(Richmond, IN)--Fireworks caused a house fire Friday morning in Ravina Park in Richmond.  Firefighters were called to a house on South 32^nd at just after midnight.  Battalion Chief Jeff Glenn said that someone put fireworks that had just been used on top of a Rosie Roller.  That caused the Rosie to melt, which set the trash on fire, which then set a nearby car on fire, which then set the house on fire.  "It got through the wall into the kitchen.  The guys were able to stop it there," Glenn said.  Damage was significant.  "It was about $40,000 with the home and the car," Glenn explained.  Five people were home at the time.  There were no injuries.

(Richmond, IN)--A Georgia-based company called Lintech International announced Thursday that it will open a warehousing facility in the former Marvel Industries building on Industrial Parkway in Richmond.  The company distributes chemicals and construction materials.  Company officials said that Richmond’s proximity to several interstates made it a prime location. Lintech will now spend about $600,000 to renovate the former Marvel building, which has been vacant for the last decade.  Seven jobs will be created.

(Richmond, IN)--Two Richmond residents were taken into custody Thursday night after they allegedly took up residence in a home that didn’t belong to them.  22-year-old James Hubbard and 27-year-old Amanda Pieper were both described as homeless.  They were found squatting last night in a home in the 300 block of South 11^th.  Peiper was allegedly in possession of drug paraphernalia.

(Richmond, IN)--The frequency with which Wayne County drug addicts can get free, clean needles is increasing from once a month to once a week.  Participation in the program has steadily increased since its inception last August.  Beginning next week, addicts can get needles every Thursday at the Centerstone facility on North 13^th.  A large federal grant is being sought to help offset the cost of the program.  Addicts are now returning used needles at a rate of 89%.

(Richmond, IN)--Medics were sent to the Wernle Youth and Family Treatment Center in Richmond after a large brawl late Wednesday night.  There were no reports of any serious injuries.  Wernle employees told dispatchers that the situation was out of control and described it as chaos.  One of the juveniles was treated for hyperventilation.  There’s no word yet on whether or not the incident resulted in any criminal charges.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond man who killed his father was found not guilty Wednesday in a bench trial in Wayne Superior Court II.  Judge Gregory Horn ruled that Mitchel Legg acted in self-defense when he killed his father, Jimmy Legg.  The elder Legg died after the two fought in a Hidden Valley-area home nearly two years ago.  Jimmy Legg had a long history of domestic violence.

(Richmond, IN)--Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb will be in Richmond Wednesday.  Holcomb’s agenda in Richmond includes the ceremonial signing of a bill that will take four steps toward attacking the drug epidemic.  One would eliminate the amount of opioids that doctors can prescribe to certain patients.  Governor Holcomb is also scheduled to address community and business leaders at a lunch at Forest Hills.  He is expected to discuss how statewide initiatives will affect Wayne County residents in a question and answer session.  That event will get underway at noon.

(Richmond, IN)--There was a fatal accident at the Purina plant in Richmond Tuesday afternoon.  The initial report indicates that a 23-year-old man fell about 50 feet in a silo area.  There were no witnesses to the fall, so investigators were unclear exactly how it happened or what the man was doing.  He was discovered by co-workers and died in route to Reid Health.  Purina has not commented.  The man was reportedly not an employee but was a contract worker who was at the Richmond plant.  His identity and hometown have not been released.

(Richmond, IN)--There was a large police presence in the 200 block of North 19^th in Richmond late Tuesday afternoon.  It ended with the arrest of a 32-year-old man who lived there.  Thomas Tanner was in the Wayne County Jail Wednesday morning.  Investigators removed bags of evidence from Tanner’s home and vehicle, which included a handgun.  Tanner was charged with four counts of possession, one count of dealing cocaine, and being a serious violent felon in possession of a handgun.

(Richmond, IN)--A Lynn man who most recently lived in Richmond was jailed Monday on two counts of felony child molesting.  36-year-old Shaunta Debouse had just pled guilty last month to child molesting in Randolph County and was sentenced last week to 20 years in prison.  He had also been accused of human trafficking.  Tuesday morning, Debouse was in the Wayne County Jail on two more felony child molesting charges.  Details of what Debouse is alleged to have done in Wayne County have not yet been released.

(Camden, OH)--No one was inside a car that was pulled out of a Preble County pond Monday.  Residents on State Route 725 near Camden saw tire tracks that led into the pond.  Divers located a totally submerged car and removed it.  Investigators do not know who was behind the wheel, how they ended up in the pond, or how they were able to escape.

(Connersville, IN)--The final report is in on what caused the deaths of two Fayette County Jail inmates earlier this month.  It was carfentanil.  Chad Sizemore, who had been brought to the jail from Fountain City, and Thomas Lohr of Connersville inhaled the drug after it had been smuggled into jail in Sizemore’s body cavity.  They died shortly after inhaling the drug.  Carfentanil is used as an elephant tranquilizer and is considered a thousand times more powerful than morphine.

(Wayne County, IN)--Wayne County has a new way to warn its residents of an emergency situation.  The county has partnered with Regroup, which is a mass notification provider.  Wayne County has used Nixle and social media in recent years, but leaders saw a void because residents had to sign up to get the notifications.  Now, with Regroup, emergency messages can be sent to everyone.  Warnings can also be targeted to residents in specific areas of the county.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond man was jailed late Sunday night after allegedly tossing a significant amount of drugs out of his car window as he fled police.  The pursuit ended near the Depot District with the arrest of 34-year-old Darren Walker.  Walker sped away after a canine gave a positive indication.  A baggy with drugs that later tested positive for cocaine was found at Fort Wayne Avenue and 6^th Street.  Further down the street, another bag of marijuana and drug paraphernalia was located.  Walker was only in jail for a short time.  A bondsman helped him post a $30,000 bond.  Walker is free for now, but faces a charge of dealing cocaine.

(Whitewater Valley)--Multiple businesses across southern portions of the Whitewater Valley have had merchandise seized by Indiana State Excise Police in the last week.  The businesses were selling counterfeit items with false brand names and unlicensed logos for major college and professional sports teams.  Businesses include the Rainbow Food Mart in Liberty and the Brookville Foot Mart.  Items included shirts, hats, and purses with the logos of Gucci, Under Armour, and the Cincinnati Reds.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond man was back in the Wayne County Jail Monday morning.  But, for 58-year-old Clyde Wooten, it’s a homecoming of sorts.  Wooten’s arrest Sunday night for theft is his 47^th criminal offense dating all the way back to 2003, and that’s just in Wayne County.  Wooten was taken into custody Sunday night in the 800 block of South N Street for theft.  Details of what Wooten is alleged to have done have not been released.

The Fayette County Sheriff’s Department is looking for an inmate who failed to return to a work release facility. 39-year-old Patrick Allen was last seen early Sunday morning. He was serving time in Community Corrections following a July 2016 arrest for fraud on a financial institution and theft. If you have information on Allen, you can call Fayette County Central Dispatch at 765-825-2111.

(RICHMOND)- Chad Bolser has been named chancellor of the Richmond campus of Ivy Tech Community College. It’s part of Ivy Tech’s restructuring that places a chancellor on each of the college’s 32 campuses across the state. Bolser was previously president of Ivy Tech at Richmond. Before Ivy Tech, he held several positions with Richmond Community Schools, including athletic director and head boys’ basketball coach.

Indiana’s attorney general is warning about a scam that implies that individuals can receive payments under the settlement between tobacco companies and the federal government. Attorney General Curtis Hill says an online promotion from Money Map Press tries to get people to pay for more information on getting settlement money, and asks people to provide bank account information. Hill says it’s a scam and you should not give out your personal information online.

(RICHMOND)- Richmond Police say they have found a person of interest they wanted to question in connection with a shooting that left two men dead almost a week ago. Police say the investigation led to the arrest of a juvenile on unrelated charges. But there have still been no charges filed in last Friday’s deaths Bishop Oliver and Shawn Sams.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management says blue-green algae is still showing up on Brookville Lake at the Mounds State Recreation Area. However, high levels of the algae were not found in the latest testing at Quakertown State Recreation Area and Whitewater Memorial State Park. Though the algae is not deadly, it can make you sick if you ingest water where it is found.

One person was flown to a hospital after a serious crash in Darke County. It happened late yesterday morning at the intersection of North Star Fort Loramie Road and Rhynard-Fink Road. Sheriff’s Deputies say the drivers of both cars were injured, but that one driver had to be cut out of their car before CareFlight flew them to be treated. The extent of their injuries has not been released, and deputies haven’t said what caused the crash.

A baby from Hagerstown is in critical condition after a pickup truck flipped on I-70 just east of Centerville Road. The crash happened around nine-o-clock last night. State Police say the woman driving the truck lost control, and the woman’s nine-month-old son who was not properly restrained was ejected from the truck. The woman managed to get the baby off the east bound lanes to keep him from being hit by traffic. The infant was flown to Dayton Children’s Hospital. The mother’s injuries were minor.

(RICHMOND)- Four more Richmond Police officers have graduated from the state law enforcement academy. Officers Jordan Brouse, Brett Haskett, Jeremiah Holbrook and Jenny Meadows now move on to the next phase of field training. They will ride with certified officers and gradually increase their responsibilities.

(RICHMOND)- At least one Richmond Common Council member does not want the city to apply for a loan from the state to pay for the demolition of the old Reid Hospital property. Councilor Clay Miller wants the city to use nearly five million dollars in reserve funds to pay for the project. The demolition is expected to cost at least 7.7 million dollars, and the city has already applied for the zero-interest loan. Last week, the council approved using TIF money to repay the loan.

Indiana’s Department of Natural Resources says a rumor about a death at Brookville Lake is not true. A Facebook post shared hundreds of times claims a young person died after coming into contact with blue-green algae at the lake. But the D-N-R says no deaths have occurred, even though they issued an advisory for the algae recently.

(Richmond)- Two Indiana state troopers were taken to the hospital after their patrol cars crashed. It happened early Saturday morning at U-S Highway 40 and Southwest First Street. Investigators say one trooper was trying to make a U-turn on the way to an overdose call. That’s when his car was hit by the other trooper’s car.

(Richmond)- Richmond Police say two men who died after a shooting in front of a duplex were firing at each other after an argument. 22-year-old Bishop Oliver and 27-year-old Shawn Sams died after the shooting late Friday night on Richmond Avenue. A third man was injured by the gunfire.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond Police Department spokesperson said this week that they’re awaiting toxicology reports before giving any information on the investigation into the body found on the railroads tracks near North 12^th and E last week.  Kicks 96 and the Point News has now independently identified the victim as 32-year-old Joseph Duncan.  There is also now an unconfirmed report that Duncan had been involved in a fight in the Glen Court area before his body was found.  RPD refuses to say if foul play is suspected.  Toxicology results could take several more weeks.

(Wayne County, IN)--Wayne County has one of the lower rates of criminal recidivism in Indiana.  According to new numbers from the Indiana Department of Corrections, 31% of people who had been convicted of felonies before 2012 in Wayne County have additional convictions after that.  The most likely people to repeat crimes locally are sex offenders.  58% of people arrested for that before 2012 have reoffended.  30% of Wayne County drug dealers repeat their crimes.

(Richmond, IN)--If you thought there could not possibly be more road construction in Richmond, you’re wrong.  The Indiana Department of Transportation has just awarded a $1.5 million contract to Milestone Contractors for work at the U.S. 27 bridge over I-70.  They’ll be doing maintenance on that bridge beginning next month.  They’ll also replace a culvert a half-mile to the north and repair another culvert another mile north of that.  Traffic will be affected in the area until October.

(Richmond, IN)--Big book fee increases are coming to the parents of Richmond Community School students.  The RCS Board Wednesday night approved a fee structure that will go into effect at the start of the upcoming school year.  Some fee increases will be minimal, but some will go up as much as 70%.  Generally speaking, fees will increase by about $45 per semester.  The increase comes with the district’s introduction of laptop computers.  The RCS Board agreed to absorb other costs to keep the increases as low as possible.

(Cambridge City, IN)--The dispute over wastewater at the Gateway Industrial Park is getting more intense.  The Cambridge City Town Council this week approved a resolution that asks for intervention from a state agency in the fight to expand wastewater capacity.  That expansion is necessary to allow Sugar Creek Packing to grow to 400 employees.  In the resolution, Council expresses a willingness to have operations of the Western Wayne Sewer District returned to the town.  In the last couple of weeks, Sugar Creek had to pay $30,000 to bring in ten tanks to store wastewater that could not be discharged.

(Connersville, IN)--A Union County woman who was working as a correctional officer at the Fayette County Jail has been arrested and charged with trafficking with an inmate.  37-year-old Jennifer Hall of Brownsville admitted to bringing markers to inmates that had been hollowed out and filled with marijuana and Xanax.  Hall is the second officer to be arrested in the last month.  Drake Pope is facing similar charges.

(New Castle, IN)--A Greens Fork man has been charged with setting four house fires over a period of about 35 minutes.  The fires occurred last week in New Castle.  Investigators have concluded that 24-year-old Joshua Dunham of Greens Fork set three vacant homes on fire.  One of the fires spread to an occupied home, although no one was inside at the time.  No motive for the fires has been released.

(Richmond, IN)--Approval was granted Tuesday for a resolution that would allow the Richmond Redevelopment Commission to be used as the source to repay a zero-interest loan to demolish the old Reid property.  A minimum of $385,000 in TIF money per year would be allocated for payment.  Mayor Dave Snow said the city would apply for a loan by the end of the month.  Finalizing the plan would require approval of Common Council and would include public hearings on the issue.  Snow said Tuesday that if everything goes smoothly, actual demolition of old Reid could start by early next year.

(Indianapolis, IN)--A company has agreed to buy the Marsh locations in Richmond and Eaton.  That company is Generative Growth II.  They’re paying a total of $8 million for 15 Marsh stores, including Richmond and Eaton.  Marsh had said recently that it would close all of its stores, including those two, if a buyer was not found.  Successful bidders were announced to the bankruptcy court Tuesday.  But, there’s still an issue.  CVS could try to block the sale over a previously-arranged agreement to purchase Marsh pharmacies.

(Richmond, IN)--A Centerville man was in the Wayne County Jail Wednesday morning after being arrested in the area of South West 2^nd Street in Richmond Tuesday night.  Police allegedly found 24-year-old Dustin Brooks in possession of methamphetamine and syringes.  He also allegedly gave a false name initially.  Brooks has a long history of theft in Wayne County and was also on probation in Scott County for other crimes.

(Arcanum, OH)--Nine months after a fatal Darke County plane crash, a newly-released autopsy indicates that two young men who were killed both had drugs and alcohol in their system.  20-year-old Clayton Heins was piloting the plane when it went down near Arcanum last September.  19-year-old Jacob Turner was a passenger.  Toxicology reports now show both victims had cocaine, alcohol, and Xanax in their systems.  The NTSB still has not released the final report on the crash.

(Richmond, IN)--It’s been a full week now since a dead body was found on or near the railroads tracks near North 12^th and E Streets in Richmond and there’s still no word from investigators on the man’s identity or what caused his death.  The body was found about the same time that a fatal scooter crash happened in the same area, but police have said the two incidents are not connected.  Police are still not saying whether or not foul play is suspected in the death of man found near the tracks.  His funeral will be held Wednesday in Dayton.

(Fountain City, IN)--A former Fountain City Town Council member is back in jail.  26-year-old Jesse Berger was booked into the Wayne County Jail at 9:30 Sunday night.  Berger was allegedly drunk and disorderly earlier in the evening.  Officers had warned him and left.  Berger then called 911 to say he was being harassed by the officers.  That brought police back and resulted in Berger going to jail.  He had been arrested for felony DUI in March.  After that arrest, he stepped down from council.

(Wayne Co., IN)--A Richmond woman has now died as the result of a Saturday night motorcycle crash.  It happened on State Road 227 in front of the Richmond Municipal Airport.  A motorcycle being ridden by Jon and Michelle Stoffle collided with a hay wagon that was turning into a private drive.  Michelle Stoffle was flown to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, where she later died.  Jon Stoffle sustained minor injuries.  The hay wagon driver was not hurt.

(Richmond, IN)--The Cordell Municipal Pool in Richmond will reopen Monday.  The pool had closed last week after as many as 60 children experienced minor abrasions on their feet.  In the days it was closed, experts were brought in to examine the pool and the water.  They determined that there was nothing wrong with the pool.  The say the children’s abrasions were caused because they spent excessive time in the water, which softened the skin on their feet, and then walked on the dry concrete pool deck.

(Eaton, OH)--Residents near the fairgrounds in Eaton were warned to shelter in place Thursday after a man who was hauling half a million dollars of heroin on I-70 escaped police custody.  Ohio Highway Patrol troopers had placed the Hispanic man in a cruiser when they found five kilos of heroin during a traffic stop.  When he got into Eaton, the man was able to escape.  "We don't know exactly how he was able to get out of the cruiser yet," said OHP Trooper Danny Springs.  That led to a manhunt that lasted several hours.  The suspect was finally found and taken into custody at around 10:30 Thursday night.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond subscribers to Comcast recently lost another local network television affiliate, and a Comcast spokesman this week said it’s impossible to predict if more stations will be dropped.  Comcast dropped WDTN, Dayton’s NBC affiliate on Channel 2.  Richmond once had eight television stations from Dayton and Cincinnati (excluding PBS), which are geographically the closest two markets.  Now, it’s down to just three.  The reason is that Richmond is now determined by Nielsen to be a part of the market of a large central Indiana city, despite the fact that that city is twice as far away.  Dayton and Cincinnati TV stations are now considered out-of-market.  Comcast said it was contractually required by Nextar Media to stop providing programming from WDTN.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond Police did confirm Thursday that a dead body was found on or near the railroad tracks close to North 12^th Street on Wednesday night, but that’s about all they’re saying.  An RPD spokesperson would not elaborate Thursday on whether or not foul play was suspected, how long the body had been there, or how it was discovered.  Investigators could not find identification on the body.  RPD said the investigation is continuing.

(Richmond, IN)--There was a large police presence in the area of North 12^th and E in Richmond Wednesday night into Thursday morning for two separate incidents.  A dead body was discovered on or near the railroad tracks close to that intersection Wednesday night.  Investigators could not initially find an ID on the body.  Then, at 10 o’clock Wednesday night, there was a serious crash at North 12^th and E.  A scooter and a car collided.  Injuries to at least one person were thought to be life-threatening.  There’s no word yet on any identities or conditions.  Police suspect alcohol played a role in the crash.  Officials stressed that the two incidents were in no way connected.

(Connersville, IN)--There’s new information on the deaths of two Fayette County Jail inmates earlier this week.  Fountain City’s Chad Sizemore and Connersville’s Thomas Lohr were both in the same cell when jail staff found them and another man unresponsive.  Both men died.  Sizemore had been arrested by the Fountain City town marshal and then handed off to Fayette County.  Now, investigators say there is surveillance video of the incident.  The jailhouse video shows Sizemore pulling a plastic baggie from a body cavity.  All three men then snorted the contents, which is now believed to be heroin.  All three fell unconscious almost immediately.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond’s Cordell Pool has closed temporarily, just a few days after it opened.  The pool closed Wednesday because of multiple reports of foot abrasions from children in the two-to-four-foot area of the pool.  There were about 60 complaints.  Park staff was unable to determine the cause of the abrasions after testing chemical levels and running the pool vacuum for extended periods.  Park officials have not said when the pool may reopen.

(Richmond, IN)--Tuition at IU East is increasing.  The IU Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved a modest increase for the upcoming school year and the year that will follow.  Tuition at IU East will go up by 1.9%.  That amounts to an extra $135 for a student with a typical class schedule.  The increases are the same at all IU regional campuses.  Tuition at the main campus in Bloomington is going up by 1.4%.

(Connersville, IN)--One Fountain City man and one Connersville man were both found dead inside the Fayette County Jail, and officials suspect it was the result of drugs being smuggled in.  37-year-old Chad Sizemore of Fountain City was jailed on a probation violation on Monday night.  He was placed into the same cell as Thomas Lohr and Weslee Jenkins.  Shortly afterward, jail staff found all three men unresponsive.  Sizemore and Lohr were pronounced dead.  Jenkins was taken to Reid Health and is expected to survive.  Toxicology results will likely take several weeks.

(Richmond, IN)--A man was shot Tuesday in a Richmond neighborhood that’s become notorious for drug use and prostitution.  Police say 48-year-old Ronald Caldwell and 62-year-old James Head were arguing in the area of North 13^th and C Streets Tuesday afternoon.  Caldwell began to enter an apartment when he was shot in the hip by Head.  Caldwell’s wound was non-life-threatening.  Head was interviewed, but jail records show he had not been arrested as of 6 o'clock Wednesday morning.

(Richmond, IN)--For the second year in a row, Charles Elementary School in Richmond has been named a four-star school by the Indiana Department of Education.  To get that designation, a school has to be in the top 25^th percentile in two ISTEP categories and have received an “A” in the state’s accountability system.  Only one other school in our area received a four-star rating.  That was St. Michael School in Brookville.

(Richmond, IN)--$7.7 million…that’s the new price tag on the demolition of the old Reid Hospital.  The removal was discussed at some length during Monday night’s Richmond Common Council meeting.  Council approved a resolution that would allow Mayor Dave Snow to pursue a loan through Indiana’s Brownfields Program.  The loan would be capped at $10 million.  The city would then be on the hook for a $385,000 annual loan payment for 20 years.  The money would come from the Redevelopment Commission, which is collecting $2 million annually in TIF dollars.  Council members Misty Hollis and Jamie Lopeman voted against the resolution, saying the plan should have been presented as an ordinance, which would have allowed citizens to comment.

(Fountain City, IN)--Three Union City residents were jailed Monday night after they were searched near the Marathon station in Fountain City.  27-year-old Sarah Mangas and 18-year-olds Jeremy Moore and Taylor Murphy were all allegedly in possession of drugs.  Mangas and Moore were charged with dealing methamphetamine.  All were also allegedly in possession of syringes and other paraphernalia.  Moore was wanted in Fayette County.

(Richmond, IN)--Wayne County’s EDC Board Monday awarded an EDIT grant of nearly $11,000 to Silgan White Cap on Williamsburg Pike.  Silgan is investing $2.5 million into equipment upgrades.  The grant money will be used to train employees on the new equipment.  Silgan manufactures caps for a number of different food and beverage products around the world.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond man was arrested Monday morning after he allegedly pushed a two-year-old child in a stroller to a vacant house in the middle of the night and simply left the child there alone.  40-year-old Steven Stinson was booked into the Wayne County Jail at 4 o’clock Monday morning on a charge of felony neglect of a dependent.  The child’s mother was already in jail.  The grandmother was taking care of the child, but she was hospitalized Sunday night.  That left the child in Stinson’s care.  He allegedly pushed the two-year-old to a vacant home and then walked away.  The child was discovered unharmed Monday morning.  Details of how the child was discovered have not been released.

(Richmond, IN)--Here’s more on the missed application deadline by the city of Richmond regarding the Stellar Grant program.  On Friday morning, we reported that the state was still awaiting documentation from the city that was due last December.  City Controller Beth Fields then issued an email in which she took responsibility for the error, saying that she assumed that meetings held with various state agencies constituted official communication.  Fields said she was in contact with those agencies Friday afternoon and that an official request for an extension was sent that day.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond Common Council member Jamie Lopeman took to social media over the weekend to express concern over a resolution that will come before council Monday night.  The resolution would allow Mayor Dave Snow to pursue a loan application to fund the removal of the old Reid building.  Lopeman criticized the fact that it will come before council as a resolution – not an ordinance – and that there is no cap for a dollar amount.  Lopeman also alleges he was excluded from meetings with the mayor about the loan.  Monday night’s council meeting begins at 7:30.

(Brookville, IN)--An alert has been issued for boaters and swimmers who use Brookville Lake.  The DNR has issued a blue-green algae advisory for Brookville Lake.  Extended exposure can lead to rashes, eye irritation, and nausea.  Swimmers should avoid swallowing the water and should shower after swimming.  Other large area lakes, including Acton Lake at Hueston Woods and Lake Lakengren, have not shown signs of a significant algae bloom.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond’s Stellar Grant funding is not in jeopardy, despite the fact that the city has missed an application deadline by more than five months.  That’s according to a representative of the Indiana Lieutenant Governor’s Office on Thursday.  Richmond was named a Stellar community four years ago and was originally in line to get nearly $20 million for upgrades – mainly in the Uptown area.  As a part of that process, an application and accompanying documentation was due last December.  According to the Lieutenant Governor’s Office, that deadline came and went with no word from the city of Richmond.  In April, the Office of Community and Rural Affairs, which oversees the Stellar grant program began questioning the delay in discussion with the Lieutenant Governor's Office.  According to that office, the city still has not filed the documentation that was due last December.  A state official said Thursday that grant funding will be held until the Office of Community and Rural Affairs receives the necessary documentation.  The issue will likely come up at Monday night’s council meeting.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond’s Toyota dealership has sold.  The sale of Premier Toyota on National Road East to a Harrison-based group was finalized Thursday.  Terms of the sale to Cronin Ford in Harrison have not been disclosed.  One now-former employee of Premier indicated Thursday night that several employees were terminated as a part of the sale.  Cronin has an A-plus rating with the Better Business Bureau and is based 40 miles south of Richmond.

(Richmond, IN)--No major structural damage was found after a pickup truck crashed into the Merle Henderson Apartment building at South 14^th and A in Richmond late Thursday night.  "It just fractured the exterior of the wall," said RFD Battalion Chief Eric Holmes.  Holmes described how it happened.  "A guy was working on his truck.  It fell into gear somehow and just rolled into the building."  There were no injuries and there was no need for any evacuation.

(Richmond, IN)--The demolition of old Reid will be addressed Monday night.  Common Council will hear a resolution that would give Mayor Dave Snow the authorization to apply for a Brownfield loan to clean up contamination and take the building down.  The zero-interest loan would be repaid through TIF funding.  The repayment process is expected to be approved by the Richmond Redevelopment Commission at a meeting on June 13.

(Richmond, IN)--Construction is now underway at Whitewater Hall.  The first building on the IU East campus is now 46 years old and is undergoing a major facelift.  The work is being done by Whisenhunt Construction and is concentrated on the lobby area and will include a large display of flat screen monitors called an IQ wall.  The renovations were prompted by IU East’s booming enrollment.  It’s doubled in the last ten years and now includes over 4500 students.

(Richmond, IN)--An investigation is underway at the Richmond Post Office.  It stems from an incident last weekend.  Multiple witnesses say they saw a postal worker kick a small dog off a porch on South West 1^st.  Those witnesses say the dog, whose name is Guedo, was not barking or threatening the postal carrier in any way and was ignoring the carrier as he walked onto the porch.  Guedo’s owner is Annika Coston.  She said Wednesday that her Jack Russell terrier was seriously injured.  A post office representative said Wednesday that the investigation is continuing and that no punitive action has been taken yet.

(Richmond, IN)--A father/son duo was taken to the Wayne County Jail after an incident at Kohl’s in Richmond Wednesday night.  According to police reports, 43-year-old Gerald Kutche tried to walk out of Kohl’s with speakers that he had stuffed down the front of his pants.  As Kutche was taken into custody outside by RPD officers, his father, 73-year-old Donald Kutche, let loose on police.  He was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting law enforcement.  Gerald Kutche was charged with theft.  He was still behind bars Thursday morning.

(Winchester, IN)--The Lynn man who used a gun to rob a convenience store and had the clerk put cigarettes in a pink, flowered backpack has been sentenced to three years in prison.  20-year-old Gavien Isaacs had four years suspended this week in Randolph Circuit Court.  He robbed a Village Pantry last October.  Surveillance images, along with Isaacs’ pink backpack and Superman sweatshirt, helped investigators identify and arrest him.