Articles by Mike Rhodes

A young child visits with Santa at last years event. File photo.

Positivity December 19, 2016

Santa Comes to Downtown Muncie Fire Station This Saturday

By: Mike Rhodes— Ho, Ho, Ho! Merry Christmas! The Tiny Adams Memorial Christmas Event for local children will be held this Saturday, Christmas Eve, from 11am to 5pm at the downtown fire station at the corner of Madison and Jackson Streets. Eddie Bell, Chief of the Muncie Fire Department said, “We’ve done this for 22 years now. Every Christmas Eve from 11am-5pm, Santa stops by the fire station for FREE pictures with every child that wants to come.  The kids get a gift, some treats and hot chocolate. Every year, we have…

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PrimeTrust Federal Credit Union employees and their children deliver holiday cards and carol at Signature HealthCARE of Muncie. Photo provided.

Business December 19, 2016

Employees of PrimeTrust Federal Credit Union Go Caroling at Signature HeathCARE

By: Carol Bradshaw— Employees of PrimeTrust Federal Credit Union and their kids spread Christmas cheer by caroling at Signature HealthCARE of Muncie on Monday, December 12. “We had a great time caroling, spending time with the residents, and seeing their smiles as we passed out holiday cards from our members,” said Jen Scroggins, PrimeTrust employee and organizer of the caroling event. In addition to caroling, PrimeTrust hosted a Holiday Card Drive and invited their members to sign holiday cards to…

Wishing Trees created by We're Trying Collective feature wishes for the community collected during past WTC events and will be sold this weekend at We're Trying: A Pop-Up Shop. All proceeds benefit the collective's inaugural project "On the Mark, For the City," a collaborative mural project planned for Spring 2017 on the south-facing wall of the Mark III Taproom.

Non-Profit December 16, 2016

We’re Trying Collective to Host “Pop-Up Shop” December 16-18

By: We’re Trying Collective— From Friday through Sunday, December 16-18,  We’re Trying Collective will host a pop-up shop featuring a curated collection of handmade artwork and home goods. We’re Trying, a group of Muncie-based artists whose mission is to collaboratively build community through creative expression, have set up a temporary shop in the Rose Court Building located at 125 E. Charles Street in downtown Muncie to feature one-of-a-kind gifts from local artists and makers. All sales will be cash or…

Shaving club blades tend to grow and multiply. Photo by: Nancy Carlson

Carlson December 16, 2016

John Carlson: A Close Shave is a Fine Shave

By: John Carlson– When it comes to shaving, I have always been a blade man. Beats me why, exactly, but using a blade as opposed to an electric shaver seemed cooler, more “rootsy,” more organic, if you will. The shaves seemed closer, too, come to think of it. Guess that’s why. Not even my late father, an electric shaver guy all his life, was immune to the attraction of blades. I remember the surprised look on his face the day…

Paul Madill is pictured with Cadet Ceamona Taube. Photo by: Mike Rhodes

Non-Profit December 15, 2016

Muncie Match to Help Salvation Army

By: Lieutenant Jonathan Taube — MUNCIE, IN  – Last year, an anonymous donor offered up a $5,000 matching gift to benefit The Salvation Army and spur their neighbors on in giving generously during the Christmas season. The inaugural Muncie Match was an overwhelming success with more than 100 individual donors giving over $10,000 during the match week. The Salvation Army is pleased to announce that last year’s donor has once again come forward, along with the support of others in the Muncie…

Mike Rhodes selfie on tripod and iphone timer.

Entertainment December 14, 2016

Mike Rhodes and Tom Sullivan to Play at Vera Mae’s Bistro on December 23rd

Muncie, IN—Mike Rhodes will play acoustic Christmas music on the piano at Vera Mae’s Bistro beginning at 5pm on Friday, December 23rd. Mike is the Publisher and Managing Editor of the Muncie Journal. Kent Shuff and Steve Fennimore, owners at Vera Mae’s, have graciously allowed Mike to play holiday music on the piano inside the restaurant on the 23rd. Mike normally plays synthesizers, but also plays straight piano. Christmas music is very meaningful to Mike and he really enjoys playing Christmas music for others during…

Todd Trappe (left) and Scott Trappe (right) work on a research project at Ball State’s Human Performance Laboratory. Photo provided.

Education, Health December 14, 2016

Ball State Clinical Trials To Examine How Exercise Helps Us…Down to Our Molecules

By: BSU News— MUNCIE, Indiana — Ball State University will partner with two other major research institutions as part of a national project to uncover how exercise changes the body on a molecular level, which could lead to people engaging in more targeted and optimized activities. Ball State’s Human Performance Laboratory (HPL) will form one clinical trial site with the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Center for Exercise Medicine and the Translational Research Institute for Metabolism and Diabetes in Orlando, Florida. Their work…

Walter Kern and Ritika Mehta. Class of 2017 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship winners.

Education December 13, 2016

Lilly Endowment Community Scholars Named

Muncie, IN—The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, Inc., has selected the recipients of the Class of 2017 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarships, an award that grants full tuition to any accredited public or private college or university in Indiana. The Lilly Scholarship also covers fees and provides an annual stipend for required books and equipment. The recipients of this year’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship are Walter Kern, Yorktown High School, and Ritika Mehta, The Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics,…

Members of the Muncie Action Plan (MAP) president’s council and Eastside neighborhood residents joined Mayor Dennis Tyler and State Representative Sue Errington to learn more about the Kitselman Pure Energy Park (KPEP) development on Nov. 22.

Business December 13, 2016

KPEP and Muncie Action Plan Host Neighborhood and City Leaders to Address Brownfield Concerns

MUNCIE, IN – Kitselman Pure Energy Park (KPEP, LLC) and Muncie Action Plan (MAP) hosted a panel discussion Nov. 22 with MAP’s Neighborhood Presidents Council leaders, Eastside residents, and local and city leaders to discuss the development of the old Indiana Steel & Wire (IS&W) property. The purpose of the meeting was to address information deficits and concerns Muncie residents have about the brownfield property development. A panel of environmental experts joined Gary Dannar, an investor with KPEP and CEO of DD DANNAR, LLC,…

Cast members practice “It’s a Wonderful Life." Photo provided.

Non-Profit December 13, 2016

IPR to present ‘Wonderful’ Radio Drama

By: Michelle Kinsey— MUNCIE – Indiana Public Radio will present the classic holiday tale, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” as an authentic live radio drama on Friday, Dec. 16, at Sursa Performance Hall. “It’s a Wonderful Life” tells the story of George Bailey, a man who has given up his dreams in order to help others, and whose imminent suicide on Christmas Eve brings about the intervention of his guardian angel, Clarence. Clarence shows George all the lives he has touched and how different…