During the first two weeks of April, Muncie, Indiana residents have become concerned that the taste and smell of their city water has been alarming, with some indicating it tastes "like dirt," "like soil," and "earthy," and has a "musty smell." These changes have led some residents and business owners to purchase bottled or jug water, at extra cost. The Irvington Heights neighborhood was issued a boil water advisory on April 9th, which was lifted the same day. Residents of nearby Madison County, Indiana have also expressed concern for discolored water.

Amber Greene of Yorktown presently serves as the Director of Communications for the City of Muncie:

In response to Muncie residents' concerns about the safety and quality of their drinking water, Greene had this to say on social media:

To her credit, Greene is correct: health outcomes for Delaware County are not what Muncie and Delaware County residents deserve, nor what they could be. Muncie was very badly affected in the 2010s by the still-ongoing opioid epidemic, and the poverty rate, which is associated with poorer health outcomes, in Delaware County is over 1 in 5. The public health crisis in Delaware County is so severe that, in one census tract of the Old West End, for example, the life expectancy was 63.5 in 2018, before COVID. By all accounts, Muncie's public health outcomes could be much, much better, for numerous institutional reasons.

This is the part where I stop speaking professionally and start speaking from the heart, as a longtime resident of Muncie and Greater Delaware County.

I have lived in seven cities, been to four countries, and travelled all across the US playing music. I think I'm well-qualified when I say that people from Muncie are among the nicest, most wholesome and down-to-Earth people there are. The people of Muncie do not deserve what's been happening with the water supply, nor with public health.

In addition to better public health outcomes and cleaner drinking water, Muncie residents deserve a Director of Communications who will empathize with their concerns and convey news in a respectful, professional, and decent fashion. That Director is not Amber Greene. What Greene has done with this post is make a mockery of her role, indicating clearly that she would rather make passive-aggressive comments peppered with snide emojis from behind a glass screen, than actually do anything to serve the people she has a duty to.

I call on anyone who agrees with me to sign this petition and call either for Amber Greene's resignation, or for Mayor Dan Ridenour to terminate her, from her position as Director of Communications. The people of Muncie are kind, decent people, and deserve City officials who reflect that.

Thank you, and have a fantastic weekend. Muncie, you deserve it.