Articles by Mike Rhodes

2018 VIVA Awards Nominations Now Open

By: Terry Whitt Bailey, Chair, V!VA Committee— Muncie, IN – The Muncie Rotary Club, Muncie Sunrise Rotary Club and United Way of Delaware County has announced that nominations for the annual V!VA Awards, celebrating Very Important Volunteers, are now open. The V!VA Award was created in 1993 as a gift to the community by the Muncie Rotary Club to recognize Delaware County’s proud volunteer heritage.  The appropriately-named the “Very Important Volunteer Award” rewards, reinforces and encourages local volunteers to aspire to the Rotary…

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Applications For 2018 David Sursa Leadership Award Available

By: Kallie Sulanke— Muncie, Ind. – The Community Foundation is pleased to announce that nominations are being accepted for the annual David Sursa Leadership Award. The award rewards, recognizes and encourages extraordinary leadership by a non-profit board member in Delaware County. Standing behind the belief that every community benefits from leaders who understand local issues and are able to visualize and promote positivity, The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, Inc. has established the David Sursa Leadership Award in…


John Carlson: Redoing The, Gulp, Kitchen

By: John Carlson— After 36 years of marriage, I have finally figured out what separates the women from the men, the ladies from the gents, the chicks from the dudes, the babes from the … well, you get it. Redoing your kitchen. Greg, our neighbor and head guy from Richard’s Kitchens, was over recently taking measurements while Nancy peppered him with questions. What about the countertop options? What about improving the lighting? What about moving the microwave housing? What about…


Free FAFSA Assistance Available at 18 Ivy Tech Community College Locations for College Goal Sunday

By: Kelsey Batten— INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Financial aid professionals will be volunteering at 18 Ivy Tech Community College locations on February 25 at 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. (local time) for College Goal Sunday. This annual event provides free assistance for Hoosier families to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). College Goal Sunday events will be hosted at the following Ivy Tech locations: Anderson, Avon, Bloomington, Crawfordsville, Lake County (East Chicago building), Evansville, Fort Wayne, Franklin, Greencastle, Indianapolis,…


Viking Dash Trail Run National Championships At Prairie Creek This Saturday

By: Steve Tomboni— Muncie, IN—America Multi-Sport, Inc. will be hosting the 1st Viking Dash Trail Run National Championships at Prairie Creek Reservoir in Muncie, Indiana on Saturday, February 17, 2018. The race is set to begin at 11:00 am. Runners are able to qualify in the 5k, 15k or Half Marathon distance by finishing in the top three overall or top three in their age group at any of the other eight Viking Dash Trail Run race locations. Viking Dash…


Open Door Health Services Welcomes Beena M. Joseph, MD

By: Katy Maggart— Muncie, IN—Open Door Health Services would like to welcome Dr. Beena M. Joseph, a Board Certified Pediatrician with over 17 years of experience. Dr. Joseph earned her MB.BS. (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) Degree from the PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Bharathiar University in India. She then completed her residency at Colombia University College of Physicians and Surgery in New York, NY. She has practiced in Logansport, Kokomo, Indianapolis, and Muncie during her career,…


Housing Study: Muncie Needs 405 New Homes Over The Next 5 Years

By Mike Rhodes, Editor-in-Chief— Muncie, IN—A housing needs analysis created for the City of Muncie has revealed a need for a total of 405 new homes with developed lots for nine specific housing types over the next five years. The housing types include urban attached, urban single family, suburb attached, suburb single family, and suburb custom homes. (See link to the entire study at the bottom of this article.) The study was created by the Zanola Company, St. Louis, MO…


Cornerstone Center for the Arts and PrimeTrust Federal Credit Union Young Artist Exhibition Reception

By: Sarah Shaffer— Muncie, IN—Cornerstone Center for the Arts, in partnership with PrimeTrust Federal Credit Union, will host the Young Artist Exhibition on Thursday, March 1 for school-age children in Delaware County. The show will feature the artwork of students in kindergarten through twelfth grades who reside in or attend school in Delaware County. The public reception on March 1 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. will take place in the Colonnade Room at Cornerstone Center for the Arts in conjunction with First Thursday…


Muncie Symphony Presents Classical Kids LIVE! Gershwin’s Magic Key

By: Morgan Dean— Muncie, IN – The entire family is invited to enjoy and experience Classical Kids LIVE! Gershwin’s Magic Key with the Muncie Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018 at 4 p.m. in Emens Auditorium. Join us for refreshments and an Instrument Petting Zoo in the George and Frances Ball Foundation Lobby following the performance. “This concert will feature all of George Gershwin’s greatest hits in a unique story format with professional actors,” said Artistic Director and Conductor…


28th Annual Minnetrista Juried Art Show and Sale

By: Sam Condon— Muncie, IN—Friends, families, and Minnetrista members are invited to experience the awe-inspiring artwork of professional and avocational artists in the 28th Minnetrista Annual Juried Art Show & Sale, opening on Saturday, February 24th and running through April 29th. “The Annual Juried Art Show & Sale attracts approximately 100 artists from Indiana who enter about 300 pieces of art,” said Karen Vincent, Director of Collections. “The juror then has to narrow that number down to about 125 pieces…