Articles by Mike Rhodes

‘Quartermania’ To Benefit Local Robotics Team

By: Michelle Kinsey— Muncie, IN— Quartermania is coming to Muncie! (If you are wondering what Quartermania is, don’t worry, we’ll get to that in a moment.) This fun evening of bidding for an awesome array of prizes, all benefitting local robotics team PhyXTGears, is set for 5:30 p.m. March 16 at MadJax Muncie, 514 E. Jackson St. Team 1720 The PhyXTGears is “an independent, non-profit high school level robotics team that is affiliated with USFIRST Robotics,” according to Shawn VanNess,…

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John Carlson: It’s Shaken, Not Stirred

By: John Carlson— Not to say I am an unsophisticated lout or anything, but the first time I ordered a bottle of wine with dinner at Vera Mae’s Bistro, I nearly sent it back. “Holy crap!” I complained to Kent and Steve. “There’s a cork stuck in it!” Ha–ha! Just joking. While admittedly a 99 percent wine-from-a-spout guy, I knew that cork was jammed in the bottleneck on purpose. It was with that sort of unfortunate faux pas in mind,…


‘Innovate WithIN Pitch Competition’ Regional to be in Delaware County

By: Marc Ransford— Muncie, IN— The Innovate WithIN Pitch Competition will host one of its nine regional competitions on March 9 in Muncie, Indiana, at the Ball State Alumni Center. The top 10 high school entrepreneurs from around Delaware County, Indiana, who made it through round one of the competition, are invited to compete in front of panel of judges from their region. One team or innovator from each region will be selected to compete in the state competition on…


Beaty & Sons Services: Welcome to a Better Clean

By: Mike Rhodes— Beaty & Sons Services began offering  services many years ago in the Muncie Indiana area. Shortly after opening, founder Mark Beaty realized his company offered something unique—an eye for detail. As a result, his small business flourished and many more  services have been added, including flood restoration. Beaty & Sons services are backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Today, Beaty and Sons is one of the largest specialty carpet cleaning & restoration companies in the Muncie Indiana area. They have more…


Budget Blinds: Beautiful Window Coverings are Just the Beginning!

By: Polli Whittern— At Budget Blinds Serving Muncie & Noblesville, we bring you attractive window treatments that are sure to impress any guest but, more importantly, we bring you an unmatched level of service and an exclusive five years no questions asked warranty.  It all starts with our free in-home consultation or a trip into our showroom, located at 827 S. Tillotson Avenue in Muncie. Here are some things you can look forward to with a simple call: A friendly…


Tips For Cooking With Your Instant Pot ®

By: Amber Young— If you don’t currently own the latest kitchen gadget craze, the Instant Pot, chances are you know someone who does. I received my Instant Pot as a Christmas gift from my mom just a few short months ago and can fully attest to the amazingness of the IP, as us Instant Pot fans like to call it. My husband and I both work full time and have two little ones, ages 4 and 8, at home. The…


Berkshire Hathaway Indiana Realty

By: Kerry Wiggerly— Hello and welcome to the Virtual Online Home Show on The Muncie Journal! Once again we are proud to be one of this year’s sponsors, and are excited to have you visit our virtual booth! Why Berkshire Hathaway? For years, we have enjoyed sharing our story in thousands of face-to-face events (i.e. Delaware County Farm Festival, Bridal Show, etc.) and look forward to sharing it with you in a broader medium. As you can see by the…


How to Protect Yourself From Cyber Bad Guys

By: Gary Thomas— It’s no mystery that the cyber bad guys are out to cause havoc, steal and make life difficult for the rest of us.  Being aware of your digital surroundings with your on-line data is critical to not fall victim in our connected world. Here are some tips to follow: WAS YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNT COMPRIMISED? Let’s pick on Facebook as we all see posts that someone says something like, “If you get a message from me, delete…


MutualBank: Buying A Home Isn’t What It Used To Be

By: Jamie Faulkner— Financing homes and home improvement projects are undergoing an evolution. I’ve been in the banking industry for thirteen years, and in that time, home buying has drastically changed. Ah, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s go back to 2007. I was a young, vibrant, 23-year-old who was looking to buy her first home. (Yes, I’m a millennial. Don’t write me off just yet.) I was a newlywed, just married for two years and my husband and…


Gutter Helmet: Never Clean Your Gutters Again!

By: Dave Francisco— From the start, our company’s goal was to provide a dependable long-lasting product and service that would solve a specific need for the community and provide it to them in an honest, straight-forward manner at fair pricing followed up with excellent customer service. Like all good ideas, “Gutter Helmet” of Central Indiana, Inc. was formed to fill a need in the marketplace. Over 35 years ago, there was no solution that could keep gutters clean and free…