SERVICE SET FOR LONG-TIME RCS EDUCATOR, COMMUNITY LEADER

Posted Friday Morning by Jeff Lane

(Richmond, IN)--Service has been set for a long-time Richmond educator and community leader who died recently.  Joe Kaiser taught English at Richmond High School for 30 years.  He was also a former Wayne County auditor, served on numerous boards and committees, and had received Indiana’s Sagamore of the Wabash along with being a Kentucky Colonel.  A service has been set for June 20.  Joe Kaiser was 95.

PREBLE COUNTY VILLAGE FIRES POLICE CHIEF

Posted Friday Morning by Jeff Lane

(Gratis, OH)--Thursday night, leaders of a Preble County village voted to fire its police chief.  Gratis Police Chief Tonina Lamanna drew attention when she went to several Cincinnati public schools last month claiming to be with ICE.  But, there were more issues with the chief than just that.  An independent review found violations of paid leave, intimidating conduct toward officers, improper traffic stops, and other violations.  Gratis Mayor Kevin Johnson said Thursday night the police department would not be disbanded.  "I think that would be a step backward for Gratis," he related.  Two other officers have resigned, leaving Gratis with just five officers and no chief.

POLICE SEEK OTHER POTENTIAL VICTIMS OF SERVICE WORKER

Posted Friday Morning by Jeff Lane

(Greenville, OH)--Police in Darke County are asking other potential victims of a man who allegedly assaulted a woman while he was on the job to come forward.  Investigators did not say where Raymond Perkins works, but say he entered the victim’s home on Sweitzer Street to do a job.  While inside, they say he attempted to have a sexual encounter.  Perkins was jailed on numerous charges.

HOUSING DEVELOPMENT PLANNED FOR AREA JUST SOUTH OF WALMART

Posted Thursday Morning by Jeff Lane

(Richmond, IN)--More housing is being planned in a busy part of Richmond.  The proposed development is on 19 acres of land on Backmeyer Road directly south of Walmart and adjacent to South 37^th Street.  Right now there are 30 proposed lots, although specific plans could change as the project progresses.  Here is the Cincinnati developer addressing the Richmond Area Plan Commission on Wednesday:  "It'll be something we'll be proud of."  Thursday’s hearing was only to address a zoning change and did not deal with specifics of the project including impacts on traffic.  The Commission gave a positive recommendation for the zoning change, but Richmond Common Council will have the final say.

EXPANSION PLANNED FOR URANUS

Posted Thursday Morning by Jeff Lane

(Richmond, IN)--Plans for more development at the Uranus Fudge Factory in Richmond were discussed when the Richmond Area Plan Commission met Wednesday.  Here’s Uranus owner Louie Keen:  "We're working on turning that into a family entertainment-style center.  We're inside of that big brick house right now doing demolition - working on it - for our restaurant concept.  We're just trying to build something fun and make this into a destination stop."  Keen said that progress has been heavily hampered by construction at the I-70 interchange at the state line.

MAN CHARGED WITH DEALING CAUSING DEATH

Posted Thursday Morning by Jeff Lane

(Richmond, IN)--A man who has already been legally labeled as both a serious violent felon and a habitual offender was charged Wednesday with dealing in a controlled substance resulting in death.  40-year-old Jodie Thomas Junior was booked into the Wayne County Jail and charged with the Level One felony.  Details of what led to the charge have not yet become available.  Thomas’ previous arrests include for battery resulting in serious bodily injury, criminal recklessness, and pointing a firearm.

MAN FACES SECOND DRUG-DEALING CHARGE

Posted Thursday Morning by Jeff Lane

(Richmond, IN)--A man who has a meth-dealing case pending from last August is now facing a new drug-dealing charge after his arrest Wednesday.  39-year-old Seneca Grier was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon in the 1200 block of North West 5^th in Richmond and charged with dealing cocaine.  Samantha Duckett was also arrested there and charged with possession.  Grier was being held on a $30,000 bond.  He is due to go on trial in last summer’s meth-dealing case in July.

ELECTRIC RATES TO DROP FOR 15,000 RANDOLPH COUNTY CUSTOMERS

Posted Thursday Morning by Jeff Lane

(Winchester, IN)--Electric bills are about to change for the roughly 15,000 homes in Randolph County served by Indiana Michigan Power.  But, this time, it’s a change for the better.  Indiana Michigan has announced that it expects to make additional revenue by selling extra power this year, which will allow them to lower rates for their residential customers.  The rate is expected to drop by nearly four percent.  Residents will first see the reduction in their June electric bills.

AREA COUNTIES SEE DROP IN UNEMPLOYMENT

Posted Thursday Morning by Jeff Lane

(Whitewater Valley)--Wayne County now has the lowest unemployment rate it’s had in more than three years.  According to new numbers from the state, Wayne County’s unemployment rate has dropped to 2.7%.  That’s down from 3.6% the previous month.  Wayne County’s rate has not been lower since September of 2022.  Other Whitewater Valley counties in Indiana saw a similar drop.  For the third consecutive month, Union County has the lowest rate in Indiana.  It’s down to just 1.8%.

WESTERN WAYNE SUPERINTENDENT FIRED, TRIAL DATE SET

Posted Wednesday Morning by Jeff Lane

(Cambridge City, IN)--The Western Wayne School Board is now just a few days into a search for a new superintendent after having fired Kelly Plank late last week.  An overflow crowd attended the meeting, which lasted all of three minutes.  No members of the public spoke.  The Board did not refer to Plank by name, calling her only Employee #172.  "It's personnel.  We don't really disclose that.  We don't talk about it individually," said Board President Kris Bex.  Alice Johnson has been appointed interim superintendent.  Plank is charged with battery resulting in serious bodily injury after an incident in New Castle last month.  Tuesday, a trial date was set for mid-September.

OVERSIZED SEMI BLOCKS BUSY RICHMOND INTERSECTION

Posted Wednesday Morning by Jeff Lane

(Richmond, IN)--A busy downtown Richmond intersection was blocked for an extended period of time Tuesday.  A semi carrying an oversize load tried and failed to make a left-hand turn from South A onto 9^th Street.  The semi’s cab was well onto the sideway next to the Leland, prompting concerns from Leland officials about the structural integrity of the sidewalk over the Leland’s basement.  The incident is nothing new for the trucking company.  A search of their history shows a violation rate more than twice the national average with 127 violations in the last two years.  No one was injured in the incident.

MANUFACTURER FOR DATA CENTERS PURCHASES CONNERSVILLE PLANT

Posted Wednesday Morning by Jeff Lane

(Connersville, IN)--A Connersville facility has been acquired by a Nevada company that describes itself as a data center infrastructure company.  That company is called Polargy LLC, and it purchased Forge Racks & Dunnage on Conwell Street in Connersville.  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but a release indicates it adds 160,000 square feet of space to grow Polargy’s North American manufacturing program.  Polargy does construct data centers, but builds infrastructure for them including aisle containment systems, LED lighting, and wall partitions.

TEEN DIES AS RESULT OF CRASH

Posted Wednesday Morning by Jeff Lane

(Darke County, OH)--A Darke County teenager has died as the result of a crash that happened late last week.  It happened on U.S. 36 near Turtle Creek Golf Course east of Greenville.  17-year-old Jack Ballard of Greenville was driving a car that crossed the center line and struck an oncoming car.  Ballard was taken to Miami Valley Hospital, where he died Tuesday.  The driver of the other vehicle was seriously injured and continues to recover.

WESTERN WAYNE WOMAN CHARGED WITH DEALING

Posted Wednesday Morning by Jeff Lane

(Milton, IN)--A Milton resident was formally charged in a Wayne County courtroom Tuesday with drug dealing.  Court documents indicate 28-year-old Mackenzie Smith admitted to going to Trotwood last fall to pick up fentanyl to distribute in the Wayne County area.  Amy Martin of Cambridge City was charged with possession during Smith’s original arrest.

MAN JAILED FOR FELONY INTIMIDATION

Posted Wednesday Morning by Jeff Lane

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond man was taken into custody Tuesday after a domestic incident that allegedly rose to the felony level with a threat.  20-year-old Skyler McKinney was arrested late Tuesday afternoon in the 700 block of South 5^th Street.  Details of the incident and the injuries suffered by the alleged victim have not yet been released.

ANOTHER I-70 RAMP TO SEE EXTENDED CLOSURE

Posted About A Week Ago by Jeff Lane

(Wayne County, IN)--Another extended ramp closure is coming to the interstate as part of the Revive I-70 project.  INDOT has announced that State Road 1 exits to and from eastbound I-70 are expected to close this coming Sunday.  That closure is expected to last for two months to allow for the ramp to be reconstructed.  In the release, INDOT suggests going west to Wilbur Wright Road to enter eastbound I-70.  That suggestion takes drivers 12 miles out of their way.

FLYING MUMMIES FALL IN OPENER

Posted About A Week Ago by Jeff Lane

(Richmond, IN)--Monday night was the first-ever baseball game for the Richmond Flying Mummies.  The Mummies took the field at McBride Stadium in the first of what will be 36 home games.  Richmond Mayor Ron Oler threw the ceremonial first pitch along with the mayor of Uranus Chocolate Factory.  Promotions and giveaways will highlight each home game throughout the season.  The opening didn’t end well for the Mummies.  They fell to the Lakeshore Chinooks 6-4.  The teams are back in action at McBride Tuesday night.

MAN JAILED FOR RESISTING FOR THIRD TIME IN LESS THAN A YEAR

Posted About A Week Ago by Jeff Lane

(Richmond, IN)--A man with a history of resisting law enforcement was arrested again in Richmond Monday night.  And, this time, the alleged fleeing came with an injury.  38-year-old Allen Robinson is charged with felony intimidation and resisting law enforcement causing bodily injury.  Robinson was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon in the 1600 block of South 14^th.  Details of what led to the arrest and the extent of the injury have not been released.  Robinson was convicted of resisting in March and had another new resisting arrest charge one month ago.

SHOTS FIRED INTO BROOKVILLE LAKE-AREA CAMPGROUND

Posted About A Week Ago by Jeff Lane

(Franklin County, IN)--Shots were fired from a road into a campground in the Whitewater Valley over the Memorial Day weekend.  It happened early Sunday night at Fox Run Campground just off of State Road 101 near Brookville Lake.  Witnesses were able to provide law enforcement with a good description of a blue van that fled the area.  No one was hurt.  A Cincinnati man was taken into custody and the rifle used in the shooting was recovered.  No motive for the shooting has been released.

PURDUE POLYTECHNIC STOPS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS IN RICHMOND

Posted About A Week Ago by Jeff Lane

(Richmond, IN)--Purdue Polytechnic is no longer accepting applications at its Richmond location.  That notification appeared on the school’s website Tuesday morning.  The statement does not give a specific reason for the decision, but states that it is "diligently working to revamp the site."  An identical message was issued for the location in South Bend.  Seven other locations across Indiana appear to still be accepting applications.

ABINGTON FOUND IN VIOLATION OF INDIANA'S OPEN DOOR LAW

Posted About A Week Ago by Jeff Lane

(Abington, IN)--Indiana’s Public Access Counselor has determined that Abington Township has violated the state’s Open Door Law. That law went into effect in July of last year and states that there be live transmissions of meetings along with archived copies available for viewing.  Now, nearly a year later, Abington is not doing that.  In a formal response, Abington Township Trustee Steve Kaiser said that Abington does not have reliable internet service and has sought help from the Indiana Office of Technology to set up necessary equipment and create a website.  Kaiser predicted livestreaming would be in place by March, but that has not happened and no video recordings of meetings have been made.

TWO TAKEN TO HOSPITAL AFTER EXPOSURE TO CHEMICALS AT YMCA

Posted About A Week Ago by Jeff Lane

(Eaton, OH)--Two people were hospitalized after being exposed to a chemical in the swimming pool area of the Preble County YMCA in Eaton on Thursday.  It happened late Thursday afternoon.  The two people were exposed to 12.5% chlorine vapor in the pool area.  The pool was evacuated.  They were the only two people in the pool area at the time.  Fire crews checked the air quality throughout the building.  Details on how the exposure occurred have not been released.  The pool had been closed recently for maintenance and repair.

Armed Burglary Suspect Apprehended by K9

Posted About Three Weeks Ago by Ella Chew

(Connersville, IN) -- Connersville police responded to a burglary in progress in the 200 block of West 19th Street just after 8:30 Thursday morning.

According to a press release, the department said the suspect fled on foot toward Connersville Middle School and allegedly pointed what appeared to be a firearm at an officer during the chase. The officer fired his weapon, and a K-9 unit later apprehended the suspect. Authorities say the suspect was not shot, suffered minor injuries during the arrest, and was taken to the Fayette County Jail.

The officer has been placed on administrative leave as Indiana State Police take over the investigation. Officials say there is no ongoing threat to the public.

RCS CITES FINANCIAL CONCERNS IN ADDRESSING SUPERINTENDENT CONTRACT

Posted About Three Weeks Ago by Jeff Lane

(Richmond, IN)--The Richmond Community School Board voted unanimously Wednesday night to not permit the automatic extension of Superintendent Dr. Curtis Wright’s contract.  Board President Austin Brann explained the motivation.  "This action was based on present fiscal challenges," Brann said.  Board member Nicole Stults said the action was not punitive.  "Hopefully, the public has heard us say 'we want to cut costs across the board."  We're looking at starting at the top," Stults said.  Two years ago, the Board extended Wright’s contract through 2031.

RCS EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION RISES FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR

Posted About Three Weeks Ago by Jeff Lane

(Richmond, IN)--Results of an employee survey were discussed when the Richmond Community School Board met Wednesday night.  313 teachers and other staff members responded to the survey.  70% of those who responded said that they are satisfied with their job.  That’s up three percent from the previous year and at least the third consecutive year that that number has increased.  Nearly half of those who responded said that student discipline and behavior is the biggest challenge.  That’s been the top concern for at least the last four years.  23% said they would be highly likely to recommend RCS, while 14% said they would likely not recommend it.