#735 | Thursday, September 17, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

September 17th, 2026  |  1 hr 27 mins

2027 election cycle, 2027 elections, Indianapolis, anderson indiana, board of works, candidate recruitment, citizen engagement, citizen involvement, citizen oversight, citizen power, city of muncie, county government, dan ridenour, delaware county, delaware county indiana, democratic candidates, east central indiana, elected officials, george jeffrey howe, government accountability, government leadership, government reform, government transparency, henry county, henry county indiana, indiana politics, jeff howe, libertarian candidates, local candidates, local elections, local government, local leadership, local politics, madison county, madison county indiana, marion county, mayor dan ridenour, muncie, muncie board of works, muncie government, muncie indiana, muncie politics, muncie redevelopment commission, municipal government, new castle indiana, political accountability, political campaigns, political candidates, public meetings, public office, public servants, public service, randolph county, randolph county indiana, redevelopment commission, republican candidates, run for office, running for office, winchester indiana

In Episode #735 of The Political Spotlight, Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey focuses on what he sees as a growing breakdown of public service and citizen engagement across East Central Indiana and beyond. Bilbrey briefly reviews the September 16 Muncie Board of Works meeting before turning to the September 17 Muncie Redevelopment Commission meeting, examining its decision-making, accountability, and the roles of Mayor Dan Ridenour and Jeff Howe. From there, the discussion broadens to local government across Muncie/Delaware County, Anderson/Madison County, Winchester/Randolph County, New Castle/Henry County, and Indianapolis/Marion County. Bilbrey argues that too many public officials have forgotten whom they serve while too many citizens remain disengaged. With the next local election cycle beginning in 2027, Bilbrey challenges citizens who believe local government needs better leadership to get involved—organize, campaign, challenge incumbents, and consider running for office as Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, or otherwise. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#734 | Wednesday, September 16, 2026 - (PART 2) | The Political Spotlight

September 16th, 2026  |  2 hrs 36 mins

Part 1, Part 2, budget ordinances, citizen oversight, city budget, city council leadership, city of muncie, city spending, council attorney, council leadership, craig wright, dan ridenour, delaware county, east central indiana, episodes 733 and 734, finance committee, george jeffrey howe, government accountability, government spending, government transparency, in god we trust, in god we trust ordinance, indiana politics, jeff howe, local government, local politics, mayor dan ridenour, mits, msd, muncie, muncie budget, muncie city council, muncie city council meeting, muncie common council, muncie finance committee, muncie government, muncie indiana, muncie indiana transit system, muncie politics, muncie public hearing, muncie salary ordinance, muncie sanitary district, ordinance 16-26, ordinance 17-26, ordinance 18-26, ordinance 19-26, ordinance 20-26, ordinance 21-26, ordinance 22-26, proposed 2027 muncie budget, public comments, public hearing, public meetings, resolution 13-26, resolution 14-26, salary ordinance, september 14 2026, taxpayer money, two part series, viewpoint discrimination

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey tackles the completely "OFF THE RAILS" Muncie City Council meeting from Monday, September 14, 2026, in a two-part breakdown of the Public Hearing and the regularly scheduled monthly meeting. This 734th episode is part 2. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#733 | Tuesday, September 15, 2026 - (PART 1) | The Political Spotlight

September 15th, 2026  |  2 hrs 14 mins

Part 1, Part 2, budget ordinances, citizen oversight, city budget, city council leadership, city of muncie, city spending, council attorney, council leadership, craig wright, dan ridenour, delaware county, east central indiana, episodes 733 and 734, finance committee, george jeffrey howe, government accountability, government spending, government transparency, in god we trust, in god we trust ordinance, indiana politics, jeff howe, local government, local politics, mayor dan ridenour, mits, msd, muncie, muncie budget, muncie city council, muncie city council meeting, muncie common council, muncie finance committee, muncie government, muncie indiana, muncie indiana transit system, muncie politics, muncie public hearing, muncie salary ordinance, muncie sanitary district, ordinance 16-26, ordinance 17-26, ordinance 18-26, ordinance 19-26, ordinance 20-26, ordinance 21-26, ordinance 22-26, proposed 2027 muncie budget, public comments, public hearing, public meetings, resolution 13-26, resolution 14-26, salary ordinance, september 14 2026, taxpayer money, two part series, viewpoint discrimination

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey tackles the completely "OFF THE RAILS" Muncie City Council meeting from Monday, September 14, 2026, in a two-part breakdown of the Public Hearing and the regularly scheduled monthly meeting. This 733rd episode is part 1. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#732 | Sunday, September 13, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

September 13th, 2026  |  1 hr 58 mins

2026 election, 2026 general election, attorney john brooke, budget season, campaign season, campaigns, candidate accountability, candidates, citizen oversight, city council leadership, city of muncie, council leadership, delaware township, delaware township government, delaware township indiana, delaware township trustee, denise thornburg, east central indiana, elected officials, government accountability, government transparency, henry county, henry county government, henry county indiana, henry county politics, henry county sheriff, henry county sheriff election, indiana elections, indiana politics, john brooke, legal strategy, local government, local politics, muncie, muncie budget, muncie city council, muncie city council meeting, muncie government, muncie indiana, muncie politics, political candidates, public office, september 14 2026, sheriff candidates, sheriff race, township government, township trustee, trustee denise thornburg, voters

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey looks ahead to a busy week in local politics — starting with the Muncie City Council meeting on Monday, September 14, 2026. Bilbrey previews what to expect, shares his thoughts on several issues likely to shape the meeting, and offers a broader look at the current state of Muncie City Council leadership. How will the council conduct itself during the meeting? How will current leadership address the issues at hand? What should citizens expect from the council as the budget season and the city's day-to-day operations continue? Only time will tell! From there, Bilbrey turns to the ongoing issues involving Delaware Township Trustee Denise Thornburg and Attorney John Brooke. A lot is going on in Delaware Township, and Bilbrey breaks down the latest developments, the personalities involved, the broader questions about local government, legal strategy, and accountability, and how strange the situation has been. Then the show heads south to Henry County, where Bilbrey offers commentary on the two sheriff candidates and what voters should watch for as the race unfolds. Finally, as election season approaches, Bilbrey outlines how The Political Spotlight plans to cover candidates from across the region and beyond. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#731 | Thursday, September 10, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

September 10th, 2026  |  1 hr 54 mins

9/11, 9/11 remembrance, Privacy, alpr, american hero, automatic license plate readers, citizen oversight, city of muncie, civil liberties, constitutional liberty, dan ridenour, data sharing, east central indiana, flight 93, flight 93 passengers, flock cameras, flock safety, government accountability, government power, government surveillance, government tracking, indiana politics, lets roll, license plate readers, local government, local politics, love letter, mayor dan ridenour, muncie, muncie city council, muncie government, muncie indiana, muncie police department, muncie politics, police surveillance, privacy rights, producer kate, public safety, randolph county, september 11 2001, september 11th, shanksville, surveillance oversight, the journey home, todd beamer, united flight 93, winchester indiana, winchester politics

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey kicks off episode 731 with a deep dive into Todd Beamer — A TRUE AMERICAN HERO! (If that name does not immediately ring a bell, this episode is absolutely for you.) Bilbrey reflects on Beamer's courage, sacrifice, and role aboard United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001. THIS IS A MUST-SEE FOR EVERY AMERICAN. From there, the show returns to the City of Muncie, Indiana, and the fallout from Mayor Dan Ridenour's "love letter" to Flock cameras. It is safe to say the reaction did not go as the mayor likely expected. This may now be turning into a real line in the sand over surveillance, privacy, government power, and how far Muncie is willing to go in embracing Flock's license-plate reader network. Soon, Muncie City Council members will have to make a tough decision. Which side will they take? Will they back the mayor's push for Flock cameras? Or will they draw a line when it comes to government surveillance and tracking citizens? This one could get very interesting. Finally, Bilbrey heads to Winchester, Indiana, where greed, poor decisions, and sheer ignorance may have finally killed 'The Journey Home' — something Bilbrey and Producer Kate warned could happen long ago. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#730 | Wednesday, September 09, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

September 9th, 2026  |  2 hrs 44 secs

2027 muncie budget, Privacy, alpr, automatic license plate readers, board of works, city council leadership, city of muncie, city spending, civil liberties, constitutional liberty, council president, dan ridenour, data sharing, delaware county, east central indiana, fire vehicles, flock cameras, flock safety, government accountability, government oversight, government spending, government surveillance, government transparency, in god we trust, in god we trust ordinance, indiana politics, law enforcement technology, license plate readers, local government, local politics, mayor dan ridenour, mckinley neighborhood, mckinley neighborhood muncie, muncie, muncie board of works, muncie budget, muncie city council, muncie city council meeting, muncie government, muncie indiana, muncie police department, muncie politics, ordinance 18-26, police surveillance, police vehicles, privacy rights, public meetings, surveillance oversight, taxpayer money

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey turns the white-hot spotlight back on Muncie City government and several developments from Wednesday, September 9, 2026. Bilbrey begins with the latest Muncie Board of Works meeting, then turns to Ordinance 18-26, the proposed "In God We Trust" ordinance scheduled for introduction before the Muncie City Council on September 14. The proposal would require the motto on city police and fire vehicles. Next, Mayor Dan Ridenour defended Flock license-plate reader cameras. Ridenour publicly described himself and the city as "very supportive" of the technology, citing its use in investigations and positive results. Bilbrey pushes back, raising questions about privacy, government surveillance, data access, oversight, potential abuse, and constitutional liberty as other communities reconsider their use of Flock systems. The discussion then moves to Muncie's proposed 2027 budget, the City Council's traditional budget-review process, and questions about whether this year's council leadership and political dynamics will change how that work is handled. Bilbrey also looks ahead to the council's future leadership, discussing who he believes should hold key positions, who may actually get them, and what those choices could mean for the direction of Muncie government. Finally, there is another development in the ongoing McKinley Neighborhood situation—a story TPS continues to follow closely. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#729 | Tuesday, September 08, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

September 8th, 2026  |  2 hrs 24 mins

2026 election, 2026 general election, campaign behavior, campaigns, candidate responsibility, candidates, citizen oversight, city of muncie, county budget meetings, county council meeting, delaware county, delaware county budget, delaware county government, delaware county indiana, east central indiana, elected officials, government accountability, government spending, government transparency, henry county, henry county government, henry county indiana, henry county politics, henry county sheriff, henry county sheriff's office, indiana elections, indiana politics, local government, local politics, madison county, madison county council, madison county government, madison county indiana, madison county politics, mckinley neighborhood, mckinley neighborhood muncie, muncie, muncie budget, muncie government, muncie indiana, muncie politics, political candidates, proposed 2027 muncie budget, public meetings, public office, public servants, randy howard, taxpayer money

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey returns from the Labor Day holiday for Episode #729 of The Political Spotlight as the program gets back on track heading toward the 2026 general election. Bilbrey begins in Muncie and Delaware County, previewing the City of Muncie's proposed 2027 budget, ongoing county budget discussions, and the developing McKinley Neighborhood situation—both stories that will receive deeper attention in future episodes. From there, the spotlight moves to Henry County, where Bilbrey discusses concerns involving a former employee of the Henry County Sheriff's Office. Then comes a broader discussion about candidates, campaigns, and the responsibility that comes with seeking public office. What should someone understand before filing to run? What does a candidate's behavior tell voters about how that person might act once entrusted with public power? Bilbrey uses the latest developments involving Randy Howard to dig into those questions. Finally, the program heads west to Madison County, where a heated County Council meeting reminds viewers why citizens should pay much closer attention to local government. Madison County's council is the county's fiscal body and holds regular public meetings. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#725 | Monday, August 31, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

August 31st, 2026  |  1 hr 29 mins

citizen safety, city government, city of muncie, community accountability, crime prevention, delaware county, east central indiana, government, government accountability, henry county, henry county politics, indiana politics, law enforcement, local government, local politics, mud creek studio, muncie, muncie crime, muncie elected officials, muncie indiana, muncie police department, muncie politics, muncie violence, police investigation, political gossip, public safety, shots fired, southern command, sproles watch, technical issues, victim cooperation, violent crime, witness cooperation

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey is broadcasting from Southern Command for Episode 725 of The Political Spotlight. Bilbrey shares additional thoughts on the violence and mayhem that rocked Muncie over the weekend — including troubling reports that the victim and witnesses in one of the major incidents are not cooperating with police. What does that mean for the investigation? More importantly, could unresolved tensions lead to further violence in the coming days or weeks? Bilbrey believes that possibility cannot be ignored. What is being done to protect the public? What are police and other public-safety officials preparing for? What are Muncie's elected leaders thinking about the incident? Are they fully aware of the seriousness of the situation — and are they paying attention to what could come next? Bilbrey then shares his take on the latest political gossip circulating in Henry County. We might be close to another #SprolesWatch! #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#724 | Sunday, August 30, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

August 30th, 2026  |  1 hr 1 min

Police, Politics, Privacy, armed individuals, citizen engagement, city council meeting, city of muncie, civil liberties, constitutional liberty, cornerstone center for the arts, county government, crime, delaware county, delaware county government, delaware county politics, delaware county sheriff, flock cameras, flock safety, fort wayne, government accountability, government surveillance, henry county, henry county budget, henry county commissioners, henry county government, henry county sheriff, indiana, indiana politics, indiana state police, law enforcement, license plate readers, local government, local politics, madison street, muncie city council, muncie crime, muncie government, muncie indiana, muncie police, muncie police department, muncie politics, muncie public safety, public safety, sharon tucker, shots fired, southway plaza, surveillance cameras, violent crime

In this 724th Episode of The Political Spotlight, Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey begins with an update on the ongoing technical problems before turning to a violent weekend in Muncie. Bilbrey examines heavy police activity on August 28–29, including an assault at Cornerstone Center for the Arts, a large out-of-control gathering at Southway Plaza, armed-individual calls, reports of high-powered firearms, disturbances, and multiple shots-fired calls that drew responses from several local and state law-enforcement agencies. From there, Bilbrey discusses what the weekend says about public safety in Muncie and what city officials need to prioritize. The show then turns to Fort Wayne, where Mayor Sharon Tucker has confirmed the city's Flock surveillance-camera contract is ending and the cameras are coming down. Bilbrey argues Muncie officials should pay close attention before expanding surveillance locally, because public safety and constitutional liberty are not mutually exclusive. Bilbrey also covers Henry County's budget situation and recent Commissioners' meeting, then previews the upcoming September 14 Muncie City Council meeting and what citizens should be watching. Crime. Public safety. Government surveillance. County budgets. City government. Accountability. Because what happens in your community matters. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#719 | Wednesday, August 19, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

August 19th, 2026  |  22 mins 53 secs

Communication, answers, city of muncie, delaware, delaware county, delaware county city of muncie dispatch communications issues, delaware county government, delaware county indiana, delaware county politics, episode cut early, future program, latest email from delaware county commissioner stephen brand, local government, local politics, muncie board of works meeting, muncie city council, muncie government, muncie indiana, muncie mayor dan ridenour, muncie parks board meeting, muncie politics, muncie sanitary district board meeting, ongoing technical issues, questions, specail meeting, unanswered questions

Due to ongoing technical issues, this episode was cut short. Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey did not complete the full show. What was NOT covered here will be covered in a future program!

In this 719th episode of The Political Spotlight, Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey discusses the latest email from Delaware County Commissioner Stephen Brand regarding the "Delaware County-City of Muncie Dispatch Communications Issues," a topic that has been discussed for the past week. The City of Muncie still has not responded to The Political Spotlight with answers to the questions Bilbrey has been trying to get answered. Bilbrey highlights what Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour has done over the past several days, which leads to a discussion of the Special meeting of the Muncie City Council set for tomorrow, Thursday, August 20, 2026, at 145 p.m. Lastly, Bilbrey reviews a few meetings held in Muncie over the past couple of days, including the Muncie Parks Board Meeting, the Muncie Board of Works Meeting, and the Muncie Sanitary District Board Meeting. #ThePoliticalSpotlight