Articles by Mike Rhodes

John Carlson: Goodbye To Another Good Man

By John Carlson— You know how it is. You’re mindlessly scanning some obituaries and, suddenly, one jumps out at you. Maybe you even loose an involuntary gasp. That happened to me recently, learning of the death of “Mr. Phil.” When Nancy and I were his customers, Phil Christy was the second-generation owner and director of Muncie‘s first private daycare facility, Pla-n-Stuf, a down-to-earth and friendly place where he seemed a larger-than-life presence. Pla-n-Stuf was a single-story building in a quiet…

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2021 Women’s Equality Day Honorees

By Juli Metzger— MUNCIE, Ind.—Recognized for their distinct and honorable contributions in their community and in their circle of influence, six Muncie women are the honorees for the Coalition of Women’s Organizations 2021 Women’s Equality Day celebration. The event celebrates the passage of the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote. Honorees this year are: Lindsey Arthur, CEO of Habitat of Muncie, Distinction in Community Development Leadership Dr. Mia D. Johnson, Chancellor of Ivy Tech, Anderson campus, Distinction in…


Second Harvest Food Bank Employees ‘Give Help for Today and Hope for Tomorrow’

By Kim Gillenwater— MUNCIE, Ind.—At Second Harvest Food Bank, we believe our greatest asset is our amazing team of employees. Dedicated, hardworking, and caring, they put their hearts into providing essential resources to our neighbors in need and continuing the mission of giving help for today and hope for tomorrow. Whether by making sure there are plenty of nutritious food options at a tailgate distribution or connecting with local community members and organizations, they continuously strive to connect with the…


DWNTWN Game Night Is Saturday August 28th at Canan Commons

By Cheryl Crowder— MUNCIE, Ind.—Join us for DWNTWN Game Night Saturday August 28th from 5-10pm at Canan Commons. Bring your family DWNTWN for an evening of fun and live entertainment featuring  Mike Milligan and Steam Shovel from 7pm-10pm. A variety of lawn games will be available for group play throughout the evening, including: – Yardzee – Giant Jenga – Cornhole – Croquet – KUBB Viking Clash – Giant Parachute Play – Spoon and Egg Races – Rock, Paper, Scissors Elimination…


Join the Muncie Community for the Flags of Honor, September 4-11

By Kallie Sulanke— MUNCIE, Ind.—One thousand American flags will wave on the lawn at Minnetrista beside the White River Greenway during Flags of Honor, September 4-11. Flags of Honor is in partnership with the Exchange Club of Muncie in honor and memory of local veterans, current service personnel, fallen heroes, and all who wish to display their pride for our country. With a gift of $30, friends, families, and organizations will receive a ribbon to place on a flag to…


Annual White River Clean-Up Scheduled to Take Place at Westside Park

By Lindsey Cox, MDCB, Vice-President— MUNCIE, Ind.—Save the Date and Pre-register for the annual White River Clean-up: September 18, 8 am-noon at Muncie’s Westside Park! Since 2006, Muncie-Delaware Clean & Beautiful and the Muncie Sanitary District have organized over 4,600 volunteers to remove 130,000 pounds of trash (including over 800 tires) from the White River. Join us this September as that tradition of stewardship continues! This year’s event will be in honor of Toni Cecil’s memory. Toni, who passed in April…


FDA Approves First COVID-19 Vaccine

By FDA Press Office— WASHINGTON—Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine has been known as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine, and will now be marketed as Comirnaty (koe-mir’-na-tee), for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older. The vaccine also continues to be available under emergency use authorization (EUA), including for individuals 12 through 15 years of age and for the administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised…


Muncie Civic Will Open Season With ‘Sound of Music’

By Michelle Kinsey— MUNCIE, Ind. – Climb every mountain. Ford every stream. Follow every rainbow ‘til you find…Muncie Civic Theatre’s production of “The Sound of Music.” Muncie Civic Theatre will kick off its 2021-22 Mainstage season with the classic family-friendly musical, opening Aug. 20 and running through Sept. 5. Shows on Thursday, Friday and Saturday will begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees will begin at 2:30 p.m. One of the most beloved musicals of all time, “The Sound of…


John Carlson: I’ll Take That, Plus An Operation

By John Carlson— Years ago, in another lifetime when I answered to the name Chowhound, I was paid to eat while writing restaurant reviews. This was not because I had a discriminating palate. Sure, I had eaten at some of Indy’s best restaurants, including St. Elmo Steak House, where slurping its infamous, fiery shrimp cocktail sauce was akin to undergoing electro-shock therapy. Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse was another favorite of my fellow nutcase Mark Di Fabio and mine, with our long-suffering…


Muncie Land Bank Hires Meghan Jennings as Executive Director

By Amy Leffingwell— MUNCIE, Ind. – The Muncie Land Bank recently hired Meghan Jennings as the Executive Director on July 12, 2021 to manage the organization in its mission to acquire abandoned and blighted property, preserve it, and provide it to the public for strategic redevelopment. She is joining the organization at a time of increasing growth, as the Muncie Land Bank recently sold 27 properties in five auctions. Meghan received her master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from…