Articles by Mike Rhodes

Donna Munchel. Photo provided.

Non-Profit March 14, 2018

Ball Brothers Foundation Appoints Donna Munchel As Program Officer

By: Jud Fisher— Muncie, IN—Ball Brothers Foundation has expanded its programming staff and appointed Donna Munchel to the dual position of program officer and grants manager. Effective immediately, Munchel joins colleagues Jenna Wachtmann and senior program officer Rich Spisak in managing all facets of BBF’s grant-making process. This includes researching potential projects, monitoring active initiatives, tracking grant results and conducting post-grant evaluations for the BBF governing board. “Since joining BBF in 2005, Donna has played a key role in our…

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“Brotherhood In Song”, a joint concert featuring the Ball Sate University Statesmen, Magic City Music Men, and Playlist Quartet.  The concert will be at 7:30 PM at First Presbyterian Church, 1400 West Riverside Avenue, Muncie and is free. Photo provided.

Non-Profit March 13, 2018

Free ‘Brotherhood In Song’ Concert To Be Held On March 17th

By: Scott Trout— Muncie, IN—Do you need an out-of-the-ordinary way to celebrate St Patrick’s Day?  Then consider joining with the music community for “Brotherhood In Song”, a joint concert featuring the Ball Sate University Statesmen, Magic City Music Men, and Playlist Quartet.  The concert will be at 7:30 PM at First Presbyterian Church, 1400 West Riverside Avenue, Muncie and is FREE. Ball State University has boasted a male choir since its inception in 1918 as Indiana’s State Normal School, the…

Pictured L-R: City Councilman Julius Anderson, Emma Price, Marilyn Carey and Mayor Dennis Tyler. Photo provided.

Government, Non-Profit March 12, 2018

Emma Price and Marilyn Carey Honored at City Community Forum

By: Terry Whitt Bailey— Muncie, IN—Recognizing the end of Black History Month and the beginning of Women’s History Month, Mayor Dennis Tyler and City Council Member Julius Anderson (District 6) honored Emma Price and Marilyn Carey at the city’s community forum last week. This was the sixth year that Councilman Anderson partnered with local churches and neighborhood associations to host the community forum which allowed Muncie residents to have a better understanding of who to contact with specific questions and…

2018 WIPB-TV Spelling Bee Champion is interviewed by host Michelle Kinsey during the awards ceremony. Andrew Toney and Samori McKell-Jeffers stand by, holding their first runner-up and second runner-up trophies, respectively. Photo provided.

Non-Profit March 11, 2018

Burris Student Wins Third WIPB-TV Spelling Bee

By: Michelle Kinsey, Community Engagement Coordinator, WIPB-TV— Muncie, IN—After 40 rounds, Burris Laboratory School fifth-grader Alesya Rathinasamy was named the champion Saturday of the third WIPB-TV Spelling Bee. Nearly 60 school champions from Delaware, Jay, Blackford, Randolph, Madison and Henry counties competed this year in Sursa Performance Hall, on the campus of Ball State University. The first runner-up was Andrew Toney of Lee L. Driver Middle School in Winchester. Second runner-up was Samori McKell-Jeffers from Royerton Elementary School. Rathinasamy will now go…

PhyXTGears team members work on parts for the team's robot during build season. Photo provided.

Non-Profit March 10, 2018

‘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,…

There’s a first time for everything, martinis included. Photo by: Nancy Carlson

Carlson March 9, 2018

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,…

Student entrepreneurs at work in a group office setting. Photo by: graphicstock

Business March 8, 2018

‘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…

Mark Beaty is pictured in his carpet cleaning van in front of the offices of Woof Boom Radio. Photo by: Mike Rhodes

Business, Virtual Home Show March 7, 2018

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…

Virtual Home Show March 7, 2018

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…

Amber Young from MutualBank provides Tips For Cooking With Your Instant Pot ®

Virtual Home Show March 7, 2018

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…