(Wayne County, IN)--There has been a huge jump in the number of substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect in Wayne County so far this year.  According to new numbers from the state, Wayne County has experienced 93 confirmed cases of abuse and neglect so far this year.  That’s an 86% increase in the number of cases as compared to the first three months of last year.  Local officials have not speculated on the reason for the drastic increase in cases.

(Richmond, IN)--A lawsuit against both the city of Richmond and the town of Fountain City was dismissed this week.  It was filed last year by Matthew Meyers of Lynn.  Meyers claimed in the lawsuit that potholes and other debris on Round Barn Road caused him to lose control of his motorcycle and crash last summer.  Meyers was seeking unspecified damages for both physical and emotional trauma.  The lawsuit was dismissed this week because the accident occurred neither inside the city limits of either Richmond or Fountain City.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond Mayor Ron Oler met this week with the self-proclaimed mayor of the Uranus Fudge Factory this week.  Uranus will soon be opening a new site on U.S. 40 at the state line.  The two mayors exchanged gifts and posed for photos.  The mayor said that he was excited to open Uranus in Richmond.  The general store is expected to open before the end of this year and will employ a hundred people.

(Richmond, IN)--Thursday, Richmond’s Board of Public Works will address a contract to perform an environmental site assessment at the former Elder-Beerman building.  The assessment will include adjacent lots and the skywalk that connects the building to the municipal parking garage.  It’s the latest step to convert that property into a new building with roughly 150 market-rate apartments.  Right now, Richmond has a vacancy rate of only one percent for those types of units.  A large proposed development on South 37th that would have included those types of apartments was struck down by Common Council earlier this week.

(Liberty, IN)--Union County’s prosecutor will not be pursuing a criminal case against a man involved in a shooting last month.  It happened on March 30 on Liberty Pike.  A deputy was originally dispatched there for a dispute between two men.  Bradley Bowling was found lying in the road with multiple gunshot wounds.  A handgun was found under him.  Oscar Gentry was then located nearby and taken into custody without incident.  The charging decision indicated that Gentry will not be tried because of evidence that the shooting was done in self-defense.

(Richmond, IN)--A shortage of bus drivers is impacting Richmond Community Schools both Thursday and Friday.  RCS, in a message Wednesday, called the shortage “unexpected” and encouraged anyone who can arrange their own morning and afternoon transportation to do so.  The driver shortage will impact the entire district.  There is no indication that the shortage will extend into next week or beyond.

(Wayne County, IN)--Traffic numbers from the Indiana Department of Transportation confirm there was virtually no effect on the volume of vehicles in the area as a result of last week’s eclipse.  Some local leaders and agencies had predicted up to 100,000 out-of-towners would arrive to view the eclipse, but it simply did not happen.  According to the state’s newly released counts, on the day before and the day of the eclipse, there were just over 35,000 vehicles on I-70 in Wayne County.  In each of the eight days before that, there were actually more vehicles passing through on the interstate than on the day before and the day of the eclipse.

(Abington, IN)--There is another development now regarding various investigations into the Abington Volunteer Fire Department.  Township Trustee Steve Kaiser is already under a criminal investigation involving a fabricated letter used to secure a donated fire vehicle from an Ohio department.  Now, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security is actively investigating another Abington firefighter based on accusations that he falsified records to obtain an EMS certification.  This now makes three separate investigations by multiple agencies into the department and the advisory board.  Abington’s advisory board meets late Wednesday afternoon.

(Richmond, IN)--If you hate the thought of roundabouts enough to take the time to sound off about it, now is your chance.  The Indiana Department of Transportation recently announced plans to add roundabouts to the U.S. 35 and I-70 interchange in Richmond when the interstate is widened to three lanes.  Now, they’re asking for public feedback.  A banner has been added to the website revivei70.com that allows the public to weigh in on roundabouts.  There are also roundabouts planned for the state line exit of I-70.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond Common Council Monday night, by a 6-3 vote, put the brakes on a large proposed housing development near South 37^th and Backmeyer Road when they denied a request for a zoning change.  14 people spoke in favor of the zoning change.  They were nearly all business and community leaders who spoke about the need for additional housing.  18 more people spoke against the development.  They were nearly all people who live nearby and expressed concern about traffic, water runoff, and property value.  Some of the six council members who opposed the development talked about unanswered questions, including Larry Parker.  Parker had an exchange with the developer questioning rental prices, HOA fees, and a Forest Hills Country Club membership.  Some council members clearly struggled with the decision.  "This is so hard.  I'm gonna have to say 'no.'  I'm sorry," said Jane Bumbalough in a role-call vote^.  While the people who filled council chambers Monday night had very differing opinions on whether or not the proposed South 37^th Street housing and apartment development was a good idea, nearly everyone was in agreement that Richmond is in desperate need of midrange housing.  "At this moment, we find ourselves with 75 active homes on the market, and 23 of those are under $100,000," said real estate broker James Henley.  "How many time have we seen people accepting jobs in Wayne County and choosing to live somewhere else because they didn't have the type of neighborhood or the type of home they want for their family?" questioned  And this is Melissa Vance from the local Chamber.  South 37^th, or Smith Hill, would have added housing for hundreds of residents.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond Common Council meets Monday night with a major issue on the agenda.  It’s the zoning ordinance that would pave the way for the proposed major housing and apartment development near South 37^th and Backmeyer Road.  The ordinance is on second reading Monday night.  That’s when public comment is taken.  Proponents of the project, which include nearly all city and business leaders, say that the housing is desperately needed to attract and retain employees needed to allow businesses to survive and expand.   But many nearby residents oppose the project, fearing congestion, inadequate roads, and unprotected retention ponds.  Monday night’s meeting begins at 7.  As always, you can catch it live on WCTV.

(Preble County, OH)--The Preble County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a missing person case focused on a 49-year-old woman who functions at the level of an eight-year-old.  Amy Evans lives on Quaker Trace Road and has not been seen since Friday.  Investigators say she is believed to have been picked up near her home by a man in a dark blue mid-sized vehicle.  She is not responding to calls to her phone.

(Richmond, IN)--They’re not saying exactly what it is yet, but the National Register of Historic Districts in Richmond is indicating that "good things are coming" to the former post office building on North A in Richmond, which would later become the Indiana Football Hall of Fame.  The Hall of Fame closed and the building was sold late in 2021.  Property records show the building is currently owned by First Bank Richmond.  Sunday’s hint does not indicate when an official announcement will be made.

(Whitewater Valley)--A very large amount of rain came down in a very short time Thursday afternoon and resulted in street flooding to a level that some Richmond residents said they had never before seen.  The Reeveston area of Richmond had water rise quickly.  Multiple cars became stranded as they tried to go through ponded water at South 23^rd and Reeveston.  On South G Street, an image shows water up to the window of a parked car.  Water also crossed New Paris Pike near Porterfield Road.  County officials say New Paris Pike remained closed Friday morning.  In Union County, the gate at the bridge on Clifton Road over the Whitewater River was closed Friday morning.  The dry fords were also closed.

(Indianapolis, IN)--Wayne, Fayette, Randolph, and Henry are four of the eight counties in the East Central Indiana region that have been awarded $35 million in funding from what’s known by the acronym READI.  READI encourages regional economic collaboration to attract and retain talent.  Among other things, the funding is expected to attract 1500 people to the region each year, construct 7200 housing units, and increase regional per capita income by more than $22,000 in the next five years.  The award for our region was the second-largest in the state.

(Richmond, IN)--Here’s the latest on the class action lawsuit filed against the city of Richmond and partial property owner Seth Smith in connection with the My Way Trading fire.  Tushawn Craig and Marquetta Stokes filed the lawsuit last year.  It was moved from a Wayne County court to a federal court, but now there’s a motion to move that lawsuit back to Wayne County.  A judge has yet to rule on that motion.

(Richmond, IN)--It was one year ago Thursday that a large industrial fire broke out at the My Way Trading site in Richmond. Thousands were forced from their homes as billowing black smoke rose from the scene of the My Way Trading fired that could be seen for miles.  In the months that followed, lawsuits were filed including a class-action suit against the City of Richmond and another claiming that a New Paris woman died as a direct result.  The EPA completed its cleanup last month.  "Spent about $2.8 million in federal superfunds, so no city dollars were spent," said Richmond Mayor Ron Oler  What has not been addressed in the year is the cause.  It is widely assumed to have been arson, but no law enforcement agency has ever released any information about where the investigation stands.

(Richmond, IN)--After two recent serious crashes, including one that turned fatal, Richmond police on Wednesday released a statement saying they’ve requested an INDOT traffic study for North and South A Street.  Several years ago, traffic lights on those one-way streets were synchronized – meaning drivers could go the entire lengths of those streets without stopping for a red light.  Following construction a few years ago, that synchronization was removed to discourage assumptions about simultaneous green lights.  RPD says it will increase patrols on those streets until the study is complete.

(Richmond, IN)--Earlham College has named a new president.  He’s Dr. Paul Sniegowski, who will come to Earlham after having spent more than 25 years at Penn, including as its Dean since 2017.  Sniegowski has been an advocate for first-generation, low-income students and will replace Anne Houtman, who spent five years as Earlham’s leader.  Sniegowski will begin his tenure on August 1.

(Whitewater Valley)--There’s no question that the influx of visitors to the Whitewater Valley for the eclipse failed to meet expectations.  But why?  The answer could lie in the scope of the eclipse itself.  In a total eclipse that occurred in parts of the country in 2017, interstates were jammed with people trying to get in the line of totality.  But, in that eclipse, the path of totality was only 62 miles wide.  The path in this week’s eclipse was more than twice as wide – meaning many more options for viewing existed and people didn’t need to cram into as tight of an area.  19 million more people were in the path of totality this week than were in 2017.