Articles by Mike Rhodes

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…

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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…


Restoration Work Has Begun On Cornerstone Center for the Arts Exterior

By Dee McKinsey— MUNCIE, Ind.— Critical restoration work has begun on the upper floors of the west side of Cornerstone Center for the Arts (also known historically as the Masonic Temple) to stop water damage and bricks and mortar deterioration. The damage over the years has begun to impact not only the outside of the building but also hand-painted artwork inside. Some of the interior walls and a portion of the historic murals, 22 oil-on-canvas paintings, each 12 x 14 feet,…


Coalition of Women’s Organizations To Host 29th Annual Women’s Equality Day Program

By WaTasha Barnes Griffin— MUNCIE, Ind. — The Coalition of Women’s Organizations will host its 29th annual Women’s Equality Day program at 5 p.m. Aug. 25, 2021 in the Muncie City Hall auditorium. The celebration will honor six local women who have made significant contributions to the community. This event will pay special tribute to Vivian V. Conley, who was at the forefront of many community issues relating to education, civil rights, and older residents, according to a release. Women’s Equality Day…


LISTEN: Audio Review of Recent Stories from MuncieJournal.com, Episode 2

By Mike Rhodes, Editor-in-Chief, MuncieJournal.com— MUNCIE, Ind.—If you follow our MuncieJournal.com Facebook page, you might have noticed a weekly video we experimented with for a while. The video reviewed MuncieJournal.com articles you may have missed. What we learned is—producing that weekly video became difficult to manage. Video is time consuming to produce. Audio is much faster and timely to produce, so I am going to try producing an audio review each week. Here’s the second one. It is about 6 minutes…


HHS Public Health and Medical Experts Statement on COVID-19 Booster Shots

By Center for Disease Control and Prevention— ATLANTA. Georgia—Public health and medical experts from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have released the following statement on the Administration’s plan for COVID-19 booster shots for the American people. The statement is attributable to Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); Dr. Janet Woodcock, Acting Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration (FDA); Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S. Surgeon General; Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National…


Calumet Paralogics, LLC Expanding In Muncie-Delaware County

By Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance— MUNCIE, Ind. – The Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance announced today that Calumet Paralogics, LLC, a specialty wax blending and packaging company, will expand operations in Muncie-Delaware County, Indiana. Calumet Paralogics will invest $2.7 million to add new equipment and capabilities in their current location at 301 S. Butterfield Rd. in Muncie. The investment will contribute to growth, including the addition of up to 20 new jobs at an average wage above the county average…


First Wave of American Rescue Plan Funds Distributed to Local Restaurants

Editor’s note: On August 25th, the following additional restaurants received funding: 12th Street Café, Frozen Boulder, the Caffeinery, Twin Archers, Dumpling House. Red Apple, GGs, Queer Chocolatier, Macs on Batavia, Jimmy Johns on Martin Street and Guardian Brewery. MUNCIE, Ind. – The City of Muncie is proud to announce that funds for the first seven restaurants to be approved by an independent committee for the City of Muncie’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) have been distributed to help those affected by the COVID-19…


Ivy Tech Community College To Host ‘Welcome Back Party’ on August 18th

By Jennifer Gasiorek— MUNCIE, Ind.—Ivy Tech will begin the Fall Semester on August 18. To celebrate the first day, the College is having a Welcome Back Party, August 18th from 4:00-7:00 PM. The Chameleon Brothers will be playing on the West Plaza of the Fisher Building at 325 S. High Street. There will be food, family fun activities, learn more about Ivy Tech’s programs, short-term certificates and degree offerings, and an opportunity to meet with local employers. The following companies…


TeenWorks, Inc. to Host 1st Annual TeenWorks Golf Tourney

By TeenWorks— Proceeds of the event will support the 2021-2022 year-round Pro program which serves 35 local teens, as well as the 100 teens anticipated to participate in the 2022 Summer program. MUNCIE, Ind.—TeenWorks, a central Indiana nonprofit dedicated to empowering teens to achieve excellence in community, college, and career, will host its 1st Annual TeenWorks Tourney at Maplewood Golf Course on Friday, September 17th. Participating community members will golf in groups of 4 and can register by contacting Regional…