Government

By Aimee West, Community Candidate Forum Series Committee— Muncie, IN—Times are hard; the electoral politics of 2020 are confusing; but staying connected to leadership and the issues which impact you the most in our community does not have to be. While our country is experiencing challenges and divisions we have never before faced as a nation, we have an opportunity to come together as a community to learn about the leaders asking for your vote in November. COVID-19 continues to be a barrier for citizens to safely convene and candidates to campaign, which is why key partners have combined forces to materialize the Community Candidate Forum Series, a series of virtual forums which will serve as the sole opportunity for…

By Stephen Brand, MSD Board President— Muncie, IN—The Muncie Sanitary District (MSD) Board of Directors has named a new District Administrator to fill the interim position that has been held for the last year by Board Member Bill Smith. John C. Barlow will be the new MSD District Administrator. The Board of Directors has the authority to hire this position and conducted a search for a candidate that would be able to lead the District into the future and knows the many facets of operations. Barlow previously held the position of Superintendent of the Muncie Water Pollution Control Facility. (WPCF) The…

DELAWARE COUNTY, Indiana – In another move to create jobs and revenue and reclaim an empty industrial site, the Delaware County (Indiana) commissioners have announced that a closed machine shop in the town of Albany has been purchased by an Illinois company that will relocate its headquarters there. Pinson Manufacturing Company (PMC) will use the 82,000-square-foot former Littler Diecast building in Albany, installing equipment to begin creating products, jobs and tax revenue. PMC will perform CNC (computer controlled) milling and turning, CNC plasma cutting, welding, painting and abrasive services as well as manufacture components for rail maintenance of way equipment,…

By: ECI Regional Planning District— Delaware County, IN– In a case of making lemonade after life hands you lemons, the Delaware County (Indiana) commissioners have announced that a railroad spur built to serve a now-defunct manufacturing plant will serve as a shipping and receiving point for companies that need goods transported by train. In the fall of 2008, a maker of wind turbine parts announced plans to open a huge manufacturing facility in Delaware County. But the economy soon slipped into recession, the jobs that had been forecast never came to be and the rail spur went unused. The Delaware…

By: Allison Robbins— Muncie, IN—The Muncie Sanitary District is pleased to announce that it will complete the construction of the Muncie Central Levee Trail this summer.  The trail design and construction are being funded through a grant awarded to the Muncie Sanitary District from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources through its Recreational Trail Program. The new trail starts at the Cardinal Greenway near the McCullouch Trailhead on the south side of the river continuing on the levee to the High Street Bridge.  The trail will pass under the Walnut Street Bridge. The levee trail is stone. The trail is one…

Muncie, IN—The Muncie Police Merit Commission is in the process of forming a Diversity Task Force which will assist the Merit Commission and the Muncie Police Department in hiring and promoting from a larger pool of diverse applicants. The main goal of this task force is to review current merit commission polices in order to ensure a wide spectrum of potential law enforcement officers are hired to the Muncie Police Department in the future. According to Michael Mueller, secretary of the Muncie Police Merit Commission, “This is something we’ve been looking at for quite a while. I believe it’s always good…

By: City of Muncie Communications— Muncie, IN- The Muncie City Council held a special meeting on June 29th, 2020 for the purpose of voting on Ordinance 4-20. Ordinance 4-20 expands the size of the Muncie Sanitary District Board from three individuals to five. The expansion of the board was designed to “provide better oversight and accountability for the sanitary district.” The Council voted unanimously to approve Ordinance 4-20.  This ordinance enables the current City Engineer, Brian Stephens-Hotopp room to serve on the current MSD board. Additionally, the Mayor has also appointed Stephen Brand to fill the fifth vacancy.  Brand is…