Articles by Mike Rhodes

Meridian Health Services: CEO Perspective on COVID-19

By: Hank Milius, President/CEO, Meridian Health Services— Muncie, IN—I heard a quote over the weekend which I believe is relevant for the COVID-19 challenge: “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” —Winston Churchill As this crisis unfolded, we were stunned by the negative outcomes. Today I’m focusing on the progress taking place. In Indiana as of this writing, 42% of all ICU beds and 81% of the ventilators around are available….

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Community Foundation Grants Additional $11,000 In COVID-19 Response Funding

By: Kallie Sulanke— Muncie, IN—The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, Inc. awarded $11,000 to six non-profit organizations to support emergency response efforts to the COVID-19 crisis.  Community Foundation staff continue to connect with and listen to the plans, challenges, and needs of a variety of vital community organizations across Delaware County. Decisions for this fourth round of response funding were made to come along side these vital community organizations with identified immediate needs related to the Coronavirus Pandemic….


Muncie Non-Profits Call For Caution, Measured Re-Entry

By: Muncie Non-Profit Organizations— Muncie, IN—On Friday, May 1, 2020, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb announced the first step of easing economic and health restrictions on businesses and individuals that were limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many of you, the agencies in this article are eager to return to a normal state of operations and are relieved that the plan is a step-by-step process that will only move forward if we move cautiously. Over the past several weeks, Delaware…


A Better Way Names Tiffany Kerrigan Director of Development

By: Teresa Clemmons— Muncie, IN—Teresa Clemmons, Executive Director of A Better Way Services, Inc., is pleased to announce that Tiffany Kerrigan will be joining the agency as their new Director of Development. “I believe Tiffany is a great fit for the organization, and will bring our fund development to a new level of success.”—Teresa Clemmons Tiffany’s past nine years have been spent at Little Red Door Cancer Agency, Indianapolis, IN, where she was Vice President and Regional Director, East Central…


Online Summer Classes at Cornerstone Center for the Arts

By: Sarah Shaffer— Muncie, IN—Cornerstone Center for the Arts is excited to announce Exclusively Online Classes for the 2020 Summer Session. In these trying times the arts are even more important. Creativity is vital to personal and societal health. While social distancing we can still come together as a community. A selection of our most popular Arts Education programming will be available exclusively online beginning the week of June 1 and ending July 23. Classes will be held virtually on…


U.S. Senator Todd Young Highlights Indiana Paycheck Protection Program Success Stories

By: Senator Todd Young Press Office— Washington– U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) recently spoke about the ongoing response to the coronavirus pandemic and highlighted several Paycheck Protection Program success stories in Indiana. To date, Indiana has received nearly $10 billion in Paycheck Protection Program loans. “Over the last six weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to connect to roughly 22,000 Hoosiers. This of course is an anxious time, this is a time when people want their public officials to be accessible,…


‘Indiana Navigators’ Offer Health Coverage Enrollment During Pandemic 

By: Bryan Ayars, CEO, Open Door Health Services— Muncie, IN—We’ve heard it said many times during crises, and we’ve heard it during the COVID-19 pandemic: Look for the helpers. Our community has rallied to support our vulnerable populations over the last several weeks—and the truth is, we’re all vulnerable in one way or another during COVID. In the past month, thirty percent of us have postponed healthcare, and more than 30 million Americans have applied for unemployment benefits after losing a job. The…


Burris’ Stefanie Onieal Named Recipient of Ball Brothers Foundation’s Excellence in Teaching Award 

 By: Melissa Jones— Muncie, IN—Stefanie Onieal is not a teacher, she says. She’s a researcher.  “I’m a researcher of my students. I am researching what they know, what they can do, and I’m trying to take them to the next place, to where they need to go,” said Onieal, a second-grade teacher at Burris Laboratory School in Muncie. And it’s this unique approach and dedication to self-reflection that led to her being named the winner of this year’s Ball Brothers…


John Carlson: What’s In a Name?

By: John Carlson— One thing which, in a roundabout way, the COVID-19 pandemic has reminded me of is this: When it comes to names, Native Americans have been infinitely more creative than we paler latecomers. How so? The other night while hiding from the coronavirus I was watching one of my favorite movies, “Dances With Wolves.” Besides the name of the movie, Dances With Wolves is also the name of the main character, one bestowed in the 1860s upon a…


Supporting Our Students During National Teacher Appreciation Week 

By: Joanna Robertson— Muncie, IN—With schools closed nationwide due to COVID-19 stay-at-home-orders, supporting students and their families with the basic tools for learning has become critical. The Back To School Teachers Store, a non-profit providing free essential learning tools and supplies to teachers, students and families in Delaware County, has provided 5,000 students with remote learning supplies since mid-March. “Pencils, pencil sharpeners, erasers and books are the top requested items from teachers year after year,” said Stacy Wheeler, executive director…