Articles by Mike Rhodes

MCS Students No Longer Subject to Quarantine if Close Contact at School

Governor’s new executive order prompts change in protocol By Andy Klotz, APR— MUNCIE, Ind. – Thanks to Governor Eric Holcomb’s new executive order, Muncie Community Schools (MCS) will no longer require students designated as close contacts of a person who tests positive for COVID-19 to quarantine as long as they are not experiencing virus symptoms if the contact was in the school setting. This change in district protocol will go into effect Friday, September 3. “We are thrilled with the…

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AJR in Concert at Emens Auditorium, Public tickets on Sale Friday, September 3

By Kristi Chambers—  MUNCIE, Ind. – AJR with special guest Sara Kays will be performing at Emens Auditorium on September 11, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. and tickets to this previously exclusive student concert have now been released to the public! Public tickets go on sale Friday, September 3, 2021 at 10 a.m. and will now be available online at Ticketmaster.com or at the Emens box office. For more information, visit bsu.edu/emens or call/text 765-285-1539. The Emens box office is open…


IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital Suspends All Inpatient Elective Surgeries, Effective Sept 6th

By Courtney Schmoll— MUNCIE, Ind.—As COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations continue to surge, IU Health will temporarily suspend 100% of all inpatient elective surgeries and procedures throughout the system, beginning Monday, Sept.6. The surge of COVID-19 patient volumes has continued to accelerate at a rapid pace, and this temporary change is needed to further relieve pressure on our care teams and to free up space for critically ill patients. Elective surgery patients (non-emergent, non-urgent) are being notified now. This suspension will…


City of Muncie Launches American Rescue Plan Non-Profit Grants: $2 Million to Be Awarded  

By Muncie City Council— MUNCIE, Ind.—Non-profit organizations can now apply for grant dollars earmarked to help those organizations and their clients who were hardest hit by COVID-19. In total, $2 million of the City of Muncie’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding of $31.7 million was set aside specifically to help the non-profit sector. Applications are available on the city’s website and are due September 30, 2021. Jeff Robinson, President of the City Council and District 2 Councilman, recruited a diverse…


Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour Files 2022 Budget to City Council

By Tony Sandleben, Director of Communications, City of Muncie— MUNCIE, Ind. – On August 30th, Mayor Dan Ridenour filed his proposed budget for 2022 officially to the clerk’s office for the Muncie City Council review. This is the second budget of his term and will be introduced at the September 13th city council meeting. As was the case in 2021, Mayor Ridenour focused increased funding toward parks and other quality of life items such as streets. “My budget remains focused on…


First Merchants Appoints Greg Mather as Chief Marketing Officer

By First Merchants— MUNCIE, Ind. – First Merchants Corporation (NASDAQ – FRME) today announced Greg Mather as its new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Mather will lead all marketing operations and oversee the company’s initiative to establish a high-performing marketing sales pipeline and multi-channel customer experience. Mather brings over 20 years of marketing experience within the financial industry, serving previously as CMO for large super-regional banks throughout the Midwest and Texas. Mather’s experience in omni-channel acquisition, brand management and marketing optimization…


LISTEN: Mike Rhodes’ Podcast From MuncieJournal.com, Episode 4

By Mike Rhodes, Editor-in-Chief— MUNCIE, Ind.—In this week’s podcast we dedicate the entire 7 minutes by talking about IRONMAN. Specifically, the need for volunteers to be involved with various activities to make sure the event is successful. HUNDREDS of people are still needed to help. The annual IRONMAN triathlon will be even larger this year after the cancellation of last year’s event. Muncie is hosting not only the regular IRONMAN 70.3 race, as it does every year, but a full-distance triathlon on…


Delaware County Saves Hundreds of Thousands on Bonds and Will Repave Streets 

By Keith Roysdon— DELAWARE COUNTY, Indiana — Delaware County taxpayers will save hundreds of thousands of dollars thanks to refinancing of bonds — and motorists will see newly repaved roads as a result.  The Delaware County commissioners announced the savings and repaving, which was made possible by recent action taken by the Delaware County Redevelopment Commission.  Officials said $529,000 will be saved by refinancing capital infrastructure bonds issued through the Morrison Road and Park One tax increment financing districts. The…


‘Asleep at the Wheel’ to Headline FREE Muncie Concert on Sept. 11th

By Rick Zeigler— MUNCIE, Ind.– Acclaimed Western Swing band Asleep at the Wheel will be performing in a FREE outdoor concert as part of the 2021 Muncie Three Trails Music Series. The concert will take place at 7:00 PM on Saturday, September 11th at Canan Commons (500 S. Walnut St.) in the heart of downtown Muncie, IN. The Ball State University Jazz Lab Ensemble will open the show. This concert is presented by Ball State University. Please note that the…


Ball Venture Fund Drives Innovation in Higher Education

By Melissa Jones— MUNCIE, Ind. — Throughout recent years, college enrollment nationwide has seen a steady decrease. To stay relevant, David Wantz, president and CEO of Independent Colleges of Indiana, said colleges need to do one thing: innovate. “Colleges are going to have to find a way of differentiating themselves in order to stay alive,” Wantz said. “From a strictly pecuniary viewpoint, they’ve got to diversify. They’ve got to innovate, or they’ll die.” To spearhead innovation, ICI has, for the…