Articles by Mike Rhodes

Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Application Now Available

By Kallie Sulanke— MUNCIE, IN— Incoming high school seniors can now apply online for the 2026 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship administered by The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County. Applicants must be residents of Delaware County, Ind., and attend an accredited high school in Delaware County. The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship in Muncie and Delaware County awards a student who possesses leadership potential and is well-rounded and community-minded. The scholarship covers tuition and required fees for four years of…

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Vera Mae’s Bistro Earns Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence for Second Consecutive Year

By Dawn Brand Fluhler— MUNCIE, IN— Vera Mae’s Bistro has once again been honored by Wine Spectator with its prestigious Award of Excellence, marking the second consecutive year the upscale downtown Muncie restaurant has earned national recognition for its exceptional wine program. The 2025 Wine Spectator Awards celebrate restaurants around the globe whose wine lists offer a thoughtful, high-quality selection that complements their menu in both style and price. Vera Mae’s stands out among this year’s 2,150 recipients with a…


Muncie Public Library Debuts New Name for Library Branch as Part of 150th Anniversary Celebration

By Susan Fisher, PR Supervisor at Muncie Public Library— MUNCIE, IN—Muncie Public Library (MPL) continued its yearlong celebration of a remarkable 150 years of service recently with an anniversary event held at Connection Corner on Saturday, July 12. Included in the festivities was a surprise unveiling of a new name for the MPL branch located in the Whitely community. The party was attended by more than 250 community members and representatives of local organizations who shared information, distributed free books,…


Photo Gallery: 46th Annual Ironman 70.3 Muncie, 2025

By Mike Rhodes, Editor-in-Chief, Muncie Journal.com— SELMA, IN— Ironman 70.3 Muncie took place over the weekend at Prairie Creek reservoir. The race, once named the Muncie Endurathon, is one of the Midwest’s most popular triathlons, and the oldest 70.3 distance race in the continental US. In 2022, the Muncie race was voted the number one participant experience in all of the US, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Canada. According to Ken High, Race Director of Ironman 70.3, the event included 1100…


Ball Brothers Foundation Hosts Cybersecurity Summit, Announces $200K in Grants to Build Workforce Pipeline

By Jud Fisher, President/CEO, Ball Brothers Foundation— MUNCIE, IN—Ball Brothers Foundation hosted a convening on June 11, gathering community leaders, law enforcement officials, and academic professionals to discuss the growing cyber threats facing East Central Indiana and the nation. In addition, Ball Brothers Foundation announced over $200,000 in grants for local efforts to develop a stronger workforce pipeline to address these threats and to support local law enforcement in building stronger cyber capabilities. The convening featured a distinguished guest presenter…


Economic Development Alliance of Muncie-Delaware County Hires Gina Caravaglia

By Katy Maggart—  MUNCIE, IN—The Economic Development Alliance of Muncie-Delaware County announced that Gina Caravaglia has joined the organization as Coordinator of the Delaware County Redevelopment Commission. Caravaglia will oversee the operations of the Redevelopment Commission including project management, planning and execution of redevelopment activities, and administration of the county’s Tax Increment Finance districts. In addition to her work with the Redevelopment Commission, Caravaglia will also support the broader efforts of the Economic Development Alliance and its Vision 2027 plan….


Muncie-Delaware County Senior Center Receives $5,000 Grant from Glick Philanthropies

By Glick Philanthropies— MUNCIE, IN – The Muncie-Delaware County Senior Center received a $5,000 grant from the Glick Community Relief Fund, a grant program of Glick Philanthropies that supports local nonprofit organizations to increase community members’ access to basic needs. The grant was one of 107 totaling $770,000 to organizations supporting communities across 12 states where Gene B. Glick Company properties are located. The Glick Community Relief Fund focuses on increasing healthy food access, expanding accessible transportation, connecting community members to…


Delaware County Athletic Hall of Fame to Induct 14

By Doug Zaleski— MUNCIE, IN — The Delaware County Athletic Hall of Fame has elected 14 new members who will be honored in July in its 2024 class. Alex Daniel, Darcy Dorton, Heather Fierce, Carey (Amons) Fisher, Matt Gard, Erin (Jones) Halbert, Rick Linton, Todd Merickel, Mike Necessary, Chad Niccum, Marcus Rush, Jeff Weller, Kerry Williams, and Jon Young will be inducted July 19 at the Ball State Alumni Center. Steve Edwards will be honored at the banquet as this…


Ball State Public Media Honored With National Awards for Local Journalism and Programming

By Ball State Communications— MUNCIE, IN — Ball State Public Media has earned three national awards from the Public Media Journalists Association(PMJA) in recognition of its work in local journalism and community programming. Indiana Public Radio (IPR), a service of Ball State University, received two first-place awards. In the News Feature category, reporter Thomas Ouellette was honored for his coverage of an apartment complex in Anderson that had been abandoned by its owner. The story examined the poor living conditions…


City of Muncie Officially Launches Three Designated Outdoor Refreshment Areas (DORAs)

By Amber Greene— MUNCIE, IN—The City of Muncie is proud to officially launch three new Designated Outdoor Refreshment Areas (DORAs) beginning today, July 7, 2025. The new DORA districts—Downtown Muncie, the McKinley Neighborhood, and the Ball State University Village—are now active and ready for residents and visitors to enjoy. Mayor Dan Ridenour and his administration have worked diligently to bring this new amenity to the community following the Muncie City Council’s approval of Ordinance 26-24, authored by Councilwoman Selvey and…