Business

By Mike Rhodes, Editor-in-Chief, MuncieJournal.com— Muncie, IN—Every year around this time we share Muncie Journal’s Top 10 most viewed stories of the year.  In 2019, an article about the polar vortex took the top spot. Amazingly, our most viewed story in 2020 was NOT about COVID-19, but it was close. You’ll find the Top 10 most viewed stories for 2021 below. You can click on any story headline to review the initial story and the date it was published. (When you click on a story below, you can hit your back button to return to this page.) Stories are ranked utilizing Google…

By Stacey A. Shannon— MUNCIE, Ind. —‘Tis the season for giving, but Magna sees the season of giving as being a year-round endeavor. The company, located on Muncie’s southwest side, has been continually involved with giving back to the community since it opened its doors in 2006. “It is important for Magna to support the communities in which we exist, and our employees live,” said Stephen Brand, general manager of Magna Muncie. “We encourage all employees to volunteer their time in the community. These activities are important for a vibrant and growing community to support growth at Magna.” Local organizations…

By Mike Rhodes, Editor-in-Chief— Muncie, IN –A draft of the Muncie-Delaware County comprehensive plan will be presented at a public hearing at 6pm December 9th in the commissioners courtroom at the Delaware County Building. You can view a copy of the very impressive 66 -page draft plan at www.togetherdm.com. The website, www.togetherdm.com., was launched last year to provide project information to the public and to serve as a platform for surveys and other forms of community engagement. The project was coordinated by the Delaware-Muncie Metropolitan Planning Commission (DMMPC)  and a steering committee of 18 local community leaders. DMMPC hired czbLLC and Ingalls Planning…

By First Merchants— Expanded commitment focuses on positive local impact as bank grows MUNCIE, Ind. – Today, First Merchants Bank emphasized its focus on local communities with the publication of its first corporate social responsibility report, “Elevating Communities.” The release emphasizes the bank’s commitment to making long-lasting change across all its communities and meaningful, positive difference in people’s lives. “Our success will be defined by the real and lasting impact we make in the communities we serve,” said First Merchants CEO Mark Hardwick. “This publication illustrates our corporate social responsibility program and our pledge to helping our communities prosper.” “Elevating…

By Keith Roysdon— DELAWARE COUNTY, Indiana – When life hands you an antique engine, make ice cream. That’s the philosophy behind Iceburg Ice Cream, a fast-growing seller of made on site, hand-dipped ice cream and other dessert treats as well as cheeseburgers, nachos and other hearty food. Iceburg is owned and run by a son-and-mother team, Cameron Thornburg and Denise Thornburg. Iceburg, located at 913 W. State Street in the northeastern Delaware County town of Albany, has been in business less than a year but has already developed a staff and a customer base that feels like family. “The customers…

By Corey Ohlenkamp—  FORT WAYNE, Ind.—Decorating for the holiday season is a great way to spread cheer, but it can make a costly and hazardous time of year even more expensive and dangerous. Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) is providing customers with energy efficient holiday decoration ideas and safety reminders to get into the holiday spirit. According to the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), in 1882, Thomas Edison, who invented the incandescent light bulb, showed off to reporters the strings of electric lights around his holiday tree at his New Jersey home. Since then, electric lights have helped customers celebrate the holidays. Fast…

By Mitch Isaacs, Executive Director— MUNCIE, Ind.—Shafer Leadership Academy is looking to help the Muncie community diversify its nonprofit boards, candidates for local office, and neighborhood associations. “This summer we surveyed community members across East Central Indiana,” explained SLA Executive Director Mitch Isaacs, “and the response is clear – these are the areas of community needs” Shafer Leadership Academy’s mission is to provide inclusive leadership development so that individuals, organizations, and communities can reach their full potential.  “Our community will never reach its full potential,” Isaacs offered “until our leadership reflects our diversity.” To fill this critical gap, Shafer Leadership…

By Victoria Meldrum, Ball State CBER— MUNCIE, Ind. —How will our national and regional economy perform in 2022? What is the long-term effect of COVID-19 on business and worker decisions? Get insight at the annual Indiana Economic Outlook luncheon, sponsored by First Merchants. The Indiana Economic Outlook annual luncheon includes the 2022 economic forecast and a panel discussion on the post COVID-19 work environment. Topics include the size and scope of remote work, changing compensation and supervisory concerns, changes to household location decisions, and the changing requirements for examining and adapting organizational culture. Registration ends Wednesday, Dec. 1 for the…

By Tracy Warner— FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Indiana Michigan Power (I&M), an American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) company, has filed with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) a rate settlement agreement that will reduce base rates for Hoosier residential customers while enhancing reliability. Under the settlement, I&M will reduce its base rates for Indiana residential customers by about 5% over two phases, with a slight decrease of about 1% in May 2022 and an additional, larger decrease in January 2023. At the same time, I&M will continue to increase its investments for enhancing reliability by upgrading aging infrastructure in Indiana….