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

August 19th, 2026  |  22 mins 53 secs

answers, city of muncie, communication, 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

#718 | Monday, August 17, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

August 17th, 2026  |  2 hrs 29 mins

911 director fred cummings, 911 dispatch, anderson, anderson government, anderson indiana, anderson politics, delaware county, delaware county commissioners, delaware county emergency communications, delaware county government, delaware county indiana, delaware county politics, dr katherine callahan, elected officials, election board, emergency communications, emergency dispatch, emergency management, emergency meeting, first responders, flood emergency, flood relief, flooding, fred cummings, free-for-all, government accountability, government transparency, historic flooding, homeland security, local government, local politics, madison county, madison county commissioners, madison county council, madison county election board, madison county emergency management agency, madison county government, madison county indiana, madison county politics, muncie, muncie delaware county 911 emergency communications center, muncie government, muncie indiana, muncie politics, public safety, public safety communications, public servants, rainy day fund, rainy day fund 1186, recent historic weather event, southern baptist disaster relief, the election board meeting

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey welcomes Madison County correspondent Dr. Katherine Callahan to discuss recent developments in Madison County and Anderson, including the July 30, 2026, Election Board meeting, the historic flooding, and the August 17, 2026, "emergency" Madison County Council meeting that involved Rainy Day Fund money for flood relief. Bilbrey then returns to Delaware County and the ongoing questions surrounding the Muncie–Delaware County 911 Emergency Communications Center during the August 12–13, 2026, flooding. Delaware County 911 Director Fred Cummings addressed the County Commissioners on August 17, 2026, offering new information and appearing to walk back parts of statements made during the previous week’s emergency meeting. Bilbrey examines what has changed, what has been clarified, and the significant questions that still remain about Delaware County’s public-safety communications system. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#717 | Sunday, August 16, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

August 16th, 2026  |  2 hrs 15 mins

911 director fred cummings, 911 dispatch, backup channels, backup communications, communications failure, communications infrastructure, communications outage, communications redundancy, delaware county commissioners, delaware county government, delaware county indiana, delaware county politics, disaster response, east central indiana, emergency communications, emergency dispatch, emergency management, emergency preparedness, emergency radio system, emergency services, equipment damage, failover system, fire communications, first responders, flood emergency, flooding, historic flooding, infrastructure damage, lieutenant justin peters, local government, local politics, mayor dan ridenour, mpd, muncie, muncie fire department, muncie indiana, muncie police department, muncie politics, police communications, priority 1 calls, property damage, public accountability, public safety, public safety communications, public safety infrastructure, radio communications, radio failure, repair costs, sampson avenue communications site, severe weather, shannon henry, sherry riggin, stephen brand

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey continues coverage of the historic flooding that struck Muncie, Delaware County, and East Central Indiana, including the lives lost, major property damage, and serious questions about public-safety communications during the disaster. Bilbrey examines firsthand accounts from Muncie police, fire, and EMS personnel, along with an MPD end-of-shift report detailing intermittent radio problems, Fire/EMS paging issues, flooding at the Sampson Avenue communications site, Priority 1-only responses, and concerns about backup capabilities. Delaware County Commissioner Stephen Brand offers a different account, saying backup and failover systems worked and that he is unaware of any critical communication failures or public consequences. Bilbrey outlines what is known, what remains unclear, and the questions officials must answer about system failures, backup communications, damage, repair costs, and what must change before the next major emergency. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#716 | Thursday, August 13, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

August 13th, 2026  |  2 hrs 6 mins

911 dispatch, aep, backup communications, communications failure, communications redundancy, contingency planning, delaware county commissioners, delaware county emergency management, delaware county ems, delaware county indiana, disaster response, east central indiana, emergency communications, emergency communications system, emergency dispatch, emergency management, emergency preparedness, emergency radio system, emergency services, fire communications, first responders, flood emergency, flooding, henry county indiana, historic flooding, infrastructure failure, local government, local politics, motorola communications tower, mpd, muncie, muncie city delaware county 911 dispatch center, muncie fire department, muncie indiana, muncie police department, muncie politics, police communications, priority 1 calls, public safety, public safety communications, public safety infrastructure, radio communications, radio failure, randolph county indiana, severe weather

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey examines the historic flooding emergency that struck East Central Indiana, particularly in southern Muncie and Delaware County, with impacts extending into Henry and Randolph counties. As first responders battled what has been reported as the area’s worst flooding in more than 113 years, Muncie and Delaware County’s public-safety communications system faced a crisis of its own. MPD radios reportedly experienced repeated outages; the primary Motorola communications tower near 18th Street and Sampson Avenue was found underwater; and the Fire and EMS paging system went down. Bilbrey examines reports indicating that no fully operational backup existed if the tower failed, forcing dispatchers and officers to rely on alternative communications while MPD responded primarily to Priority 1 calls. The episode examines what happened, the severity of the communications breakdown, and the questions officials must now address regarding the reliability, redundancy, and emergency preparedness of this critical public-safety system. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#712 | Thursday, August 06, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

August 6th, 2026  |  2 hrs 36 secs

behind the scenes, city government, city of muncie, civic engagement, government accountability, government transparency, indiana politics, letter to the city council, local government, local politics, looking forward, moving forward, muncie city council, muncie indiana, muncie politics, new day, political commentary, public accountability, public affairs, tech gremlins, technical difficulties

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey continues battling the tech gremlins in this 712th episode of The Political Spotlight. Bilbrey also explains an email he sent to the Muncie City Council on Thursday, August 6, 2026. It's a new day, looking forward! Now to see if everyone else agrees! All of the above, plus a few other bits and bobs, round out what has been a hectic and chaotic week for Bilbrey and The Political Spotlight. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#711 | Wednesday, August 05, 2026 - (PART 2) | The Political Spotlight

August 5th, 2026  |  2 hrs 59 mins

city controller, city government, city of muncie, councilor jeff green, councilor jerry dishman, delaware county, fire station 5, government accountability, government transparency, indiana politics, local government, local politics, mckinley neighborhood, muncie city council, muncie fire department, muncie indiana, muncie politics, ordinance 13-26, ordinance 14-26, ordinance 15-26, ordinance 9-26, overlay district, part 1, part 2, public accountability, public comment, resolution 10-26, resolution 11-26, resolution 8-26

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey concludes his two-part analysis of the August 3, 2026, Muncie City Council meeting. In Part 2, Bilbrey examines the Council’s discussion, public input, and final vote on Ordinance 14-26, a measure intended to prevent current and future mayors from appointing members of their staff and other city employees to governmental boards and commissions. He also breaks down Resolutions 10-26 and 11-26, both connected to Ordinance 9-26 and the proposed construction of a new Station 5 for the Muncie City Fire Department, before reviewing the meeting’s Public Comments. This episode concludes Bilbrey’s full postmortem of the August 3 meeting, including the major votes, controversies, winners and losers, and what the decisions could mean for Muncie moving forward. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#710 | Tuesday, August 04, 2026 - (PART 1) | The Political Spotlight

August 4th, 2026  |  2 hrs 37 mins

city controller, city government, city of muncie, councilor jeff green, councilor jerry dishman, delaware county, fire station 5, government accountability, government transparency, indiana politics, local government, local politics, mckinley neighborhood, muncie city council, muncie fire department, muncie indiana, muncie politics, ordinance 13-26, ordinance 14-26, ordinance 15-26, ordinance 9-26, overlay district, part 1, part 2, public accountability, public comment, resolution 10-26, resolution 11-26, resolution 8-26

The dust has settled after the August 3, 2026, Muncie City Council meeting, and host Kristopher H. Bilbrey begins a two-part postmortem examining what happened, who won and lost, where the major issues now stand, and what comes next for Muncie. In Episode 710 — Part 1, Bilbrey breaks down the public hearing and final discussion on Ordinance 9-26, concerning the proposed construction of a new Muncie Fire Department Station 5; early meeting problems, including audio issues and Council President Jeff Green’s attempt to silence Bilbrey during public comment; Committee Reports; and the unusual mid-meeting public hearing on Resolution 8-26 regarding the Council’s investigation into the financial operations and internal controls of the City Controller’s Office. Bilbrey also examines Ordinance 15-26, the watered-down version of vetoed Ordinance 13-26 concerning the McKinley neighborhood overlay district, explaining why Ordinance 13-26 received no action, why Councilman Jerry Dishman withdrew Ordinance 15-26, and why both sides appear willing to work together—for now. This concludes Part 1 - Episode 710. Episode 711 — Part 2 will continue the analysis with Ordinance 14-26, Resolutions 10-26 and 11-26, and the Council’s Public Comments. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#709 | Sunday, August 02, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

August 2nd, 2026  |  1 hr 37 mins

city controller, city of muncie, delaware county, delaware county indiana, delaware county politics, fire station 5, government accountability, government transparency, indiana politics, local government, local politics, muncie city council, muncie politics, ordinance 13-26, ordinance 14-26, ordinance 15-26, resolution 8-26, veto override

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey previews a potentially consequential day in Muncie and Delaware County government on Monday, August 3, 2026. Ahead of the 6:45 p.m. Muncie City Council meeting, Bilbrey breaks down the Council’s investigation into the City Controller’s Office under Resolution 8-26; the proposed new Fire Station 5 project under Ordinance 9-26 and Resolutions 10-26 and 11-26; the possible veto override of Ordinance 13-26; Councilman Jerry Dishman’s Ordinance 15-26; and the controversial transparency measure, Ordinance 14-26, which concerns mayoral staff and city employees serving on boards and commissions. Bilbrey also looks ahead to the Delaware County Commissioners' meeting at 9:00 a.m. With an ongoing investigation, a possible veto override, major spending decisions, and significant questions about transparency and accountability, Monday could be one of the most important days in recent Muncie government history. #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#708 | Onward to August 2026 - This Way to Fall & Other Topics! | The Political Spotlight

July 31st, 2026  |  1 hr 44 mins

accountability, august 2026, brad fisher, city of muncie, communication, community building, controller's office, councilor jerry dishman, councilor nora powell, councilor ro selvey, crash, fight off tech gremlins, hit by a suspect in a stolen vehicle, indiana state police, industry neighborhood, local politics, lynn police department, lynn town marshal, maci atkinson, mayor's administration, mayor's office, mckinley neighborhood association, mckinley overlay district controversy, muncie city council, muncie government, muncie indiana, muncie mayor dan ridenour, muncie politics, muncie redevelopment commission director george-jeffrey howe, officer killed in the line of duty, ordinance 9-26, override veto, police chase, public meetings, randolph county, resolution 8-26, special friday night show, spike strips, transparency, upcoming muncie city council meeting, vehicle pursuit, veto, wayne scaife, winchester

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey attempts to fight off the "tech gremlins" in this "SPECIAL" 708th "FRIDAY NIGHT" episode of the show! Bilbrey uses this to explain what's going on with the show, since we've been off more than on lately. A SOLUTION IS IN THE WORKS!!! And if things are running smoothly, he will try to get through a bit of prep for the upcoming Muncie City Council meeting and beyond! #ThePoliticalSpotlight

#707 | July 29, 2026: We're Back, Ballin' Bigger Than Ever! Let's Roll! | The Political Spotlight

July 29th, 2026  |  2 hrs 3 mins

34-year-old woman, accountability, and subsequently left that facility, battery, brad fisher, breaking news, charged with theft, city of muncie, communication, community building, community service, controller's office, councilor jerry dishman, councilor nora powell, councilor ro selvey, crash, dismissed, false informing, hit by a suspect in a stolen vehicle, indiana state police, industry neighborhood, inpatient treatment facility, local politics, lynn police department, lynn town marshal, maci atkinson, mayor's administration, mayor's office, mckinley neighborhood association, mckinley overlay district controversy, multiple warrants, muncie city council, muncie government, muncie indiana, muncie mayor dan ridenour, muncie politics, muncie redevelopment commission director george-jeffrey howe, officer killed in the line of duty, operating a vehicle with a schedule i or ii controlled substance, ordinance 9-26, override veto, pleaded guilty, police chase, possession of a controlled substance, possession of a narcotic drug, possession of marijuana, public meetings, randolph county, resisting law enforcement, resolution 8-26, sentenced to probation, spike strips, transparency, unlawful possession of a syringe, vehicle pursuit, veto, wayne scaife, winchester

We're back, ladies and gentlemen! It's time for the 707th episode of The Political Spotlight! Let's roll! There is so much going on in the City of Muncie, Indiana... and Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey has so much to say! Let's get into this! #ThePoliticalSpotlight