Articles by Mike Rhodes

By Zach Gonzalez– MUNCIE, IN–Yolanda Velez moved to Muncie to watch over her six-year-old granddaughter while Velez’s daughter, a single mother, studied at Ball State. Velez stayed in Muncie long after her daughter moved to Louisville, Kentucky because she found people to be with once her family was away. Velez, who generally goes by the nickname “Yo,” plugged herself into various communities across Muncie, as she found a church to attend and volunteered at locations like  Second Harvest Food Bank. “I’m close into the community. I may not have a blood family here, but I have a Muncie family,” Velez…

 By Jud Fisher— MUNCIE IN – Ball Brothers Foundation, a family foundation committed to place-based grantmaking in Indiana for nearly a century, has awarded over $5 million in its fall round of grants for 2024, supporting 36 organizations across East Central Indiana. Among the recipients is United Day Care Center, which was awarded $125,000 to add on to its existing facility on the east side of downtown Muncie. As families continue to face challenges in accessing affordable childcare, the need for quality early childhood education has never been more pressing. Currently, nearly 60% of families in the region struggle to…

By Barb Stedman— MUNCIE, IN—The  Robert Cooper Audubon Society will honor the recipients of its 2024 conservation awards on Wednesday, December 4, 6-9 p.m., at the Ball State University Alumni Center. The public is invited. The event, which includes inspiring presentations by the honorees, appetizers and door prizes, is free and open to non-Audubon members. Attendees should RSVP to cooperaudubon@gmail.com by November 20. The following individuals and organizations will be recognized for their contributions to conservation and environmental education in East Central Indiana: Bill Buskirk, recipient of the Robert H. and Esther L. Cooper Conservation Award, the chapter’s highest honor, for…