Government

By Tony Sandleben— MUNCIE, Ind – The City of Muncie is getting national attention for its quality of life. Wallethub, a Washington, D.C based personal finance website that does reviews for financial advisors, published its Top 415 college cities and towns. Muncie ranked 94th overall, ahead of Indiana cities like Fort Wayne and Indianapolis as well as other college cities like Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; San Francisco, California; Los Angeles, California and St. Louis, Missouri. Wallethub also ranked Muncie 47th among…

By Kate H. Elliott— MUNCIE, Ind.—“City government belongs to everyone,” said Muncie City Council President Jeff Robinson, “and the only way we can move forward and represent all voices is if everyone who wants a seat at the table, has access.” City governments — like many organizations — often struggle to find citizens willing to volunteer to serve on boards and commissions. What’s to blame? A lack of awareness about the roles and appointment process, perhaps? Or maybe it’s the…

Development is located on the former Storer Elementary School property. By Tony Sandleben—  MUNCIE, Ind. – Storer Estates, which is a new subdivision with 34 lots, will be going out to bid this month. The new development will provide new housing options for Muncie and through collaboration with the Muncie Sanitary District, (MSD) the project will address drainage issues in the area. Now, through further efforts at collaboration with Mayor Ridenour, MSD, the neighborhood and the Muncie Redevelopment Commission (MRC)…

By Tony Sandleben—  MUNCIE, Ind.—Construction has begun downtown on the site of the former Delaware County Courts and Justice center. The renovated building, when completed, will include 148 indoor parking spots and 15 luxury condos. Delaware County turned the building over to the City of Muncie for development after moving the courts to their new location on the southside of Muncie. Justice Parking and Condominiums LLC is the owner and developer of the project. The developer indicated that each condo…

By: Tony Sandleben—   MUNCIE, Ind. – The Horizon Convention Center released its economic impact report from October which includes financial data from the Ironman weekend. The total economic impact for Muncie for just the IronMan Weekend was $4.092 million. Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour said he is very proud of how Muncie came together as a community to host a global event that attracted guests from across the country and the world. “There were a lot of cities involved to pull…

By Senator Young Press Office— INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) has announced his nominations for U.S. service academy appointments. Applications were received from 106 high school students, and a select group was interviewed by an advisory board chosen by Senator Young. In total, 47 exemplary young men and women from across Indiana received a nomination from Senator Young. A nomination does not guarantee admission to a service academy, but is required in order to be considered. Nominees are chosen…

By Nathan Sloan, Muncie Chief of Police— MUNCIE, Ind.—The Muncie Police Department is pleased to announce that the Department of Justice, through the COPS Hiring Program (CHP), has selected our agency to receive a grant in the amount of $375,000.00. The funds are to be used to hire three new officers beyond what our current budget allows, with a focus on community oriented policing and crime reduction. The funding is intended to cover the new officer’s entry-level salary, benefits, and…

By Jeff Robinson, President of Muncie City Council, District 2— MUNCIE, Ind.—Seventy-four non-profits applied for grant dollars earmarked to help those organizations and their clients who were hardest hit by COVID-19. In total, $2 million of the City of Muncie’s American Recovery Plan funding of $31.7 million will be awarded to help the non-profit sector and the people they serve. District 2 Councilman and City Council President Jeff Robinson and Heart of Indiana United Way’s President & CEO, Jenni Marsh…

By U.S. Senator from Indiana Todd Young— INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.—In the town of Hartsville, in Bartholomew County, not more than 60 miles south of here, there is a small red headstone in a Baptist cemetery. It reads simply: B.W. Mitchell 1816-1868. Below that, it mentions the 27th Indiana volunteer infantry in letters so small they strain the eye. Corporal Barton Warren Mitchell was a 45 year old railroad worker from Putnam County who joined the Union Army at the onset of…