Muncie IN News and Community

Free Press Report

MUNCIE, IN -- Ball State men’s basketball head coach James Whitford has announced the hiring of Jaron Henry as the Cardinals’ director of basketball operations.

Henry comes to Ball State after spending the past two years as a graduate assistant at fellow Mid-American Conference program Kent State. While he was there, the Golden Flashes posted back-to-back 20-win seasons and participated both years in the postseason CollegeInsider.com Tournament.

“Jaron is extremely organized, very bright and a terrific human being,” Whitford said. “He is going to be excellent working with our players, monitoring them academically and contributing to our staff from an organizational and administrative standpoint. Jaron has a really bright future in this business, and we are excited to add him to our staff.”

By Kimberly Hamilton

MUNCIE, IN - A local activist and artist continues to speak out about horrifying conditions at Guantanamo Bay prison, by continuing a hunger strike and protesting with fellow human rights activists.

Known as Inmate 1776, the Hoosier was at a protest in Chicago last week calling for closing Gitmo and release of more than 160 detainees, many on their own hunger strike and some who are not facing charges by the federal government.

Those 100 inmates started a hunger strike three months ago, and there's been little media coverage until worldwide protests a week ago began getting attention of mainstream media.

Inmate 1776 agreed to starve like the inmates until Indiana newspapers began reporting on the human rights violations. He also staged a water board demonstration in front The Star Press that was ignored by the newspaper and its owner, Gannett. So far, only the Evansville Courier Press has reported on Gitmo, and other media reported on President Obama's speech yesterday about drones and the Gitmo situation.

FREE PRESS REPORT

MUNCIE, IN - Some of the true legends of the Indiana Pacers like George McGinnis and Mel Daniels will be hanging out at Hoosier Park tonight when the second games of the Eastern championship starts between the Pacers and the Heat.

The free event around 7 p.m. kicks off the big Dan Patch Invitational weekend with the $200,000 race with some of North America's top rated horses scheduled Saturday night.

The kickoff to the Memorial Day weekend could not be better, says Emily Gaskins, announcer and writer for Hoosier Park. Some of best horses, trainers, and drivers will be featured like the 2012 Dan Patch win, Rockin Cam; Meadowlands Pace champion, A Rocknroll Dance, and North American Cup winner, Up the Credit, 

By Rick Yencer

MUNCIE, IN -  Tuhey Pool was plenty warm despite the chilly start of Friday with new operators and some big changes to keep the swimming public coming back for more.

Memorial Day weekend signals the start of outdoor fun and adventure with Tuhey, that downtown public landmark, now operated by White River Aquatics.

Steve Tomboni, that local sports mogul who runs White River Aquatics, was going over details, organizing schedules and preparing to embark on the Saturday opening that will see a new splash park, a new heater and some more programs to encourage fitness and nutrition.

The city trusted Tomboni with the job since he had a hand in running the pool when he ran the Muncie YMCA  a decade ago. He now has a multi-sports group (AmericaMultiSport.com) that operates more than a dozen triathlons during the summer besides running the city pool.

By Rick Yencer

MUNCIE, IN - When that iconic McDonald's sign was asked how it survived more than a half century, the answer was, "We are simply the best," said Speedy, that character that flashes with the 99 billion served subtitle.

Hundreds of people showed up Tuesday for that rededication of the last original McDonald's sign in the world that was stood at corner of Madison and Charles streets since 1958 when the first McDonald's in Indiana opened.

That site was the home of a root beer stand run by Charlie and Bob Terhune who later traded in root beer for one of the new California McDonald dime hamburger franchises.