Articles by Mike Rhodes

Muncie Sanitary District Board of Directors: “It’s All About Sustainability”

By: Tracy Dishman— Muncie, IN—My trash is picked up on time, my inside plumbing flushes away what I don’t want, and I have little worry about flooded streets keeping me from my job on stormy days. As community members, we don’t often think about underground drainage systems or the logistics of getting storm water from one end of the city to the other, but a small group of very dedicated and passionate individuals do. “This Board of Directors has been…

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MITS and Pay Less Supermarkets Team Up For Grand Opening

By: Todd Merickel— Muncie, IN—MITS (Muncie Indiana Transit System) is proud to announce a new partnership with Pay Less Supermarkets where two MITS buses will be fully wrapped with a design created by Pay Less to help promote their Grand Opening campaigns in Muncie. These are the first buses that have been allowed to be wrapped in advertising for MITS.   “Our General Manager has been with MITS from the start and he is very particular about how the look and…


YMCA of Muncie to Offer ‘Access for All’ Membership

By: Kristen McConnell— The YMCA of Muncie is offering new membership categories and pricing to enhance their community service. Muncie, IN– The YMCA of Muncie announced at a press conference, a recent demographic and community needs study prompted a revamp of membership categories, rates and the financial assistance process. The Y, which operates 3 membership locations, a child develpoment center and a summer resident camp, will now have four membership categories, each at the most affordable rate possible. They will also…


Cornerstone Recognizes Founders at Annual Donor and Community Reception

By: Lauren Hansen— Muncie, IN—On Tuesday, December 5, Cornerstone Center for the Arts hosted its Annual Donor & Community Reception. This is the third year for the event which recognizes the founders of the organization with awards named in their honor. This year, Cornerstone served over 2,000 students in educational programs, awarding almost $13,000 dollars in financial aid to families in need. This year, the event specifically recognized the efforts of all Board Members since the creation of Cornerstone Center…


Youth Opportunity Center Welcomes New Staff Members

Muncie, IN—The Youth Opportunity Center recently hired two new staff members: Elizabeth Kester as Director of Customers Relations, and Paul Ward as Spiritual Life Coordinator. Elizabeth Kester, of Ft. Wayne, Indiana, joins the YOC team with several years of experience in customer relations. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Ball State University in 2004. Upon graduation, she began her career as Donor Relations Manager at Christ’s Haven for Children and quickly climbed the ladder to become Director of…


Donna Corder Lost 185 Pounds And Gained Her Life Back

By: Dawn Brand Fluhler— Muncie, IN – December 15, 2016, was the beginning of a journey. A journey that, yet unfinished, would amount to losing nearly 200 pounds, walking easier, breathing easier, and looking toward a future filled with confidence and adventure. Donna Corder’s first visit to the IU Health Ball Memorial Bariatric & Medical Weight Loss Center last year was for a weight loss seminar. She had reached a point in her 400-pound life when she knew she needed to…


Ball Brothers Foundation Awards Rapid Grants Totaling Nearly $100,000     

By: Jud Fisher— Muncie, IN—Over twenty non-profit organizations were awarded Ball Brothers Foundation Rapid Grants totaling nearly $100,000 during the second half of 2017. “BBF’s Rapid Grant program allows our foundation to quickly respond to funding requests in Muncie and East Central Indiana. Non-profit organizations can apply for up to $5,000 in funding, and organizations typically receive funding approval or denial within a week of submitting a proposal. We understand that unanticipated needs often arise, and Rapid Grants are an…


Ivy Tech Names Johnson as Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs

By: Jennifer Gasiorek— Muncie, Ind.—Ivy Tech Community College has named Dr. Mia D. Johnson as vice chancellor of academic affairs for the Muncie campus and Ivy Tech Henry County location.  Johnson began her career at Ivy Tech in 2008 in the certification and assessment center.  She graduated from Muncie Central and calls Muncie home. She has previously served Ivy Tech as an adjunct professor, registrar for the legacy East Central Region  (Muncie, Marion, Anderson and Henry County), department chair of public and social services, dean…


Muncie Mission To Host Free Christmas Dinner on December 17th

By: Frank Baldwin— Muncie, IN—The 87th annual Muncie Mission free Christmas dinner for residents and community guests will be Sunday, December 17th.  A Christmas celebration service will begin at 11:30 a.m., dinner will follow at 12-noon.  Everyone is welcome. Last year, 200 Christmas dinners were served at the mission for residents and guests by staff and volunteers.  Additionally, 225 meals were delivered by volunteers to those homebound in Muncie. “Everyone should be able to experience Christmas dinner, but for many…


Madison Smalstig and Kelby Stallings Are Lilly Endowment Community Scholars

By: Kallie Sulanke, Community Engagement Officer— Muncie, IN—The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, Inc., has selected the recipients of the 2018 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, an award that grants full tuition to any accredited public or private non-profit college or university in Indiana. The Lilly Scholarship also covers fees and provides an annual stipend for required books and equipment. The recipients of the 2018 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship are Madison Smalstig from Yorktown High School and Kelby Stallings…