2021

Get Ready, Company is Coming: Muncie, DWNTWN Gear Up for Busy IRONMAN Weekend

By Vicki Veach— MUNCIE, Ind. — Join the City of Muncie, Muncie Downtown Development, Muncie Visitors Bureau, Muncie Sports Commission and Horizon Convention Center the weekend of Sept. 30–Oct. 2 as they welcome IRONMAN Indiana to Muncie. The city anticipates roughly 3,500 athletes and their supporters (upwards of 9,000 people total) in Muncie over the course of the weekend. The triathletes can compete in the 70.3-mile race or the full IRONMAN, which is 140.6 miles. “The economic impact of the…

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John Carlson: Another Burnin’ Ring of Fire

By John Carlson— The other day I put together our new fire pit. “Honey!” I called out, alerting Nancy when I was finally finished. “I’m bleeding like a stuck pig out here!” These days, that is how I often alert Nancy to the fact I am finished with any minor home improvement project I foolishly undertake. This is because I am both a monumental klutz, and suffer from a neurological disorder commonly known as “handyman dyslexia.” Being a monumental klutz,…


Celebrate the 44th Annual Old Washington Street Festival, Sept 18th and 19th

By Matthew Lowe— MUNCIE, Ind.—The Old Washington Street Festival returns for its 44th iteration this Saturday and Sunday, September 18th and 19th. A mixture of the past and present of the East Central Neighborhood, The Old Washington Street Festival combines the antiquity of the Emily Kimbrough Historic District with a dash of modern flare. The festival features a wide array of free entertainment options, including Victorian era vaudevillian amusements – a freak show, a beard contest, and a burlesque show…


Local Non-Profits Partner for Muncie Symphony Patrons

By Dan Wolfert— MUNCIE, Ind.—Two local non-profit agencies with long histories in the Muncie community have come together to provide an added benefit to symphony attendees this upcoming season. The Muncie Symphony Orchestra (MSO) and Hillcroft Services’ Reliable Transit Division have partnered together for the 2021-22 MSO season to provide FREE shuttle service for MSO patrons in need of extra assistance to and from the two main parking lots that feed Emens Auditorium. This service will be offered for all…


Ribbon Cutting Scheduled for Halteman Park Playground, Pavilion, and Splashpad

 By J.P.Hall— MUNCIE, Ind.—After years of challenges, the private Halteman Swim Club closed its doors in 2017 and was sold shortly after at the county tax sale. The property became abandoned, blighted, dangerous, and an overall eyesore upon the community. Via an incredible public/private partnership between the Halteman Village Neighborhood Association (HVNA), the City of Muncie, the Muncie Parks Department, the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority’s (IHCDA) CreatINg Places program, and many individual and local Foundation’s, all are ready…


Ro Selvey: Establishing a Registry for Vacant and Abandoned Properties

By Ro Selvey— MUNCIE, Ind. – Like many midwestern cities with a rich history, the City of Muncie has seen its fair share of changes to our local economy, our demographics, and to our neighborhoods. Many of these changes are the inevitable price of progress, they are all accompanied with their own unique challenges. Our housing is no exception. While our community has seen necessary and prudent growth in our residential structures, at the same time we are not exempt…


Grammy, Oscar Winner Tiara Thomas Returning to Ball State University as Part of Letterman Lecture Series

By BSU Marketing & Communications— MUNCIE, Indiana – Grammy and Oscar award-winning singer-songwriter Tiara Thomas, a 2012 Ball State University graduate, is returning to Ball State as the next guest in the David Letterman Distinguished Professional Lecture and Workshop Series. “A Conversation with Tiara Thomas” will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 20 at Sursa Performance Hall on Ball State’s campus, and will be livestreamed at bsu.edu/live. Free tickets for Ball State students, faculty, and staff are currently available at…


American Electric Power Foundation Donates $225,000 To Ivy Tech Muncie’s Youth Empowerment Program

By Corey Ohlenkamp— MUNCIE, Ind. – The American Electric Power (AEP) Foundation, on behalf of Indiana Michigan Power, has pledged $225,000 over three years ($75,000 annually) to support the Ivy Tech Muncie Youth Empowerment Program. This first-of-its-kind partnership between the NAACP Muncie Branch, Ivy Tech Community College and Indiana Michigan Power will provide leadership development and educational programming for minority Muncie-area high school students. The Muncie Youth Empowerment Program will provide new opportunities and education to Muncie’s youth, investing in…


Open Door Health Services Launches New Drive-Through COVID-19 Testing Program

By Suzanne Clem— MUNCIE, Ind. – Open Door Health Services has launched a new no-cost COVID-19 testing program in Muncie. Testing takes place drive-through style on the site of Open Door Urgent Care, located at 1651 E. 29th St. Monday, Sept. 13 marked the first day for the program, which is contracted through the Indiana Department of Health. As a community testing site, anyone in the community is welcome to seek testing through the program. Both rapid and PCR tests are…


Residents Invited to Attend Solarize ECI Zoom Meeting

By Sheryl Swingley— MUNCIE, Ind.—Indiana residents and business owners will learn how the federal tax credit of 26% has been extended through 2021 and 2022 for installing solar panels on houses, farm structures and places of business during the next Zoom meeting of Solarize East Central Indiana. The Zoom meeting sponsored by Solarize ECI, a grassroots community group affiliated with Solarize Indiana, will take place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23. The Zoom meeting will involve a 30-minute presentation followed…