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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.

IU law professor Dawn Johnsen, wife of Bloomington mayor, tests positive for COVID-19

IU law professor Dawn Johnsen, wife of Bloomington mayor, tests positive for COVID-19

In a news release issued late morning on Friday, the city of Bloomington announced that Dawn Johnsen, a law professor at Indiana University and married to John Hamilton, mayor of the city, has tested positive for COVID-19. The test result was received Thursday, April 9, according to the release.

A peek under the hood of the ISDH COVID-19 data dashboard as Indiana’s health department preps to release race data

A peek under the hood of the ISDH COVID-19 data dashboard as Indiana’s health department preps to release race data

At Thursday’s daily press briefing on the COVID-19 public health crisis, Indiana governor Eric Holcomb recited some numbers with literally biblical proportions. Holcomb led off quoting Matthew 18:20: “It says, ‘For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I.'” Holcomb added,

Public funds OK’d for Bloomington private sector impacted by COVID-19: $2M by city council, $500K by urban enterprise group

Public funds OK’d for Bloomington private sector impacted by COVID-19: $2M by city council, $500K by urban enterprise group

In a unanimous vote on Tuesday night, Bloomington’s city council took its final step towards making $2 million in food and beverage tax revenues available for economic relief of businesses impacted by COVID-19. That step was the enactment of an appropriation ordinance. The money is to be distributed

Bloomington Transit still on path to April 21 decision on optimized routes for fall, service continues under COVID-19 curtailments, diminished ridership

Bloomington Transit still on path to April 21 decision on optimized routes for fall, service continues under COVID-19 curtailments, diminished ridership

In January, Bloomington Transit’s board got some good news. The 3.16 million rides taken on fixed route buses in 2019 reflected a 1.75-percent increase over the total from 2018. It was the first year-to-year increase since 2014, after four straight years of decreases. But

Column | Supporting Bloomington’s Comedy Attic staff during the COVID-19 shutdown: A matter of civic pride

Column | Supporting Bloomington’s Comedy Attic staff during the COVID-19 shutdown: A matter of civic pride

Last summer, right when I started putting a full effort into reporting for The Square Beacon, Bloomington’s city council took its summer break. For six weeks, from the second half of June, through the end of July, the city council didn’t meet. That’s normal. What isn’t

Bloomington city council looks to maintain normal legislative pace for assigning emergency powers to mayor

Bloomington city council looks to maintain normal legislative pace for assigning emergency powers to mayor

Now added to the agenda of next Tuesday’s meeting of Bloomington’s city council is an ordinance that’s designed to provide some additional administrative powers to the city’s mayor, John Hamilton. The additional powers are meant to provide some flexibility for the city’s executive to act

Column | Buskirk-Chumley, Function Brewing: Two signs of life in downtown Bloomington

Column | Buskirk-Chumley, Function Brewing: Two signs of life in downtown Bloomington

For the last week or so, the marquee of the Buskirk-Chumley Theater on Kirkwood Avenue in downtown Bloomington has featured a quote from Mr. Rogers—some advice to young children about looking for the helpers. Helpers are now in demand, of course, because of the impact everywhere of the