the agreements are signed, the county auditor’s office will be able to cut checks to the businesses. A total of $68,

COVID-19 means Bloomington Transit holds most new routes in limbo, gives hazard pay to drivers, still looks on sunny side

COVID-19 means Bloomington Transit holds most new routes in limbo, gives hazard pay to drivers, still looks on sunny side

At its meeting on Tuesday night, Bloomington Transit’s board voted unanimously to approve just one of the new routes that had emerged from a study done by a consultant last year. The collection of newly designed routes, optimized to increase readership, was presented to the public at meetings held

County-level COVID-19 perspective includes Bloomington mayor’s negative test

County-level COVID-19 perspective includes Bloomington mayor’s negative test

On Monday, the city of Bloomington issued a press release announcing the city’s mayor, John Hamilton, had tested negative for COVID-19 after having flu-like symptoms. Current testing protocols don’t yet include people who are asymptomatic except for first responders and health care workers. The city had

Polling place consolidation, ballot application mailing mulled by Monroe County election board

Polling place consolidation, ballot application mailing mulled by Monroe County election board

At an emergency work session held Monday morning, Monroe County’s three-member election board took some initial steps towards implementation of the in-person primary elections described in Friday’s order by the state’s election commission. Two key strategies are part of Monroe County’s plan deal with

Bloomington Transit board likely to put off decision on new routes, delay implementation until January 2021

Bloomington Transit board likely to put off decision on new routes, delay implementation until January 2021

At its next scheduled board meeting on April 21, the Bloomington Transit (BT) board is likely to postpone a decision on new routes for the public transit agency, which were originally planned for implementation in August of this year. The staff’s recommended postponement is based on the impact of