Business

By: Steve Lindell— Muncie, IN—Woof Boom Radio and 104.1 HD1 WLBC takes seriously our role of being a partner to those in the cities and towns we serve.  WLBC continues to assist some of the great organizations making a difference in our community with the WLBC Hometown Heroes Grant Program.  If you are interested in receiving our promotional support please consider completing the application you will find at this link.  Note: The application is in Microsoft Word format. Please return your grant application to Steve Lindell by March 15, 2020. If you have questions, please contact: 765-288-4403 or via email at Steve.Lindell@WoofBoom.com Each…

By: Mike Rhodes— Muncie, IN—Ball State’s Indiana Communities Institute held its 38th Annual Economic Development Course at the Horizon Convention Center, January 12-17th. Attendees from across the state attended the course, and learned about topics including: strategic planning, real estate redevelopment and reuse, business retention and expansion, economic development finance, TIFF districts and more. The week-long Indiana Economic Development Course—the official “basic course” for the State of Indiana—offered intensive training in the basic concepts, methods, and strategies of economic, industrial, business, entrepreneurial, workforce, and community development. It was a comprehensive educational experience in the theory and practice of holistic approaches to building and sustaining…

By: First Merchants Corporation— Muncie, IN—First Merchants Corporation (NASDAQ – FRME) has reported fourth quarter 2019 net income of $47.8 million compared to $41.7 million during the same period in 2018.  Earnings per share for the period totaled $.87 per share compared to fourth quarter 2018 result of $.85 per share.  Included in the fourth quarter results are $1.9 million, or $.03 per share, of one-time charges related to the closing of our acquisition with Monroe Bank & Trust on September 1, 2019.  Net income for the year ended December 31, 2019 totaled $164.5 million, compared to $159.1 million during…

By: Eric Cox— Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt of an article that appears in the Fall 2019 Edition of Alliance Magazine, published by the Muncie-Delaware County Economic Development Alliance. A PDF of the entire article and full Fall 2019 Edition of the magazine can be viewed from the link at the very bottom of this article.  Muncie, IN—Time, talent and treasure. Those are the cornerstones of philanthropy, and those who selflessly share them have made Muncie a shining star of charitable giving in Indiana. According to the Sagamore Institute’s annual Public Good Index (PGI), which examines challenges and solutions in communities that receive the Institute’s Renewal Fund Investments,…

By: Amanda Price— Muncie, IN—MITS, Muncie’s local transportation provider, is excited to introduce you to our New MITSBus App! In 2019 MITS asked you to tell us what you thought and the overwhelming response was that our old app was not providing the information our riders needed. MITS staff immediately began the process of securing a company to design an entirely new app. Moving as quickly as possible, Bishop Peak Technologies was able to launch the new MITSBus app on January 20, 2020. The app is available for both iOS and Android operating systems. The completely new and improved app will show where…

By: Chad Mertz— Muncie, IN – Forbes has released its 2020 list of “America’s Best Banks,” and for the third consecutive year, one of the Midwest’s legacy financial institutions ranked in the top five. First Merchants Bank, Indiana’s second largest financial services holding company, has been rated by Forbes as the country’s fifth best bank. “This is a tremendous honor and demonstrates the financial success and future prospects for First Merchants clients,” said First Merchants CEO Michael C. Rechin. “Our clients’ success has and will always be the true barometer of the company’s performance. All First Merchants employees embrace this…

By: Mike Rhodes— Muncie, IN—The Horizon Convention Center is gearing up for a very busy 2020, with many new and exciting conferences and events scheduled. In preparing for a busy 2020, the HCC has implemented or is in the process of making significant improvements to the facility. Restrooms The Horizon Convention Center has upgraded both the men’s and women’s restrooms by the Green Room Hallway to a more modern, up-to-date style. While doing that project the Horizon Convention Center used the opportunity to create a new family/unisex/single person restroom. HCC also used a small portion of the Green Room to create…

By: Mike Rhodes, Editor-in-Chief, MuncieJournal.com— Muncie, IN—Tips from our readers on how to survive last January’s Polar Vortex was #1 in our Top 10 most viewed stories list on Muncie Journal.com for 2019. Temperatures are expected to dip this week, but nowhere near the level of January’s Polar Vortex. You’ll find the rest of our most viewed stories for 2019 below. You can click on any story headline to review the initial story and the date it was published. (When you click on a story below, you can hit your back button to return to this page.) Stories are ranked utilizing Google Analytics data…

By: Amy Leffingwell—        Muncie, IN – George Insurance Group will host an active shooter response training course on Tuesday, January 14th from 6:30pm – 8:30pm. Chief Duckham, Ball State University Police Chief, will present C.R.A.S.E. training (Civilian Response to Active Shooter Event) at the Mitchell Early Childhood and Family Center (Former Mitchell Elementary School) in Muncie. Mitchell Early Childhood and Family Center is located at 2809 W Purdue Ave, Muncie, Indiana. This presentation will provide strategies, guidance, and a proven plan for surviving an active shooter event. Topics will include the history and prevalence of active shooter events, the role…