Muncie Matters

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



* Red Cross issues advice to stay safe during extreme heat *

Heat can be dangerous for anyone. Stay hydrated, stay cool, and stay connected.

INDIANA, June 26, 2026 — Experts are warning that dangerously high temperatures will impact the Indiana Region beginning this weekend and continuing through next week. The Indiana Region of the American Red Cross urges everyone to take three critical actions to stay safe:

Stay hydrated by drinking a cup of water every 20 minutes, even if you don't feel thirsty. Avoid sugary, caffeinated, and alcoholic drinks.

Stay cool by spending time in air-conditioned places. If your home is too hot, go to a mall, library, or cooling center.
Stay connected by checking on others and asking for help if you need it. Make sure pets have access to fresh water and shade.
Knowing how to protect yourself and loved ones from extreme heat can save lives. The Red Cross urges everyone to check on friends and neighbors, especially older adults, people with chronic conditions, outdoor workers, and athletes.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO: Remind everyone to drink water, even if they don't feel thirsty. Aim for a cup of water every hour and encourage people to avoid sugary, caffeinated, or alcoholic drinks. Babies should be breast-fed or bottle-fed often. Fewer wet diapers or darker urine can be signs of dehydration.

Encourage athletes and outdoor workers to take breaks in the shade. They should drink a cup of water — or a sports drink — every 20 minutes.

Help those without air conditioning find a safe place to go, like a mall, library, or cooling center. They can also take a cool shower or bath to help cool off. Remind people to wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothes in light colors.

Never leave a child or pet alone inside a parked car, and make sure pets have access to fresh water and shade.

HEAT ILLNESS SIGNS Anyone can become ill during extreme heat if their body can't cool down properly. It's critical to act fast, as some types of heat illness can be deadly.

Heat cramps are signaled by heavy sweating and muscle pain. Take action by stopping what you're doing, resting in a cool place, and drinking a cup of water — or a sports drink — every 20 minutes. If you feel sick to your stomach, pause drinking. Get medical help if cramps last more than two hours or if you have heart problems.

Heat exhaustion is signaled by heavy sweating, weakness, cool and clammy skin, muscle cramps, dizziness, fainting, nausea, or vomiting. Take action by stopping what you're doing, resting in a cool place, and drinking a cup of water — or a sports drink — every 20 minutes. Loosen your clothes and place a cool, wet cloth on your body. Get medical help if you’re vomiting, don’t feel better in an hour, or if you have heart or kidney problems.

Heat stroke is a deadly condition signaled by high body temperature, rapid heartbeat, confusion, headache, dizziness, fainting, nausea, or vomiting. Call 911. Move to a cooler place, remove extra clothing, and use a wet cloth or a cool bath to cool down. If possible, sip a sports drink or water.

IF THE POWER GOES OUT. When a heat wave and a power outage occur simultaneously, it can be even more dangerous. Stay in air conditioning either at home or at a mall, library, or cooling center. Keep an ice-filled cooler stocked with food, water, and medicine, so that they don't spoil. More information is available here.

Finally, download the free Red Cross First Aid app so you'll know what to do if emergency help is delayed, and the free Emergency app for real-time weather alerts and heat safety information. Content is available in English and Spanish with an easy-to-find language selector. Find both apps in smartphone app stores by searching for the American Red Cross or going to redcross.org/apps.

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About the American Red Cross Indiana Region:
The American Red Cross of Indiana Region serves 6.9 million people in 104 counties in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Ohio through its chapters: Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest, and Greater Indianapolis (Regional Headquarters). The American Red Cross shelters, feeds, and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit us at Redcross.org/Indiana or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram American Red Cross of Indiana.

Indiana Region The American Red Cross Indiana Region Chapter is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides disaster relief and helps people during disasters.

State of Indiana Partners with CMS and Oracle to Launch Next-Generation Medicaid Fraud Prevention Pilot

Indianapolis, IN — The State of Indiana today announced a groundbreaking partnership with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Oracle to pilot next-generation fraud, waste, and abuse (FWA) prevention technologies within the Indiana Medicaid program. This innovative collaboration will leverage advanced AI and machine learning tools to better safeguard taxpayer dollars while ensuring eligible Hoosiers continue to receive the services they need.

Governor Mike Braun:
“Indiana is proud to partner with CMS and Oracle on this state-of-the-art pilot program to help states eliminate fraud. We are proud to lead the way and look forward to showing every other state how it’s possible to administer programs low-income citizens need while still protecting taxpayer dollars.”

The pilot represents one of the most ambitious efforts in the nation to modernize Medicaid program integrity through real-time analytics, cross-agency collaboration, and AI-driven enforcement.

Objectives of the Pilot Program:

* Demonstrate Prepayment FWA Detection. Validate that AI/ML can analyze near-realtime Indiana Medicaid claims data to identify suspect billing patterns—such as upcoding, phantom services, and geographic anomalies—before claims are paid.

* Generate Actionable Prepayment Interventions
Produce recommended claim edits, prepayment controls, prior authorization triggers, and policy interventions that prevent improper payments at the source.

* Enable Collaborative Fraud Investigation
Provide CMS, Indiana, Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCUs), Unified Program Integrity Contractors (UPICs), and law enforcement with a shared analytics platform that enables concurrent, barrier-free modeling and case development.

* AI-generated
Accelerate Enforcement Actions
Deliver AI-generated, investigation-ready case packages—including structured evidence, provider timelines, and risk profiles—to speed enforcement against high-risk providers.

* Assess Scalability
Evaluate whether the models and platform designed for Indiana can be expanded to additional state Medicaid programs.

* Identify Data & Policy Constraints
Surface technical, legal, and privacy barriers that must be addressed for large-scale AI-enabled FWA prevention.

* Produce Transferable Findings
Deliver a final proof of concept report with lessons learned, findings, and recommendations that CMS leadership can use to inform future program integrity strategy and investment decisions.

Home Disability Services Learn more Early Learning/Child Care Learn more Family Resources Learn more Mental Health/Addiction Learn more Indiana 211 Learn more < > FSSA Benefits Portal Manage your SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid benefits Click Here  FSSA Benefits Portal Create An FSSA Benefits Portal Managing y...

FSSA To Survey SNAP Recipients About Smart SNAP

The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration will conduct the Healthy Food, Healthy Life Survey on June 9, 2026, to evaluate the impact of the Smart SNAP.

This anonymous survey will be offered every six months to SNAP recipients to gather information about SNAP knowledge, shopping routines, and eating and drinking behaviors.

FSSA will contact SNAP recipients via text message at 43816 to participate in the survey. The text message will include a link that takes recipients directly to the survey. Participating in the survey is voluntary and will not impact a household's SNAP benefits.

FSSA will conduct a second in-depth dietary recall survey for a sample of SNAP recipients in 2026 and 2027. Participation in that survey will also be voluntary, and FSSA will recruit volunteers via text message.

About Smart SNAP
FSSA launched the Smart SNAP on January 1, 2026, as part of Governor Mike Braun's Make Indiana Healthy Again initiative, which excludes the purchase of sugary drinks and candy using SNAP benefits in Indiana.

https://www.in.gov/fssa/dfr/snap-food-assistance/smart-snap/?

Smart SNAP Breadcrumbs DFR SNAP (Food Assistance) Current: Smart SNAP Smart SNAP BackgroundGovernor Braun signed Executive Order 25-55: Making Indiana Healthy Again by Enhancing Nutrition in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on April 15, 2025, instructing the FSSA Division of Family Resources to ap...

Celebrate the Revamp of "Designed by the Public" & MuncieArts' Birthday

A public celebration of the revitalized “Designed by the Public” spaces will take place on Thursday, June 18. Community members are invited to visit the Ivy Tech Fisher Building Plaza (345 S. High Street, Muncie) from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. to enjoy community activities and friendly games of co****le.

Continue the celebration at MadJax Maker Force (515 E. Main Street) during Third Thursday with Muncie Makers Market from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Enjoy refreshments at both locations to celebrate MuncieArts 15th birthday.

Community members are invited to explore the refreshed "Designed by the Public,” connect with local creatives, and celebrate the power of public art in Muncie.

"Designed by the Public," by Tatiana Bilbao ESTUDIO, was originally designed as part of Exhibit Columbus and refreshed by Muncie artist Aaron Nicholson.

MuncieArts The Muncie Arts and Culture Council supports and celebrates art and culture in Muncie, Indiana. Learn more about our programs and initiatives!

Charles W. Brown Planetarium

May-June 2026 Free Show Schedule

All planetarium programs are free; cash donations are accepted at the door. No tickets or reservations are required for these public planetarium shows.

One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure

Fridays, May 22 and June 12 and 26 at 5:00 p.m.

Saturdays, May 23 and June 13, 27 at 3:30 p.m.

Take an imaginary trip from Sesame Street to the moon, find shapes in the sky, and find the North Star in this cross-cultural adventure with Big Bird, Elmo, and their friend Hu Hu Zhu from China.
Perfect for families and groups with learners in pre-K through 1st grade; all ages are welcome.


Quasars & Black Holes: Kurzgesagt on the Dome

Fridays, May 22 and June 12 and 26 at 6:30 p.m.

Saturdays, May 23 and June 13, 27 at 6:30 p.m.

In this fast-paced program, explore the most massive objects in the universe with new planetarium shorts from “Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell,” the award-winning YouTube creators who make complex science accessible, accompanied by a live discussion on the latest discoveries.

Recommended for ages 12 and up.



SEEING: A Look Inside the Eye

Saturdays, May 23 and June 13, 27 at 5:00 p.m.

Narrated by Neil deGrasse Tyson, follow a photon’s creation and journey across the galaxy to a stargazer’s eye where we learn about the eye, taking a ride on the optic nerve.

Recommended for ages 12 and up.


Program Information

The planetarium is located at the west end of the Cooper Science Building, 2111 W. Riverside Ave., in Muncie.
General public planetarium shows are free of charge unless otherwise noted.

No reservations or tickets are required unless otherwise noted. Cash donations are accepted at the door.

Programs start promptly at the advertised time. Doors close once full or five (5) minutes after showtime, and no entry is permitted after that time. The room gets dark after the start time, and we strongly recommend arriving early.

Doors open 30 minutes before showtime. We recommend arriving early, as seating is done on a first-come, first-served basis and seating is limited. We offer hands-on activities before most shows.

Programs run approximately 50 minutes long and include a live sky tour.

We ask that no food, drinks, gum, or candy be brought inside the planetarium.

Please silence or turn off all cellphones and other electronic devices that emit light, and keep them put away during programs. We also ask that light-up shoes not be worn in the planetarium.
Children should be accompanied by an adult. If you’re unsure whether a program is age-appropriate, please contact the planetarium.
The planetarium, along with the entire Ball State campus, is a tobacco-free environment.


For more information, visit the planetarium website at https://www.bsu.edu/planetarium.

Charles W. Brown Planetarium Attend a free public show and see why Ball State University's planetarium is considered one of the best in the country. Groups may also reserve private showings. And the planetarium produces its own shows, which others may lease.