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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.

Photos: Hawk eats dove

Photos: Hawk eats dove

On Friday afternoon, The Beacon left the climate strike at city hall early to walk over to the county courthouse for the meeting between county and city officials about the convention center expansion. It’s been a contentious issue. Along the way, a Cooper’s hawk was spotted with a

Monroe county election board looks ahead to 2020 after imposing one fine, waiving two others, finding no violation of electioneering law

Monroe county election board looks ahead to 2020 after imposing one fine, waiving two others, finding no violation of electioneering law

Members of Monroe County’s election board met Thursday afternoon to review some logistical issues related to elections in 2020 and to wrap up some loose ends from this year’s municipal elections in Bloomington. The loose ends included late filings by three candidates of their campaign finance forms (CFA-

UDO Update: Height limit for residential single-family stays 40 feet, multi-family use still permitted in multi-family zones, parking maxes same

UDO Update: Height limit for residential single-family stays 40 feet, multi-family use still permitted in multi-family zones, parking maxes same

Bloomington’s city council dispatched with 20 more amendments to the updated unified development ordinance (UDO) on Tuesday night. That brought the total to almost 60 since the council started convening some sessions in mid-November dedicated only to UDO amendments. Voted down by a tally of 2–6–1

Union head on police contract OK’d by city council: “I would be remiss if I told you the members were happy about it.”

Union head on police contract OK’d by city council: “I would be remiss if I told you the members were happy about it.”

Bloomington police officers now have a contract with the city for the next three years, through the end of 2022. The four-year deal, approved by the city council on Wednesday night, stretches back to the beginning of 2019, when the current contract expired. Officers have been working this year

Monroe County commissioners want convention center deal done sooner than end of year, Bloomington city council OKs revised food and beverage tax request

Monroe County commissioners want convention center deal done sooner than end of year, Bloomington city council OKs revised food and beverage tax request

Some increased pressure on Monroe County’s board of commissioners and Bloomington’s mayor generated some activity on Wednesday, if not progress, on the question of the stalled convention center expansion project. In a week, it likely will be easier to tell how much of the activity counts as progress.

Vote postponed on Bloomington request for food and beverage tax money, opens week-long window for possible progress on convention center expansion

Vote postponed on Bloomington request for food and beverage tax money, opens week-long window for possible progress on convention center expansion

[Note: The timeline at the end of this piece has been updated to include links to documents released at the Wednesday, Dec. 4 meeting of the Monroe County board of commissioners.] On Tuesday afternoon, the food and beverage tax advisory commission (FBTAC) voted to postpone for a week Bloomington’s

Opinion: Hey, Bloomington city council, got time for better bus routes?

Opinion: Hey, Bloomington city council, got time for better bus routes?

In January 2020, the next edition of Bloomington’s common council will take office. The first law passed by the new nine-member local legislature should be called the “Last Call Public Transit Time Ordinance.” The new law would require that city council meetings end before the last public bus