Opinion

By: Quint Studer for the Muncie Journal— Pensacola, FL—Cities across America have been vying for the privilege of hosting Amazon’s $5 billion second headquarters, which is expected to bring with it up to 50,000 high-paying jobs. Back in January the online retailer selected 20 finalists from a list of more than 200 cites that applied. And, as the Wall Street Journal, cities that didn’t make the short list—among them Detroit, Cincinnati, and Sacramento—are rushing to make changes based on Amazon’s feedback on where they fell short. Quint Studer says that while every city can’t and shouldn’t reinvent itself to please…

By: Jeannine Lee Lake— Fifty years ago, when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was shot and killed on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, I hadn’t been born. Yet, even to this day where I’m 48 years-old, no other person besides Christ has permeated my life. Many others — millions and even hundreds of millions— could likely say the same. His life changed my life and his death changed the course of the civil rights movement that was somewhat on life-support when Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968. To me and my 14 siblings growing up…

By: Jeff Bird, MD and Dave Hyatt— “Welcome and we’re glad you’re here.” When Jay County Hospital joined IU Health and became IU Health Jay Hospital on March 1, that was the message you could hear echoing down the halls repeatedly. Teams from Muncie and across the state have descended on Portland in recent weeks to ensure that the transition to joining the state’s largest and most trusted healthcare system would be a smooth one. That meant change. Not just surface level change, but a change in job titles, a change in processes and computer programs, a change in logos…

By: Dennis Tyler, Mayor of Muncie— Editor’s Note: The following is a copy of Mayor Tyler’s statement to the Indiana Senate Appropriations Committee that was read on February 15th in response to House Bill 1315. “Good morning Mr. Chairman and committee members. Thank you for allowing me to submit my testimony this morning. I apologize for not being here in person. Scheduling conflicts today would not allow me to attend. “As you begin your Senate hearings today on HB1315 and its potential impact on Muncie Community Schools, I believe it’s critically important you hear what concerns I might have as Mayor…

By: Jonathan Lamb— Congress passed a comprehensive tax reform package – the Tax Cut and Jobs Act – that was not without controversy, as we all know. As an economist, I believe it was the right legislation at the right time. I would have voted with my Republican colleagues had I been representing Indiana’s Congressional 6th District. There are three simple reasons to support the changes. First, the new tax laws make for lower and less complicated corporate tax rates, which have been among the highest in the developed world. For too long, America’s entrepreneurial spirit has been stifled because…

By: Bryan Ayars, CEO— What would you do if 70 percent of your income disappeared? Open Door Health Services will find out if the U.S. Congress does not reinstate essential funding to community health centers throughout the country. Without these vital funds, Open Door — which provides affordable, expert care to more than 30,000 area residents — will lose more than $2 million. That’s money we planned to invest in our community through critical diabetics monitoring, hypertension treatment, dental work, behavioral health, and other services that support the overall health of the individual and the family. Thousands of your neighbors, friends,…

By: Indiana Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch— Growing up as a 12 year old who towered over her peers and teachers at 5-foot eight, I was a target for many of my classmates’ ridicule and jokes. Suffering through those harsh words, my father gave me some advice that helped shape who I am today. His valuable lesson was to love, accept and respect myself, and when I began to do that, even with all of my imperfections, I could accept and respect the differences in others. While my childhood experiences in no way compare to the daunting task Hoosiers with intellectual and…

By: Steve Edwards— There’s no two ways about it. Muncie Community Schools is at a crossroads. It’s designation as a distressed district takes its fate solely out of the hands of the local school board and existing administration. That’s where Administrator Assistance (AA) and I come in. Administrator Assistance, a 10-year-old company specializing in strategic planning for public schools, work for the State of Department of Education and under the direction of the state’s Distressed Unit Appeals Board (DUAB).  Our charge is to assist the district in implementing an effective debt reduction plan, and we have a December deadline to…

By: Mark DiFabio, President of the Delaware County Fair Board— July 23rd 2016. That was the day that planning for the 165th edition of the Delaware County Fair began. July 12th thru the 22nd are the dates for the fair this year and will be the result of much work from what I am pleased to call the “hardest working volunteer board in Delaware County!” Countdown to Fair I am constantly amazed at the passion and commitment demonstrated by these people to deliver the best fair around. Your basic fairgoer I’m sure thinks that everything just happens year-after-year and cannot…