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Watch the Ball State Board of Trustees Meeting

on September 25, 2026

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Mayor Dan Ridenour Voices Support for Flock Surveillance Cameras, Claims Theyâ€™re â€œUsed A Lotâ€ in Community Update Video

Photo Credit: Flock Safety Media Kit MUNCIE, Ind. (The CI) - In a community update video, Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour voiced his support for Flock surveillance cameras. “All we want to be able to do is be able to help solve crimes, so it’s used a lot in investigations, and it’s used a lot, and it’s provided some very positive results,” Ridenour said. Flock cameras are license plate readers from Georgia-based tech firm Flock Safety. Unlike traditional readers, Flock’s nationwide network allows law enforcement agencies to search for specific vehicle characteristics—even outside of their jurisdiction. This technology could be used to track people, and, according to reporting from Douglas MacMillan, Aaron Schaffer and Drew Harwell with The Washington Post, the surveillance camera network has been abused by a police officer in Indianapolis (a 61...

Power Outage at Ball State Universityâ€™s Burkhardt Building

by Vivian Bostick Photo by Andrey Metelev on Unsplash MUNCIE, Ind. (The CI) - The Burkhardt building at Ball State University lost power just before 1:45pm on September 16, 2026. MIMS’ Vivian Bostick was in a classroom on the third floor of Burkhardt at the time. During the outage, hallway lights briefly went out but turned back on, an emergency box on a classroom wall was blinking, and the elevator remained operable without inside lighting. The CI has not confirmed if other campus buildings are experiencing outages. This follows recent campus infrastructure disruptions, including a water outage at the DeHority Complex and a rupture outside the Teachers College —the third rupture on campus within a 24-hour window, according to Mike Fowler, Vice President for Business Affairs and Treasurer— which had prompted a shift to online learn...

Indiana braces for flu season as vaccines roll out

INDIANA NEWS SERVICE - With the start of fall, health officials are urging the public to prepare for the upcoming flu season by getting vaccinated. Flu season typically begins in October and peaks between December and February, making early vaccination crucial to prevent illness. “We’re expecting this year to be moderate, but last year was severe,” said Dr. Sarah Nosal, president-elect of the American Academy of Family Physicians . The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone 6 months and older receive the flu vaccine, with rare exceptions. This year’s vaccine is trivalent , offering protection against three strains of the influenza virus. For the first time, an at-home flu vaccine, FluMist, is available in 34 states for nonpregnant people ages 2 to 49. Nosal advised consulting a doctor to ensure eligibility for the FluMist vaccine , particularly for ...

Ball State University Moves to Online Learning After â€œThe Third Rupture in Less Than 24 Hoursâ€

Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash MUNCIE, Ind. (The CI) - In an email sent to students on September 3, 2026, Vice President for Business Affairs and Treasurer Mike Fowler said all Ball State University classes are going virtual tomorrow, September 4. Fowler cites this is due to “another underground rupture in the University’s geothermal system Thursday evening—the third rupture in less than 24 hours.” Fowler explained the first rupture was what caused the air conditioning and chilled water outage today . A second rupture reportedly happened “during the day and was quickly contained.” The third, according to several social media videos and a photo gallery from University media , happened outside the Teacher’s College near the Scramble Light—the intersection of McKinley and Riverside avenues. “This latest rupture will again affect our ...

â€œWhite, Milk-Looking Substanceâ€ Described by Witness of Thursdayâ€™s Ball State Teachers College Rupture

MUNCIE, Ind. (The CI) - Ball State University students went virtual on September 4, 2026 following an email the day before from Vice President for Business Affairs and Treasurer Mike Fowler. Fowler cited this was due to “another underground rupture in the University’s geothermal system Thursday evening— the third rupture in less than 24 hours.” Tony Buffin, a shuttle bus driver with University Village Apartments , saw the scene and retold what happened during that third rupture to our newsroom. “ Last Thursday, at about 6 : 19pm, I was turning left by the Applied Technology Building—which is right next to the Teachers College—where the cave-in happened with the sidewalk,” Buffin shared. Buffin said he saw white powder “ spewing 20 or 30 feet in the air and going all over the place.” When he dropped off a student by the Art and Journalism Building and left the parking lot around 6:25pm, he said “f iretrucks had come ” and started spraying the substan...

Out-Of-State KKK Drops Flyers in Delaware and Jay Counties, Sparks Community Solidarity and First Amendment Debate

by Vivian Bostick DELAWARE & JAY COUNTIES, Ind. (The CI) - The Town of Albany, about 13 miles northeast of Muncie, refers to itself as “a friendly small town in Indiana” on its Facebook page . But residents across Delaware County saw nothing friendly about what greeted them on July 24, 2026, when flyers from the Trinity White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan were found littered along lawns and streets. In a Facebook post at 8:41 a.m., Albany said they were aware “there have been flyers distributed on some streets in Town,” and the flyers “are being removed by our employees.” Photo Credit: Screenshot from Town of Albany (Facebook) At least two distinct types of flyers were littered. One invited “nativ...

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