Articles by Mike Rhodes

When You Focus On Good News, You Get More Of It

By: J Chapman, President, Woof Boom Radio, Inc.— Muncie, IN—In 2015, a number of community leaders and organizations came together to form the concept of the Muncie Journal. On July 1, 2015, MuncieJournal.com launched for the public. How we view ourselves and our community in large part determines the choices and decisions we make about our future. The Muncie Journal exists not only due to our founding partners, but the efforts of hundreds of community members and groups who continually…

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Chamber To Recognize Business Leaders At Annual Dinner

By: Brenda Brumfield— Muncie, IN – The Muncie-Delaware County Chamber of Commerce will hold their 124th Annual Meeting on October 25, 2018. The event, to be held at the Horizon Convention Center, is the Chamber’s annual meeting and awards event. Chamber Board Chair Chris Caldwell announced this year’s recipients. SPIRIT OF SMALL BUSINESS – DIY/GROUP, INC. COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD – IVY TECH COMMUNITY COLLEGE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO EDUCATION – UNITED WAY OF DELAWARE COUNTY EXCELLENCE IN PUBLIC SERVICE – 8TWELVE…


Ball Family Celebrates University’s Centennial

By: Marc Ransford— Muncie, IN–A century after their ancestors helped create what today is Ball State University, members of the Ball family from across the nation came to campus to celebrate the past 100 years. Dozens of descendants of the original five Ball brothers gathered Thursday, Oct. 18, for the Ball Family Centennial Celebration in the Fine Arts Building (home of the David Owsley Museum of Art) to observe the milestone. Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns said the remarkable…


John Carlson: It’s Not Gory, But It’s Gorey

By: John Carlson— It was a dark and stormy night… No. Wait. On second thought, make that “afternoon.” It was a dark and stormy afternoon. Following a marvelously tasty Italian dinner enjoyed at Osteria 32, Phil and Susie Bremen, plus Nancy and I, walked into the David Owsley Museum of Art at Ball State University. We were in search of the exhibit (cue the spooky organ music) “Gorey’s Worlds.” From somewhere nearby, a woman was faintly yet plaintively moaning. Following…


BY5 Announces New Executive Director, Missy Modesitt

By: Amanda Price— Muncie, Indiana — Delaware County BY5 Early Childhood Initiative, Inc. recently announced Missy Modesitt as the organization’s new executive director. “We are very excited to have someone with Modesitt’s unique combination of experiences and skills lead BY5 in the next phase of our development,” said Pat Botts, chairman of the board of directors of BY5. “Her background gives her a great perspective about how early childhood education can lead to a stronger economic environment and a better…


Cornerstone To Host Annual Community Halloween Party On Oct 25th

By: Jessie Fisher— Muncie, IN—Halloween is just around the corner; this year celebrate with the entire family by attending Cornerstone Center for the Arts’ annual Community Halloween Party. Tricks and treats will be had on Thursday, October 25 from 4 to 6 p.m. as Cornerstone’s Colonnade Room is transformed into a spooky lair of fun and games. The Community Halloween Party is open to children and families of all ages and is free to attend. Costumes are encouraged, but not…


Writers’ One-Day Mini-Conference Set For November 3rd

By: Jama Kehoe Bigger, MWW Director— Muncie, IN—A one-day writers’ mini-conference, “Reaching Your Writing Goals,” for fiction and nonfiction authors at all experience levels, is set for Saturday, November 3 at the Ball State University Alumni Center. Hosted by Midwest Writers Workshop, Inc. (MWW), the event features breakout sessions led by three successful East Central Indiana authors, each with newly released books. “This program gives participants a jam-packed day with sessions on craft improvement – finding stories, plotting, character development –…


“Candidates Of the Future” Returns

By: Aimee Robertson-Fant, Organizer, Muncie Action Plan/Muncie Neighborhoods, Co-Founder, Muncie Matters Muncie, IN—Last year a full house of active East Central Indiana citizens from all walks of life interested in affecting change in their communities attended the inaugural “Candidates of the Future”—a collaboration between Ball State University’s Bowen Center for Public Affairs, Shafer Leadership Academy, Building Better Neighborhoods/Muncie Action Plan which is a grassroots, deeply-inclusive and one-of-a-kind-to-the-community workshop, rooted in the belief that everyday citizens can lead and run for local office. “We completely underestimated the…


3rd Annual “Just Desserts” Huge Success

By: Amy Logan— Muncie, IN—The Boys & Girls Clubs of Muncie would like to thank the many people that made the 3rdAnnual Just Desserts a huge success. This year’s event received 35 dessert donations from amazing local bakers and were auctioned off for more than $25,000. The money raised from this event will go directly toward providing quality programs for the local Clubs. The 3rdAnnual Just Desserts took place on Wednesday, September 26 in front of the beautiful Catalyst sculpture…


BSU Professor Says Halloween Traditions Date Back Centuries

By: Marc Ransford— Muncie, IN—Many Halloween traditions may have originated with the ancient Celts and their priests, the druids. Other civilizations adopted and changed the ancient rituals, such as bobbing for apples or donning disguises. “Our Halloween celebrations are the remnants of the pre-Christian Celtic celebrations,” said Fred Suppe, a Ball State history professor and an expert in Celtic folklore. “The Celts can be traced back to 800 B.C. to what is now southern Germany and include the ancestors of…