Jake Dickman

Articles

A sign warns visitors to the Chevy plant site that they are entering at their own risk. The factory on the site was torn down between 2007-2009 with the land left untouched since then.

NEWS

How Delaware County Could Serve as a Springboard for Nuclear Energy

By Jake Dickman / May 31, 2026

Recent breakthroughs in the world of nuclear power could be used to supplement energy deficits as AI data centers continue their boom across the Midwest. Delaware County and the “Magic City” of Muncie — once a home of bustling industrialization — could find itself at the forefront of progress again, reinventing itself as a leader in nuclear energy in the process.

This interactive map highlights the zoning of Muncie and Delaware County. While none of these zones permit an AI data center, variances can be requested by the parent companies, meaning that if granted, a center could occupy any plot of land.

NEWS

What Delaware County Residents Need to Know About the Trend of AI Data Centers

By Jake Dickman / May 24, 2026

With new centers appearing routinely across the U.S., Muncie could soon be just another steppingstone along the way.

Photo Illustration by Trinity Rea, Ball Bearings. Photo assets taken from: The State Historical Society of Missouri 2023, Annebethmi, Greenmars at English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons. This design was made using photos from freepik.com.

BALL BEARINGS

The legend lives on: The wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald carries weight 50 years later

By Jake Dickman / March 11, 2026

Gordon Lightfoot’s hit song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” continues to influence Midwesterners half a century after its release.

Yorktown distance runners warm up before practice on Feb. 18th.

SPORTS

After a never-before-seen opportunity, Yorktown wants more

By Jake Dickman / February 20, 2026

Yorktown Cross Country qualified for the IHSAA State Meet last fall, breaking a 44-year drought for Delaware County Teams; but now, they’re setting their sights to the future.

SPORTS

New Coach Orlando aims to keep Richards’s Community Thriving

By Jake Dickman / October 3, 2025

How the new BSU tennis coach wants to ring in his new tenure without change.

SPORTS

Ball State women’s golf honors program legend

By Jake Dickman / September 19, 2025

Ball State senior Sarah Gallagher claimed victory at the Brittany Kelly Classic after a tense playoff, honoring the late golf star who paved the way for the program’s current players.

NEWS

Out of Darkness Walk helps to raise mental health awareness on campus

By Jake Dickman / April 19, 2025

Participants walked through campus to raise fund, remember lost loved ones.

NEWS

Cardinal’s Sallee thankful for coaching support

By Jake Dickman / March 18, 2025

Head Coach Brady Sallee credits MAC Coach of the Year award to his assistants.

SPORTS

Flying beyond the track-two student athletes in student media

By Jake Dickman / February 27, 2025

How two student-athletes are succeeding outside their sport in student media.

Jake Dickman, NewsLink Indiana

SPORTS

Yorktown Cross Country shifts focus to track and field after promising season falls just short

By Jake Dickman / January 30, 2025

The Tigers look to build on their young core during the Track and Field season after missing out on the IHSAA State Cross Country Meet.

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Media

The button to open the gates to the BorgWarner factory rusts in the security shed directly adjacent to the gate. The factory reached its peak employment in the 1950s, slowly dwindling until closure in 2009.

NEWS

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By Jake Dickman / May 17, 2026

The button to open the gates to the BorgWarner factory rusts in the security shed directly adjacent to the gate. The factory reached its peak employment in the 1950s, slowly dwindling until closure in 2009.

ARCGIS Zoning Map of the former Chevy factory and the former BorgWarner factory. Both sites, which are now considered brownfields, are zoned as “Intense Industrial Zones” that could serve as viable areas for SMR development in Delaware County.

NEWS

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By Jake Dickman / May 17, 2026

ARCGIS Zoning Map of the former Chevy factory and the former BorgWarner factory. Both sites, which are now considered brownfields, are zoned as “Intense Industrial Zones” that could serve as viable areas for SMR development in Delaware County.

A sign warns visitors to the Chevy plant site that they are entering at their own risk. The factory on the site was torn down between 2007-2009 with the land left untouched since then.

NEWS

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By Jake Dickman / May 17, 2026

A sign warns visitors to the Chevy plant site that they are entering at their own risk. The factory on the site was torn down between 2007-2009 with the land left untouched since then.

A torn strand of caution tape is caught inside a dead bush on the site of the former Chevy plant. A row of townhomes mark a stark contrast between the new side of Delaware County and the remnants of its manufacturing past.

NEWS

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By Jake Dickman / May 17, 2026

A torn strand of caution tape is caught inside a dead bush on the site of the former Chevy plant. A row of townhomes mark a stark contrast between the new side of Delaware County and the remnants of its manufacturing past.

Metal slates give a clue as to the former layout of the Chevy factory in Muncie. After the building was closed in 2006, many of the machines were ripped out prior to demolition.

NEWS

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By Jake Dickman / May 17, 2026

Metal slates give a clue as to the former layout of the Chevy factory in Muncie. After the building was closed in 2006, many of the machines were ripped out prior to demolition.

A metal tag from a piece of equipment is seen crushed and dirtied on the gravel of the old Chevy site. Since the solar field was voted down in 2022, the site has remained empty aside from a small row of townhomes separated by a privacy fence.

NEWS

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By Jake Dickman / May 17, 2026

A metal tag from a piece of equipment is seen crushed and dirtied on the gravel of the old Chevy site. Since the solar field was voted down in 2022, the site has remained empty aside from a small row of townhomes separated by a privacy fence.

The front gates of the BorgWarner factory remain intact after the factory’s 2017 demolition. The rest of the property has become destitute with only one major building still standing.

NEWS

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By Jake Dickman / May 17, 2026

The front gates of the BorgWarner factory remain intact after the factory’s 2017 demolition. The rest of the property has become destitute with only one major building still standing.

An old conveyor belt system in the ground can be seen covered. Despite repeated attempts to repurpose the land, no major plans are in place for the property.

NEWS

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By Jake Dickman / May 17, 2026

An old conveyor belt system in the ground can be seen covered. Despite repeated attempts to repurpose the land, no major plans are in place for the property.

The sealed concrete flooring of the old factory is seen peeling up after years of exposure to nature. Despite the plant closing in 2009, it took eight years for demolition to finally begin.

NEWS

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By Jake Dickman / May 17, 2026

The sealed concrete flooring of the old factory is seen peeling up after years of exposure to nature. Despite the plant closing in 2009, it took eight years for demolition to finally begin.

A Magnesium Extinguishing cart is seen through a broken window. At its height, the BorgWarner factory produced manual and automatic transmissions for automobiles.

NEWS

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By Jake Dickman / May 17, 2026

A Magnesium Extinguishing cart is seen through a broken window. At its height, the BorgWarner factory produced manual and automatic transmissions for automobiles.

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