Articles by Mike Rhodes

Community Grants Totaling $215K Awarded By The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County

By Kallie Sulanke, Chief Community Partner for Outreach and Donor Relations, The Community Foundation— MUNCIE, IN—The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County awarded $215,264 in Community Grants this week. Community Grants provide nonprofit organizations serving Muncie and Delaware County with the opportunity to apply for funding to support their work. Grants are awarded to address the broad needs of Muncie and Delaware County. Organizations interested in applying for funding are encouraged to connect with the Foundation’s Program and Nonprofit Relations team. Through these conversations, Foundation staff and volunteers develop a deeper understanding of the needs within the community, identify…

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Ball State Athletics to Implement ‘Clear Bag Policy’ at All Ticketed Sporting Events

By Ball State Sports— MUNCIE, IN—Ball State Athletics has initiated a new “clear bag” policy at its ticketed athletic events (plus baseball and softball games), starting with the upcoming 2025-26 academic year. The new policy was put in place to enhance existing security and public safety measures at Scheumann Stadium, Worthen Arena, Shebek Stadium and the Ball State Softball Stadium. Now a standard at many college and most pro sports facilities, the policy is designed to regulate the size and types of bags that may be carried into the venue for all events. Benefits of the clear bag policy include…


Muncie Central Senior Selah Derby Attends Prestigious Summer Journalism Program

By Sheryl Swingley— MUNCIE, IN—Muncie Central High School senior Selah Derby was one of 38 students nationwide to attend the Princeton University] Summer Journalism Program. The workshop, which was an all-expense paid experience to Princeton, started online on July 1. The students selected for the journalism program had two to three Zoom lectures for three weeks prior to the start of the in-person workshop on campus in Princeton, New Jersey. The online sessions Included reading and reporting assignments. Two of Derby’s articles have been archived among the stories written for the program. Both were opinion pieces: one was about releasing…


City of Muncie Announces First New Resident Through Expanded MakeMyMove Partnership with Delaware County

By Amber Greene— MUNCIE, IN—The City of Muncie is proud to announce that its recent expansion of the MakeMyMove program in partnership with Delaware County has already brought its first new resident to the community. Earlier this year, the Mayor Ridenour and the Delaware County Commissioners, with the assistance of the Delaware County Redevelopment Commission, entered into an interlocal agreement to expand the program’s boundaries, allowing all addresses with a “Muncie” designation—both inside and outside of the city limits—to be eligible. This collaboration opens the door for even more movers to choose Delaware County, expanding the reach of the MakeMyMove…


Muncie to Celebrate 33rd Annual Women’s Equality Day Honoring Local Trailblazers

By  WaTasha Barnes Griffin, Coalition of Women’s Organizations— MUNCIE, IN—The Coalition of Women’s Organizations will host the 33rd annual Women’s Equality Day Celebration at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, in the Muncie City Hall auditorium. This year’s program will honor the legacy of the women’s suffrage movement while recognizing the extraordinary contributions of five local women who are shaping Muncie’s future through leadership, advocacy, and service. Women’s Equality Day commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. First declared a national observance by President Richard Nixon, the day has been celebrated annually…


Vanessa Collier to Headline Free Concert at Brown Family Amphitheater in Muncie, Saturday August 23

By Rick Zeigler— MUNCIE, IN – Acclaimed blues horn player Vanessa Collier will be performing in a FREE outdoor concert as part of the 2025 Muncie Three Trails Music Series. The concert will take place at 7:00 PM on Saturday, August 23rd at Brown Family Amphitheater on the campus of Ball State University.  Local favorites The Fierce will open the show. Vanessa Collier is a master musician and instrumentalist, weaving funk, soul, rock, and blues into powerful performances and dynamite recordings. With soulful vocals, searing saxophone, and witty songwriting, Vanessa is blazing a trail, racking up an impressive arsenal of…


MuncieArts Announces Selected Artists and Projects for $500,000 Public Art Initiative

By Tania Said— MUNCIE, IN — The Muncie Arts and Culture Council (MuncieArts) is proud to announce the four public art projects and artists selected as part of a $500,000 investment in community-based art, made possible through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding awarded by the City of Muncie. The initiative brings significant public artworks to the historic South Central and Whitely neighborhoods—locations identified through community engagement and alignment with city goals of neighborhood connection, economic development, and population growth. In 2021 the City of Muncie selected MuncieArts, the city’s official arts partner, to administer the new public art funding….


$2 Tour Takes Over The Village On August 23

By Michelle Kinsey— MUNCIE, IN—The $2 Tour of the Village returns on Saturday, Aug. 23, from 3 to 7 p.m. on University Avenue between Calvert and Dill Streets near the Ball State University campus. Admission is free and the first 100 people through the gates will get a $2 bill to spend on several special $2 items – including T-shirts, food, goodie bags and more – at participating Village businesses. The event, now in its sixth year, is hosted by the Riverside-Normal City Neighborhood Association, Muncie Action Plan, and Ball State University’s Office of Community Engagement. “We love offering this…


Muncie Three Trails Music Series BLUE MOON MARQUEE Concert HAS BEEN CANCELED

Editor’s note: Blue Moon Marquee, the headline act for this Saturday night’s show, is based out of British Columbia. Due to the Air Canada strike, they are not going to be able to get to Muncie for the show, so THE BLUE MOON MARQUEE SHOW SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, AUGUST 16 IS CANCELED. “This is the first time in the 12 years of doing the series that we have had to cancel a show,” said Rick Zeigler. By Rick Zeigler—   MUNCIE, IN—Acclaimed Canadian blues/jazz group Blue Moon Marquee will be performing in a FREE outdoor concert as part of the…


Ball State University Establishes New Design Hub, Community Collaboration Space in Downtown Muncie

By Ball State University Communications— MUNCIE, IN— Ball State University and its Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning (ECAP) have signed a two-year lease for the first floor of the historic Columbia Theater Building at 306 S. Walnut Street in downtown Muncie. The space will serve as a new anchor for immersive learning, student design coursework, and University-community collaboration—bringing Ball State students, faculty, and research to the heart of the city. Beginning this Fall semester, the site will house ECAP studio courses in landscape architecture and urban planning. The location—almost 5,000 square feet—will also support exhibitions, project showcases, and events…