The Political Spotlight - Episodes Tagged with “Winchester Indiana”

#750 | Wednesday, October 14, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 21:00:00 -0400

In this 750th episode of The Political Spotlight, Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey covers an unusually long Muncie Board of Works meeting, the first "Community Update" from Mayor Dan Ridenour in quite some time, and a viral candidate interview from Fayette County, Indiana.

Bilbrey opens with a review of the latest Muncie Board of Works meeting, which runs nearly 20 minutes—WOW!

From there, he turns to Mayor Dan Ridenour's latest Community Update—his first since announcing he won't seek a third term as mayor.

Then Bilbrey heads to Fayette County, Indiana, for a candidate interview that has gone viral.

Just when viewers think East Central Indiana has cornered the market on questionable political candidates, think again!

Bilbrey reviews the interview, shares his thoughts, and argues that bad candidates and bizarre political behavior aren't limited to Muncie, Delaware County, Henry County, Winchester, or the communities the spotlight regularly covers.

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VIDEO version of Ep 750: https://youtube.com/live/Br-4DkM4Gxo

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#742 | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 21:00:00 -0400

In this 742nd episode of The Political Spotlight, Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey reviews the third and final meeting of the Muncie City Council's Finance Committee, held Wednesday, September 30, 2026.

Bilbrey highlights several revealing moments from the discussion of the proposed 2027 budget for Prairie Creek Reservoir.

He also offers more on the Delaware County Republican Party and what he views as its ongoing effort to influence Muncie City Council leadership ahead of the October 5, 2026, meeting.

Finally, the spotlight returns to Winchester, Indiana, where Bilbrey reviews public records he received from City Clerk-Treasurer Kerry Sayre and explains what they reveal about the VOA "Winchester House" disaster.

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VIDEO version of Ep 742: https://youtube.com/live/jQJU7lEv33k

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#741 | Tuesday, September 29, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey covers political developments in three communities across east-central Indiana in this 741st episode of The Political Spotlight.

If you live, work, or play in Muncie, Winchester, and/or Henry County, this episode is for you! If you're tired of political nonsense and want to hear how others are fighting back, this episode is for you! Or if you like it when someone calls the balls and strikes as they should be, tune in; this episode is for you!

First up, Bilbrey examines an unusual social media post from the Delaware County Republican Party promoting the upcoming Muncie City Council meeting on Monday, October 5, 2026.

It's not just a meeting reminder; it reads more like a "call to action"! Bilbrey views the post as the latest sign of what he believes has been a yearlong effort by the local Republican Party to influence—and potentially take control of—the Muncie City Council's leadership.

From there, Bilbrey turns to emails he received from Muncie City Councilors Nora Powell (D-District 2) and Sara Gullion (D-District 4) regarding the two recent Finance Committee meetings on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, and Thursday, September 24, 2026.

He also reminds citizens that the committee has one final budget meeting on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, before the full council takes up the proposed 2027 budget at its Monday, October 5, 2026, meeting.

Then, once again, the spotlight shifts east to Winchester, Indiana, as Bilbrey shares the response to a public-records request he sent to Clerk-Treasurer Kerry Sayre seeking answers about who controls the city's official Facebook page—and, more specifically, who was responsible for a controversial post last week that left citizens up in arms.

Bilbrey shares what he learned and explains why, in his view, the response confirms what he has long known about Mayor Bob McCoy.

Finally, Bilbrey wraps up the program in Henry County by sharing a list of questions he sent to Democratic sheriff candidate David Bockover, as The Political Spotlight continues preparing for the upcoming 2026 general election season.

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VIDEO version of Ep 741: https://youtube.com/live/IA1VfHdl8Pg

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#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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#737 | Tuesday, September 22, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 21:00:00 -0400

In this 737th episode of The Political Spotlight, Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey takes a close look at several local-government meetings across East Central Indiana — and there is plenty to discuss!

Bilbrey begins with the first Muncie City Council Finance Committee meeting, held earlier this evening, Tuesday, September 22, 2026, as councilors began reviewing the proposed 2027 city budget.

Before delving into the meeting itself, a few questions need answering.

Who knew what, and when did they know it? Who was informed about the meeting, how were they informed, and who might have been left out of the loop?

Bilbrey offers insight into what he believes is ongoing "game play" by the Ridenour Administration and inept Council leadership.

Then there is the meeting itself.

What should have been an opportunity for serious discussion of Muncie's financial future became, in Bilbrey's view, an absolute MOCKERY of the budget process!

From there, Bilbrey turns to the Delaware County Commissioners' meeting on Monday morning, September 21, 2026, where he shares his thoughts on the county's "letter of intent" for nuclear energy, specifically small modular reactors (SMRs).

Finally, the spotlight returns to Winchester, Indiana, where Monday evening's Winchester City Council meeting addressed the former Volunteers of America (VOA) Winchester House facility at 313 South Meridian Street.

Bilbrey shares his thoughts on the latest development and what he has done since the last show.

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VIDEO version of Ep 737: https://youtube.com/live/l6QcTa2dIfo

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#736 | Sunday, September 20, 2026 | The Political Spotlight

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 21:00:00 -0400

In this 736th episode of The Political Spotlight, Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey brings back an old favorite right up front: Winchester, Indiana!

It all began with a Winchester Board of Works meeting that two sources sent to Bilbrey for very different reasons. While reviewing the meeting, something caught his attention—and suddenly, an old controversy came back to mind.

That's right. Bilbrey revisits former Winchester Mayor Shon Byrum (D), the five bumbling Republicans who served on the Winchester City Council, and the disastrous decision that brought the "Winchester House" drug treatment facility to Winchester.

Bilbrey recounts what he sees as Byrum's attempt to jump-start his political career by putting Volunteers of America (VOA)'s interests ahead of his responsibility to Winchester's citizens.

But that was roughly TEN YEARS AGO! VOA has been gone from Winchester for years.

So what brought all this back now?

Bilbrey shares what caught his attention at the Winchester Board of Works meeting and takes a well-deserved, long-awaited victory lap!

From there, the spotlight shifts back to Muncie, where the City Council is preparing for three key meetings about the proposed 2027 budget.

All three meetings are scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. ET:

Meeting 1 - Tuesday, September 22, 2026...
Meeting 2 - Thursday, September 24, 2026...
Meeting 3 - Wednesday, September 30, 2026...

The next couple of weeks in Muncie will be critical, and Bilbrey explains why citizens need to pay attention!

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VIDEO version of Ep 736: https://youtube.com/live/Dx0F4IssGXE

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

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 21:00:00 -0400

In this 735th episode of The Political Spotlight, Host Kristopher H. Bilbrey is at his wit's end over what he sees as the complete breakdown of "public service" among far too many local public servants across East Central Indiana and beyond.

Muncie, Delaware County.
Anderson, Madison County.
Winchester, Randolph County.
New Castle, Henry County.
Indianapolis, Marion County.

Different communities. Different offices. Same recurring problem:

Too many people in public office seem to have forgotten who they work for... and too many citizens aren't involved and can't be bothered. It's only getting worse!

Bilbrey begins with a brief review of the most recent Muncie Board of Works meeting from Wednesday, September 16, 2026, then turns to the Muncie Redevelopment Commission meeting from earlier today, Thursday, September 17, 2026.

This is where the frustration really mounts.

As calmly as he can, Bilbrey attempts to explain the problems citizens face with the Redevelopment Commission — the decisions being made, the way business is conducted, the lack of accountability, and the larger question of whether the public is truly being served by those exercising public power: Mayor Dan Ridenour and Jeff Howe.

Then, for the rest of the episode, Bilbrey heads straight down the rabbit hole:

It is time for more people to run for local office! Republicans, Democrats, and Libertarians!

Not someday! Not after the next disaster! Not after another four years of complaining! Now! Starting now, because the next election cycle begins in January 2027!

If citizens are tired of the same miserable mopes making the same bad decisions, someone has to step up and challenge them.

Bilbrey spends the rest of the show talking directly to the people who keep saying local government is broken — and asking the obvious question:

Are you willing to do something about it?

If better people never file, organize, campaign, or put their names on the ballot, nothing changes.

This episode is about local government, public service, accountability, citizen power, and finding the next generation of people willing to step forward and run for office.

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VIDEO version of Ep 735: https://youtube.com/live/qIRUU2HHGAM

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

Kristopher H. Bilbrey, Kate Thornburg, & Brandon Rudd (The Political Spotlight) — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 21:00:00 -0400

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.

This episode shifts from heroism and sacrifice to local government, surveillance, political accountability, and the consequences of poor leadership and bad decisions.

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VIDEO version of Ep 731: https://youtube.com/live/42Z5o56WenQ

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