(Richmond, IN)--The civil case surrounding Richmond’s My Way Trading industrial fire will take years to sort out based on court filings Wednesday.  Case management was filed and approved yesterday and included numerous deadlines.  For instance, a witness list isn’t due until January of next year.  Discovery isn’t due until December of next year, with trial now expected to begin in March of 2025.  Also included in that filing Wednesday is Seth Smith’s primary defense in which he claims the city owned the property, allowed vagrants to occupy it, and did not clean up the property despite receiving a grant to do so.  The city claims that Smith is still responsible and ignored numerous orders for cleanup.

(Wayne County, IN)--Here comes another road construction project that will have a major impact on Wayne County travel.  On Monday, U.S. 40 is set to close on Centerville’s western edge to allow INDOT to replace a bridge over Noland’s Fork Creek.  Once it closes, that section of 40 won’t likely reopen until sometime around Christmas.  The closure will bring much heavier traffic to McMinn, College Corner, and Mineral Springs Roads.  The cost of the project is $7.3 million.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond’s Board of Public Works is set to meet Thursday afternoon and address a Safe Haven Baby Box that is planned for Richmond Fire Station #1.  The baby box would allow an adult that either doesn’t want or is unable to care for an infant to place that infant into a box built into the fire station’s outside wall with no questions asked.  The Board of Works is expected to award a contract for the installation of the baby box at a cost of just under $4200.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond murderer will never be free again.  On Tuesday, 32-year-old Michael Carr was sentenced to life in prison withouth the possibility of parole.  Carr shot and killed Jason Lewis nearly five years ago at the Genesis Apartments in Richmond.  Carr believed that Lewis had cooperated with police in a drug investigation.  Just before his trial began earlier this spring, Carr had allegedly offered someone $10,000 to kill five of the prosecution’s witnesses.  Carr’s attorney said Tuesday that both the conviction and the sentence would be appealed.

(Wayne County, IN)--On Tuesday night, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department released details of a high-speed chase.  Two juveniles in a car stolen from Nebraska were clocked going in excess of 100 miles per hour on I-70 in Wayne County.  Stop sticks disabled their car near Centerville Road.  The two fled into a field near Round Barn Road.  One juvenile was taken into custody fairly quickly.  A drone was then launched and helped to locate the second teen.  Both of them went to a juvenile detention facility.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond police arrested a suspected methamphetamine dealer as the clock struck midnight overnight.  49-year-old Antonio Ferguson was taken into custody in the 400 block of South 14^th and booked into jail at 12:09 Wednesday morning.  There’s no word yet on what led to Ferguson’s arrest.  His criminal history includes possession of meth and non-support of a dependent child.

(Farmland, IN)--Visitation has been set for Tuesday night for the Randolph County firefighter who was killed as he headed to a barn fire last week.  29-year-old Kyle Osgood was the Assistant Chief of the Farmland Volunteer Fire Department.  Visitation is from 4-8 Tuesday night at Monroe Central High School.  Representatives of fire departments from around the region will then gather Wednesday morning for a funeral that begins at 11 o’clock in Monroe Central’s gym.  The condition of a second firefighter, Zach Lee, has not been updated since Friday when he was listed in critical condition at a Fort Wayne hospital.

(Preble County, OH)--More people are working today in Preble County than have been working in the last 16 years.  That’s according to new numbers from Preble County Economic Development.  The number has climbed to more than 13,000 people.  Even more impressive is what’s happening with Preble County wages.  Wages have risen 44% in just the last five years.  Average annual wages have climbed over $49,000 per year.  A large new employer is just beginning the hiring process.  That’s Royal Canin, which is expected to hire 225 new workers.

(Darke County, OH)--A person who has, so far, only been identified as a juvenile was killed in a crash in Darke County on Saturday night.  That juvenile failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of Jaysville-St. Johns and Hollansburg-Sampson Road and was struck broadside by a pickup truck driven by Clifford Strange of Greenville.  The juvenile was taken to Wayne Health and was pronounced dead.  Strange and his wife suffered very minor injuries.

(Farmland, IN)--A volunteer firefighter in Randolph County was killed during a response Thursday morning.  It was around 7 o’clock Thursday morning that the Farmland Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to a barn fire on County Road 1000 West.  The driver of the tanker, 29-year-old Kyle Osgood, lost control in a curve.  The tanker rolled over.  Both Osgood and his passenger, 19-year-old Zachary Lee, were ejected.  Osgood was pronounced dead at the scene.  Lee was flown to a Fort Wayne hospital.  His condition Friday morning had not been released.

(Richmond, IN)--A wanted alleged teenage rapist was caught following a chase in Richmond Friday morning.  Officers tried to apprehend 18-year-old Theron Beaty-Robertson at around midnight when Beaty-Robertson fled.  He was captured with the help of a canine near some storage sheds on U.S. 27 about a half-mile north of I-70.  A warrant for his arrest for rape had been issued in March.  Details of what he is alleged to have done have not been released.  Beaty-Robertson was also wanted for a vehicle theft.

(Connersville, IN)--Indiana’s state website was indicating Friday morning that a Silver Alert that had been issued Thursday for a missing for a Connersville man has been cancelled.  The Silver Alert was issued for 66-year-old Roger Mills, who was last seen late Wednesday night driving an older van.  The alert said that he was believed to be in extreme danger.  Friday morning, though, the website said the alert had been cancelled without detailing how it was resolved.

(Richmond, IN)--Earlham College is now the target of a lawsuit over its Covid-19 vaccination mandate.  Caitlin Corrigan, who was a student in 2020, claims that other students began challenging her participation in commencement because she refused to take the vaccine.  She further contends she was removed as a speaker at commencement and that other students yelled and spat on her mother.  The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages to be determined by a jury.  The CDC’s director admitted last year that Covid-19 vaccinations do not prevent spread of the virus.  No hearing date has been set for the lawsuit.

(Eaton, OH)--The establishment of a DORA has now been approved in Eaton.  DORA stands for Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area.  The main purpose of a DORA is to allow people to walk around outside with alcoholic beverages that they purchased at licensed location.  The goal is to increase foot traffic and to create social hubs in business districts.  Eaton’s DORA would cover much of the area along Main Street and just north of the Preble County Courthouse.  The DORA still needs state approval.

(Richmond, IN)--The Richmond Board of Public Works is scheduled to meet late Thursday afternoon.  When it does, it’s expected to award a contract for street upgrades in 28 locations.  Milestone Contractors was the low bidder for the project at close to $1.4 million.  Most of the street resurfacing will be done in residential areas with high concentrations in the Reeveston and Hidden Valley areas.

(Richmond, IN)--Human remains continue to be recovered at the site of the Depot District overpass replacement project in Richmond.  The grassy area at the north side of the bridge was once a Quaker cemetery.  Kicks 96 and 101.7 The Point News first reported in early February that the first remains that had been left behind were found during preliminary digging.  Now, INDOT has brought in an archeological consulting firm to document the remains that continue to be located as work progresses.  A statement from INDOT Tuesday said that it "wishes to respect the remains and will take steps to preserve the dignity of the deceased individuals by covering or tenting the area during removal."

(Wayne County, IN)--A road construction worker was seriously injured when he was struck by a vehicle Tuesday morning.  It happened on U.S. 35 at Brooks Road about halfway between Williamsburg and Economy.  According to scanner traffic, the driver of the vehicle told investigators that she was searching for music on her phone while driving when she nearly struck a flagger, swerved to avoid a work truck, and then struck the victim.  He was flown to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton.  His name and condition  have not been released.  Family members say he is expected to survive.

(Richmond, IN)--The EPA has completed its collection of materials from the industrial fire in Richmond that occurred last month.  In a new update, the EPA still refers to it as the My Way Trading fire and indicated that it collected 54 soil, debris, and asbestos samples last week from three properties located in the warehouse fire site area.  All of those samples are now the hands of laboratory analysts.  Results of testing are still pending and will determine where the burned material will be taken for final disposal.

(Wayne County, IN)--New employment numbers were released Monday for Wayne County and the Whitewater Valley, and those numbers are very positive.  First, there was a big drop in the unemployment rate.  Wayne County’s rate dropped nearly a full point in one month – from 3.6% to 2.7% on Tuesday morning.  Other area counties are down more than a full percent.  Also, more Wayne County residents are working that were at this same point last year.  There are 320 more people working in Wayne County working today than were working in May of ’22.  And the number of people in the labor force is also up and sits at just over 30,000 people today.

(Richmond, IN)--A newly designed sign has gone up to welcome drivers on I-70 to Indiana near the Richmond exit onto U.S. 40, and an update one is coming to drivers entering Ohio.  On Monday, the new sign went up on westbound I-70 for drivers coming into Indiana.  It’s relatively small, a darker blue, and says “more to discover in Indiana.”  Ohio’s sign on the arch will soon change because the slogan is being changed from “find it here” to a slogan the state used more than a decade ago…”Ohio, the heart of it all.”

(Richmond, IN)--The Richmond Parks Department announced Monday that Cordell Municipal Pool is set to open this Saturday, and there is no word lifeguard shortages that are so severe that it would delay the opening.  Last year, the pool had to close during one of its initial weekends because there we not enough lifeguards available during a graduation weekend.  Additional lifeguards, though, are still needed this year.  Season passes are available and cost $55 for children under age 18 and $70 for adults.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond woman has been taken into custody on a murder warrant.  32-year-old Lamita Vansickle is charged with murder in the August, 2018 shooting and killing of Jason Lewis at the Genesis Apartments.  Michael Carr was just convicted of murder earlier this month for that same shooting.  A warrant for Vansickle’s arrest was issued last December.  She was caught Friday in the 1100 block of South A in Richmond.  Vansickle was shot on Kinsey Street in December of 2020.  She survived that shooting, but another victim did not.

(Centerville, IN)--A Richmond teen was taken into custody Sunday after allegedly firing shots in a populated area.  19-year-old Joshua Ilano Monday morning is charged with Criminal Recklessness with a Deadly Weapon.  Ilano was taken into custody in the 2600 block of West Main in Centerville.  No injuries were reported.  There were several other teens and young adults in the area when the alleged incident occurred.

(Richmond, IN)--The EPA is scheduled Friday to wrap up its collection of material for testing from last month’s industrial fire in Richmond.  All this week, the EPA has been collecting burnt debris that is being sent off for testing to determine exactly what kind of chemicals it may have contained.  That identification will be the first step in the actual cleanup of the area.  There has been no timetable set to complete the cleanup, but it is expected to take an extended period of time.  Meanwhile, there has been no activity this week in the lawsuit against Seth Smith, who was ordered four years ago to clean up the property.

(Wayne County, IN)--There is some good news regarding puppy mills in Wayne County.  You may remember three years ago when Wayne County was identified by the National Humane Society as one of the worst counties in Indiana with 14 puppy mills.  Puppies and adult dogs were found in poor health and housed in crowded cages without adequate shelter from the elements.  This week, the Humane Society released a new list.  Wayne County has gone from 14 identified puppy mills three years ago to none today.