Government

By Michele Owen—  MUNCIE, IN—In October, 2021, Muncie Police Officers and Firefighters received a $1,000 one-time bonus, as a thank you for their hard work during a period of understaffing. This year, due to cautious spending and budgeting, Mayor Ridenour is providing a similar bonus to other full-time staff. “It’s the right thing to do,” Ridenour commented. “Our public works department, EMS, animal control, and others work tirelessly to keep our city running, and it’s often thankless work. I’m proud…

By Watasha Barnes Griffin— Local organizations plan to register voters in Muncie, Indiana to celebrate the National Voter Registration Holiday. MUNCIE, IN— On Tuesday, September 20, 2022, Americans will celebrate National Voter Registration Day with a massive cross-country effort to register voters well in advance of Election Day this November. Founded in 2012, National Voter Registration Day is designed to create an annual moment when the entire nation focuses on registering Americans to exercise their most basic right—the right to vote. Nearly 3 million Americans have…

By Michele Owen— MUNCIE, IN—Beech Grove Cemetery, a historic landmark dating back to 1841, is seeing new life under a new superintendent. Troy Watters, a lifelong Muncie resident with a history of public service, was appointed to the position in July, and has accomplished noticeable change in just a few months. “He’s out there working with the guys,” said Muncie resident Mary Stilts at September’s City Council meeting. “He’s not a sit in the truck kind of supervisor.” Since July,…

By Michele Owen— MUNCIE, IN—For many high school students, junior year is about college visits, summer jobs, and SATs. For 16-year-old Jimmy, junior year is about adventure. Thanks to the Muncie Rotary Exchange program, Jimmy (full name Te-Chan Yang) has travelled all the way from Taiwan to live and study in Muncie for 11 months. He is currently attending Muncie Burris high school, and staying with Mayor and first lady Dan and Sherry Ridenour. So far, Jimmy has accompanied the…

By Senator Young’s Press Office— INDIANAPOLIS –  On Monday, August 29, U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) will present a Purple Heart medal to Army veteran Reginald Staley at his annual Academy Day on Monday. Mr. Staley received a Purple Heart, an Army Commendation Medal, and several other decorations for his service in Vietnam. Senator Young will present these medals at his “Academy Day,” an informational session for high school students interested in enrolling at one of the nation’s service academies. Representatives from…

By Michele Owen— MUNCIE, IN—  Today, the Muncie Police Department and City of Muncie announce the deployment of 22 automated license plate reading (ALPR) cameras intended to solve and reduce violent crime. The cameras are built by Flock Safety, a public safety technology company that helps neighborhoods, communities, and law enforcement work together to fight crime. Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour and Police Chief Nate Sloan will present more information about the ALPR system, including details on how it works, the policies…

By Michele Owen, Communications Director, City of Muncie— MUNCIE, IN—The mayor’s conference room on the third floor was packed on Monday, August 8, as five new police officers waited with their families to be sworn in. Three of the officers were fresh out of the academy, and two were lateral transfers from other cities.  Police Chief Nathan Sloan came prepared with a system, having sworn in several other officers in recent months. “We had them read through their oaths beforehand…