Jerry Dishman at Muncie Free Press - Delaware County Indiana | News and Information

By Rick Yencer

 MUNCIE, IN - A $54 million apartment and retail  development with a government run parking garage may rise from the demolition of the historic Collegiate Store in the University Village near Ball State University.

 This huge, five-story building will change the face of the historic Village that was once a thriving retail center with the likes of the Ball Stores Collegiate Store, Steck's Men Store and Smitty's that once patronized by Ball State professors and high income residents of the Westwood neighborhood.

 Some details about this face changing development will be heard Thursday when local government, Muncie Redevelopment Commission and Muncie City Council, takes action on financing, tax breaks and leasing for the big parking garage and apartment building. The sheer size of the property, with more than 300 parking spaces and 230 rooms, could be the biggest development ever in the community next to public housing.

By Rick Yencer

MUNCIE, IN  - The Townsend Corp. that provides storm relief, utility line construction and vegetation management is moving its headquarters to the Ontario Systems campus this spring.

 And the company with $120 million in yearly revenue and nearly 2,000 employees will bring its front office and administration with 35 people and $2.9 million.

 The deal includes about $150,000 in property taxes abated which Muncie City Council unanimously approved on Monday in return for the jobs and the property owner, GJT-32 LLC, a company with offices in Milwaukee, WI. agreeing to do about $1 million in improvements to accommodate Townsend offices.

By Rick Yencer

MUNCIE, IN - Combining a national day for equality with finding jobs for the unemployed and underemployed shows the commitment community leaders have to improve the local quality of life.

 Top it off with a free breakfast at Ball State University and an evening prayer service at Christ Temple will bring traditional meaning to Martin Luther King Jr. Day activities on Jan.21.

By RicK Yencer

MUNCIE, IN - Look for more apartments along fraternity row at Ball State University as off campus housing remains a multi-million dollar market.

 The latest development of a modest 16 apartments will be built in the 800 block of West Riverside Avenue across from Cardinal Pointe and 400 Apartments and just east of BSU's fraternity housing.

By Rick Yencer

MUNCIE, IN - Muncie City Council was generous this week, granting more than $800,000 in tax breaks on the guarantee of more jobs at call center giant Sallie Mae, and the phoenix Delaware Dynamics that rose from the ashes of Delaware Machine.

Free Press Report

MUNCIE, IN - Millions of dollars in taxes and government spending will be decided over the next few weeks for 2013 in the shadow of a government reform measure that will wipe out  executive and legislative governing as citizens know it.

 And taxpayers, voters and other citizens have a rare chance to weigh in on most local government spending on Tuesday in a pair of public hearings before Delaware County and Muncie city councils. That also could includes members of the local Tea Party, Good Government, Occupy and other interest groups.

By Rick Yencer

Muncie NAACP President Michael Harley.

MUNCIE, IN -The president of the Muncie chapter of the NAACP will replace community leader Carl Kizer Jr. on the Muncie Public Transportation Corp..Board.

 The decision by Muncie City Council to name Michael Harley came amid criticism that it is labor and partisan based, given Kizer's leanings toward bus management and being co-chairman of Democratic House nominee Sue Errington's campaign for the District 34 seat.

 Council voted 6-2 on Harley's appointment with council members Linda Gregory and Brad Polk voting no, Council member Julius Anderson was absent, and council President Jerry Dishman led the majority with council members Mary Jo Barton, Mark Conatser, Doug Marshall, Nora Powell and Alison Quirk.

By Rick Yencer

MUNCIE, IN - Work at Sallie Mae in Muncie has ebbed and flowed in recent years, and is about to explode again with about 120 jobs that would restore its employment  to 2008 levels.

 Muncie City Council got a report this week on a host of Muncie business and industry that received property tax abatement and whether they were living up to their promise of actual people working. And they learned that radio ads are already running to hire 120 people at Sallie Mae this summer.

 Sallie Mae burst onto the scene in 2006, moving into a shell building at the Airpark Industrial Center and creating 700 jobs that handle their billion dollar industry of servicing student loans and insurance. They immediately became a big player in Muncie's economy with more than a $22 million yearly payroll and charitable giving in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

By Rick Yencer

MUNCIE, IN -  Muncie and Yorktown took quick action this week to comply with a new state law prohibiting nepotism in local government.

 Besides the fact that Gov. Mitch Daniels signed the measure into law, effective July 1, Indiana Department of Local Government Finance informed local government that it had to pass an anti-nepotism policy or risk not having their tax budgets approved.

 The law prohibits officeholders from hiring their relatives or holding public contracts with them without making certain disclosures. The law also prohibits public employees from holding any office that controls money or policies that benefit them. Any conflict would mean that officeholder could not run again for office.

 Muncie City Council had a special meeting on Thursday where it adopted the new measure before the deadline.

By Rick Yencer

MUNCIE, IN - The use of security cameras on city buses to discipline and fire drivers has pushed labor management relations at Muncie Transit to the breaking point with members of Muncie City Council and other officials launching an investigation.