Muncie City Council member Nora Powell is questioning the announcement of pay raises for city workers. Powell says the Ridenour administration spent money without authorization from the city council. Powell says she’s concerned that the mayor took the action in violation of the city salary ordinance, which sets pay for city employees during the year. The ordinance was passed in December according to the Star Press. Powell has no issue with the pay increase itself. But she objects to the mayor failing to follow what she considers proper procedure and avoid spending in violation of the city ordinance. Ridenour said the annual cost for the 10% civilian employee raises was between $200,000 and $300,000. It applies to full-time employees only and does not include elected officials.
A Delaware County teenager has plead guilty to participating in a conspiracy to smuggle meth into the Blackford County Jail. 18-year-old Jaxon Engle plead guilty in Blackford Circuit court to trafficking with an inmate, a Level 5 felony carrying up to six years in prison. He is accused of conspiring, with his father and brother, to smuggle meth to his sibling — 28-year-old Cody A. Engle,— last October, when the older of the brothers was detained at the Blackford County Jail. Efforts were allegedly made to place the meth through a small hole made in a window at the jail, according to a Star Press report.
Police are investigating after the body of a young Greenwood man was found in Lake Lemon Tuesday morning. According to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, 23-year-old Nathan Stout had been with his friends near the beach at Riddle Point Park when he went missing. A few hours later, conservation officers found his body in Lake Lemon. Lake Lemon is just northeast of Bloomington, Indiana. At this time, it is not clear what led to his death.
Caitlin Clark scored the most points of her brief WNBA career Tuesday night, but it wasn’t enough to propel the Indiana Fever to a victory. They came up short to the Los Angeles Sparks 88-82 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Sparks jumped out to a 24-15 lead over the Fever at the end of the first quarter and kept the Fever at bay the rest of the way. Clark finished with 30 points, six assists, and five rebounds in the defeat. Aliyah Boston had 17 and Kelsey Mitchell ended up with 15 to round out the Fever double figure scoring.
Three Ball State University students are the recipients of the Muncie branch of the American Association of University Women’s 2024-25 scholarships, each worth $1,500. The recipients are Abbigail Davis, whose major is social psychology; Eileen Jarp, whose major is wildlife biology; and Stephanie Hutchison, whose major is anthropology. All are seniors and working toward bachelor’s degrees. AAUW raises money for its scholarships through its annual used book sale.
In Indianapolis, a City-County Committee voted 6 to 4 on Tuesday night in favor of a proposal to create a new “professional sports development area” downtown. The proposal now heads to the full council for a vote on Monday. Tuesday night’s committee meeting was filled with tense discussions surrounding Hogsett’s latest effort to bring an Major League Soccer club to the Circle City. The meeting comes as the Indy Eleven continue to work on a new soccer stadium just a few miles away from the mayor’s newly proposed site according to a Fox59 report.
IBJ.com reports Stewart-Haas Racing, a two-time NASCAR championship team with 69 Cup Series victories since its 2009 formation, will close its organization at the end of this season. Co-owners Tony Stewart of Columbus, Indiana, and Gene Haas announced the decision to employees on Tuesday after nearly a year of rumors that their four-car Cup team was looking to sell its charters and either scale back or exit the stock car series completely.
WTHR reports the next big celestial event will be a “planetary parade” before dawn starting on June 3rd. The planetary parade or planetary alignment refers to an astronomical event in which the orbits of Jupiter, Mercury, Uranus, Mars, Neptune and Saturn align, putting all six planets in Earth’s night sky at once. You’ll need binoculars or a telescope aimed at the eastern horizon before sunrise in order to see the planets which will be aligned in a straight line.
On Tuesday, former Deputy Attorney General Destiny Wells formally filed to seek the Indiana Democratic Party’s nomination for the Office of Attorney General at the party’s convention. The convention is scheduled for July 13th. Wells is a 21-year military veteran who served in combat and is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. Former Marion County Clerk Beth White has also filed to run for the office.
Chartwells, the provider of food services for Muncie Community Schools has announced the 2024 Summer Feeding Program beginning on June 3rd. The program offers free breakfast and lunch for anyone age 18 and under over the summer. Food service locations will be at Central High school, Northside middle school, Longfellow elementary, North view elementary, Grissom Elementary and South view elementary. For more information and menus visit Muncie.nutrislice.com.
Scott Alan, the popular announcer for the Indy Fuel and PA announcer for the Indy Eleven died Monday in a car accident. Alan had announced earlier this month that he was taking a job as vice president of operations for the Bloomington Bison, an ECHL expansion team also owned by Indy Fuel owner Jim Hallett. He was the first person hired for the new franchise.
A 65-year-old Winchester man convicted of child solicitation has been sentenced to home detention. Roy L. Wentz in recent weeks plead guilty to the charge, a Level 5 felony carrying up to six years in prison. Randolph Circuit Court Judge Jay Toney then imposed the sentence specified in a plea agreement — 18 months of incarceration followed by 19 months on probation. Recently, Judge Toney granted a motion filed by Wentz’s defense attorney, Ronald Moore, asking that his client instead be allowed to serve the executed portion of the sentence on home detention. That from the Star Press.
A new study from Ball State University’s Center for Business and Economic Research reveals the important economic impact of Indiana’s Regional Cities Initiative. The report, which is available on the CBER website, highlights the program’s success in fostering significant private and public investment across the state, spurring nearly $1.6 billion in economic activity. Launched in 2015, the Regional Cities Initiative aimed to enhance quality of life, stimulate economic growth, and attract talent to various regions within Indiana. The latest findings from CBER confirm the initiative’s effectiveness in meeting those goals. Learn more at cberdata.org.
Comcast rolled out its Xfinity StreamSaver bundle of Apple TV+, Netflix, and Peacock yesterday. The bundle offers these three popular streaming services for just $15 a month. That is a substantial savings over subscribing to each streaming service individually. To get the package you must be a Comcast Xfinity TV or Internet customer. Learn more at Xfinity.com.
The Indiana Michigan Power Summer Concert Series kicks off at the Civic Green in Yorktown this Friday, May 31st with “That ’90s Band.” The Food truck from Payne’s Restaurant will begin serving at 5:30 p.m. Mr. Mouse will be selling adult beverages. Outside food and non-alcoholic beverages are allowed; any drinks containing alcohol must be purchased from a local retailer inside Yorktown’s Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area per state law. Bring a blanket or lawn chairs to relax in while you enjoy the food and drinks available for sale.
