Articles by Mike Rhodes

John Carlson: Welcome Back, Bob!

Carlson November 1, 2019

John Carlson: Welcome Back, Bob!

By: John Carlson— Lately I’ve enjoyed some happy little feelings, all over the planned reconnection between the late artist Bob Ross and the city where he rose to international fame. That’s Muncie, of course. The L.L. Ball House on Minnetrista Boulevard, where the iconic show “The Joy of Painting” was shot from 1983 to 1988, is getting a new exhibit honoring the painter, telling his story, and sharing some of the creative magic the man sparked. Granted, “The Bob Ross Experience” isn’t due to open until October 2020, a full year from now. But like they say, good things come…

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Beata’s Prophetic Visions and Lenape Insurrection Along the White River

Non-Profit November 1, 2019

Beata’s Prophetic Visions and Lenape Insurrection Along the White River

By: Jeannine Harrold, Historian, Paul Revere Chapter DAR— Muncie, IN—November is Native American Heritage Month and to pay tribute to the rich traditions and ancestry of the region, The Paul Revere Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Muncie, the Delaware County Historical Society, and Minnetrista are sponsoring a special program at Minnetrista, Saturday, November 9, 10:00 am-11:30 am. Chris Flook, Ball State University Associate Lecturer of Telecommunications and author of Native Americans of East Central Indiana, will present one of the little-known, but fascinating stories from our community’s past. According to Flook, in 1805-06, a series of visions from…

Ball State Provost Rivera-Mills Named ‘Indiana Woman of Influence’

We Fly October 31, 2019

Ball State Provost Rivera-Mills Named ‘Indiana Woman of Influence’

By: Ball State Marketing & Communications—  Muncie, IN— Dr. Susana Rivera-Mills, Ball State University’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, has been named a 2019 Woman of Influence by the Indianapolis Business Journal. Each year, IBJ recognizes a select group of women who have demonstrated professional excellence and leadership in their careers and community service. “Susana embodies our University’s enduring values — excellence, integrity, social responsibility, inclusiveness, gratitude, innovation, and courage,” said Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns, “and she is committed to a campus culture where every student is empowered to succeed. “I am grateful that IBJ…

Muncie Arts and Culture Council Announces Fall 2019 PlySpace Residents and Events

Non-Profit October 31, 2019

Muncie Arts and Culture Council Announces Fall 2019 PlySpace Residents and Events

By: Erin Williams— Muncie, IN—PlySpace, an artist-in-residence program of the Muncie Arts and Culture Council, welcomes the Fall 2019 residents: Dana Harper, Sarah Trad, and Sydney Pursel. The visiting artists will be in Muncie for a period of four to twelve weeks this fall and will be leading public, collaborative art projects throughout the city until early December. Dana Lynn Harper (Columbus, OH) joins PlySpace as the Fall Resident Fellow. While in Muncie, Harper will work with the Art Education Department at the Ball State University School of Art to engage students in a public Wand Making Workshop focusing on…

122nd Unitarian Universalist Church ‘Bazaar in the Woods’ To Be Held Nov 2nd

Entertainment October 31, 2019

122nd Unitarian Universalist Church ‘Bazaar in the Woods’ To Be Held Nov 2nd

By: Sue Errington— Muncie, IN—The Bazaar in the Woods – now in its 22nd consecutive year – will welcome shoppers of all ages on Saturday, November 2, 8 am – 2 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Muncie, 4800 W. Bradford Dr. Start the day with a breakfast of Sausage Breakfast Casserole, Tomato Basil Bread Pudding and Cinnamon Rolls at the Chalice Cafe, or take a lunch break of Australian Pot Pies (Beef & Guinness or Potato & Mushroom), Salad and Fruit Crisps, all prepared by Kirk Robey, chef and instructor of the culinary arts at Ivy Tech. Breakfast…

Northwest Bank’s Merger With MutualBank

Business October 30, 2019

Northwest Bank’s Merger With MutualBank

WARREN, PA and MUNCIE, IN— Northwest Bancshares, Inc., (“Northwest”), (NASDAQ: NWBI) and MutualFirst Financial, Inc., (“MutualFirst”) (NASDAQ: MFSF) jointly announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which Northwest will acquire MutualFirst, the Muncie, Indiana-based holding company and parent of MutualBank, in an all-stock transaction valued at $39.89 per share (based on Northwest’s 15-day volume weighted average closing stock price ending on October 23, 2019), or approximately $346 million in the aggregate. The transaction is immediately accretive to Northwest’s earnings per share, excluding merger costs, and increases its stand- alone earnings per share by over 10% on a…

More than 1,000 Awarded to Muncie Community Schools for Teacher Development

Non-Profit October 30, 2019

More than $111,000 Awarded to Muncie Community Schools for Teacher Development

By: Kallie Sulanke, Community Engagement Officer— Muncie, Ind. – The Community Foundation awarded $111,722 to Muncie Community Schools to provide teacher professional development. Muncie Schools used this funding to provide training in the Orton-Gillingham approach to 65 teachers and administrators and to give stipends to teachers who participated in a district-wide subscription to online training for all teachers called K-12 Boost. The Board of Directors of The Community Foundation established the Successful Schools Fund in May 2018 following the Indiana Legislature’s landmark decision to give Ball State University control of Muncie Community Schools. The Foundation Board would use the Successful…

Horizon Convention Center Hosts Indiana Criminal Justice Association Fall Conference

Business October 29, 2019

Horizon Convention Center Hosts Indiana Criminal Justice Association Fall Conference

By: Mike Rhodes— Muncie, IN—The 86th Annual Fall Conference of the Indiana Criminal Justice Association (ICJA) was held at the Horizon Convention Center October 9-11, 2019 in downtown Muncie. Over 160 association members from across the state attended the conference. The Indiana Criminal Justice Association (ICJA), formerly the Indiana Correctional Association, is a statewide professional member association with the mission of enhancing the continuum of criminal justice in Indiana by focusing on the enrichment of the criminal justice professional and the Criminal Justice System as a whole. The association serves members of the Department of Corrections, probation, parole, community corrections,…

Meet Terry Whitt Bailey, Candidate for Mayor of Muncie

Government October 28, 2019

Meet Terry Whitt Bailey, Candidate for Mayor of Muncie

By: Terry Whitt Bailey— Muncie, IN—My name is Dr. Terry Whitt Bailey, and I am proud to be your Democrat candidate for the office of Mayor of the City of Muncie. I’m an honest and hardworking citizen of Muncie who has had a vast amount of local leadership experiences that include working at Ball State University, Cornerstone Center for the Arts and the City of Muncie. I believe that all of these opportunities and experiences have prepared me to be your Mayor for this historic and exciting time in Muncie. As your Mayor, I will vow to be inclusive, accessible,…

United Way’s Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Connecting With Thousands of Children

Non-Profit October 28, 2019

United Way’s Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Connecting With Thousands of Children

By: Juli Metzger— Muncie, IN—There are nearly 1,000 children in Delaware County receiving free books each month as part of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. And now, those books have been paired with educational and entertaining videos. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, offered by the United Way of Delaware and Henry Counties, is a program that provides children ages newborn to 5 years old with a free monthly, high-quality book. The United Way has partnered with Ball State University’s public television station WIPB, the Office of Community Engagement and the Department of Theatre and Dance to create videos for each of the…