Vanessa Goldey and Sarah Hoffman have been selected as Muncie Community Schools’ primary and secondary Teachers of the Year, respectively, for the 2023-24 school year. MCS Director of Public Education and CEO Dr. Chuck Reynolds presented each with her award during a staff event last week at Muncie Central High School. Goldey is a first-grade teacher at Grissom Elementary School and Hoffman is a math teacher at Muncie Central High School.
A Kokomo man has been found dead by two kayakers near the Kokomo Reservoir Park. According to a news release from the Kokomo Police Department, two kayakers notified an officer with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources of an unconscious/unresponsive person in the water near the Kokomo Reservoir Park. After the Howard County Sheriff’s Department’s dive team was activated, they located a man, who was identified on Thursday as 37-year-old Austin Lee Tooley, the release said. The Kokomo Police Department’s criminal investigation section was activated to assist with the investigation.
IBJ.com reports fifteen states, including Indiana, filed a federal lawsuit last week against the Biden administration over a rule that is expected to allow 100,000 immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children to enroll next year in the federal Affordable Care Act’s health insurance. The states are seeking to block the rule from taking effect November 1st and providing people known as “Dreamers” access to tax breaks when they sign up for coverage.
The Greater Muncie Chamber of Commerce is accepting new registrations for its Academy for Community Leadership program. The Academy for Community Leadership program is a vehicle to promote the community, its leaders, and the industries they serve while providing valuable networking opportunities for participants. Over the course of ten weekly sessions, participants are exposed to our local history, business community, government, health care, cultural awareness, education, and more. Register at munciechamber.org.
Minnetrista Museum & Gardens has received an Arts Project Support grant from the Indiana Arts Commission for their upcoming exhibition, Imagine in Glass. The grant program aims to broaden access to arts opportunities statewide, particularly in underserved communities. Such funding bolsters Minnetrista’s commitment to providing accessible programming initiatives that inspire creativity and foster community engagement.
Congresswoman Victoria Spartz will be in Muncie this evening as she holds a town hall meeting to be held at City Hall located at 300 N. High Street in downtown Muncie. The event begins at 6:00 p.m. The Muncie stop is one of 12 town hall meetings Spartz will have as part of her 5th District Town Hall tour. The event is free and open to the public. Spartz will discuss topics important to residents of the 5th district such as taxes, government spending, health care, and more. A question and answer period will allow residents to ask questions on any other topic of interest.
Initial filings for unemployment benefits in Indiana rose last week compared with the week prior, the U.S. Department of Labor said. New jobless claims, increased to 2,762 in the week ending August 3rd, up from 2,733 the week before, the Labor Department said.
Meridian Women’s Health and Meridian Health Pediatrics are partnering to offer Meridian Educational Nights featuring special presentations from Meridian providers on family and health related topics, as well as door prizes, tours of the Meridian Women’s Health clinic, and light refreshments. The educational evenings are scheduled for August 13th, October 8th, and December 10th. Visit meridianHS.org for more information.
Friday evening the Yorktown Fire Department along with Daleville-Salem Township Fire Protection Territory were dispatched to a fire alarm at Grace Baptist Church. The church called and advised that they had smoke in the church. The call was then upgraded to a business fire and additional units were added. Crews arrived on scene and found a haze of smoke in the building. After investigating it was determined that a HVAC unit was malfunctioning, according to a YFD social media post.
No one matched all six numbers to win the Powerball jackpot in the Saturday August 10th drawing. One ticket sold in New York matched all five numbers except for the Powerball worth $1 million.
Tickets for the 12th Annual Soup Crawl are now available at curehunger.org/soupcrawl. Join Second Harvest Food Bank and PrimeTrust Credit Union on Thursday, October 3rd, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., in downtown Muncie for an evening of delicious soups, community spirit, and support for kids and their families facing food insecurity in East Central Indiana. Visit munciejournal.com for a more in-depth report on this event.
As football season quickly approaches, a study from FlashPicks indicates that people around the world search Google for the Colts less than any other team, with about 40,000 total monthly searches outside of the U.S.The Colts join the Houston Texans, the Washington Commanders, the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Jacksonville Jaguars at the bottom of the list.
The state of Ohio just legalized marijuana, but if you bring it into Indiana, you could face fines and charges. If police come across it, it is still against the law. They have to proceed with Indiana Law. Indiana hasn’t legalized marijuana, but Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois allow recreational use, while Kentucky allows it for medical use with a card. In Marion County, prosecutors usually don’t charge people for possessing less than an ounce of marijuana. However, if you have more than an ounce in Indianapolis, you could still face criminal charges.
WTHR reports a new school attendance law for students in kindergarten through 6th grade starts this year. Under the new law signed by Governor Eric Holcomb, once a student has reached five unexcused absences, the school can initiate a meeting with parents to talk about getting their child in the school. If it keeps happening, the school can bring in law enforcement and child services.
According to the 2024 State Park Index, assembled by vacation rental company HomeToGo, Indiana is home to three of the top 50 “Best State Parks to Visit this Summer and Fall.” Indiana Dunes State Park by Lake Michigan, Turkey Run State Park in Park County, and Potato Creek State park southwest of South Bend, IN all made the list.
The Academy for Community Leadership is a vehicle to promote the local Muncie community, its leaders, and the industries they serve while providing valuable networking opportunities for participants. Over the course of ten weekly sessions, participants are exposed to our local history, business community, government, health care, cultural awareness, education, and more. Registration for the 2024 Academy for Community Leadership program is now open. Visit munciechamber.org for the registration link.
