Articles by Mike Rhodes

Community Foundation Announces Scholarship Winners

Education May 1, 2016

Community Foundation Announces Scholarship Winners

2016 Michele Barnhart Hires Scholarship Recipient Announced The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, Inc. has announced Kaitlyn Ewing as the recipient of the 2016 Michele Barnhart Hires Scholarship. This scholarship honors Michele Barnhart Hires, a 1966 graduate of Daleville High School. A popular fun-loving student, Michele was active in theatre and choir. Although she finished high school as a “C” student, she was determined to earn a college degree. Michele did just that. She earned a degree in speech, drama, and communications from Pepperdine University. The Michele Barnhart Hires Scholarship is awarded to a graduate of Daleville Junior/Senior…

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2016 East Central March of Dimes March For Babies

Non-Profit May 1, 2016

2016 East Central March of Dimes March For Babies

By: Jay Garrison— The 2016 East Central March of Dimes March For Babies was held this afternoon at Ball State’s LaFollette Field. Muncie Mayor Dennis Tyler was on hand to start the walk, as approximately 150 walkers made the three-mile trek through the Ball State campus in support of the March Of Dimes mission…to give all babies a healthy start. “March of Dimes is truly grateful for the amazing group of sponsors, volunteers, walk teams, and donors that joined together to help make the 2016 East Central March for Babies an incredible success!” said organizer Elizabeth Tollefson. “Because of a team…

Bosma Appoints Members to ISTEP Review Panel

Education April 29, 2016

Bosma Appoints Members to ISTEP Review Panel

STATEHOUSE  – House Speaker Brian C. Bosma (R-­Indianapolis) today announced his appointments to a new panel charged with recommending a replacement for the ISTEP test. Under a new law, the state’s troubled ISTEP test will be phased out by July 1, 2017, and a 23­ member panel, a majority of whom are educators, will recommend a new, standardized test. “The ISTEP test is a seriously damaged brand and has become an ongoing source of frustration among our students, educators and parents,” Bosma said. “While we need critical performance assessments, not having results of the test for eight months is simply…

Paint the Park Day to Bring Color to McCulloch Park

Non-Profit April 29, 2016

Paint the Park Day to Bring Color to McCulloch Park

By: Rebecca Parker— Whitely Community Council, The Muncie Parks Department, and Muncie Delaware Clean and Beautiful invite you to paint the town pastel on May 14th during Paint the Park Day at McCulloch Park. This exciting beautification event, part of Whitely’s Year of Color, seeks to pull the gorgeous candy colors of the Centennial Place apartments out into the rest of the Whitely neighborhood and McCulloch Park. The event will begin at 9am and continue until at least 5pm. During the morning and early afternoon hours, volunteers will work together to paint major park structures in shades of lavender, coral,…

Ivy Tech Completes VITA Program for 2016

Education April 28, 2016

Ivy Tech Completes VITA Program for 2016

Muncie, Ind. – Ivy Tech Community College East Central Region recently concluded their 9th annual Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program for this tax season. Ivy Tech Community College’s VITA program offers free federal and state income tax return preparation and e-filing for students, faculty, staff, and lower income general public taxpayers. VITA program volunteers prepared over 90 tax returns at the Muncie and Anderson campus locations resulting in over $168,000 and $16,000 in federal and state tax refunds respectively. Additionally, taxpayers saved approximately $11,125 in tax preparation costs. The VITA program also provides a great real-world learning tool for the…

Muncie Community Schools Announce Upcoming Ceremonies

Education April 28, 2016

Muncie Community Schools Announce Upcoming Ceremonies

By: Ana Pichardo— Adult Education Graduation Ceremomy Thursday, May 12, 2016 beginning at 7pm Muncie Central High School Auditorium Adult learners who have participated in the Muncie Community Schools Adult Education program will be earning HSE Certificates and high school diplomas during the commencement program.  The speeches and stories of these students are always inspiring and interesting. Career & Technical Education Awards Program Thursday, May 19, 2016, beginning at 7:00 PM Muncie Area Career Center Gymnasium MACC students from eleven high schools in the region will be awarded Technical Certifications, Ivy Tech College transcripts, WorkKey Certification, scholarships, and many other awards…

John Carlson: Reflections on “A Father’s Love for His Child”

Carlson, Entertainment April 27, 2016

John Carlson: Reflections on “A Father’s Love for His Child”

By: John Carlson— It’s amazing how sometimes, when you least expect it, you have an encounter that makes you think about the truly important things in life, or in my case, just flat out humbles you. It happened to me Friday night when Nan and I went to see Mary Poppins at Muncie Civic Theatre. It was a wonderful show, a smash by all who worked so hard to put it on, and a tribute to the play’s director, Laura Williamson, who happens to be Civic’s executive director, too. But that’s not what this story is about. Taking our places, we were seated beside a…

Susan G. Komen® Central Indiana announces 2016 Community Impact Grant Recipients

Non-Profit April 26, 2016

Susan G. Komen® Central Indiana announces 2016 Community Impact Grant Recipients

INDIANAPOLIS – Susan G. Komen® Central Indiana is awarding a total of $832,677 in Community Impact Grants to 15 breast health programs in its 41-county service area. Delaware County will benefit from funding provided to Cancer Services of East Central Indiana, Inc – Little Red Door and Interlocal Community Action Program (ICAP) during Komen Central Indiana’s 2016-2017 grant cycle, which began in April. These programs will use Komen grant dollars to provide comprehensive breast care for low-income women in the counties they serve, including education, care coordination, patient navigation, early detection, treatment and survivorship support. More information about the individual…

Dr. Steven Baule Update on Muncie Community Schools Fiscal Situation

Education April 26, 2016

Dr. Steven Baule Update on Muncie Community Schools Fiscal Situation

By: Dr. Steven Baule, Superintendent of Muncie Community Schools— Dear MCS Stakeholders, I feel it is appropriate to take a few minutes to provide all stakeholders with an update regarding the corporation’s fiscal situation. In some ways, I understand this seems like old news. The Muncie Community Schools have been in a cost containment cycle for the better part of two decades according to many staff members who have worked here throughout that time. However, the key difference is that there is no longer any fund balance to utilize to allow the corporation to continue to deficit spend. The facts are not…

Pretreatment Program Continues to Protect Muncie’s White River from Industrial Pollutants

Non-Profit April 26, 2016

Pretreatment Program Continues to Protect Muncie’s White River from Industrial Pollutants

By: Rick Conrad— The Muncie Sanitary District’s Bureau of Water Quality recently received the results of an Indiana Department of Environmental Management periodic audit of its industrial pretreatment program. Muncie’s program, headed by Director Rick Conrad, is the local water quality testing and enforcement agency responsible for ensuring industries treat their potentially toxic wastewater before it can reach the White River or its tributaries. Since the establishment of this program by John Craddock in 1972, the Bureau of Water Quality’s rigorous permitting, chemical sampling, and biological assessments have helped clean-up a river once devastated by toxic levels of heavy metals….