Articles by Mike Rhodes

Business Leaders:  Make Moves Now to Take Full Advantage of Tax Reform

By: David McGuire— With all eyes on tax reform and a final bill that now seems imminent, businesses should begin focusing their attention on 2017 tax returns. With so many sweeping changes ahead, several strategies exist to realize the maximum tax benefit from the current system and its likely evolution. First, let’s look at what we know. Under both the House and Senate bills, corporate tax rates dropped to 20 percent, with the latest reports signaling a corporate rate of 21 percent…

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John Carlson: Little Racer Packed a Punch

By: John Carlson— If you are under the misguided notion that playing football is the optimum way to suffer a brain-rattling concussion, you’ve probably never driven an Australian racing barstool. I, on the other hand, have. This was due to the largesse of the folks at Lear Unlimited over in Whitely some years back. To certain  people – like most women, I would imagine – the place probably seemed just an odd looking little out-of-the-way shop. But for men? Lear…


Kroger Supplier Miller Poultry Donates $12,000 of Product To Second Harvest

By: Eric Halverson— Muncie, IN – Miller Poultry, a longtime local Kroger supplier and Indiana company donated $12,000 worth of poultry products (6,800 pounds) on Dec. 14, to Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana in Muncie. “The reason we do this is to give back to the communities that support us throughout the year,” said Ken Rains of Miller Poultry.  “These are tough times for some, they may be struggling to make ends meet. We want to offer those…


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…


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…