Business

By: Dave Heeter, President and CEO of MutualFirst—  Combination Expands MutualFirst’s Presence into Central and Southern Indiana Creates Community Bank with $2 Billion of Assets  Muncie, IN – MutualFirst Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: MFSF) (“MutualFirst”) and Universal Bancorp (“Universal”) have announced  that they have entered into a definitive agreement (the “Agreement”) pursuant to which Universal will be merged into MutualFirst, with MutualFirst being the surviving entity. Upon the closing of the transaction, BloomBank, the wholly owned bank subsidiary of Universal, will…

Muncie, IN—Announcing the acquisition of WKHL 106.7 FM, West Lafayette, Woof Boom Radio continues its mission to build out great locally managed and owned radio stations. Woof Boom Radio began with a vision of great radio that focuses on service to the local community. Woof Boom, with this newest addition, becomes a station group operating in three markets in Indiana and Ohio. Pending FCC approval, Educational Media Foundation (EMF) will sell WKHL FM, West Lafayette to Woof Boom Radio. The…

By: Tracy Dishman— Muncie, IN—A professional and beautiful building, and amenities such as plenty of free parking and back-office staff support,  adds to the credibility and professionalism of an organization. Align these attributes with matching values and missions and you find a resource partner that calls the Innovation Connector their home—The Shafer Leadership Academy. “Shafer Leadership Academy is a non-profit organization that helps people learn how to lead. Our mission is to grow local leaders for East Central Indiana,” said…

By: Mike Rhodes— Muncie, IN— The Horizon Convention Center hosted the 2017 Indiana Association of School Psychologists Fall Conference. The 3 day conference brought over 120 IASP members from across the state to Muncie. The members of IASP apply expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior to help children and youth succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. School psychologists partner with families, teachers, school administrators, and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments that strengthen connections between home,…

By: Richard Crist— Muncie, IN—Muncie, Indiana based Youth Opportunity Center, Inc. recently announced the promotion of Jeff Helm to Chief Information Officer. Helm has been with YOC for 15 years, most recently serving as the Director of Information Technology & Facilities for the past nine years. In this newly developed role, Helm will help achieve organizational goals in two primary ways. He will oversee and ensure all information and communication systems are secure and reliable. He will also take on…

By: Liz Valpatic— Muncie, IN—Sue Tschuor, Director of Sales, Woof Boom Radio, LLC has been recognized for exemplifying all five of the company’s values. Since its inception, Woof Boom Radio has held the following values to be true: Speak the Truth; Do Your Best; Do What You Say You Will Do; Treat All with Respect; and Work with Passion. These are not just words you will see written on our walls, tagged in our email signatures, or listed on our website –…

Red Lobster Recognizes Erin Sellers with Lighthouse Club Award— Orlando, FL – Red Lobster has presented Erin Sellers, General Manager of the Red Lobster located in Muncie, with the company’s top honor – the Lighthouse Club Award. This prestigious award, which has been an integral part of the company’s culture for over 20 years, is presented annually to General Managers throughout North America. Award recipients are recognized for demonstrating outstanding leadership and living Red Lobster’s core values of Respect, Integrity,…

By: Braydee Euliss, Executive Director, MACC— Muncie, IN—The Muncie Arts and Culture Council (MACC) in conjunction with the City of Muncie, will present the 2017 Mayor’s Arts Awards Tuesday, September 26, 2017 at Cornerstone Center for the Arts. The Mayor’s Arts Awards are the most prestigious honors conferred by the city on individual artists, teachers, nonprofit organizations and patrons of the arts. Nominations have been accepted in eight distinct categories: Arts Advocate, Arts Leader, Arts Educator, Corporate Arts, Artist in…

By: Kelsey Timmerman— I work in a factory in Muncie, Indiana. Not many people can say that these days. In fact, many believe that Muncie’s best days–our factory days–are behind us. Our schools are going through budget and transportation issues and a third of our citizens live in poverty.  There’s a lack of hope that we can’t be more than our struggles. That we can’t thrive without factories. I don’t work on a factory line, but I do make things….