The Political Spotlight - Episodes Tagged with “Muncie Parks Board”

#740 | Sunday, September 27, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Sun, 27 Sep 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey explores a bizarre and increasingly confusing situation in the City of Muncie, Indiana, involving Mayor Dan Ridenour, Parks Superintendent Carl Malone, contract employee Jeff Howe, and Tuhey Pool.

The issue arose during Parks Superintendent Carl Malone's appearance before the Finance Committee (comprising Muncie City Councilors Dale Basham, Jerry Dishman, and William McIntosh) on Thursday, September 24, 2026.

While discussing Tuhey Pool and the disastrous 2026 pool season, Parks Superintendent Carl Malone told the committee he was no longer in charge of the facility.

Malone explained that, because of his illness and absence, he could not speak in detail about much of what happened this year. That is understandable. However, Bilbrey believed that upon his return, Malone would have received a full debriefing on what took place so he could try to correct issues going forward.

That did not happen; Malone continued to offer little information about what went wrong, what would change, and how Tuhey Pool could improve for next year and beyond.

Then came the surprise.

Malone said control of Tuhey Pool had shifted to Jeff Howe—a city contract employee who serves as Director of the Muncie Redevelopment Commission. He has also been named Deputy Mayor and served as the "Acting Mayor" during Mayor Ridenour's medical leave. All of this, despite many still questioning the legality of his contracts with the city.

Malone also said Howe now has a team working on the pool.

That was news to Bilbrey. Honestly, it came as a shock!

Apparently, it was news to members of the Muncie Parks Board, too.

So Bilbrey started asking questions.

He emailed Mayor Ridenour and several others for clarification.

The Mayor responded quickly—and the answers directly contradicted what Malone told the Finance Committee.

According to Mayor Ridenour, nothing had changed. Tuhey Pool remained under the Parks Department and under the authority of Parks Superintendent Carl Malone.

So what the hell is going on?

Who is actually running Tuhey Pool?

Did responsibility shift to Jeff Howe?

Why did the Parks Superintendent tell the Finance Committee one thing while the mayor says something completely different?

Which story is the Finance Committee and the council as a whole supposed to use to build the Parks Department's budget?

How do they know who is telling the truth about this or anything else?

What do the other City Council members think?

What does the Parks Board know?

How can anyone responsibly budget, plan, or hold anyone accountable when city officials apparently cannot even agree on who is in charge?

Bilbrey walks through the backstory, the conflicting statements, the unanswered questions, and what he believes is really happening behind the scenes.

Then Bilbrey heads east toward Winchester, Indiana, where a controversy has been brewing for several days.

He examines what appears to be a political and social-media faux pas posted on Friday, September 25, 2026, that may involve Mayor Bob McCoy. Let's just say Winchester residents are NOT happy.

This episode covers the Muncie and Winchester governments, questions about city leadership, conflicting accounts, budgets, and the bigger question of who the hell is actually responsible for what.

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VIDEO version of Ep 740: https://youtube.com/live/_TNl-DBTIcE

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'The Political Spotlight'
LIVE Sunday - Thursday @ 9 p.m. (ET)
Hosted by: Kristopher H. Bilbrey
Produced by: Kate Thornburg & Brandon Rudd
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© 2026 Mud Creek Studio.
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#622 | Public Perception: (PCR & MFD)! | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 21:00:00 -0400

This 622nd episode of 'The Political Spotlight' is going to be a BIG ONE! Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey welcomes contributing correspondent Rachel Clark to discuss "public perception" and the growing disconnect between local leadership and the community.

First, Bilbrey provides an update on a recent email he requested from the City of Muncie regarding communications between Mayor Dan Ridenour's Office and employees at Prairie Creek Reservoir. The email concerned the "perception" that PCR employees gave citizens when citizens complained about rate increases at the park. Even though the employees at PCR were "technically correct" in their responses to citizens, the Mayor's Office didn't want them to keep using that response.

What was that response, and why didn't the Mayor's Administration want it released? Bilbrey examines all of this and then provides a brief overview of the March 17, 2026, Muncie Parks Board meeting, sharing his frustrations with how it unfolded.

BUT THEN, BILBREY AND CLARK MOVE ON TO THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE EPISODE! THE BREAKING DEVELOPMENTS INVOLVING THE MUNCIE CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT!

This BREAKING NEWS surrounds the ongoing legal battle between MFD firefighter Troy Delaney and the department—widely referred to as the “cheating scandal”—which takes center stage as new information adds to mounting concerns about leadership, accountability, and the department’s ability to properly address critical internal issues. This is an issue not only for the Fire Department but also for the Mayor and his entire Administration.

As the situation evolves, Bilbrey and his team are investigating and working to bring transparency to issues affecting the Muncie community. DO NOT MISS THIS PROGRAM!

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VIDEO version of Ep 622: https://youtube.com/live/UyEolLxQR4s

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Audio Podcast: https://ThePoliticalSpotlight.fireside.fm
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Facebook 1: https://www.facebook.com/Bilbrey318
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🚨🚨🚨
'The Political Spotlight'
LIVE Sunday - Thursday @ 9 p.m. (ET)
Hosted by: Kristopher H. Bilbrey & Brandon Rudd
Produced by: Kate Thornburg
https://www.youtube.com/@ThePoliticalSpotlight
https://rumble.com/c/ThePoliticalSpotlight
https://ThePoliticalSpotlight.fireside.fm
https://www.facebook.com/Bilbrey318
https://www.facebook.com/PoliticalSpotlight318
https://www.tiktok.com/@ThePoliticalSpotlight
https://x.com/BilbreyLIVE
Email: tpsprogram@gmail.com
© 2026 Mud Creek Studio.
— Special Guest: Rachel Clark.

#617 | Mark Nicholson! / The Price of Prairie Creek in Muncie! | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Episode 617 is broken up into two parts...

For part 1, Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey welcomes attorney Mark Nicholson to the program. Nicholson has an interesting backstory himself, and he is currently one of the few attorneys representing clients suing Henry County Sheriff John Sproles for various wrongdoings.

Recently, Nicholson has taken on the case of the family of Nicholas Gulley II, who died on Friday, February 17, 2026, after being on life support in the ICU due to illnesses and injuries sustained while Gulley was incarcerated in Henry County Jail.

Bilbrey allows Nicholson to speak on various topics he's legally permitted to discuss. While this is Nicholson's first time as a guest, it certainly won't be the last!

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VIDEO version of Ep 617: https://youtube.com/live/wo-eceT8O-Y

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The Political Spotlight Airs LIVE
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePoliticalSpotlight

Audio Podcast: https://ThePoliticalSpotlight.fireside.fm
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#576 | The Shortest Day (2025)! | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Sun, 21 Dec 2025 21:00:00 -0500

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!

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VIDEO version of Ep 576: https://youtube.com/live/oUN9sDti4Sk

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============================

The Political Spotlight Airs LIVE
(Sunday - Thursday @ 9 p.m. ET)

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePoliticalSpotlight

Audio Podcast: https://ThePoliticalSpotlight.fireside.fm
& All Other Podcast Hosting Sites

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