The citizens of Muncie gathered together March 28 for the city's 'No Kings' rally in order to protest the current U.S. administration - President Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again (MAGA) agenda.

The bridge itself was full of protestors before the 11 a.m. start time and organizers encouraged people to spread farther, so that they might reach Minnetrista Museum & Gardens.

Muncie citizens, crossing a generational span, gathered together and sported a variety of homemade signs with a diverse range of slogans ranging from "the wannabe emperor has no clothes" to "hate never made any nation great."

Ball State student Taylor Perry, a fourth year accompanied by two recently graduated Ball State alums, shared what had brought her out to the protest that cold March morning.

"We just need to speak out. We need to show that we are exercising our rights and that together we're stronger," she said.

Many of the protestors shared the belief that their visibility would create an impact, including Muncie resident Austin Bristor.

"Even though a lot of people are kind of waking up to the reality of what's going on, I just thought it was important to continue to come out here and exercise my rights and encourage other people to exercise theirs," he said.

Carter Minton, accompanied by his grandparents, including 72-year-old Dan who had joined for his first ever protest, shared similar sentiments.

"This is the second 'No Kings' protest in Muncie I've been to. I think it's very important that we exercise the rights that we have at a time when our rights are dwindling. Freedom of speech varies depending on our time in history, and at this time, it is being definitely heavily restricted, and so, if we don't come out and demonstrate and stand in solidarity, then our rights will slowly get watered down and watered away."

Several other community members also showed up to demonstrate their support, with flags, posters and costumes alike - including a bald eagle, blow ups and even Trump dressed as a clown.

Hoosiers from around the state were also present due to their desire to show up for not only the city of Muncie, but also the United States. This included congressional candidate for the fifth district, Tara Nelson.

"I think we need justice. We need to protect our constitutional rights. And I'm happy to see so many people out supporting this cause," she said.

While the streets were filled with chants of dissent such as "no ICE, no KKK, no fascist USA," joy still reigned supreme as those throughout Muncie, both young and old, surrounded themselves with community, some gently blown bubbles and the hope for a better democracy.

Contact Kyler Effner via email at kyler.effner@bsu.edu.

"Can we make the whole thing happen on a transcontinental train journey in 1908? from Chicago to San Francisco, and what would that look like? And you've got the main car to play in, and then the end platforms on either side of the train that they can play," said Co-writer and Co-Director, John Marsh.

John and Jenni Marsh are a local playwriting and directing duo. Some of their past works include Fixing Up and the Cats Pajamas. The West Wind is their 3rd play and its being debuted in the Casazza Family Studio Theatre at Muncie Civic.

"There is something very special about being able to do something that's new. Like this is the first debut performance of this show written by the directors as well. And I... like being able to be the most extreme version of myself," said Stephen Hamilton, who plays Benowitz in the West Wind.

Although this is built to be a comedy, the play has an undertone of something a little deeper.

"It has a lot of heart to it. There are people going through some really painful and challenging situations, and the humor is right alongside some of that drama," said Co-Director and Co-Writer, Jenni Marsh.

The Muncie Civic has been supporting local artists and playwrights since 1931. The West Wind, Hello Dolly, and the many other shows happening this year make up its 94th season.

"We are very grateful for Muncie's attention to arts and culture. Art and culture create greater empathy and understanding of the human condition and relationships, and the more you expose yourself to stories and culture, the more empathy you have," said Jenni Marsh.

Tickets for the closing weekend are still available on Muncie Civic's website.

Contact Abby Urban with comments at abigail.urban@bsu.edu.

Mitchell described the head coaching search as thorough and thoughtful, and that still left him with a candidate pool of 45 head coaches just a couple of weeks after firing former head coach Michael Lewis.

That pool went from 45 to 16, then 16 to 10. 10 candidates for the position became three, and after long-drawn out conversations, Mitchell landed on Chris Capko.

Mitchell made sure to address the crowd directly when talking about Capko.

"Make no mistake, Chris Capko is a winner," Mitchell said.

On the North Quad of Ball State's campus sits the bronze statue of Beneficence, something that represents the university's enduring values that Mearns spoke about in the press conference. He said he saw Capko possess those values in their first conversation.

So, it was no surprise to Mearns that almost two weeks before Capko was announced as head coach, he and his wife had their third child and named him "Benny."

"We're pretty darn sure that we found our guy," Mearns said.

As Mearns and Mitchell's introductions concluded, Capko was brought up to the podium in the midst of a standing ovation. The 21st head coach in Ball State Men's Basketball program history addressed the crowd with gratitude and emotion.

This is Capko's first head coaching gig, and he said the moment walking up to the podium was "surreal."

"I've been dreaming of this moment for a long, long time," Capko said.

Capko began his career at Marshall as a graduate assistant, and after two years, he landed his first assistant coach job at Stetson. That job took him to Georgia Southern as an assistant coach for two years, and after that Capko spent two years at the University of Southern California (USC) as director of operations.

After a short one-year stint as an assistant coach at Florida International after that, Capko returned to USC, where he spent his next eight years as an assistant and associate head coach, contributing to four NCAA tournament appearances and one trip to the elite eight.

His time at USC took Capko to Southern Methodist University (SMU) as associate head coach for two seasons, which then helped him land at Ball State.

Capko said he realizes the weight of the next step as head coach after zero years of prior experience in the position. He joked that he has been told he does not have head coaching experience more times than he has been told "no" by his wife.

Although being a head coach can be a daunting position in college basketball, Capko said he has been given all the confidence he needs from Mearns, Mitchell and other staff to lead Ball State as their next head basketball coach. Capko said there has never been an individual or team to accomplish something special that did not have confidence or belief.

"As a coach and a leader of young men, I am in the business of inspiration," Capko said. "It is my job to instill confidence as well as conveying to my student athletes that I believe in them in order to inspire them to the best of my ability.

Roster construction begins pretty fast for Capko, as the transfer portal opens in just a few weeks. The priority for the head coach is to try to see what players from last season's team want to return. Capko said every player from last year's team is welcome back as long as they want to be in Muncie.

"I want guys that want to be here," Capko said. "I think there's some pretty talented players on last year's team that can help us this year, if they want to be here, and they're the right person and they have the right character."

Capko said it will be important to figure out what players will return for next season, because then he can build around what he already has when it comes time to use the transfer portal. In the meantime, Capko said he is "fielding as many names as he can" while he settles in as head coach and continues to build his staff.

"The portal doesn't open until [April] 7th, so it gives me a little breathing room of just trying to track as many names as possible," Capko said. "Once I can finally get some of our staff here, [then] I can have more intimate conversations."

A handful of players from last season's team have already declared their intent to enter the transfer portal when it opens, and one of those players is redshirt sophomore guard Davion Hill. Hill averaged 14 points per game on just above 46 percent from the field last season.

Capko said while he wants everyone back from last year's team, he has had multiple conversations with Hill to try and get the star guard to return to Muncie.

"I do want to try to retain Davion Hill," Capko said. "I've talked to him every day since I got the job."

A big thing Ball State struggled with this past season was its ability to consistently score points. The Cardinals ranked last in the MAC with 67.5 points per game. Capko said he wants to bring an exciting style of basketball that produces a lot of points.

The head coach wants every player on the floor to have the ability to shoot the ball; he wants to have a true point guard who not only looks to score but also looks to set their teammates up with open shots and he wants to spread the floor out with his offense.

"When you watch one of our teams, I want you to see a team out there that can score," Capko said.

To close the press conference, Capko had a simple message to Ball State players, both former and current: "I need you guys." He said he wants to hold the university to the standard it deserves, and he said that starts with bringing back former players to talk to current and future players about what it means to represent Ball State and its community.

One thing Capko realized after his first conversation with Mearns was that Ball State can be a top program in the Mid-American Conference (MAC). He realized Ball State can be the program that fans in the community expect it to be.

"Why not us? Why not now? Why not in the future?" Capko said.

Contact Kyle Stout with questions via email at kyle.stout@bsu.edu or on X @kylestoutdailyn.

You approach the mysterious black building with its red 20-sided die on top, so menacing yet so peculiar. You walk up to the front of the building and enter carefully, wary of any beasts lurking inside.

Upon entry, nothing looks out of the ordinary. It looks like a normal real estate building, but something compels you to go downstairs. As you do, darkness seems to surround you and shroud your vision. When you finally reach the bottom, you find a dungeon! But it is not just any dungeon; it is the D20 Dungeon, owned and operated by Lucius Conner.

Conner, who is also the owner and operator of his real estate company, Viking Realty, created the space with the goal of making it an immersive experience, allowing players to change the lighting, music and ambience to adapt the room to any imaginary space they may find themselves in.

"I'm a business owner. I've been in the real estate world for a decade. I've grown that from a one-man show to a 15-man brokerage. We are the smallest footprint in real estate in Muncie, but the third-highest volume. So we are a very small shop, but we're competing against brokerages that are, you know, 30, 40 people wide," Conner said.

The D20 building started as a real estate building, and Conner said it still is. However, as his vision became reality, Conner saw immense growth not only in his imagination for the project but also in the "in-depth" services it could provide.

"We opened in October 2023. It started out as a venue you would rent. That was it," Conner said.

Now, the business offers professional dungeon master (DM) services that allow players to rent a DM for a one-shot and attend weekly or biweekly campaigns. But more than that, it has a Youth Adventure League that takes place every Wednesday for children aged 8 to 12 and 13 to 15.

Still, that is not the only thing D20 Dungeon wants to continue implementing.

"We are just now breaking into the party scene," Conner said. "So we're gonna be doing birthday parties or parties of any kind, making them special in the best way that we can."

Hiring dungeon masters is one of the most prominent staples of D20 Dungeon, as gamers can rent an available dungeon master that can do a "one shot" style of play where the story and play unfolds over a single session, or can do something larger in scale, like a three month long campaign that keeps the players coming back to rent a certain dungeon master.

Conner said this can be highly appealing to previous dungeon masters and players alike.

"One of the things that we actually get most often is people who typically are the DM, and they just want to sit on the other side of the screen. They will hire a DM and bring their whole crew with them so that they can play the game also," he said.

Now, dungeon masters have an entire arsenal of immersive elements to enhance players' imaginations at D20.

"I actually had to call in professionals," Conner said. "I think the combined experience of my DMs is somewhere almost around 80 years of combined experience playing Dungeons & Dragons."

Conner also asked the experienced DMs to give him their "wish list" for a gaming respite.

"They wanted the ability to control the lighting, the sound effects and music," he said.

The DMs also expressed a desire for "some way to take everything up a notch," so visualizations could match imaginative expectations.

With Dungeons & Dragons covered, Conner has also tried to expand the business in more ways than one, including tapping into other games and franchises at the forefront.

"We are barely scratching the surface with [Dungeons & Dragons]. We took 800 square feet in a basement and turned it into something that generates about $1,500 a month in just people playing D&D," he said. "We are now adding merchandise [and] a storefront. We are currently branching out into the Warhammer universe as well … It's just gonna go bigger and bigger. This building was built for real estate. It is cocooning into a game store because of the popularity of the space, so we have much bigger plans."

Thomas Tran, otherwise known as Tojo, is the social media marketer for D20 Dungeon, so he has seen this growth of feedback in real time.

"Just this last week, our first video on TikTok, we're just like trying out random stuff." Tran said. "It had reached 100,000 likes, 700,000 different people, and we're looking through the comments and it was really cool to see so many people interested in D&D, not even just a bunch of fans."

Tran also said this is a great opportunity for those that have yet to get into the medium.

"So many comments [on the video] were like, 'I want to try it,'" he said." There's not a lot of places to provide a comfortable environment to play D&D or just to be, like, beginner friendly. I think people are afraid to jump into things because of the small hoops of trying to find people as well as trying to find someone to tell a story."

D20 Dungeon will be holding a one-shot called "The Gladiator" at 6 p.m. April 6 for $25. According to the D20 Dungeon website, the event focuses on gladiators who "fight to the death daily" and are given an "opportunity at freedom."

A One Shot Mini Marathon Fundraiser is also being held April 18. According to D20 Dungeon's Facebook account, the event is for people to "make a donation today to the Yorktown Friends of the Library and either join a session, aid or torment the players."

Contact Nathan Litz via email at nathan.litz@bsu.edu

The campus pantry was created to help students who may be struggling to afford everyday necessities. Also, giving students a resource to fall back on especially when balancing school, work and other expenses.

"Cardinal Kitchen was created in the fall of 2014 by the student government association, mostly just to serve Ball State students and make sure food insecurity isn't as rapid on our campus," Executive Director Myla Hamter said.

Cardinal kitchen is located at the L.A. Pittenger Student Center offering both non-perishable and perishable food items such as potatoes, apples, ramen and quick snacks. Also, offering hygiene products such as soap, toilet paper and paper towels.

The pantry is open multiple days each week and is available to any Ball State student looking to take the pressure off constantly buying everyday necessities. They provide an intake form which outlines students' needs, primarily asking if you have a dependent in your home, in which they will provide more supplies.

The increase of students later in the academic year are due to costs adding up and schedules getting busier. The organization keeps statistics on the most popular items and times of engagement. They then evaluate, making sure all students will receive what they need.

"We track what food items people select so we know what to buy more of and what we might not need as much of that week," Hamter said.

In addition to food and hygiene products, Cardinal Kitchen relies on volunteers to keep shelves stocked and pantry running. These volunteers help organize items, stock supplies and make sure the pantry stays ready for those who need it.

"To volunteer we have the app Be Connected which is through Ball State," Hamter said. "Once you get there you can go to groups and you'll find Cardinal Kitchen. Under our events it will list all the shifts open for the semester, giving everyone a fair chance to volunteer to give back to the community."

The goal of Cardinal Kitchen is to make sure students can focus on their education without worrying about where their next meal or basic necessities come from. Cardinal Kitchen is open Tuesdays 5 p.m to 7 p.m., Wednesdays 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Thursdays 1 p.m to 3 p.m. Students can also sign up to volunteer through Ball State's Be Connected app.

Contact Rayanna Goble with comments at rayanna.goble@bsu.edu.

Ball State was able to get on the board at the bottom of the third following an RBI from senior Brett Griffiths.

The Cardinals then continued to pour it on as they increased their lead to 6-0 over the next two innings.

Ball State finished strong as they scored four runs in the seventh inning to close out a commanding win.

When asked about how confident Coach Maloney is with his team going into the rest of the series he stated, "They're going to come out battling. Today we played good baseball in all facets of the game, we pitched well, we fielded well, we hit well. It's encouraging. Tomorrow we need to go out and compete to get another win."

The Cardinals increase their record to 8-2 in Mid-American Conference (MAC) competition and are 6-2 at home. Ball State currently ranks second in the MAC and are third in categories such as pitching and fielding.

This marks the second time that Ohio has been shut out in the span of a week.

"I don't really think of the other team, I only think of ours. They [Ohio] have to do what they have to do, it's not us," said Maloney. "If we play a good game, we'll always have a chance to win."

Ball State plays Ohio two more times to round out the weekend series on March 27 and March 28 at home.

Contact Bryce Pennell with any questions @bryce.pennell@bsu.edu or on X @bryceBSUDN

This past weekend, they had various memorable games, free chair yoga and various hands-on activities to show off the environmental changes to the community.

Erica Oliver, an environmental educator at Ball State, helped organize and lead a majority of these events and planned to inform the community about what is changing in the environment.

"Our song birds are coming back from migration, the honey bees are more active in the beehive, they are aware the flowers are out there and they are bringing in pollen and nectar during those warm days," said Oliver. "So we wanted to create a bunch of activities to help all of them just understand those changes better and how they are influenced by light and not necessarily by temperature," Oliver said.

This was just one of many events that the Rinard Orchid greenhouse hosts. They plan to hold at least one event every single month with different themes to encourage people of all ages to go. All events are free and open to the public

If you are interested in learning more about future events held at the greenhouse, you can check out their Instagram page @bsufseec

Contact Wyatt Maher with comments Wyatt Maher

The first piece of legislation, authored by off-campus whip and student access and belonging chair Sen. Lisette Ariza, was Student Resolution 06 (S.R.06). The resolution aims to extend time limits for parking meters at Ball State due to many students running into conflicts with class time and the amount of tickets being produced.

Ariza reasoned that the current one-hour time limit does not work because many students' class schedules may be over an hour, resulting in either a ticket or the student having to leave early and miss important information in class.

"Whereas, visitors and campus guests may also require parking durations that exceed one hour for legitimate university-related purposes, further demonstrating the limitations of current meter restrictions," Ariza wrote.

She also presented data she had collected in her research on the issue, showing that one problem with the parking meters is that the only time option is up to one hour. While other colleges, such as Indiana University Bloomington, can go from two hours to 10, depending on location, leaving more flexibility for students' schedules.

Ariza said she wants to resolve this issue by getting this resolution passed to the Ball State University Senate and having them raise the time limit to at least two hours.

The next student resolution was S.R.07, written by off-campus caucus Sen. Quinn Davis and off-campus caucus chair Addy Morey, work toward implementing a comprehensive AED mapping system. If implemented, the system would include both physical mapping of AED locations across central facilities and buildings, and integrating the map into the MyBallState platform for students to utilize.

The resolution explains that an AED is used to help during sudden cardiac arrest. The medical device can analyze the heart's rhythm and deliver an electrical shock or defibrillation to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm.

The future SGA executive team said this initiative looks to reduce response times during cardiac emergencies, enhance overall campus safety and align the university with proactive emergency practices by clearly mapping AED locations to reduce panic and confusion during emergencies through providing actionable guidance.

"College campuses consist of large, multi-floor, and high-traffic buildings where emergency responders may require several minutes to arrive. Therefore, quick access to an AED can aid in life-saving measures before emergency services arrive," Davis and Morey wrote in the resolution.

The data that Davis and Morey used to support their resolution showed that each minute that passes without an AED nearby decreases the chances of survival by seven to 10 percent, and with cardiac arrest being a leading cause of death in America, it highlights the importance of an AED.

The resolution aims to add an AED location to all maps on Ball State University's campus to lower the chances of being unable to find one and to increase the chance of survival for those who may need it.

The final resolution reviewed was S.R.08, written by Sen. Davis and Sen. Morey. It aims to enhance campus safety by expanding the network of Blue Light Emergency Phones and improving visibility through updated signage and location maps.

The two said they want to include the emergency lights around campus in campus apps, websites and printed maps in all central building locations. They said emergency phone locations would also be visibly printed and projected in locations such as bus stops, entrances to buildings, dorm lobbies and dining halls.

Davis and Morey said that clearly marked maps and signs can aid students in locating the nearest emergency phone quickly under stress or in unfamiliar areas around campus.

"Other Indiana universities, such as Indiana University, have a map specifically for emergency phones, which helps avoid confusion in times of an emergency," Davis and Morey wrote.

SGA will meet again next week, April 1, at the L.A. Pittenger Student Center in Cardinal Hall B at 3:15 p.m.

Contact Landon Jones via email landon.jones2@bsu.edu.

Mason and Ian discuss the newest addition to the Pokemon Trading Card Game: Perfect Order.

Checkpoint is Byte's video news series, reporting on recent events in the world of entertainment, tech, and pop culture. Whether it's video games, film, television, or music, we've got you covered!

Anchors: Ian Fraser and Mason Mundy
Executive Producer: Willow Emig
Script: Mason Mundy
Video Editing: Ian Fraser
Audio Editing: Ian Fraser
Intro Graphics: Ryan Minter
Graphics: Ryan Minter
Thumbnail: Ian Fraser
Original Thumbnail Images From: The Pokemon Company
Music: Jack McGinnis
Sources:
The Pokemon Company

Ian and Mason discuss Nintendo of America's lawsuit against the United States for the use of illegal tariffs.

Checkpoint is Byte's video news series, reporting on recent events in the world of entertainment, tech, and pop culture. Whether it's video games, film, television, or music, we've got you covered!

Anchors: Ian Fraser and Mason Mundy
Executive Producer: Willow Emig
Script: Ian Fraser
Video Editing: Ian Fraser
Audio Editing: Ian Fraser
Intro Graphics: Ryan Minter
Graphics: Ryan Minter
Thumbnail: Ian Fraser
Original Thumbnail Images From: Nintendo
Music: Jack McGinnis
Sources:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Ninte...
https://www.documentcloud.org/...

Bob Dylan brings "Rough and Rowdy" tour to Emens Auditorium!

Bob Dylan: Rough and Rowdy Ways will be at Emens Auditorium next week on Tuesday, March 31, at 8:00 p.m.

Bob Dylan is one of the greatest songwriters of all time. As a musician, he has shaped popular music in innumerable ways - from inspiring the Beatles and bringing folk-rock into the mainstream to proving that electric guitars could be as revolutionary as acoustic ones.

Bob Dylan's career has lasted the better part of sixty years now. He has never gotten by on sentimentality or nostalgia and has never repeated his successes.

Don't miss seeing one of music's greatest legends live - get tickets now!

For more information, visit:

https://commcenter.bsu.edu/message/bob-dylan-brings-rough-and-rowdy-tour-to-emens-auditorium

Watercolor Painting Workshop - Loosey Goosey Opposites

Learn how using opposites or complementary elements can make your painting more dramatic and complete. In this class, you'll explore contrast while using a goose-or a gaggle of geese-as your subject. Discover how to effectively handle a strong foreground subject when you're unsure what to do with the background and uncover your own "golden egg" for successful painting. Open to all skill levels.

Instructor: Ann Johnson, local artist and former owner of F.B. Fogg.

Class Location: Ball State's E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center, 400 Minnetrista Boulevard

Must be age 18 or older to attend programs at the Center.

Loosey Goosey Opposites
Wednesday, April 15, 2026; 1-3 p.m.
E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center
Cost: $45
REGISTER ONLINE

For more information, visit:

https://commcenter.bsu.edu/message/watercolor-painting-workshop-loosey-goosey-opposites

It is not too late to plan classes for next semester!

It is not too late to meet with your academic advisor about scheduling classes for next semester! The fall 2026 registration period opens March 30 - April 10 (depending on your time ticket assignment). Check your time ticket, and schedule classes online through Self-Service Banner (myBallState.bsu.edu).

Before selecting and registering for spring classes, you need to schedule an appointment to meet with your academic advisor to review class options in your major/minor, identify courses needed for the core curriculum, and track degree progress toward graduation.

A fast and easy way to access your advisor's calendar and schedule appointments is online through Navigate (bsu.campus.eab.com). But if you run into issues or online scheduling is not your preference, appointments can also be scheduled through the Center for Student Success by telephone (765-285-1161) or in person (North Quad 339) Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

For more information, visit:

https://commcenter.bsu.edu/message/it-is-not-too-late-to-plan-classes-for-next-semester

For more information, go toBall State's Communication Center.

Head Coach Heath Dudley took over for his cousin Brian Dudley before the 2024 season. Heath notched his first winning season with the Raiders last year and says the aspiration each year is to live up to the precedent that was set when the program won their lone state championship in 2014.

"Our goal every year is to make the state finals," Heath said. "When we print out our schedule we list those dates as like, don't plan anything for those."

The winning standard has become second nature to Wapahani's players. Senior Quentine James says that last year's team had so many competitors that winning became expected.

"It's awesome, but I feel like with this community and especially with this coach, I feel like it's just expected every single time," James said.

James posted the second-best batting average on last year's roster, averaging .384 in his 88 appearances inside the right-handed batter's box. This year, James' main focus is to pour into his younger teammates, as well as the community.

"[The goal is] to maintain a winning culture and just get these young guys ready for the later half of their career, and just keep spreading the winning around this community because I mean, they deserve it," said James.

Wapahani graduated five players from last year's team, but this season's seniors are confident in their abilities to lead the Raiders and continue to win games at a high volume.

"Those guys, last year, they played a huge role in the team," Eli Andrews, a senior who recorded 32 RBIs for the Raiders last season, said. "They're all great leaders, but we have young guys ready to step up."

Coach Dudley is optimistic that the seniors he coaches continue to pass down lessons in leadership year after year.

"Fortunately for us, a lot of our seniors have played multiple years, even as sophomores and freshmen. And so, hopefully they were able to kind of learn those couple of years as underclassmen and now they know how to lead," Dudley said.

Wapahani's opening day will take place at Brian J. Dudley Field Friday, April 3, when the Raiders host Richmond.

For more information about Wapahani athletics, visit wapahaniraiders.com

Contact Jayden Collins with comments at jayden.collins@bsu.edu.

The pair took over the business after the former owners decided to retire in 2023.

Luckily, they were able to spend the four years prior learning the ins and outs of the winery directly from the owners themselves.

"We had the perfect scenario to become business owners and become winemakers, because we worked alongside them," Tom said. "They mentored us, gave us a lot of freedom to try things."

And try things they did. From dry port sweetness to fun fruity tastes, the winery enjoys creating new products for their customers to enjoy. Tonney regularly offers a selection of over 20 wines to sample and buy.

According to Tom, they source natural, organic juices from all over the world. Once they've got the juice, the real magic happens in house. This allows them to curate their own signature tastes.

Fermentation, stabilization, filtering, and fining processes all occur directly on site. While their fruit wines take between six and ten weeks to curate, their grape wines can take more than three months.

"Making wine is fun. We enjoy making it, drinking it, you know, all of that, but it's really the people that have made it our passion and why we love it," Sara said.

The business is located just north of Delaware Country Airport, and serves the community wine and food seven days a week. Both owners consider the space to be "Family-Friendly," and they welcome the community with open arms.

"It's really just a multifunctional space," Sara said. "We are a winery, but we offer a ton of things."

Tonne is known for hosting a slew of events that bring the people of Delaware County together. They've done it all: tastings, art classes, live music shows, birthday parties, baby showers and class reunions. The winery utilizes their events room and back patio to accommodate and host the public.

"I love the freedom that we have to be able to come up with new products and new wines, but probably the thing we both love the most is the community aspect of it," Sara said.

Contact Tatum Harris with comments at tatum.harris@bsu.edu.

The Cardinals rose to the occasion, as they took down the Lions 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 26-24).

Although the game held obvious weight shown by the standings, Head Coach Mike Iandolo said the preparation for the game was just like it has been all season.

"For us, we knew that we were going to their gym, they were undefeated and they brought a lot of pressure from the service line, so it was a lot about passing and being able to side out consistently," Iandolo said.

Ball State stayed in control of the game for the first two sets, as each set was won by five or more points. The Cardinals' dominance over a team just behind them in the standings represents their number seven rank in the country.

"We played our game," Iandolo said. "We just had to stay buckled down on that and we knew we were a better team."

The Cardinals looked like they were running away with it in the third set, as they were up 24-20. But after a pair of challenges that went Lindenwood's way, the Lions forced extra points. The Lions' comeback attempts ultimately fell short though, and Ball State completed the sweep.

"We responded really well," Iandolo said. "We just had to ride it out."

The Cardinals had big contributions all across the board. Sophomore opposite Ryan Louis led the way with nine kills, and senior outside hitter Patrick Rogers did his usual thing with eight kills. Including Louis and Rogers, six Cardinals players recorded four or more kills.

Iandolo said the team trains to all make big contributions, and he said when that happens, it makes games easier to win.

"We're not a one-man group, we can't be," Iandolo said. "You're not gonna win a championship that way. Everybody's got to be disciplined and playing together and playing well."

The win moves Ball State to a comfortable spot as first place in the MIVA. Not only do the Cardinals have ambition to win the conference regular season title, but first place in the MIVA goes on to host the conference tournament.

Having the conference tournament in Muncie would only help Ball State's chances at making a run to the NCAA tournament. Iandolo said as long as the team does not drop any unnecessary matches down the stretch, they will be in a good spot.

"We just got to take care of business, we're in the driver's seat," Iandolo said.

Coming up next, the Cardinals will travel to Eastern Illinois to take on McKendree University Mar. 28.

Contact Kyle Stout with questions via email at kyle.stout@bsu.edu or on X @kylestoutdailyn.

The severe thunderstorm watch is in effect until midnight Eastern Daylight Time (EDT), while the NWS said that strong to severe thunderstorms are possible from about 6:00 p.m. EDT until 1:00 a.m. EDT in the hazardous weather outlook statement.

A total of 27 counties are under a severe thunderstorm watch in Indiana, and over 25 counties are effected by the hazardous weather outlook.

Large hail and damaging wind gusts are the primary threats though a few tornadoes cannot be ruled out, according to the NWS, with localized heavy rain also as a possibility.

Thunderstorms are possible next week, while severe weather is not expected, lightning is a hazard with any storm, according to the NWS.

Contact Daily News via email at editor@bsudailynews.com.

Tonight: The latest cold front will move through our area this evening. Conditions will begin deteriorating around 8 p.m. before storms pick up heading into the 9 p.m. hour and lasting through midnight. A severe thunderstorm watch is in place for Muncie and the surrounding counties until midnight. Once the worst storms move through, moderate and sometimes heavy rain will persist into the early morning hours. Select areas may receive up to and exceeding two inches of rain. That's equivalent to two feet of snow! Once the front moves through, temperatures plummet into the high-30s for the low this evening.

The main threats this evening include damaging winds up to 80mph and hail up to 2.5 inches in select areas. That's the equivalent of a tennis ball. An isolated and brief tornado or two is also possible this evening. Make sure you have a way to receive warnings and follow the NLI Weather Facebook page for more information.

Tomorrow: Temperatures begin well below where they were today in the low-40s. There will not be much heating during the day as highs will rise into the mid-40s. Clouds will slowly move out during the day with partly cloudy conditions by the evening commute. Winds will come from the north at 10-15 mph.

Seven-Day Forecast: After a couple days in the 40s, temperatures will rise back into the 70s by next week. Sunshine stays around through the weekend before a long stretch of rain chances enters the picture next week. It will make for that spring-feel with rainy conditions and highs in a mild range. On the bright side, no chance of severe weather is possible for next week at this time for Muncie.

- Chief Weather Forecaster Joseph Sawicki

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For more information about the Weather-Ready Nation program please click HERE

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Indiana announced in a March 2 press release that it filed two federal lawsuits against Ball State University regarding the university's Non-Commercial Expressive Activity and Assembly on University Property policy.

Deputy Legal Director of ACLU Indiana Gavin Rose said in a March 5 interview with The Ball State Daily News that the two lawsuits were filed on behalf of 11 students against Ball State officials.

He said the organization decided to get involved after being contacted by "a couple of persons" who shared concerns about the consequences of several of those students' attempts to meet with President Geoffrey Mearns.

The group visited the Frank A. Bracken Administration Building on campus in November 2025 to leave notes for the president to express their "concerns regarding the university's financial ties to Israel," according to the lawsuit.

RELATED: Students target President Mearns during hunger strike rally

RELATED: Ball State protest sanctions draw criticism from FIRE, AAUP

The group of students arrived during normal business hours but were asked to leave the premises, while being allowed to remain in the hallway outside Mearns' office. According to the lawsuit, the group left once the building closed at 5:00 p.m.

Ball State stated in its Non-Commercial Expressive policy that "assemblies, protests, or other demonstrations are prohibited within 50 feet of any building having a classroom, laboratory, library, or similar instructional or research space."

"[The policy] prohibits a wide array of First Amendment activity," Rose said.

The policy also stated that individuals must stay within 50 feet of any indoor or outdoor experiential-learning facility, any building with a computer lab, any building with a testing or tutoring center, any building with an administrative office and any residence hall, family apartment or other university residence.

"Assemblers, protestors, or demonstrators who refuse to vacate any of the locations listed in this subsection upon request may be subject to suspension and/or arrest under applicable laws," according to Ball State's policy.

University officials declined to comment on the lawsuit.

"The university does not comment on pending litigation," Associate Vice President of University Communications and Digital Strategy Greg Fallon said via email March 13.

The first lawsuit, Archer v. Mearns et al., was filed after Ball State student Cooper Archer, one of the 11 students in the activist organization Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), along with other students, visited the Frank A. Bracken Administration Building in November 2025.

Archer was alleged to have violated two university policies: one for prohibiting protests or demonstrations within 50 feet of most buildings on campus, and one requiring students to comply with all directives from university officials, according to the lawsuit.

As a result of these actions and Archer's prior discipline, he has been suspended from campus for the remainder of the spring 2026 semester. He is also seeking damages against director of student conduct, Kaleigh Richardson, and vice president people and culture, Mark Liebling, "the university officials responsible for the sanctions against him," according to the lawsuit.

The second lawsuit, Allen et al. v. Mearns et al., was also filed after the events of Nov. 19, with all students listed in the lawsuit also violating the same policies as Archer. Each student received "a range of disciplinary sanctions," according to the second lawsuit.

In Archer v. Mearns, the lawsuit argues that the plaintiff's discipline for engaging in expressive activity was not disruptive to university operations and still violated the First Amendment. Allen et al. v. Mearns et al. lawsuit also argues that the other students did not disrupt university operations.

The policies that the group of students is accused of violating were alleged to be "unconstitutional" by the lawsuit, saying that the plaintiffs' behavior "was fully protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution."

Both lawsuits allege that the 50-foot policy violates the First Amendment and the Failure-to-Comply Provision, and that enforcing that policy violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments.

The second lawsuit said the group of students is also entitled to damages against Richardson, as well as to damages against T.J. Brecciaroli, associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students, and Melissa Rubrecht, director of employee relations, due to their being "the university officials responsible for the sanctions against them," according to the lawsuit.

However, one of the plaintiffs, Cheyanne Watkins, brings no claim against Rubrecht.

Rose explained that a large portion of the "heart of campus" exists between other buildings within 50 feet of each other because "that is what colleges look like."

"It really is impossible to walk from point A to point B much of the time while march[ing], protesting, or even wearing a t-shirt that expresses your disapproval with certain things," Rose said. "So that's why we filed the lawsuit."

Vice president of the Ball State Chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), Matthew Hotham, said that the university "seems to not be adhering" to its freedom of expression statement.

He explained that AAUP is seeing more evidence that Ball State seems to be "limiting the ability of students and faculty to create a robust learning environment" due to possible fear of political reprisal.

"If students can't test out the things they're learning in their classroom and see how it applies to the real world without fear that they might be sanctioned by their university, that inhibits the ability for everyone to learn at the university," Hotham said.

Rose said he hopes that if the organization wins the lawsuit, students and anyone who is affiliated with the university will see a benefit in their right to exercise their constitutional rights.

"I think it's a big deal anytime anyone stands up to the government and says, 'you're doing wrong, you're violating my constitutional rights,'" Rose said. "It's an even bigger deal when the people who are doing so are 20, 22 years old."

This story will be updated with more information as it becomes available.

Contact Linnea Sundquist via email at linnea.sundquist@bsu.edu.

Today: The winds will be coming from the southwest at 15 mph with gusts reaching up to 30 mph. It will be mostly sunny today with a few lingering clouds. The high will be 81 degrees, however the temperature will slowly drop throughout the day with the winds slowly picking up.

Tonight: The low will be 43 degrees with the winds coming from the west southwest at 15 mph. Clouds will be making their way into the area bringing some rain with them. There is an enhanced threat in our area bringing harsh winds, hail, and a downpour in rain. This will hit Muncie and the viewing area around 10 p.m. with the heavy rain. This will stick around until early Friday morning.

Tomorrow: After the storms move through tonight and early tomorrow the temperature will drop almost 40 degrees. The temperature will start out in the upper-30s, at around 8 a.m. and slowly uptick into the mid-40s. The day will start out cloudy but the clouds will disperse as the day continues. The winds will stay consistent at 15 mph.

Seven-Day Forecast: The temperature will drop tomorrow but will slowly rise as the weekend continues and into next week. There are rain chances throughout most of next week but the temperatures will stay in those more springlike temperatures. The clouds will stick around throughout the week.

- Weather Forecaster Karina Gross

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In this episode of 9-1-1 What's Your Hot Take, Sam and Willow discuss the events of season 9 episode 14 of 9-1-1.

Music track: Talk by Chill Pulse

Source:https://freetouse.com/music

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Hosted by: Sam Jasionowski and Willow Emig

Edited by: Sam Jasionowski

Graphic by: Willow Emig