The Muncie Post-Democrat

03/12/2024

"Muncie Adopts Ethics Commission Ordinance, Ro Selvey Spars with MRC Member"

https://munciepostdemocrat.com/index.php/2024/12/03/muncie-adopts-ethics-commission-ordinance-ro-selvey-spars-with-mrc-member/

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At the last council meeting of 2024, Muncie’s own ethics commission was created after the passing of Ordinance 37-24. The creation of the commission has been in discussion since April of 2023 by both former and current council-members, and sets a new precedent for transparency in Muncie’s local ...

02/12/2024

New piece: "Ridenour Administration Hits Propagandist Streak"

https://munciepostdemocrat.com/index.php/2024/12/02/ridenour-administration-hits-propagandist-streak/

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In a radio segment with Steve Lindell, which was a complete softball interview, Dan Ridenour was thrown leading questions about a “politically motivated” council that was only ever out to get him with the recent civil budget. As Lindell also skimmed a several-months long saga, which includes Rid...

22/11/2024

Brad King: "Annexations Are Empty Growth with Headaches Ahead"

https://munciepostdemocrat.com/index.php/2024/11/22/annexations-are-empty/

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For the last 75 years, standard success for cities has been shown by growth. If the city wasn’t expanding, it wasn’t successful. The housing market crash of 2008, bringing on the Great Recession, saw some communities change how they defined success, however. Part of that redefinition was rightsi...

14/11/2024

New piece: "From Creating A Bogeyman to Digging Your Grave"

https://munciepostdemocrat.com/index.php/2024/11/14/from-creating-a-bogeyman-to-digging-your-grave/

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The reactions by the Democratic establishment to this election are predictable. The Harris campaign, despite the reality of its hollow solutions attempting to appease business interests, was really pushing “too far left” in their view. “Too far left” carries a vague implication of any series...

08/11/2024

New article "Post-Mortem" is a brief mess of thoughts on the outcome of the 2024 election. Stay tuned for more!

https://munciepostdemocrat.com/index.php/2024/11/08/post-mortem/

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Amber A’Lee Frost, one of my favorite political writers whose memoir I couldn’t recommend more, gave me a semblance of hope going into 2024 (which maybe isn’t her usual goal with writing). In 2017 she included a brief reflection on Donald Trump’s “muslim ban” in one of her essays, which ...

04/11/2024

Muncie City Council Expected to Vote on Transgender Awareness Month Resolution:

https://munciepostdemocrat.com/index.php/2024/11/04/muncie-city-council-expected-to-vote-on-trans-awareness-month-resolution/

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At tonight’s meeting, a resolution on transgender rights will be presented to council. The resolution is both an acknowledgement of the month of November as Transgender Awareness Month (which includes Trans Remembrance Day/Week) and acts as a condemnation of restrictions on gender-affirming care m...

02/11/2024

Show up and show support for the local trans community
Monday November 4th, 7PM at City Hall

26/10/2024

24/10/2024

New article: "Council Reduces $2 Million From Budget, Cutting Fat Instead of Bone From City Spending"

In a special meeting Wednesday night, Muncie’s city council voted 6-3 to cut $2 million from the 2025 Civil Budget, which included defunding the positions of Deputy Mayor, Deputy Controller, and Communications Director. The move was done through a surprising set of amends to a budget first present...

17/10/2024

New piece by Rick Yencer: "BSU Holds Community Event on Strategic Plan"

https://munciepostdemocrat.com/index.php/2024/10/17/event-held-on-bsu-strategic-plan/

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The university-community relationship between Muncie and Ball State University has evolved over the last half century. As Muncie’s industrial base faded, the teacher’s college of the last century grew and is now the largest employer along with the hospital run by IU Health. Ball President Geoffr...

13/10/2024

New article by Rick Yencer, "Ridenour Announces Annexation Plan"

https://munciepostdemocrat.com/index.php/2024/10/13/ridenour-announces-annexation-plan/

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Mayor Dan Ridenour rolled out a new annexation plan last week adding more people and property to Muncie. During a gathering at City Hall, details were offered to property owners about annexing Westminster Village along with portions of Farmington and Heron Pointe neighborhoods.

08/10/2024

New piece on this month's council meeting, "We Deserve Better From Our Public Meetings"

https://munciepostdemocrat.com/index.php/2024/10/08/we-deserve-better-from-our-public-meetings/

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Mayor Ridenour seen with a pretentious Patagonia-style vest and Audie Barber with a “Support AFSCME Local 3656” shirt.

25/09/2024

Our new piece, "Legal Battles Were No Match for the Post-Democrat," looks at the fight held by George R. Dale throughout the '20s and '30s.

https://munciepostdemocrat.com/index.php/2024/09/25/legal-battles-were-no-match-for-the-post-democrat/

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The 1929 election in Muncie, as for many more local elections across Indiana that year, was a repudiation of what the Ku Klux Klan had done to the Hoosier community. If the fall of the Invisible Empire was obvious by the midst of the decade, then what followed was an embarrassing and tragic reminder...

19/09/2024

New post! "Does Our Mayor Even Care Anymore?"

https://munciepostdemocrat.com/index.php/2024/09/19/does-our-mayor-even-care-anymore/

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When Muncie’s 2025 civil budget was brought to council, the Ridenour administration knew full well that what they were presenting would be a s**t show. Three departments were missing, a lot more than “a few” pages as City Controller Craig Wright said, and it reflects their inability to comprom...

10/09/2024

"City's Annual Budget Submitted Late, Council Considers Tabling It"

https://munciepostdemocrat.com/index.php/2024/09/10/citys-annual-budget-submitted-late-council-considers-tabling-it/

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Muncie’s 2025 civil budget was due for filing on the 26th, however according to City Clerk Belinda Munson it was turned in to her office late. The report as it stands conflicts with the ongoing negotiations between the Ridenour administration and AFSCME Local 3656, and also failed to include three...

05/09/2024

New piece: "Trans Healthcare Impacts All Healthcare"

One way or another, most of us live with a strong conception not to seek help in our healthcare system. We are discouraged from seeking treatment unless it falls under what we deem the most urgent of problems, and that only limits what we consider to even be urgent. That happens weather it be for sh...

04/09/2024

Thank you to all of those who made it to our panel last Friday! And special thanks to co-hosts MADVoters Indiana and Muncie Q***r Alliance!