Articles by Mike Rhodes

Calling Hours, Memorial Services and More for John Carlson

Calling Hours and Memorial Service for John Carlson: Calling hours will be on Monday, April 18th from 1:00-4:00 pm at Meeks Mortuary (415 East Washington Street, Muncie.) The memorial service will be on Tuesday, April 19th at 11:00 am at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church (900 West White River Blvd, Muncie.)  Additional calling hours will be held at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church before the service from 10:00 – 11:00 am. John spent decades writing for us. Here’s a chance for you…

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John Carlson: A Life Filled With Wonderment

Editor’s note: This is John Carlson’s last column for MuncieJournal.com. We are very, very saddened to report John passed away peacefully last night at his home.  John brought happiness to so many, many people with his columns and books during a journalistic career that spanned decades in East Central Indiana. He wrote this last column for us about one week ago. Like so much of his writing, it is a poignant, inspirational, and timely story. Information about services for John are below.  Our hearts…


Ivy Tech Muncie-Henry County Adds Medical Assistant to Nursing Track

By Leslie DeVoss— MUNCIE, Ind.— Ivy Tech Community College Muncie-Henry County adds a new track to their nursing programs. The newest track allows medical assistants with a current unencumbered CMA-AAMA certification a pathway to transition to a registered nurse. The nursing track at Ivy Tech Community College is a limited enrollment program. Prospective students are required to have successfully completed the pre-requisite classes of Anatomy and Physiology 101, English 111, and Psychology 101 as well as completed appropriate scoring on…


Northwest Bank Offers Tips for Online Banking Customers Amid Sophisticated Spoofing Attempts

By Northwest Bank— WARREN, Pa.– To help online banking users protect against spoofing, which is the act of disguising a communication, such as a call or text, from an unknown source as being from a known, trusted source like a financial institution, Northwest Bank has compiled a list of best practices for protection and remediation. “Complaints of suspected internet crime increased by seven percent in 2021 compared with the previous year in addition to an increase in reported losses of…


Lafferty Field at McCulloch Park is Getting a Major Renovation Through Community Partnerships

By Tony Sandleben and Mike Rhodes— MUNCIE, Ind.—What started as a simple conversation at a Ball State football game between Ball State President Geoff Mearns and Dan Towriss of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation has become a collaboration between Ball State University, the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation and the City of Muncie to revitalize Lafferty Field at McCulloch Park.   Towriss, through the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation and his company Gainbridge, made a “substantial philanthropic investment,” according to President Mearns,…


One Ball State Day Returns April 5 with Million-Dollar Fundraising Goal

By BSU Marketing and Communications—  MUNCIE, Indiana – One Ball State Day, Ball State University’s 24-hour online fundraising event, returns April 5 with some ambitious goals.  After three consecutive years of increased giving since the event’s inaugural celebration in 2019, One Ball State Day (OBSD) organizers this year hope to raise at least $1 million in gifts from Cardinals around the world to continue to support the financial needs of students, faculty and staff, and programs.  Ball State graduates, friends,…


Connect to Muncie Public Library During National Library Week

By Susan Fisher— MUNCIE, Ind.—April 3-9, 2022 is National Library Week. Muncie Public Library (MPL) encourages all community members to visit in-person or online to explore and access services and programs. According to a press release from the American Library Association, “National Library Week is a time to highlight the essential role libraries, librarians, and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening communities. Whether people visit virtually or in-person, libraries are accessible and inclusive places that foster a sense…


John Carlson: A Hoppy, Er, Happy Taco-Eating Encounter

Editor’s note: This story has been republished, as John takes a brief medical leave. We wish him well.  By John Carlson— Not long ago, Nan and I were down visiting our son and daughter-in-law, Johnny and Stephanie, in Nashville, Tenn., when the subject of where to eat dinner came up. “There’s a new Mexican place just past the interstate that’s pretty good,” my kid said, and the next thing we knew, we were at Bajo Sexto. Nashville is a great,…


IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital Earns LGBTQ+ Healthcare Designation For 10th Time

By Courtney Schmoll— Ball Hospital is one of 496 healthcare providers nationwide to earn the coveted “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation MUNCIE, Ind. – For the tenth consecutive year, IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital has achieved a perfect score and the designation of “LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader” in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 15th anniversary edition of the Healthcare Equality Index (HEI), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey of healthcare facilities on policies and practices dedicated to the equitable treatment and…


Joseph Hazen—Member of Pridemark Construction’s ‘Future Leaders of America’ Series

By Stacey A. Shannon— MUNCIE, Ind.—Editor’s note:  The Future Leaders of America series profiles high school seniors who display leadership qualities in their school and the community. The series is brought to you by Pridemark Construction. Sports, academics and mentoring are all part of Joseph Hazen’s life. The Yorktown High School senior is the sixth of eight children in his family and is driven to succeed while also giving back to his school, classmates and community. Hazen has played a…