(Richmond, IN)--The Richmond Community School Board issued a statement Tuesday regarding the issues between RCS and the REA, or teachers’ union.  Nicole Stults delivered the assessment.  "We believe the relationships among the Board, teachers, and administration are quite positive and stronger than they have been in recent years," Stults said.  Stults cited several factors, including supplemental pay given to teachers in May.  "By addressing these inequities, the Board demonstrated its respect as well as high regard for the dedicated RCS teachers," she added.  And, she concluded with this:  "Teachers in RCS have shared that the start of the school year has been the best and smoothest in several years."  You can see the nearly four-minute message in its entirely on the RCS Facebook page.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond man who abused and neglected a dog so severely that it had to be euthanized was found guilty in a Wayne County courtroom Tuesday.  Following the conviction, 55-year-old James Null was sent directly to jail.  Details of what Null did are too graphic to share.  Null has previous convictions that include possessing meth.  He is set to be sentenced this coming Tuesday and faces up to a year behind bars.

(Winchester, IN)--The identification of a Winchester man who died in a house fire on Monday was released Tuesday.  58-year-old Todd Berryhill was found in a home that had caught fire in the 300 block of West Washington Street.   Most of the damage was contained to a single room, and that’s where firefighters located Berryhill.  The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

(Wayne County, IN)--After climbing for three straight months, Wayne County’s unemployment rate has dropped – at least a little bit.  New numbers from the state put Wayne County’s unemployment rate Tuesday morning at 3.8%.  That’s down from last month’s two-year-high 4.1% rate.  One of the primary reasons for the drop is that nearly a hundred people have dropped out of Wayne County’s labor force is the last month.  Unemployment rates for other Whitewater Valley counties have seen similar modest drops in the new report.

(Connersville, IN)--A Connersville father has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for abusing his own infant son.  28-year-old Michael Mengedoht was convicted of neglect of a dependent causing serious bodily injury.  In August of last year, the boy, who was just two weeks old, was taken to Reid Health in Connersville with multiple traumatic injuries that included broken bones.  The baby’s mother, Brittany Mengedoht, is set to go on trial in December.  In social media posts just after the incident, she said that she was a good mother and then asked if anybody was selling mice.

(Richmond, IN)--The November general election is six weeks from today.  WCTV has now released its schedule for its candidate forums for local races.  The programs will air at 6 o’clock on Thursday nights beginning this Thursday with candidates for Cambridge City and Milton discussing the issues.  Richmond’s Mayoral candidates will appear on October 12.  Questions for the candidates can be submitted through the WCTV website.  WCTV will have live election results on November 7.

(Richmond, IN)--The Richmond Education Association, or teachers’ union, called over the weekend for a demonstration Monday morning in advance of a Wednesday afternoon Board meeting.  Members were being told to meet outside of their respective school buildings Monday morning and walk in two minutes prior to their contracted start time as a show of solidarity.  The message indicates that the REA sees three issues of contention with the RCS administration.

(Richmond, IN)--Removal of the Weir Dam in the Whitewater Gorge in Richmond is about to begin.  If you don’t know it by name, it’s the structure adjacent to Sim Hodgin Parkway near the foot bridge.  There has been an effort across Indiana to remove low-head dams to increase safety to the public and improve water quality for wildlife.  The Weir Dam has not served any purpose for decades.  It was built 120 years ago to either power a mill or to provide cooling to the RP&L facility that once stood near it.  The dam’s removal is expected to take several weeks to complete.

(Blooming Grove, IN)--The pilot of a small airplane made a safe emergency landing in a Franklin County bean field at around sunset on Friday night.  The FAA had reported receiving a Mayday call with a plane that had been tracked to the Fairfield area near Brookville Lake.  After the call, the pilot safely landed the four-seat Cessna aircraft.  The initial indication was that he had run out of fuel.  FAA records indicate he had taken off from just west of Terre Haute.  (Photo:  Fayette/Union County scanners)

(Richmond, IN)--A Centerville motorcycle rider was flown to Miami Valley Hospital after a crash Thursday afternoon that resulted in the closing of a section of one of Richmond’s busiest streets.  It happened late Thursday afternoon on East Main Street.  Investigators have not yet released details, but the indication from witnesses is that someone tried to turn left onto East Main at the Walmart exit near Jimmy John’s.  Turning left there is prohibited, but drivers often do it anyway.  The motorcyclist then hit the vehicle in the side.  Family members have identified the victim as Cory Gindling and indicated that Gindling faces a long road to recovery.

(Hamilton, OH)--A high-speed chase that began in Union County Thursday afternoon didn’t end until the driver crashed in downtown Hamilton.  The driver, who has not yet been identified, fled in a pickup truck from Union County and crashed near the Butler County Courthouse.  The female driver had stolen the truck in Liberty.  Stop sticks in Hamilton brought the chase to an end.  Union County officials would not release her name Friday morning.

(Richmond, IN)--A guilty plea as part of a plea deal means that an upcoming trial for a Richmond mother is now off.  29-year-old Casey Miller pled guilty this week to a mid-level felony.  Back in the spring of 2020, her four-month-old daughter suffered injuries that were described as catastrophic and included broken bones and a brain bleed.  Miller will be sentenced in early November.  The baby’s father, Matthew Shaffer, has already been sentenced to 30 years.

(Richmond, IN)--The Richmond Education Association – or teacher’s union – is urging residents to attend what they’re calling a press conference but appears to be more of a rally in advance of next Wednesday’s Richmond Community School Board meeting.  The statement, which was posted Wednesday night on the REA's Facebook page, says that next week’s event is an effort to restore REA President Kelly McDermott to her teaching position and to demand that union voices be respected.  The event begins at 4:45.  The REA is inviting the public to attend.

(Richmond, IN)--The Richmond man accused of stabbing two people early Wednesday morning remained behind bars Thursday morning.  Officers were called to the 200 block of North 10^th Wednesday morning and found that 26-year-old Tyshawn Cochran and 43-year-old Melissa Darling had both been stabbed.  Cochran ultimately went to Miami Valley Hospital.  Darling was less seriously injured.  25-year-old Stephen Centers now faces two counts of battery with a deadly weapon.  Details of what led to the incident were not released.

(Richmond, IN)--There was a robbery at a Richmond liquor store Wednesday night.  It happened at Papa Joe’s at the east end of the G Street Bridge.  Charges indicate that 31-year-old Dillon Hofacker was already intoxicated when he tried to take more alcohol by force or threat of force.  Hofacker has also been charged with felony intimidation.  No injuries were reported.

(Richmond, IN)--The formal establishment of Richmond’s first DORA – or Designated Outdoor Recreation Area – will have to wait – at least for a little while.  Council member and mayoral candidate Ron Oler explained where the Saftey Committee stands to his fellow council members this week.  "We ended up with more questions than answers, so we want to spend some more time on this.  The Depot District is okay with not having the ordinance in place for Oktoberfest," Oler said.  The issue will come back before council at a later date.  A DORA designation would allow people to drink alcoholic beverage in public areas under certain conditions.

(Wayne County, IN)--Here’s more on the booming price of Wayne County homes.  On Tuesday, Kicks 96 and 101.7 The Point News reported that the median home price in Wayne County had gone from $95,000 in July of 2021 to $149,000 today, according to realtor.com.  The effect of much higher interest rates points out the burden on today’s local new-home buyer.  Back in July of ’21, buying a Wayne County house at the median price with a 30-year mortgage would have resulted in a monthly payment of $604.  Today, buying a house at the median Wayne County price with today’s average mortgage rate would result in a payment of $1166.

(Richmond, IN)--Here’s a criminal charge you don’t often see in Wayne County.  25-year-old Timothy Stokes, who lives in Mississippi, was taken into custody Tuesday by state police troopers in the 1100 block of North J in Richmond.  He was charged with possessing marijuana and unlawful carrying of a handgun.  But, he was also charged with carrying synthetic urine.  That charge is a Class A misdemeanor.

(Whitewater Valley)--Wayne County housing prices have fallen by nearly eight percent in the last month.   But, looking back further, there’s been an incredible increase in a relatively short time.  According to realtor.com, the median home price in Wayne County is just under $150,000.  Just two years and two months ago, though, the median price was $95,000. July of 2021 will likely be the last time the median price was under $100,000.  Preble County median home values have doubled in just the last five years and stand this morning at $261,000.  Franklin County has our area’s most expensive homes, by far, with a median price of $309,000.

(Connersville, IN)--Connersville City Council member Tommy Williams has now acknowledged that the man who confessed to burning Williams’ home down is Williams’ own son.  Tommy Harrison was arrested more than a year and a half ago under federal charges because he came from Alabama to set the fire.  Nowhere in the charging document is the relationship between Williams and Harrison mentioned, and Williams had not come forward publically about it until now.  The FBI claims that Harrison called his father nine minutes after parking near the home to set the fire.  Williams was out of town when the fire was set.