Articles by Mike Rhodes

The I.D.E.A. Conference Mayoral Forum was held on March 2nd at the Ball State University Student Center Ballroom. Photo provided

Non-Profit March 19, 2019

Spring Blooms in Muncie’s Neighborhoods

By: Heather Williams – Associate Director, Office of Community Engagement & Program Manager Building Better Neighborhoods, Ball State University; Muncie Action Plan Task Force 2 Leader— Muncie, IN—Muncie’s neighborhoods will soon be blooming with flowers and street life as the spring days warm our flower beds, soon-to-be planted vegetable gardens, and our welcoming front porches. After a long, cold winter, residents are ready to reconnect and move forward with projects and events to improve their neighborhoods and increase neighborliness. Kicking…

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Karla Scott, director of African American studies at Saint Louis University. Photo provided

We Fly March 19, 2019

‘Dialogue Across Differences’ Presentation By Karla Scott To Take Place March 25th At BSU

By: Kiera Helm— Muncie, IN— Karla Scott, director of African American studies at Saint Louis University, will present “Communication, Identity and Context: What We Bring to Dialogue Across Difference,” at 7 p.m. Monday, March 25, in Ball State University’s Art and Journalism Building, room 175. Scott’s presentation—which is free and open to the public—will examine the process of human communication with a specific focus on social identity. The award-winning author and professor of commnication will share specific strategies to facilitate…

Sue Godfrey is pictured outside the offices of Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Central Indiana. Photo provided

Non-Profit March 19, 2019

Shafer Leadership Academy To Offer Personal Leadership Training April 2-May 21

By: Kate Elliott— Muncie, IN — Sue Godfrey dropped out of the workforce to raise children. She had left a management position and re-entered office life through an entry-level role. Sue enrolled in Shafer Leadership’s Emergence program, and there, she regained her confidence. Now the executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Central Indiana, Godfrey is an advocate for the eight-week, highly interactive Emergence program. It outfits participants with confidence and a command of their leadership style, she…

(L-R): Artwork created by: Martez Allen and Natalie Talbot.

Non-Profit March 18, 2019

Winners of ‘Young Artist Exhibition’ at Cornerstone Announced

By: Jessie Fisher— Muncie, IN—The third annual Cornerstone Center for the Arts and PrimeTrust Federal Credit Union Young Artist Exhibition, took place March 14. The show included over 170 pieces of 2D and 3D artwork created by Delaware County students in kindergarten through twelfth grades. 17 area schools, multiple homeschool families, and students from Cornerstone submitted entries to the exhibition. Six community artists and advocates anonymously judged each piece of artwork selecting the top three and one honorable mention in…

Michael Wolfe from Ontario Systems is pictured presenting at a previous WWiT conference. Photo provided.

We Fly March 18, 2019

Women Working in Technology Conference To Be Held March 22 at Ball State

By: Bailey Brianne Shrewsbury— Muncie, IN— Women and male allies are invited to the 11th Annual Women Working in Technology Conference from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, March 22, at the Ball State University Alumni Center. With a theme of “Continuous Improvement,” panels and presentations focus on self-empowerment and advancing equity and inclusion within the technology sector. Conference founder Kirsten Smith said the day offers professional and personal development for women working in technology and emerging media fields, with an emphasis on…

Amy Gibson. Photo provided

Non-Profit March 18, 2019

Boys & Girls Clubs of Muncie Names Amy Gibson Director of Grant Based Initiatives

By: Amy Logan— Muncie, IN—The Boys & Girls Clubs of Muncie has announced Amy Gibson as the new director of grant based initiatives. Gibson is the first person to hold the new position. “This position will allow the Boys and Girls Clubs of Muncie the opportunity to form a closer relationship with our community partners,” comments CEO Jason Newman. Newman, who just celebrated his one year anniversary with the Club, set out to create new, exciting programs to engage the…

Pokey Lafarge is pictured performing at a previous "Muncie Three Trails Music Series" concert. Photo provided

Entertainment March 18, 2019

National Recording Artists Headline Muncie Three Trails Music Series For 2019

By: Rick Zeigler— Muncie, IN—The Muncie Three Trails Music Series is pleased to officially announce its 2019 lineup as it undertakes its 7th season of presenting four critically acclaimed national recording artists in four FREE concerts at Canan Commons in downtown Muncie. All shows begin at 7 PM. Complete information on the series and all artists, including songs and videos, can be found at www.munciethreetrails.com. Celebrated bluegrass group Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper will kick things off on Saturday, July 20th. Michael Cleveland is one of the most decorated…

The McKibben property is among the first sites to be certified by the national Verisite program.

Business March 17, 2019

New Verisite Certified Site For Industrial Development Announced in Yorktown, Indiana

By: The Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance— Yorktown, IN— The town of Yorktown, Indiana and the Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance have announced the certification of a 72.55-acre property by the Verisite Certification Program as a prime opportunity for industrial development. The McKibben site is located East of S. Marsh Ave. (S. Co. Rd. 600 W.) and South of CSX Transportation Incorporated railroad approximately 0.5 miles south of S.R. 32 (Smith St.). Yorktown, Indiana has emerged onto the development scene…

The Royerton Elementary School robotics team. Back Row (Left to Right): Elizabeth Bamidele, Noah Parrot, Mason Hopper, John Atkinson, Alex Miranda. Front Row (Left to Right): Caleb Hunter, Madison Mosser, Hudson Ewing, Luke Huston. Not pictured: Logan Thomas.

Education March 15, 2019

Two Royerton Elementary School Robotics Teams Qualify For World Championship

By: Ryan Hunter, TechWise Academy— Royerton, IN—Over 200 elementary schools from across Indiana converged on Lucas Oil Stadium to compete in the Indiana VEX Robotics State Championship on March 9th. Two of those teams – the Robo Pirates and the Yellow Jackets – were from Royerton Elementary School. To even make it to the State Championship was a great accomplishment considering Indiana has over 1100 elementary VEX Robotics teams (the most of any state in the country). These two teams, however,…

Practicing yoga with small dogs is a good idea – NOT!!! Photo by: John Carlson

Carlson March 15, 2019

John Carlson: Yoga Is A Family Affair

By: John Carlson— After two hundred hours of training, our daughter Katie recently earned her certification as a professional yoga instructor. She’s been the Public Information Officer with the Marion County Sheriff’s Department for a number of years. While she’s already teaching, her goals now include offering stress-relieving yoga sessions to deputies and other first-responders who, trust me, can undoubtedly use them. Another relative named Nancy has been practicing yoga at least twice a week, and occasionally seven days a…