Government

By Michele Owen— MUNCIE, IN—On Monday morning, dozens gathered to cut the ribbon at the brand-new Cook Family Education Center at Prairie Creek Reservoir. Once an unheated building without restrooms, the Reservoir Office has now been transformed into a natural history museum, complete with a timeline of Muncie history, interactive exhibits, full-size trees, a sailboat, live fish and turtles, and more.   The Education Center is dedicated to the Cook family, who have served a collective total of 87 years at the park. Eldon Cook Jr., who has carried on his father’s 30 year legacy and is on his 34th year…

By Michelle Owen— MUNCIE, IN—At the end of July, a tragic shooting killed one and wounded eighteen at the corner of Willard and Hackley. The Muncie Police Department, aided by many other agencies, were on scene immediately and have made two arrests in connection with the case. City Hall officials immediately began to mobilize other post-crisis planning, including organizing resources for the victims – and working towards prevention. Mayor Dan Ridenour began reaching out to community members just hours after the crisis, with the goal of assembling a multi-agency task force to address violent crime in Muncie. On August 31,…

By State of Indiana Tourism— INDIANAPOLIS, IN—The Indiana Destination Development Corporation (IDDC) in partnership with the Indiana Association of Realtors, is excited to announce the launch of their new “Home Again IN Indiana” campaign. The campaign seeks to celebrate Hoosier pride by sharing the stories of those who were born and raised in Indiana and, after moving away, chose to return. “Indiana has a strong sense of community, and many Hoosiers have a deep connection to the state that brings them back home,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch. “We want to showcase those stories and inspire others to see all that…

By Michele Owen, Director of Communications, City of Muncie— MUNCIE, IN—The Covid 19 Crisis introduced new variables for many industries, including construction. Inflation has made it difficult for many new developments to get off the ground.  Yet, on Wednesday, May 17, representatives from the City of Muncie, Pivotal Home Solutions, CPM construction, Industry Neighborhood Association, and the media gathered for a short ceremony at 1500 E 8th Street for the groundbreaking of a development project locally known as City View. The lot on 8th Street will be transformed into ten town homes, complete with a small dog park and trees…

By Michele Owen— MUNCIE, IN—City View Homes, a city-led effort to revitalize vacant lots and provide new housing stock, has been making steady progress since it was first announced in 2021. The original project involved building 48 new residences, in a combination of town homes and single-family houses. The project was then expanded with City View 2, which would transform 37 lots owned by the Muncie Redevelopment Commission into single family homes. Many of the properties, which are primarily located on the south side, are currently being prepped for construction. The homes, when completed, will begin as rental units, with…

By U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Indiana— What is Fentanyl? Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for pain relief and anesthetic. It is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, as little as two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal, depending on a person’s body size, tolerance, and past usage. 6 out of 10 illegal fentanyl tablets sold on U.S. streets now contain a potentially lethal dose of the drug. Additionally, Carfentanil is a synthetic opioid approximately 10,000…