Articles by Mike Rhodes

Is it or isn’t it? Did this meat come from a chicken or a Singaporean lab? Photo by Nancy Carlson

Carlson December 18, 2020

John Carlson: Squawking About Lab Meat

By John Carlson— Ever since learning about the stuff a couple weeks ago, I have been obsessed with lab-grown chicken. Have you read about it? It’s chicken … grown in a laboratory. And yeah, it’s just the meat, minus those pesky feathers, feet and beaks, along with the wattles and other icky chicken parts. How did they – “they” being the folks who have hopped aboard the laboratory chicken-growing bandwagon – accomplish this? As a guy who at the height…

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This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion.

Health December 17, 2020

Delaware County Weekly COVID-19 Update, December 17th

Editor’s note: The following COVID-19 update is brought to you through a collaboration of healthcare partners including Delaware County Health Department, Delaware County Emergency Management Agency, Delaware County Office of Information, and other major healthcare providers. Delaware County weekly COVID-19 updates are released every Thursday and include information from the Indiana State Department of Health county metrics dashboard, which is updated every Wednesday afternoon. Due to the holidays, next week’s update will be released on Wednesday, Dec. 23. There will…

Photo provided

Business December 17, 2020

Munsee Meats Launches New Brand at Grand Re-Opening

By Richard Crist— Muncie, IN – Munsee Meats recently held a grand re-opening celebration and brand re-launch to announce the new chapter for the sixty-three-year-old business. Munsee Meats’ storied history began in 1957 as Tom’s Meats. In 1973 they became Munsee Meats, Inc. and have expanded and upgraded many times over the years and now house nearly 12,000 square feet of cooler and freezer space and are one of the few USDA Federally Inspected meat plants in Indiana. Munsee Meats…

Thousands of people participated in the 16th annual "Walk a Mile in my Shoes" event. Photo provided

Non-Profit December 16, 2020

Walk a Mile in My Shoes: Walk Week is February 8-13, 2021

By Bob Scott— Muncie, IN—A new year, a new adventure! Muncie Mission will expand one of Muncie’s biggest annual fundraising events into a virtual Walk A Mile in My Shoes WALK WEEK for 2021. From February 8 through 13, supporters are invited to take a solo walk and report their progress as we collectively seek to log over 1000 miles… raising hope with every step. Every day hurting neighbors take to the street… some searching for food, clothing, or other…

Aerial of Muncie City Hall in downtown Muncie. Photo by Mike Rhodes.

Government December 16, 2020

Changes to Public Access to City Hall and Other City Services

By City of Muncie Communications— Muncie, IN- Mayor Dan Ridenour has issued an executive order changing the access to City Hall. From Tuesday, December 15th until Thursday December 31st, the City Hall building will be open to the public by appointment only.  In order to protect employees and the public from unnecessary exposure of COVID-19, individuals looking to do business with the City are encouraged to call City Hall (765) 747-4845. City employees will be in attendance in the City…

Babe from the classic children's movie, "Babe."

Entertainment December 16, 2020

‘Babe’ the Movie Returns to Play at AMC Theater in Muncie December 20th

By Fathom Entertainment— WHAT: “That’ll do, pig. That’ll do.” Academy Award® winner and Best Picture nominee, “Babe,” returns to movie theaters this December with “TCM Big Screen Classics Presents Babe: A 25th Anniversary Event.” In addition to viewing the endearing and fun-filled tale that the whole family (and pigs) will love, this special event also includes exclusive insights from Turner Classic Movies. WHO: Fathom Events, Turner Classic Movies and Universal Pictures WHEN: Sunday, December 20 at 3 p.m. and 7…

A lone bike rider is pictured enjoying the view. Photo provided

Non-Profit December 14, 2020

Zeigler Foundation Awards $20,000 Grant for Renovations in Red-Tail Nature Preserve

By Kelley V Phillips— Muncie, IN— The Sherman and Marjorie Zeigler Foundation has awarded $21,250 to local non-profit Red-tail Land Conservancy for renovations at Red-tail Nature Preserve, one of their most popular preserves in Delaware County. This investment will improve and beautify the parking area and other infrastructure that helps visitors have enjoyable and safe experiences such as trails, wildlife observation areas, and gathering spaces. Since 2002, Red-tail Nature Preserve has connected the Cardinal Greenway to the southernmost trails of…

Artist rendering of the Brown Family Amphitheater to be located between Park and Pruis Halls and between Noyer and Woodworth Complexes. Illustration provided by Ball State University

We Fly December 12, 2020

Ball State University Announces Gift to Construct ‘Brown Family Amphitheater’  

By BSU Marketing & Communications— Muncie, IN – During its final Board of Trustees meeting of 2020, Ball State University announced an additional $2.8 million gift from Charles W. Brown that will fund an outdoor performance and gathering space named the Brown Family Amphitheater.   The Board approved a resolution to name the grand lawn amphitheater in honor of Brown, a 1971 graduate of Ball State and a longtime donor to the University.  “The beauty of our campus is one of the many reasons students choose Ball State University,” President Geoffrey S. Mearns said. “The Brown Family…

Insert a couple of these in your ears and there’s no end to the stuff you’ll hear. Photo by Nancy Carlson

Carlson December 11, 2020

John Carlson: Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

By John Carlson— Being fitted with hearing aids a few weeks ago has introduced me to a whole new world of aural perception. Everything is amplified. For example, who knew flushing a toilet could sound like you were going over Niagara Falls in a barrel? And ripping open a bag of fresh pork rinds? Godzilla made less of a racket stomping through the heart of Tokyo’s Noodle District. This convinces me I needed hearing aids all along. For years Nancy…

This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion.

Health December 10, 2020

Delaware County Weekly COVID-19 Update, December 10th

Editor’s note: The following COVID-19 update is brought to you through a collaboration of healthcare partners including Delaware County Health Department, Delaware County Emergency Management Agency, Delaware County Office of Information, and other major healthcare providers. Delaware County weekly COVID-19 updates are released every Thursday and include information from the Indiana State Department of Health county metrics dashboard, which is updated every Wednesday afternoon. Muncie, IN—This week, Delaware County has remained orange on the Indiana State Department of Health’s county…