Articles by Mike Rhodes

A 2019 Robert P. Bell Grant to Beth Buehler supported a classroom activity aimed to increase grit in students while introducing geometric vocabulary and the concept of algorithms through solving Rubix cubes (pictured). This quarter Beth Buehler received a $559 Bell Grant aimed at self-exploration and self-regulation through a group reading series, journaling, and sensory activities.

Education, Non-Profit September 21, 2021

Teachers Awarded $4,706 for Creative and Innovative Classroom Projects

By Kallie Sulanke— MUNCIE, Ind. —Ten local teachers will receive $4,706.80 in Robert P. Bell Education Grants from The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, Inc. Across the county, thousands of students benefit from Bell Education Grants each year. Awards of up to $600 are available through the Bell Grants program. Teachers in public and private K-12 schools in Delaware County, Ind., are invited to apply for this competitive funding throughout the school year to enhance learning in their classrooms. Teachers…

Read More
Photo by story blocks

Government September 21, 2021

New Indiana Connectivity Program to Launch Next Week

By Lt. Governor Press Office— STATEHOUSE – Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs have announced a new program aiming to help more Hoosiers obtain access to reliable and quality broadband. Homeowners and business owners can apply for consideration for the Indiana Connectivity Program, which opens for applicants on Monday, Sept. 27. This new tool can connect residents and businesses that lack internet service with internet service providers and assist in the expense of extending broadband…

There's nothing like a day at the beach in Hawaii to make your day, week, month or year!

Entertainment September 21, 2021

You Could Win a Hawaiian Vacation at ‘The Price is Right Live™’ at Emens

By Kristi Chambers—  MUNCIE, Ind. – Experience the chance to win a guaranteed Hawaiian vacation and so much more as The Price is Right Live™stage show returns to Emens Auditorium Sunday, Sept. 26 at 3:00 p.m. Tickets for The Price is Right Live™ are currently on sale at the Emens box office, online at Ticketmaster.com, or by phone at 765-285-1539. The Price Is Right Live™ is the hit interactive stage show that gives eligible individuals the chance to “Come On…

Dr. Thomas Arnold, a history teacher for the Indiana Academy of Science, Mathematics and Humanities, was awarded the 2021 Robert P. Bell Creative Teaching Award for his creativity in bringing art and art history together for his students. Dr. Arnold was presented with the award by Foundation president Kelly K. Shrock.

Education, Non-Profit September 20, 2021

Dr. Thomas Arnold Awarded Robert P. Bell Creative Teaching Award

By Kallie Sulanke, Community Engagement Officer— MUNCIE, Ind. – Dr. Thomas Arnold received the Robert P. Bell Creative Teaching Award from The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, Inc. to recognize his creativity and innovation in the classroom. Arnold, a history teacher at the Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics and Humanities, was nominated by the former Director of Academic Affairs at the Indiana Academy, Dr. Jeff Smith, for his creativity in bringing art and art history together in his…

Holding onto each other particularly tight. Love these people. They’re fighting for you.

Health September 20, 2021

COVID-19 ‘From a Nurse’s Eyes’ at IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital

By Kadee Klafka, RN, Cardiac Intensive Care, IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital— From a nurse’s eyes. I’ve been surrounded by a lot of different views of the global pandemic. I am entirely full of anger; I’ll do my best to keep all the emotions I’m personally dealing with out of these experiences and thoughts I’m about to share. In the beginning of the pandemic, we were all scared. We didn’t know what this virus was. We didn’t know how it would…

The Kentucky Headhunters and Flynnville Train will perform during IRONMAN.

Entertainment September 17, 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…

This hotdog cooked superbly in the flames from our new fire pit. Photo by Nancy Carlson

Carlson September 17, 2021

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,…

Friends and neighbors enjoying the vendors at the Old Washington Street Festival.

Business September 16, 2021

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…

L-R: Dan Wolfert (Hillcroft Services) and Scott Watkins (Muncie Symphony Orchestra) stand in front of a Hillcroft Reliable Transit Van that will be used to help transport MSO attendees in need this upcoming season. Photo provided.

Non-Profit September 16, 2021

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…

New playground equipment at Halteman Park. Photo by Mike Rhodes

Government September 15, 2021

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…