#588 | Sheriff Sproles Offers a Statement on Questionable Traffic Stop! | The Political Spotlight

January 13th, 2026  |  2 hrs 14 mins

arrest, audit, bad leadership, disorderly conduct, henry county, indiana, plain clothes, record request, resisting law enforcement, sheriff john m. sproles, sheriff john m. sproles official statement, sproleswatch2026 - 1, traffic stop, unlawful stop

It's official! We are under the first "Sproles Watch" of the new year! (#SprolesWatch2026 - 1). Henry County, Indiana, Sheriff John M. Sproles once again looked at a bad situation and thought, "HOW CAN I MAKE THIS WORSE?" At 642 p.m. this evening (Tuesday, January 13, 2026), Sheriff Sproles recorded a six-minute, fifty-six-second video in which he outlined his "official statement" regarding the traffic stop his deputy conducted on Saturday, January 10, 2026. As is common for Sheriff Sproles, he always finds a way to make a bad situation worse by interjecting himself. He makes inappropriate comments and, again and again, proves he is not a true leader. Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey reviews the Sheriff's statement and offers his thoughts on the Sheriff's remarks. Does this help or hurt the situation, and what comes next? The problem with John Sproles is that one can never be too sure! #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#587 | Filing Day 2026! | The Political Spotlight

January 12th, 2026  |  2 hrs 5 mins

2026, awkward encounter, candidate, candidates filed for office, delaware county clerk, election 2026, execution of death sentence, execution teams made up of indiana general assembly members, february 6 2026, filing day 2026, filing deadline, house bill 1287, house bill 1288, indiana state republican party convention 2026, killing hoosiers, local government finance, meeting, muncie mayor dan ridenour, primary, property tax repeal, rick spangler, school corporation annual fee, state representative j.d. prescott, tax on service, tuesday may 5, vote centers

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey shares some BIG NEWS from earlier today, Monday, January 12, 2025 (Filing Day 2026). He then reviews documents from the early stages of the 2026 Election Season. From there, Bilbrey discusses bad bills being pushed by various Indiana State House Representatives and Senators. Bilbrey and Producer Kate highlight the insanity in a passionate conversation that every Hooiser should hear. It's time for people to wake up! Bilbrey also recounts an awkward encounter with Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#586 | HCSD Doing What They Do! & Disorderly Muncie! | The Political Spotlight

January 11th, 2026  |  2 hrs 21 mins

arrest, audit, bad leadership, delaware county, disorderly conduct, first amendment, gop chairman tim overton, henry county, indiana, muncie city council, muncie mayor, muncie politics, new rules, plain clothes, record request, republican party, resisting law enforcement, sheriff john m. sproles, traffic stop, unlawful stop

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey covers a worrisome traffic stop by the Henry County, Indiana, Sheriff's Department on Saturday, January 10, 2026. Only ten days into the new year, and Sheriff John M. Sproles' team has already gone viral for stupidity! And then Bilbrey, again, covers the "extremely disorderly" City of Muncie, Indiana. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#585 | ICE Shooting & Local and State Filings Begin! | The Political Spotlight

January 8th, 2026  |  1 hr 49 mins

election 2026, filing period, ice, law enforcement, local & state politics, minneapolis, minnesota, renee nicole good, training and experience, u.s. immigration and customs enforcement

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey shares a few thoughts on the tragic shooting between an ICE agent and 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis, Minnesota, before covering the kickoff of Election Season 2026 in Indiana. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#584 | Rules, Tools, & Fools: Local & State Politics in 3 Words! | The Political Spotlight

January 6th, 2026  |  2 hrs 20 mins

city council, council president, councilor jeff green, delaware county republican party chairman, district 35, first amendment, house joint resolution 2, indiana, indiana state government, local politics, muncie, muncie city council meeting, new year, reorganizational meeting, state representative elizabeth rowray, the star press, tim overton

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey provides more in-depth commentary on the Muncie City Council meeting held on Monday, January 5, 2026. Additionally, he'll share his thoughts on The Star Press' coverage of the meeting—their journalism is genuinely remarkable. Then Bilbrey recounts an intriguing telephone conversation he had earlier with Tim Overton, Chair of the Delaware County Republican Party. Tim attempted to explain Council President Jeff Green's (R) desire to amend the Muncie City Council's longstanding rules. Although Bilbrey and Tim remained respectful during the nearly thirty-five-minute discussion, it did get heated at times. Lastly, Bilbrey turns his attention to the Indiana State Government, offering his perspective on "House Joint Resolution 2," authored by Indiana State Representative Elizabeth Rowray (R-District 35). #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#583 | Muncie City Council's 2026 Reorganizational Meeting - QUICK RECAP! | The Political Spotlight

January 5th, 2026  |  1 hr 14 mins

city council, council president, councilor jeff green, first amendment, indiana, local politics, muncie, new year, reorganizational meeting

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey provides a brief recap of the Muncie City Council Meeting... (this will be a short episode due to the meeting's length). Bilbrey will provide the full recap in episode 584 on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#582 | BIG NEWS + Bad Deputy + Upcoming Muncie City Council Mtg + Updates! | The Political Spotlight

January 4th, 2026  |  2 hrs 28 mins

2026, arson & murder, big news, blackford county sheriff's deputy tyler wood arrested for domestic battery, burglary & shooting, delaware county, election 2026, indiana, local, muncie, muncie city council meeting, national, politics, state, the new year

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's back to work we go... with corruption here and idiots there... We're back! Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey has a LOT to cover in this 582nd episode! From the upcoming Muncie City Council meeting and related developments to news from Blackford and Delaware Counties about an evil sheriff's deputy who found himself locked behind bars for a change. While he is innocent until proven guilty, he needs to find a new career quickly. Then Bilbrey covers a few updates on a couple of issues that popped up right at the end of last year (like the burglary and shooting that occurred on Saturday, December 27, 2025... the arson and murder case that took place on Sunday, December 14, 2025... and a couple of last-minute, end-of-the-year campaign announcements). And lastly, Bilbrey teases some BIG NEWS coming up on the horizon! It's good to be back! 2026... here we come! #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#581 | Goodbye 2025! Happy New Year 2026! | The Political Spotlight

December 31st, 2025  |  3 hrs 2 mins

2025, 2026, anderson, ball drop, delaware county, delaware county democrat chairman andrew dale announces run for state senate district 26, dr. katherine callahan, end of the year talk, goodbye 2025, grapes, hello 2026, indiana, madison county, muncie, muncie city councilor sara gullion (d-4) to run for district 34, politics, start of the new year talk, state representative sue errington (d-35) not seeking re-election

This 581st episode of 'The Political Spotlight' is being broadcast on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, starting at 9 p.m. (ET) - the last episode of the year! 2025 is quickly drawing to a close, and 2026 is rapidly approaching! Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey welcomes contributing correspondent Dr. Katherine Callahan to the show to look back at what was and look forward to what could be! What will be made of 2026? As Bilbrey so often says: "ONLY TIME... WILL TELL!" And God willing, 'The Political Spotlight' will be right here along for the ride with you all! #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#580 | The Blind & The Ignorant! | The Political Spotlight

December 29th, 2025  |  1 hr 38 mins

2nd amendment, attempted burglary, burglary, fleeing man, muncie city council, muncie indiana, muncie politics, ordinance 3-26, self-defense, the blind & the ignorant

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey shares more of his thoughts on the recent shooting in Muncie, Indiana, and the nonsense spreading throughout the community as a result. He also discusses Ordinance 3-26 in more detail. The Muncie City Council will consider it at its meeting on Monday, January 5, 2026. Only 2 days left in 2025, as of the broadcast of this episode! #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#579 | No Man's Land (2025)... | The Political Spotlight

December 28th, 2025  |  1 hr 29 mins

christmas 2025, indiana politics, muncie politics, no man's land, politics, upcoming 2026 election season

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey is back after the short Christmas 2025 break, now looking at the start of the last week of 2025... a week Bilbrey calls "No Man's Land..." It's a week when nothing gets done, as everyone waits until the start of the New Year. That said, Bilbrey has a few points of interest to share with everyone! So let's get it on! #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#578 | Happy Christmas to ALL! (Christmas 2025)! | The Political Spotlight

December 23rd, 2025  |  44 mins 35 secs

christmas 2025, christmas eve's eve, family time, indiana, local, national, politics, state, the political spotlight

It's that time of year again... Christmas Eve's Eve, 2025! Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey and the rest of 'The Political Spotlight' crew wish you and yours a very Happy Christmas! And that's what this episode is about! #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#577 | Something Different This Way Comes?! | The Political Spotlight

December 22nd, 2025  |  1 hr 4 mins

2026 election cycle, ballot access, democrats, end of the year 2025, executive director nathan gotsch, first amendment rights, independent indiana, independents, indiana general assembly, indiana state government, libertarians, muncie politics, new year 2026, republicans, something different this way comes

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey looks ahead to the 2026 election cycle in Indiana and other end-of-year 2025 items! #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#576 | The Shortest Day (2025)! | The Political Spotlight

December 21st, 2025  |  1 hr 46 mins

2026 election cycle, delaware county sheriff tony skinner announces candidacy for delaware county council district 3, indiana state politics, jim lutton, madison county politics, mayor dan ridenour, muncie indiana, muncie parks board, muncie politics, muncie redevelopment commission, shortest day of the year, winter solstice 2025

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey is coming to you LIVE from Sunday, December 21, 2025, THE SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR! From here on, we slowly start to get more sunlight through June 2026, which is FANTASTIC NEWS! That said, this is the start of the BIG Holidays... and the end of the 2025 year! Things are slowing down on the surface; however, there are still so many things going on behind the scenes, and Bilbrey digs into it all in this episode! #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#575 | What’s the Deal W/Madison Co Sheriff John Beeman & the Sumner Case? | The Political Spotlight

December 18th, 2025  |  1 hr 56 mins

dr. katherine callahan, former county councilor steve sumner, fugitive from justice, howard county maryland, madison county indiana, madison county politics, madison county sheriff john beeman, political activist, record requests, sharon bailey barker, twenty-thousand dollar reward, united states marshals service

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey dives deep into the strange case of former Madison County Councilor and preacher Steve Sumner, who spent more than two years as a fugitive before his arrest, following a $25,000 reward offered by Dr. Katherine Callahan.

Bilbrey walks through the arrests of Sumner and his girlfriend, Sharon Bailey Barker, their extraditions back to Indiana, and the troubling questions surrounding who provided the tip, who should receive the reward money, and why the Madison County Sheriff John Beeman acted so strangely, trying to get Callahan to issue payment to someone who did not call in the tip. Answers begin to surface—after Bilbrey receives the records he requested from Howard County, Maryland. But this story is only getting started. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#574 | President Donald J. Trump's LIVE Address to the Nation (12.17.25)! | The Political Spotlight

December 17th, 2025  |  1 hr 34 mins

2026 election cycle, candidates, city of muncie's parks board meeting, dustin clark, indiana politics, mayor dan ridenour, muncie board of works meeting, muncie indiana, muncie politics, prairie creek reservoir, president donald j. trump, presidential address to the nation, spartech llc, state of indiana, state representatives, state senators

Episode 574 opens with President Donald J. Trump's LIVE Address to the Nation at 9 p.m. (ET) on Wednesday, December 17, 2025. Following the president's speech, Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey examines issues affecting Indiana, including the 2026 election cycle and developments among candidates for state office. Bilbrey then discusses the City of Muncie's Parks Board meeting on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, and notes that Dustin Clark has been overseeing all matters related to Prairie Creek Reservoir—a fact that should upset everyone! Bilbrey calls on Mayor Dan Ridenour to hand over planning for what will be the "NEW" Prairie Creek Reservoir to a board or a group of stakeholders from Muncie and across Delaware County. This should not be planned solely by the Mayor or Dustin Clark. Next, Bilbrey turns to the Muncie Board of Works meeting, highlighting the "lowlights" of that production. Lastly, Bilbrey reports that Spartech LLC, a plastics manufacturer specializing in engineered acrylics and thermoplastics for the healthcare, aerospace, and packaging industries, will lay off 125 employees beginning December 23, 2025. It's always bad when a business closes and jobs are lost; it's even worse when that company just asked the city for a five-year tax abatement plan in December 2023. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#573 | Park Board Mtg! + MadCo's No Vote to New Precincts! + Boards 10-96! | The Political Spotlight

December 16th, 2025  |  2 hrs 12 mins

carl roy webb boards ii, contributing correspondent dr. katherine callahan, death penalty, democrats, elwood police, governor of indiana, judge andrew hopper, line of duty death, lt. governor, madison county circuit court division 3, madison county commissioners, madison county indiana, madison county politics, mayor dan ridenour, micah beckwith, mike braun, muncie indiana, muncie park board meeting, muncie politics, parks superintendent carl malone, police officer noah shahnavaz, prairie creek reservoir, redrawing voting precincts, republicans, state of indiana politics

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey discusses the events that took place at the City of Muncie's December 2025 Parks Board Meeting. Prairie Creek Reservoir was the main topic at the meeting. Then, Bilbrey welcomes contributing correspondent Dr. Katherine Callahan to the show to talk about the Madison County Commissioners' December 2025 Meeting. During the meeting, the Commissioners voted no on the effort to redraw the county's voting precincts. Finally, Bilbrey and Callahan discuss the recent decision by Madison County Circuit Court Division 3 Judge Andrew Hopper, who ruled that Carl Roy Webb Boards II—the man charged with the shooting death of Elwood Police Officer Noah Shahnavaz—is not competent to stand trial. #ThePoliticalSpotlight