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Watch the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at the Ball State Center for Innovation and Collaboration

on September 24, 2026

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The Cardinal Independent

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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...

Water Outage Confirmed at Ball State Universityâ€™s DeHority Complex

by Vivian Bostick Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash MUNCIE, Ind. (The CI) - DeHority Complex at Ball State University has been without running water for an unknown period of time. Following claims on social media of water outages at DeHority Complex and Park Hall, The CI reached out to the Office of Housing and Residence Life (HRL) during business hours to speak with a media representative. The call was directed to an automated recording stating the office was closed. The CI left a message seeking a call back. DeHority personnel confirmed there was a water outage, but it is currently resolved. “It was resolved at—10:16am is when we got the email about it,” the source said. Park personnel stated they are not allowed to talk about it—not even their hall director—and to contact HRL for a statement. When we mentioned how we were told...

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 ...

FPI: Historic Indiana outage leaves damage, bills and frustration

by Carson Gerber (Free Press Indiana News) - The floors inside Gloria Davis’ home are warped and damaged after 10 days without power in the trailer park where she lives with her three kids and fiancé. It’s been more than a week since her family was stuck in the dark with a now-patched hole in the roof from a fallen tree. Without air conditioning, the floor and drywall began to crack and warp in the sweltering summer heat. After more than two weeks, electricity has been restored for nearly all of the 375,000 customers in northwest Indiana who lost power Aug. 11 following severe weather. It’s the largest outage in the history of NIPSCO, the area’s electric utility. The number of individuals impacted is likely much higher — one “customer” could be a household with multiple people, for example. For Davis and many others, life still hasn’t retur...

FPI: Rising utility costs strain Hoosier households

by Dylan Peers McCoy INDIANAPOLIS (Free Press Indiana News) - Hannah Rattray works nine-hour days at a Merrillville office where she sells cars online. But every month she stresses about utilities: “Do I feed my kids or do I pay my light bill?” The Cardinal Independent is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. “Some months it goes unpaid,” said Rattray, who has gotten more than one disconnection notice from NIPSCO, the northern Indiana gas and electric utility, since she moved into her Portage home in 2024. “I’m working my butt off for nothing in a way,” said Rattray, a 27-year-old single mother of two. Rattray isn’t the only customer struggling: NIPSCO bills for households using 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity reach...

OP-ED: To Preserve Ball State's Reputation, Brian Gallagher Needs to Resign

Sam Allen wrote this Op-Ed. Op-Eds can be submitted to The CI as a Google Docs link, either via email to newsroom@CIMuncie.org or via Instagram DM to @cimuncie . MUNCIE, Ind. - Brian Gallagher’s disgraceful time as CEO of United Way closely mirrors his time on Ball State’s Board of Trustees. And why shouldn’t it? He never had to publicly admit or apologize for his actions there, so why wouldn’t he continue doing the same things here? But what exactly did he do at United Way? To start at the beginning, Brian Gallagher was made CEO of United Way Worldwide in 2009, where he held his position until 2021, according to the Associated Press. During his time as CEO, United Way was described as having a sexist culture where it was “run like a boys club, where women have to work harder to get ahead” as reported by Emily Peck on HuffPost . Qualified and loyal women were constantly overlooked f...

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