Articles by Mike Rhodes

BBF Announces Hiring of Executive Assistant and Communications Coordinator

By: Jud Fisher— Muncie,IN—Ball Brothers Foundation is pleased to announce that the position of Executive Assistant & Communications Coordinator has been filled by Michelle Stephenson. Stephenson will bring nearly twenty years of experience in administrative support, financial management, and office coordination to BBF when she begins on June 11. Michelle’s primary responsibilities as Executive Assistant include serving as the initial point of contact for all inquiries to the foundation and supporting BBF’s staff and board. Michelle will schedule meetings and…

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John Carlson: Gifts As Cute As A Bug

By: John Carlson— To celebrate Mother’s Day this year, I almost gave my wife Nancy 36,000 presents. But I digress … To begin at the beginning, a lawn-care supply catalogue showed up in our mailbox. Flipping through it, I was amazed to see it offered Tree Diapers. Yes, Tree Diapers. The ad copy assured readers that Tree Diapers helped baby trees get through those rough years of potty-training and on their way to toilet-flushing tree adulthood with a minimum of…


What’s Eating at You? Find Out Before You Eat That Cookie

By: Nancy Larson— As I sit at my computer writing this article stressing about my procrastination, I reached for a cookie…then I stop myself and realize that I am “stress eating!” Everyone eats for emotional and stress relief occasional. That’s not what gets you in trouble. It’s the constant, mindless “grazing” or reactive eating that will put on the extra weight. Stress eating itself is not the problem. It is what ever is DRIVING you to turn to a drug,…


Garden Fair at Minnestrista on June 2nd

By: Stephen Mortland— Muncie, IN—Spring into summer gardening with Garden Fair at Minnetrista on Saturday, June 2 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is one day only this year, and the Farmers Market will be open for business throughout the entirety. “From plants, flowers, herbs, and compost, to garden art, bird feeders, and more, vendors will have everything you’ll need for your yard and garden,” said Sales & Events Manager Brett Ellison. “Expect to see enthusiastic, creative, and…


Anna Allen of Yorktown Receives Ball State’s Provost’s Prize

Muncie, IN—Anna Allen of Yorktown, Indiana, received The Provost’s Prize for Outstanding Scholarly Work during Ball State University’s Commencement on May 5. “My most significant emotion is sheer gratitude,” she said. “I have worked with so many amazing faculty and students at this university and would not have had the research experience and opportunities had it not been for those who had been willing to constantly and patiently support me.” Allen was a psychological science major and graduated summa cum…


Strike Out Smokeless Tobacco on World ‘No Tobacco Day’

By: Matthew Cox— Muncie, IN—Warm days at the beach, golf course or swimming pool are near-universal visions of summer, and the game of baseball is synonymous with summer for many youth players, their parents and adult fans.  Wednesday, May 31 is also World No Tobacco Day, and the image of baseball players using chewing tobacco and other products is infamously timeless as the game itself. Baseball’s attempt at positively influencing youth is certainly behind its decades-old ban on smokeless tobacco…


June First Thursday Bad Art Night at Cornerstone

By: Sarah Shaffer— Muncie, IN—Join Cornerstone Center for the Arts on Thursday, June 7, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm for Bad Art Night at Cornerstone. Leave your talent at the door and create your best disasterpiece at this free event. Bad Art Night encourages attendees to create the tackiest, ugliest, and most ridiculous artwork with a chance to win prizes. Bad Art Night on First Thursday will take place in Studio A on the second floor of Cornerstone Center for…


Law Firm Moves Location in Downtown Muncie

McKinney & Malapit Law to move its practice to new office in downtown Muncie Muncie, IN—McKinney & Malapit Law is moving its office from 114 E. Washington St. to 201 N. High St. on May 30, 2018. The office will resume its practice the following day, May 31, in the new location. The new space is historically known as the C.W. Swain Building, built in 1896, and will give the firm more visibility in downtown Muncie and also offer more…


Ball State Professor to Introduce Movies During Turner Classic Movies ‘Mad About Musicals’

By: Marc Ransford— Muncie, IN—Ready to sing, dance and learn? Film lover and Ball State telecommunications professor Vanessa Ament will provide on-air film introductions in June when Turner Classic Movies (TCM) pays homage to Hollywood musicals during “Mad about Musicals,” which is part of a free online course created by the university. Ament, the Edmund F. and Virginia B.Ball Endowed Chair of Telecommunications, will introduce films during the first week of June with TCM host Ben Mankiewicz and promises her…


John Carlson: Honoring Our Heroes

By: John Carlson— It’s a wood-framed shadow box, measuring about 8-by-12 inches, that once hung on a wall just outside my late father’s living room and now rests on a bookshelf in my home office. Mounted inside the box on black velvet is a triangular piece of metal. Maybe 6-inches long and jagged on one end, it’s painted forest green and deep red, with six rivets dotting its length. It doesn’t look like much, but for our family, it is…