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Why the B Square Bulletin was retired by Dave Askins

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Bloomington, Indiana – Dave Askins, 60, is a bespectacled man with a beard that resembles a wizard. He enjoys local politics and bird photography. In addition, he oversaw the B Square Bulletin for more than five years.

B Square served as Bloomington’s main news source, particularly for matters pertaining to the county and city governments. After a half-decade of stories, 90-hour workweeks, and seemingly never-ending committee, council, and board meetings, Dave released his final report for the website on December 20, 2024.

Everything got to be too much. He declared that he did not think his journalism would help the problematic local administration in Bloomington.

Throughout its lengthy meetings, he found himself holding his head in his hands. Over nine hours was the longest Dave had ever sat through.

He described it as “all-consuming.” “No weekends. No vacations.

Local officials, however, have expressed regret over his passing. Now that the burden is off of Dave, it’s unclear what he will do next or what the county will do.

In 2018, Dave traveled to Bloomington to be with his wife, Mary Morgan.

She was still in Ann Arbor, Michigan, when he left Pierre, South Dakota, where he had been working for a newsroom, after realizing he didn’t want to be so far away.

They agreed to meet in Bloomington, where they had first connected while graduate school in the 1990s.

He had a hard time finding a work. Dave was aware that his resume lacked emphasis, direction, and clarity. He was rejected when he applied for a position at the Herald Times.

He created his own website as a result of taking issues into his own hands.

The downtown square, where the letter “B” stands for Bloomington, is where the B Square Bulletin earned its name. Dave claimed that the “whimsical” nature of the name appealed to him.
He knows what the wacky are like. He interviewed residents for his Teeter Talk blog while he was a resident in Ann Arbor. The catch? He built a teeter-totter in his lawn, and he would only consent to interview individuals if they sat on it. He would photograph his subject from below the board.

Dave invited a wide range of folks. Many would want to be interrogated on solid grounds and to be exempt from the regulation, but he refused. Even council members were not immune to the teeter totter.

Teeter Talk became so well-known that Dave started selling ads to place on its website. The business aspect of things didn’t appeal to him. Nevertheless, he managed to get an advertisement for the lumber company where he had purchased a plank to construct his teeter totter.

Along with Morgan, he managed the Ann Arbor Chronicle website. He let her do the advertising for the site, taking a hands-off attitude.

Dave remarked, “I simply detested that task.” For this reason, B Square Bulletin operated on a donation-based business model. According to him, on average, 462 donors contributed around $3,000 a month to the work.

He claimed to be “old and tired,” notwithstanding his love for Bloomington and its residents. There is a certain finality to his farewell post, even though he claimed that there was no “particular symbolic value” to the moment of his departure. He has no intention of going back.
He would often ask Morgan out loud what the purpose of his 90-hour work weeks and the “dysfunctional” processes of local government was.

He would ask, “Are these people nuts?” She would respond, “There are assholes everywhere.”
Although Dave acknowledges that every local government has problems, he has had enough of this one.

Some people are concerned about what will happen to local government coverage now that B Square is coming to an end. His passing is mourned by certain local officials.
The years of reporting won’t disappear, though. The Monroe County Public Library is considering archiving every article written by Dave. He claimed he doesn’t mind paying for the website until its preservation is assured, even though that process might be difficult.
It’s also important to note that B Square is retiring, not Dave.

Dave isn’t sure where he will find a job reporting, but he plans to remain in Bloomington. He has no specific plans.

He is currently trying to overcome the urge to film the city council or go to public meetings while enjoying his free time. On his Facebook profile, he shares images of birds, coffee, cocktails, cookies, and AI-generated films of famous people.

 

 

 

 

 

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