Articles by Mike Rhodes

Andrew Hacker is photographed with Dr. Kwiatkowski and school board member WaTasha Barnes Griffin; Horner is photographed with Dr. Kwiatkowski.

Education August 8, 2023

MCS Names Hacker and Horner Primary, Secondary Teachers of the Year

By Andy Klotz— MUNCIE, IN. – Andrew Hacker and Chris Horner have been selected as Muncie Community Schools’ (MCS) primary and secondary Teachers of the Year, respectively, for the 2022-23 school year. MCS Director of Public Education and CEO Lee Ann Kwiatkowski presented each with his award during a staff welcome back event at Muncie Central High School. Hacker is a Fine Arts teacher at North View elementary school who stands out for not only creating engaging lessons that students…

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Sparrow aircraft photo provided by Michael Smith, National Model Aviation Museum.

Entertainment August 7, 2023

‘Sparrow Aircraft’ on Display at National Model Aviation Museum in Muncie

By Rob Kurek— MUNCIE, IN— The National Model Aviation Museum invites visitors to view an exciting new aircraft, the Sparrow, on loan from Zipline. The Sparrow, developed by Zipline in 2016, was initially operated in Rwanda. It is an autonomous aircraft that flies to remote medical clinics delivering life-saving blood, vaccines, and medications safely to the ground via parachute. Can transport a weight of up to 4 pounds (1.8 kg). With a 60-mile (100km) service radius, the aircraft can fly…

File photo provided by Ball State University

Education August 4, 2023

Ball State Cardinal Varsity Club Announces the 2023 Cardinal Golf Classic Silent Auction

By Cardinal Varsity Club— MUNCIE, IN— The Ball State Cardinal Varsity Club (CVC) is thrilled to announce the highly anticipated 2023 Cardinal Golf Classic Silent Auction sponsored by Stoops Automotive. The auction begins Monday, Aug. 7 at 8:00 a.m. ET, providing Cardinal fans with a unique opportunity to bid on exclusive experiences and other merchandise. Interested participants can view the exciting array of auction items by visiting www.cvcgolfauction.com. The auction is scheduled to close at 6:00 p.m. ET on Friday,…

Rotarians Chris Poland and Judge Kimberly S. Dowling at the Delaware County Fair

Business August 3, 2023

Muncie Rotary Club Marks 10 Years of Fundraising for High School Athletic Teams at the Delaware County Fair

By Robert G. La France— MUNCIE, IN – The Muncie Rotary Club marks 10 years of fundraising to support high school athletic teams by volunteering to direct traffic and collect entrance fees at the gates of the Delaware County Fair. For at least 5 hours a day from Monday, July 17, to Saturday, July 22, 2023, Rotarians braved the relentless sun and threatening storms alongside student athletes to greet visitors to the fair and raise money for four teams. The…

Soup Crawl attendees from a prior year are pictured. Photo provided

Non-Profit August 2, 2023

Soup Crawl Returns for 11th Annual Event During ArtsWalk This October

By Ben Polk— MUNCIE, IN—PrimeTrust Federal Credit Union and Second Harvest Food Bank invite you to the eleventh annual Soup Crawl. Held in downtown Muncie during ArtsWalk, on Thursday, October 5th, from 5 pm to 8 pm, tickets are available now. Tickets are being sold online at curehunger.org/soupcrawl. Soup Crawl is a fun and festive local culinary celebration that benefits Second Harvest Food Bank’s The Big Idea initiative. For just $20, Soup Crawl attendees can stroll the streets of historic downtown…

Southside Middle School. Photo by Mike Rhodes

Education, Health August 1, 2023

Back-to-School Physical Fit Fair at Southside Middle School on August 2nd

By Hannah Dunckel— MUNCIE, IN– Meridian Health Services is hosting a Back-to-School Physical Fit Fair on Wednesday, August 2 from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Southside Middle School located at 1601 E. 26th St., Muncie, IN 47302. This event is being held in conjunction with Muncie Community Schools’ registration day. The community and people of all ages are invited to the Back-to-School Physical Fit Fair featuring: FREE Health Fair including: Health screenings provided by Meridian Health Pediatrics Screenings include…

Photo provided

Education August 1, 2023

PhyXTGears Robotics Team Wins Grant for Advancing STEM Education

By Lydia Cain, Rookie Media Mentor of The PhyXTGears— MUNCIE, IN—The Grant County Community Foundation Board has approved a $20,000.00 crowdfunding grant to East Central Indiana Robotics – The PhyXTGears, FRC Team 1720 to prepare high school students for Indiana’s technology workforce through hands-on STEM training. Crowdfunding challenges PhyXTGears to raise $20,000 through the generous contributions of donors and sponsors. It effectively doubles the contribution, dollar-for-dollar during the 60-day challenge starting July 15. To join the challenge, you may visit…

Kathryn Smitson, Photo provided

Non-Profit July 31, 2023

Yorktown Girl Scout Earns Gold Award Through Meaningful, Sustainable Community Project

By Dawn Brand Fluhler— YORKTOWN, IN – Kathryn Smitson has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn. Kathryn attended Indiana Connections Academy and was a 13-year Girl Scout. She knew that girls entering their teen years are faced with challenges from different sources causing stress that can have a very negative impact on their lives. Because expression through classical ballet was an outlet for her during the toughest years, she wanted to share…

Photo by Matt Howell

Non-Profit July 31, 2023

Soup Kitchen of Muncie Hosts the Carl Kizer Summerfest

By Amy Leffingwell— MUNCIE, IN—Near perfect temps and a light breeze set the tone for The Soup Kitchen of Muncie’s annual Carl Kizer Summerfest on Friday, July 21st.  Summerfest, organized by Carl Kizer, is an outdoor block party for the underserved in our community.  Carl also helped find sponsors and donations so that the event would be a success. Over 30 local service providers were in attendance to offer their services and help lead clients of the Soup Kitchen toward…

File photo of the 2022 Fire up DWNTWN event. Photo by Matt Ruddick.

Entertainment July 28, 2023

Fire Up DWNTWN Streetfest Returns to Heat Up the Summer on August 5th

By Melissa Narlock— MUNCIE, IN — The wait is over. Muncie Downtown Development Partnership has announced the highly anticipated return of the sizzling summer streetfest. Fire Up DWNTWN, presented by Ivy Tech Muncie, is back on August 5. After a resounding success last year, drawing over 11,000 visitors, the all-day event returns with even more exhilarating attractions. “As we look back on the incredible success of last year’s Fire Up DWNTWN, we are thrilled to announce its return this summer,”…