Associated Press: Americans mark Juneteenth with parties, events and quiet reflection on the end of slavery

By Associated Press / June 19, 2023

Americans across the country this weekend celebrated Juneteenth, marking the relatively new national holiday with cookouts, parades and other gatherings as they commemorated the end of slavery after the Civil War. While many have treated the long holiday weekend as a reason for a party, others urged quiet reflection on America's often violent and oppressive treatment of its Black citizens. Still others have remarked at the strangeness of celebrating a federal holiday marking the end of slavery in the nation while many Americans are trying to stop parts of that history from being taught in public schools.

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NATIONAL NEWS

Associated Press: A spate of weekend mass shootings leaves 6 people dead and dozens injured across the US

By Associated Press / June 19, 2023

A spate of weekend mass shootings and violence across the U.S. killed at least six people, including a Pennsylvania state trooper, and left dozens injured. The shootings follow a surge in homicides and other violence over the past several years that experts say accelerated during the coronavirus pandemic. They happened in suburban Chicago, Washington state, central Pennsylvania, St. Louis, Southern California and Baltimore.

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NATIONAL NEWS

Associated Press: Supermajorities in state capitols push controversial policies to the edge

By Associated Press / June 17, 2023

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Lawmakers in state capitols this year have been flexing their superpowers. In North Carolina, a new supermajority of Republicans enacted abortion restrictions. In Vermont, a new supermajority of Democrats imposed a climate-sensitive home heating law. And in Montana, a GOP supermajority booted a transgender lawmaker from the House floor. In each case, the views of their political opponents ultimately were irrelevant.

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Renovations and cost changes are on the way as the Board of Trustees has their summer meeting

By Elijah Poe / June 16, 2023

The Ball State University’s Board of Trustees met today to push plans for the future and next year. President Geoffrey Mearns presented the current state of the Village revitalization. The goals of this revitalization are to create a more vibrant environment, improve connections, attract students and employees to Ball State, retain students to keep on living in Muncie and also to boost Muncie’s economy. 

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NEWS

Local community events weekend roundup

By Staff Reports / June 16, 2023

Events are planned for the next couple of days throughout Delaware County and Muncie. Yorktown Farmers Marketplace will be held from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Walnut Grove in Morrow’s Meadow. The Marketplace has a multitude of items including food, art and more. The park itself has several playgrounds and trails. Tonne Winery will have Cliff Ritchey performing as a part of their Tonne Winery Music Series. The concert will start at 6 p.m. and will run until 8 p.m. Farmland BBQ and The Food Vault will be there as well for food options. It is encouraged to bring your own lawn chair. 

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BALL BROTHERS FOUNDATION

Ball Brothers Foundation’s first round of grants total $3 million

By Staff Reports / June 15, 2023

The Ball Brothers Foundation approved 28 grants totaling $3 million in the foundation’s first round of grants for 2023, according to a Ball Brothers Foundation press release. The two most significant grants approved were to boost capital projects in downtown Muncie, the YMCA of Muncie and the Muncie Civic Theater. A grant of $500,000 will support the YMCA of Muncie to support the construction of the new state-of-the-art facility on the campus of Muncie Community Schools, according to the report. 

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STUDENT LOANS

Associated Press: Here's how to prepare to start paying back your student loans when the pandemic payment freeze ends

By Associated Press / June 13, 2023

NEW YORK (AP) — A three-year pause on student loan payments will end this summer regardless of how the Supreme Court rules on the White House plan to forgive billions of dollars in student loan debt. If Congress approves a debt ceiling deal negotiated by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden, payments will resume in late August, ending any lingering hope of a further extension of the pause that started during the COVID pandemic. Even if the deal falls through, payments will resume 60 days after the Supreme Court decision.

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UKRAINE

Associated Press: Ukrainian dam breach: What's happening and what's at stake

By Associated Press / June 12, 2023

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The fallout from the breach of a dam in southern Ukraine is wreaking havoc on lives, livelihoods and the environment amid the war. When the Kakhovka dam ruptured on Tuesday, it sent a torrent of water from Ukraine's largest reservoir into cities, towns and lowlands downstream on the Dnieper River, where fighting is raging. It's not clear what caused the breach in the dam, which had already been damaged in the war.

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JUNETEENTH

Associated Press: The story behind Juneteenth and how it became a federal holiday

By Associated Press / June 10, 2023

Americans will soon celebrate Juneteenth, marking the day when the last enslaved people in the United States learned they were free. For generations, Black Americans have recognized the end of one of the darkest chapters in U.S. history with joy, in the form of parades, street festivals, musical performances or cookouts. The U.S. government was slow to embrace the occasion — it was only in 2021 that President Joe Biden signed a bill passed by Congress to set aside Juneteenth, or June 19th, as a federal holiday.

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NATIONAL NEWS

Associated Press: Trump says he’s been indicted in classified documents investigation; Justice Dept. yet to confirm

By Associated Press / June 8, 2023

MIAMI (AP) — Donald Trump said Tuesday he’s been indicted on charges of mishandling classified documents at his Florida estate, igniting a federal prosecution that is arguably the most perilous of multiple legal threats against the former president as he seeks to reclaim the White House. The Justice Department did not immediately publicly confirm the indictment. Trump is currently in Bedminster, New Jersey. A person familiar with the situation who was not authorized to discuss it publicly said Trump's lawyers were contacted by prosecutors shortly before he announced on his Truth Social platform that he had been indicted.

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ROAD WORK

Road closures planned around Muncie

By Staff Reports / June 7, 2023

Road closures are planned in Muncie as the summer public works projects begin. Community members can expect detours this summer and fall as the public works team is working on significant projects. Here are the upcoming dates and estimates for the projects. 

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NATIONAL NEWS

Associated Press: Sonic boom heard over Washington is a rare sound with a rich history

By Associated Press / June 6, 2023

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — People living in and around the nation’s capital experienced a rare, if startling, sound that has a rich history in American aviation and possibly a muted future: A sonic boom. The boom was heard Sunday after the U.S. military dispatched six fighter jets to intercept an unresponsive business plane flying over restricted airspace. The Air Force gave the F-16s permission to fly faster than the speed of sound — something civilian aircraft rarely get to do — as the jets scrambled to catch up with the Cessna Citation. The result was a thunderous rumble that resonated across a metropolitan area that's home to more than six million people.

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NEWS

Associated Press: Former Vice President Pence files paperwork launching 2024 presidential bid in challenge to Trump

By Associated Press / June 5, 2023

Former Vice President Mike Pence filed paperwork on Monday declaring his campaign for president in 2024, setting up a challenge to his former boss, Donald Trump, just two years after their time in the White House ended with an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and Pence fleeing for his life.

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LOANS

Associated Press: The US has approved $42 billion in loan forgiveness for public service workers. Here's what to know

By Associated Press / June 4, 2023

The U.S. has approved more than $42 billion in federal student loan debt forgiveness for more than 615,000 borrowers in the past 18 months as part of a program aimed at getting more people to work in public service jobs, the U.S. Department of Education said this week. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program is open to teachers, librarians, nurses, public interest lawyers, military members and other public workers. It cancels a borrower's remaining student debt after 10 years of public interest work, or 120 monthly payments.

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HURRICANES

Associated Press: The 2023 Atlantic hurricane season is now underway. Here's what to know.

By Associated Press / June 3, 2023

MIAMI (AP) — It's time for residents along the southeastern U.S. coastlines to make sure their storm plans are in place as the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season got underway Thursday. Forecasters are predicting a “near-normal” season, but Mike Brennan, the new director at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, stressed during a Wednesday news conference that there's really nothing normal when it comes to hurricanes. "A normal season might sound good in comparison to some of the hurricane seasons in the past few years,” he said. “But there's nothing good about a near-normal hurricane season in terms of activity.”

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LOCAL EVENTS

Local Community Events weekend roundup

By Staff Reports / June 2, 2023

This weekend host a multitude of events around Delaware County. Yorktown Farm and Artisan Market will be today from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. with weather permitting. The summer marketplace is located at Walnut Grove in Morro’s Meadow. Nature Play Days at Minnetrista start today and will run through June 10. This is free to the community where you can explore nature at Minnetrista. Activities include outdoor games, planting herbs and more. 

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2024 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

Associated Press: Mike Pence will launch his presidential campaign in Iowa on June 7

By Associated Press / June 1, 2023

NEW YORK (AP) — Former Vice President Mike Pence will officially launch his long-expected campaign for the Republican nomination for president in Iowa next week, adding another candidate to the growing GOP field and putting him in direct competition with his former boss. Pence will hold a kickoff event in Des Moines on June 7, the date of his 64th birthday, according to two people familiar with his plans who spoke on condition of anonymity to share details ahead of the official announcement. He is also expected to release a video message that morning as part of the launch.

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LOCAL EVENTS

Muncie Artswalk, a Muncie First Thursday event

By Staff Reports / May 31, 2023

The Brink of Summer Artswalk presented by the Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County will be on Thursday, June 1. There will be a wide variety of things to do and buy at the Artswalk. There will be YART or a yard sale for art, this will feature local vendors and makers who price art under $40 at Canan Commons. Art galleries and exhibits can be found featuring local artists and various media at Gordy, Cornerstone, Madjax and other galleries. 

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AI

Associated Press: Regulators take aim at AI to protect consumers and workers

By Associated Press / May 29, 2023

NEW YORK (AP) — As concerns grow over increasingly powerful artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT, the nation’s financial watchdog says it’s working to ensure that companies follow the law when they’re using AI. Already, automated systems and algorithms help determine credit ratings, loan terms, bank account fees, and other aspects of our financial lives. AI also affects hiring, housing and working conditions.

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INDY 500

Junior Savannah Boneta Hand-Picked for Indy 500 Princess Program

By Payton Hammett / May 28, 2023

Savannah Boneta was born in Fishers; however, she did not grow up in the Hoosier light. She knew what the Indy 500 was, but she had never attended the race or the parade. After submitting her application and completing multiple interview rounds, Boneta was selected for the 500 Festival Princess Program. Each year, 33 college-aged women are selected and serve as ambassadors for the race, their hometown and their college/university. This rigorous program selects women based on their academic performance, community involvement, commitment service and leadership abilities. Since 1959, this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has provided over 2,000 women with opportunities for leadership and professional development.