At a press conference at city hall yesterday, Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour announced a proposed 10% increase in salary for Muncie Police and Firefighters. The increase is designed to retain current police and firefighters and more easily attract new ones. The proposed raise must be approved by city council at their September meeting.
More local news briefs for July 28th below…
WISH TV reports Moviegoers who planned on seeing Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” at the Indiana State Museum will have to put their plans on hold. According to Indiana State Museum officials, the museum’s IMAX theatre had a projector malfunction that forced officials to cancel showings of “Oppenheimer” until the projector can be fixed. Officials told WISH TV that a projectionist is addressing the situation and they don’t have a timeline on when the 70mm projector will be back online. The Indiana State Museum has the largest IMAX screen in the state and is the only in-state option for Indiana residents to view the film in 70mm film as the film-makers intended.
A Muncie man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for what authorities called “armed trafficking” of meth and fentanyl. The StarPress reports Anson Jay O’Neal was sentenced by US District Court Judge Sarah Evans Barker to the 15 years plus supervised release for an additional 5 years upon his release from prison. The 22 year old signed an agreement to plead guilty to two counts — possession with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of meth and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
Anderson-based lithium-ion battery maker EnerDel Inc. has filed for bankruptcy. The move comes less than a month after the Indianapolis Business Journal reported that the battery maker abruptly laid off most of its employees in June. Court filings show EnerDel filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on July 13 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. In the filings, the battery maker claimed nearly $14 million in assets and $47 million in liabilities. IBJ reported that EnerDel moved from Indianapolis to Anderson last year after selling its Indy facility to another lithium-ion battery maker.
Three women associated with Butler University’s women’s soccer team sued the team’s former assistant athletic trainer and his supervisor over claims of sexual assault. The motion filed in federal court Wednesday was made on behalf of three women, identified as Jane Doe 1, 2, and 3. The women are three of six who formally reported sexual abuse within the team. The trainer, Michael Howell was put on administrative leave following a Title IX investigation into the situation. Court documents obtained Wednesday say that Howell “groomed, illicitly photographed, and sexually assaulted” Jane Doe 1 from early 2021 until October 2021, as well as other women’s soccer players.
High temperatures today are expected to be in the middle to upper 90s. This will produce heat index values between 100 and 109 during the afternoon and early evening hours. Delaware County Emergency Management recommends you: Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency. Call 911.
Cornerstone Center for the Arts, 520 East Main St., again will host their end of the semester celebration today, July 28, from 5-8 p.m. Cornerstone‘s festival will feature performances and art demonstrations from the talented teaching artists and students at Cornerstone as well as the dance teaching artists in celebration of the end of the summer semester. Artist demonstrations and art will be displayed in the Colonnade Room.The musical performances will be held in the E.B. Ball Auditorium. Art displays and demonstrations will be held in the Colonnade Room.
Registration is open for the 69th class of the Academy for Community Leadership. For 47 years, the ACL has been attracting bright, emerging leaders in Muncie and Delaware County. ACL has provided an orientation to the Muncie and Delaware County community and a broad overview of civic leadership since 1979. The program helps develop leadership talent and potential and provides valuable networking opportunities for the participants. Most of our community’s current leaders in business, philanthropy, education, and government have participated in ACL. To enroll contact, Brenda Brumfield at the Greater Muncie Chamber of Commerce.
The NPC Premier Muscle Championships will take place at the Horizon Convention Center on August 4th for a move in and registration day and the 5th for their competition. It’s one of largest bodybuilding competitions in the state of Indiana. They will have 2 shows, one for Indiana residents which has about 60 athletes competing and the premier muscle competition which is for anyone. They are expecting competitors from Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and a few other states. Currently there are around 140 athletes in total. Last year it was a sold out show.
The Muncie Sanitary District’s blue toter recycling program is about to begin as 5,000 96 gallon blue toters have arrived for distribution throughout the city. The toters replace the blue bags the district used to use for residents to fill with their recycleables. There is no charge to participate in the program. Visit munciesanitary.org for more information and to register for a free toter.
Fox 59 reports A man arrested in a 2021 Muncie ‘Peeping Tom’ case has pleaded guilty to burglary. Kyhler R. Koger pleaded guilty to burglary, Level 4 Felony last month. He was arrested in August 2021 after surveillance video, showing him peering into windows at a southside home was posted to Facebook. A neighbor alerted police and looked at previously recorded home surveillance video footage. The woman told police there was a person who spent a ‘good amount of time’ looking in several of her neighbor’s windows early that morning. The man was later identified as Koger and arrested in August 2021. He faced charges of burglary, Level 4 Felony, theft, Class A Misdemeanor and voyeurism when peeping into an occupied dwelling of another, a Class B Misdemeanor.
The Indiana State Fair starts today and runs through August 20th. The Fair is open Wednesdays through Sundays beginning at 9 a.m. Concerts at the Hoosier Lottery Free Stage begin at 7pm A new attraction festivalgoers can enjoy is Illuminate!, which is a special indoor (and air-conditioned) museum space with 14 oversized light-up lanterns where kids can run around, take pictures and enjoy the sights and sounds. This year’s fair will unveil a new building—the Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion, which recently underwent a $50 million renovation. The building will be used for swine shows during the fair and host events throughout the year, including a new partnership with USA Track and Field. Tickets cost $14 at the gate but can be purchased on the website ahead of the fair for a discount. Parking is $10 per vehicle. Visit indianastatefair.com for more information.
The summer concert series at the Civic Green in Yorktown, continues this coming Saturday night with a live performance by country artists SouthRidge. The concert is free and the music begins at 7:30pm.
High temperatures today are expected to be in the middle to upper 90s. This will produce heat index values between 100 and 109 during the afternoon and early evening hours. Delaware County Emergency Management recommends you: Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency. Call 911.
The Ross Community Center is offering Spanish classes for teenagers and adults. The cost is $20 per month with classes beginning August 15th and running through December 14th. Space is limited and you must register in person at The Ross Community Center located at 1110 W. 10th Street in Muncie.
Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana tailgate food distribution for Henry County will be today, July 28 at 10am in the First Baptist Church lot— 709 S. Memorial Dr. in New Castle.
Indianapolis Firefighters rescued a woman from a sewer Tuesday after seeing her hand poking up through the grates. IMPD bike patrol officers noticed the woman’s hand sticking out of a manhole cover in the 100 block of Shortridge Road, near East Washington Street and Shadeland Avenue, around 3 p.m. Firefighters rescued the woman, who IFD said was around 50 years old, but still aren’t sure how she got into the sewer or why she was there, according to a WTHR report.
Free backpacks filled with school supplies will be available at a special “Celebrate Back to School” event to be held at the Delaware County Fairgrounds on Saturday. The event is open to all Delaware County students and is offered by “Hearts and Hands United Way of Delaware County. The hours will be from 10am to 2pm and the backpack distribution will be located inside Heartland Hall. Dental Safari will provide free dental exams, cleanings and fluoride treatments and Open Door Health Services will provide free immunizations and $25 sports physicals.
Cooling Centers have been established in Madison County.
The solar field project for Daleville Community Schools is now expected to begin installation some time this September. The solar field will be used to power the elementary school. Superintendent Greg Roach says the project will save the school around $27,334 within a year of operation, according to a Herald Bulletin report.
A Ohio man has been arrested on two felony charges of rape and sexual battery in connection with an April incident. 28 year old Nathan Hyatt of Midway, Ohio, was arrested Tuesday by the Anderson police department. If convicted of the charges, Hyatt faces a possible 6- to 35-year prison sentence.
The Herald Bulletin reports a new company that will manufacture garden hoses, tubing and pipes from material being furnished by Sirmax is locating in Anderson. The Anderson Plan Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved a primary plat for FITT USA to locate on the former Guide Division parking lot on Raible Avenue. The property contains about 30 acres and is zoned for industrial use. Mayor Thomas Broderick Jr. announced the company has agreed to invest $20 million in the 150,000-square-foot building in the 3100 block of Raible Avenue.
—MRhodes
