Muncie IN News and Community

Former Gannett Employee Offers Free ebook download of kNewspapers: A Novel About Love and Citizen Journalism Today 6/19

Free Press Report

MUNCIE, IN - Known by many as Middletown and studied for nearly a hundred years, Muncie, Indiana will soon be known as the city where the first fictional Citizen Journalism Book was published. Home to Ball State University, once a top ten journalism school, as well as Gannett owned The Star Press, a new novel by K. Paul Mallasch tells the tale of an intrepid webmaster on the run from big media - and his ex-wife.

Mallasch, owner and publisher of Muncie Free Press as well as other grassroots news websites in Indiana and Ohio, has spent over a year preparing his media book - kNewspapers: a Novel About Love and Citizen Journalism.

Free Press Report

MUNCIE, IN - In conjunction with the Mid-American Conference, Ball State has announced its football game times for the 2013 season.  Of the 12 regular season games, at least four will air on the ESPN family of networks, while a minimum of three other games will be available on ESPN3.

Ball State’s Nov. 6, home game vs. Central Michigan at Scheumann Stadium will kick off at 8 p.m. on national television on ESPN2.  The Cardinals Nov. 13, game at Northern Illinois will kick off at 8 p.m. and air nationally on either ESPN2 or ESPNU.  Ball State’s regular season finale is Nov. 29, in a home game vs. Miami University at a time to be announced and will air on either ESPNU or ESPN3.

By Rick Yencer

MUNCIE, IN - A walking trail down busy River Road will proceed despite objections from landowners who do not want to give up their front yards for it.

Nearly $1 million will be spend on a pedestrian and bicycle trail from Morrison Road to County Road 500W. And that trail to help reduce auto emissions could  begin by 2014.

Flo Lapin, one of the affected property owners, told of maintaining her property and right of way, adding she had a right to defend her property from government and planned to do just that,

 Other residents questioned the project's cost while a Muncie woman, Kim Thompson said she supported the trail and had no problem putting on in her yard.

Kindle book for free download: kNewspapers: A Novel About Love and Citizen Journalism Available NOW 

Free Press Report

MUNCIE, IN - A novel about Citizen Journalism (and love) is being released as a free download on Kindle today, Tuesday June 18, 2013. Over a year in the making, kNewspapers is not a short book, but K. Paul Mallasch, the author, hopes that the autobiographical novel gets people to think and join a conversation online about "citizen journalism" and how to best serve the people and uphold the values of Journalism.

While many non-fiction books have been written about citizen journalism, Mallasch believes he is the first to tackle the subject using a fictional narrative.

By Rick Yencer

YORKTOWN, IN - The orange tractor planting corn stood out among the green trees and grass of Gary Prater's back 40 on Monday.

And it was retired veterinarian and neighbor Neil Perril helping out to give Gary's Garden that one last push before summer and fall.

Prater recently was laid up, but returned to the garden in time to harvest a bumper crop of new strawberries that are sweet and just the taste of the early garden season.

But Yorktown's well known organic Gardner says it will be a late garden with broccoli, cauliflower and other vegetables in October and even November that will surprise even the old farmers and farm to table crowd because of historic rain in April and a continued wet spring.