Articles by Mike Rhodes

New lighting at Canan Commons. Photo provided

Non-Profit May 1, 2023

First Thursday Lighting Ceremony Highlights New ‘Rainbow Garden’ Lighting

By Rick Zeigler— MUNCIE, IN—Community Enhancement Projects (CEP) and the City of Muncie are pleased to announce a public lighting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the “Rainbow Garden” lights at Canan Commons in Downtown Muncie. The ceremony will take place as part of May’s First Thursday celebration on May 4, 2023 at 8 PM at Canan Commons, 500 S. Walnut. Brief remarks will be made by Mayor Daniel Ridenour and representatives of CEP. The “Rainbow Garden” is a light…

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Members of the Co-Alliance Cooperative of Indianapolis, stand in front of the pallets of cheese donated by Land O' Lakes. The Co-alliance also donated $2,000 to Second Harvest. Photo by Mike Rhodes

Non-Profit April 29, 2023

Land O’ Lakes Donates 40,000 Pounds of Macaroni & Cheese to Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana

By Lindsay Sankey, Co-Alliance Cooperative— MUNCIE, IN—Land O’Lakes, Inc. donated nearly 40,000 pounds of LAND O LAKES® Macaroni & Cheese to Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana through the Land O’Lakes First Run Program.  The First Run Program has donated more than 6.7 million pounds of product since it was established in 2010. The program is committed to donating truckloads of fresh product year-round, made specifically for food banks to help alleviate hunger across the United States.  “As…

School of Rock photographed by Amanda Kishel

Entertainment April 28, 2023

Rock On! School of Rock Opens April 28 at Muncie Civic Theatre in Downtown Muncie

By Michelle Kinsey, for Muncie Civic Theatre— MUNCIE – Take notes, class. There will be a quiz at the end of this article. Today’s lesson is about “School of Rock,” a musical opening this week at Muncie Civic Theatre. “School of Rock” is about struggling musician Dewey Finn, who needs cash and poses as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. Dewey decides to ditch the curriculum and start a band with his students, convincing them to trade their…

Education April 28, 2023

Muncie Central Seniors Have Until May 3rd to Apply for $5,000 College Scholarship

By Sheryl Swingley— MUNCIE, IN—Muncie Central High School seniors planning to go to college after graduation have until Wednesday, May 3, to apply for the Harris-Jones Scholarship, which is worth $5,000 and can be renewed for up to four years. Students may secure an application from the Muncie Central Guidance Office to apply for the scholarship, which is managed by the Muncie Central High School Alumni Association. Sherry Harris-Jones, a 1962 Muncie Central graduate, and her husband, Ralph Jones, established…

A couple is pictured enjoying the trail at Red-tail’s 2022 Wildflower Celebration. Photo by Elizabeth Ploog

Non-Profit April 27, 2023

Wildflower Celebration is a Brilliant Display of Spring and Nature 

By Kelley V. Phillips, Communications & Outreach Manager, RTLC— MUNCIE, IN – Red-tail Land Conservancy invites the community to enjoy one of east central Indiana’s best displays of spring wildflowers at their Wildflower Celebration on Sunday, May 7 from 1pm-4pm at Phyllis and Frank Yuhas Woods near Farmland, IN. Headquartered in Muncie, Red-tail Land Conservancy manages nature preserves across the region. One of which is Phyllis and Frank Yuhas Woods, a pristine forest that has remained undeveloped for 200 years…

TeenWorks kids pose for a photo at Prairie Creek. Photo provided

Non-Profit April 27, 2023

TeenWorks Provides Kids With Meaningful Life Skills

By Stacey Shannon— MUNCIE, IN—Designed to give teens their first employment experiences as well as life skills to benefit them throughout college and beyond, TeenWorks is a local non-profit that is making a big impact by empowering teens to achieve excellence in community, college and career. TeamWork’s Director of Eastern Indiana Kari Wissel said this summer the organization will employ more than 100 students in the Muncie area for six weeks. Each student works at a non-profit agency four days…

Artist rendering of facility.

Government April 26, 2023

Delaware County to Help With Funding Infrastructure of Much-Needed Daycare Facility

By Keith Roysdon— DELAWARE COUNTY, Indiana—Delaware County officials have agreed to help with funding infrastructure for a much-needed daycare center in the county. Kaleidoscope Kids Daycare, owned by longtime local daycare provider Janelle Kramer, will serve up to 180 children when finished. The project, consisting of a new state-of-the-art building 13,850 square feet in size, will be located at the southwest corner of Wheeling and Moore roads in Muncie. The Delaware County Redevelopment Commission will provide up to $250,000 in…

File photo

Education, Government April 26, 2023

City of Muncie and Ivy Tech Community College Partner for ‘MuncieMatters’

By Lesley DeVoss—  MUNCIE, Ind. – Ivy Tech Community College and the City of Muncie are partnering to help those who need it most. This unique partnership provides residents of Muncie an opportunity to leverage the value of living in Muncie and having access to Ivy Tech Community College. Through the model set by the WorkMatters program at Ivy Tech Muncie, the MuncieMatters staff and Student Success Champion Network will work with community services to help residents strengthen their lives….

Summer Learning at Camp Adventure. Photo provided

Non-Profit April 26, 2023

Local Support Hub Aims to Combat Summer Learning Loss 

Education Support Hub has been refocused to promote summer and after-school programs. By Education Support Hub— MUNCIE, IN — Students, parents, staff, and members of the Muncie community have a new resource designed to make finding summer and after-school learning programs easier. The Education Support Hub provides information about summer camps, after-school options, and community programs. Many of these programs are free or low-cost for families. It is a free service offering email subscriptions, social media feeds, and forms to…

Photos of Asher were contributed by his mother, Andrea Mann.

Education April 25, 2023

Muncie Central Students Raise Nearly $1,300 for Local Youth

By Andy Klotz— MUNCIE, IN. – Like a lot of 8-year-old boys, Asher Mann loves Minecraft, Roblox and Legos®. He also loves his pet rat, Rattata. Asher is a pretty resilient kid. Born at just 36 weeks, his first eight days on earth were spent in the infant intensive care unit. Later, he was diagnosed with congenital scoliosis and some bone deformities. Then, last month, another major physical challenge – a brain tumor. Shortly after that diagnosis, Hank Voss was…