Articles by Mike Rhodes

Photo by: Kishel Photography Studio

Entertainment December 8, 2015

Muncie Civic Theatre to Present ‘Sensory Friendly’ Miracle on 34th Street

By: Chris Griffith— Muncie Civic Theatre proud to present a special performance for any families who would benefit from a sensory friendly performance of the holiday classic Miracle on 34th Street, on Saturday, December 12th at 2:00pm. Miracle on 34th Street is a heart-warming and humorous classic that helps audiences rediscover the true magic of Christmas this holiday season. Muncie Civic Theatre believes this message should be shared with our WHOLE community, especially children and adults with disabilities who might not be…

Read More

Education December 7, 2015

Muncie Community School’s Bond Rating Explained

By: Ana Pichardo— There have been several questions raised regarding the financial stability of the Muncie Community Schools and the creditworthiness of the corporation. One of the best ways to compare the relative fiscal health of an organization is the bond rating. In October, 2015, Dr. Baule shared the bond rating of MCS as determined by the Standard & Poor’s Rating Services. MCS’s underlying rating (based upon its fiscal situation) is BBB+. A second ranking for MCS based upon the…

Founders Awards. Photo provided.

Non-Profit December 7, 2015

Cornerstone Recognizes Founders with New Annual Awards

By: Jessie Irwin— On Thursday, December 3, Cornerstone Center for the Arts hosted its Annual Meeting and Donor Recognition. A new addition for this year was the recognition of four of the organization’s founders through awards named in their honor. The first award acknowledged Beth Turcotte who stepped up to lead the organization for three years while taking a sabbatical from her position at Ball State University. Turcotte’s passion for the arts sparked a fire in the Muncie Community to…

IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital. Photo by: Mike Rhodes

Health December 7, 2015

IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital Awarded Knee and Hip Certification by Joint Commission

By: Neil Gifford— Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital has earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for its hip and knee joint replacement programs by demonstrating compliance with the organization’s national standards for health care quality and safety in disease-specific care. This is the second knee and hip recertification for IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital, which became the first in the IU Health system to earn the certification in 2011. IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital underwent an on-site…

MutualBank's new facility in Fort Wayne is pictured. Photo provided.

Business December 4, 2015

MutualBank Announces New Financial Center in Fort Wayne

By: Jaime Faulkner— MutualBank is opening  a new, full-service Financial Center in Fort Wayne, near Jefferson Pointe. Located at 4916 Illinois Road, the Financial Center features a comprehensive banking team led by manager, Chrystal Krieger. Chrystal, along with Andrea Larson and Cindy Delagrange, will support personal and business banking needs while Josh Fern and Andrew Krouse will serve Fort Wayne’s commercial clients. This team boasts of seventy-eight years combined banking experience. The Fort Wayne Financial Center also features a coffee station,…

Kids from the 2014 Great Futures Recognition Luncheon are pictured. Photo provided.

Non-Profit December 1, 2015

Muncie Boys and Girls Club Announces New Board Members

By: Micah Maxwell— At a recent board meeting of the Boys & Girls Club of Muncie, new board members and officers for 2016 were approved. (Please see individual board member bios lower in this article.) “The Boys & Girls Club of Muncie is honored to welcome these new board members. Directors for the Class of 2018 include eleven new board members as a part of the organization’s strategic plan to increase the size of the board.” says Juli Metzger, president…

A selection of ornaments made by glass students that will be for sale this month at Ball State. Photo provided.

Entertainment December 1, 2015

Ball State’s Glick Center for Glass Holds Annual Glass Ornament Sale

By: Gail Werner— Ball State University’s Glick Center for Glass in partnership with the School of Art will host its annual glass ornament sale Dec. 3 from noon to 8 p.m. at the Alumni Center. The sale will feature works from the metals, clay, and glass guilds, including a variety of hand-blown glass ornaments starting at $20 each. Hot glass demonstrations and a second pop-up sale at the Glick Center will take place Dec. 5 from 6-9 p.m. in conjunction…

Blue Barn Shrimp's first shrimp harvest will take place December 12th. Photo provided.

Business December 1, 2015

Muncie-Based Shrimp Farm’s First Harvest Will Be Dec 12th

By: Joanna Hahn— Blue Barn Shrimp announces sale of first harvest of locally-raised shrimp starting December 12, 2015 Blue Barn Shrimp, located at 1290 West CR 400 South, Muncie, will have shrimp available year-round for sale. The first harvest came to the farm in September and it takes three months for the shrimp to be the right size. Blue Barn Shrimp aims to sell at jumbo size, or a 20 – 25 shrimp count per pound. “Customers can visit our…

Minnetrista is located at 1200 N. Minnetrista Pkwy, Muncie, IN 47303. File photo by Mike Rhodes

Entertainment November 30, 2015

Minnetrista Events in December

By: Sam Condon— Human Plus: Real Lives + Real Engineering Through January 3, 2016 Discover compelling stories of engineers and users who design and use technologies to help themselves and others achieve their goals—from everyday routines to lifelong dreams. Explore and create a range of low tech and high tech tools that restore and extend human abilities. From customized wheelchairs for off-roading, to a vest that lets you feel music, to neuro-prosthetic limbs controlled by a user’s thoughts, Human Plus…

Holiday YART Event comes to Canan Commons December 3rd. Photo: Mike Rhodes

Entertainment November 29, 2015

Holiday YART Event Coming to Canan Commons

By: Jennifer Johnson— YART is Coming! Again! YART is a Yard Sale for Art! YART began in Muncie, Indiana with students at Ball State University and continues in several U.S. cities. The Muncie YART is now held Downtown, twice a year, Spring and Fall, on the First Thursday of every May and October – and, for the first time ever, this Winter in December too (in a heated tent)! The Winter 2015 Muncie YART – a Holiday Yard Sale for…