(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond man who has had more than 40 arrests since 2003 was back in a familiar place Monday morning – in the Wayne County Jail.  This time, police spotted 31-year-old Matthew Eversole and 30-year-old Anita Jarrett on what was thought to be a stolen scooter on Grand Boulevard.  Both were charged with theft.  Jarrett was charged with possession of methamphetamine.  Eversole was still free on bond from his most recent crime when he was arrested Sunday night.

(Winchester, IN)--Randolph County is considering using the vote center concept that Wayne County has used for several years.  The first of several required public hearings on the subject takes place Tuesday night at 6 at the Commissioners Room of the courthouse.  Proponents say reducing the number of polling places and letting people vote wherever they want would save the county money.  Right now, Randolph County pays about $7500 each election to maintain 18 polling places.

(Richmond, IN)--Two men were taken into custody Sunday near where a woman overdosed and had to be revived with CPR.  54-year-old Jonny Dixon and 41-year-old Chris Pardo were still in the Wayne County Jail Monday morning.  They’re both charged with possession of cocaine.  Dixon is charged with maintaining a common nuisance.  The arrest came at his home in the 900 block of North C.  Dixon also allegedly gave police a false name.

(Richmond, IN)--MCL in Richmond has reversed its decision to close and will now remain open indefinitely.  Corporate leaders met there Thursday afternoon.  As that meeting broke up, a sign went on the door announcing the decision.  It was only nine days ago that they had said MCL would close.  The reason for the reversal has not been released.  But, when MCL decided to close, a source close to the situation indicated the restaurant could not come to terms with Hull Property Group.  They’re the owners of the Richmond Mall.  MCL had reportedly wanted upgrades to the building as part of its lease and had set July 17 as the deadline to reach an agreement.

(Whitewater Valley)--There’s been a transition involving two local banks.  MainSource Financial Group is being acquired by Cincinnat-based First Financial.  MainSource has branches in Richmond, Centerville, and Hagerstown.  First Financial has branches in Connersville, Camden, and Oxford.  The merged companies expect to close 45 or 50 offices across the Midwest, but the specific branches have not yet been identified.

(Lynn, IN)--Multiple agencies were called to the scene of a house fire in Lynn Friday morning.  The fire broke out at a home in the 800 block of West Church Street at 3:30 Friday morning.  Fighting the fire was made more difficult because the company that provides energy to the home was slow to respond.  There’s no word yet on whether or not anyone was inside, what started the fire, or the extent of the damage.

(Richmond, IN)--The Reid Ride is off for this year.  The ride, which involves hundreds of bicycle riders covering about 23 miles across Wayne County, had been scheduled for last Saturday.  Weather prevented the ride from happening.  Now, organizers say they’ve been unable to come up with a make-up date this year due to scheduling conflicts with volunteers and first responders.  The Reid Ride has provided more than 10,000 pairs of shoes to kids across the area.

(Richmond, IN)--Wayne County Prosecutor Mike Shipman released an update on the county’s drug diversion program Wednesday.  That program offers reduced or eliminated criminal charges to addicts if they can complete the program.  Shipman said that there are currently 31 people in the program.  16 of those people are compliant with the requirements; 15 are not.  A total of 91 people have attempted the program since its inception in June of last year.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond SWAT Team officers cordoned off an area in the 700 block of North 15^th Street Wednesday afternoon as they executed a search warrant.   Once the house was cleared and secured, the Drug Task Force took over and arrested 40-year-old Eric Charles on a drug charge.  Heroin was recovered from the scene.  Scanner traffic indicated two other people were detained, but there is no indication that those two were arrested.

(Fayette County, IN)--A Fayette County man who walked away from a work release program last month was captured Wednesday, but it wasn’t a typical apprehension.  Deputies had received numerous complaints earlier this week of a naked man in cornfields.  That naked man had also been knocking on doors and trying to flag down cars.  On Wednesday, deputies found a naked 39-year-old Patrick Allen sleeping in a cornfield.  Allen was asked by deputies why he had been naked for several days.  Allen’s response was that he had been partying.

(Hagerstown, IN)--A Wayne County boy was died Tuesday night after being struck by a pickup truck.  That boy has been identified as 14-year-old Elijah Neal.  The accident happened at the intersection of Brick Church and Turnpike Roads just west of Hagerstown at 7:45 Tuesday night.  According to a Sheriff’s Department spokesperson, Elijah was on a bicycle and rode into the intersection in front of an oncoming pickup truck that was driven by 22-year-old Chandler Grogan of New Castle.  Elijah was taken Dayton Children’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead.  No criminal charges were filed and there was no indication that drugs or alcohol were involved.

(Whitewater Valley)--Unemployment numbers in our area trending upward again after bottoming out last month.  Wayne County is at 3.3%.  That’s up 2/10 of a percent.  Fayette is at 4.4, Randolph is at 3.5, Franklin has 3%, and Union County is at 2.9% unemployment.  Numbers on the Ohio side are slightly higher with Preble County at 4.7%, Darke at 4.4%, and Butler County at 4.9%.  All of those numbers, though, are at least a full percentage point lower than they were at this point last year.

(Greens Fork, IN)--The name of the man killed in a Wayne County motorcycle accident has been released.  61-year-old James Fields of Richmond was pronounced dead at the scene of a crash on North Washington Road just south of Greens Fork at around 8 o’clock Monday night.  Fields’ motorcycle went off the road and down an embankment.  The investigation is continuing pending toxicology.

(Wayne County, IN)--New employment numbers are out for Wayne County.  Unemployment numbers have ticked back up after a huge drop last month.  This month, 76 more people are listed as unemployed as compared to last month.  The most notable number, though, continues to be Wayne County’s shrinking work force.  The county is approaching dropping below 30,000 in the workforce.  829 fewer people are in the Wayne County workforce today than were at this time last year.

(New Paris, OH)--An iconic local business is for sale.  Wesler’s Orchard is listed with a local realtor and appears for sale on the website landandfarm.com.  The 80-acre property just outside of New Paris was purchased by Frank Wesler 87 years ago and has been operated as an orchard for decades by Wesler’s descendants.  The family has indicated they want to retire after many successful years in business.  Asking price for the land, store, and home that sits on the property is $1.1 million.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond man turned himself in at the Wayne County Jail over the weekend on a felony child molesting charge.  42-year-old Peter Angi and his father showed up at the jail at just after midnight Sunday morning.  Angi’s father then immediately posted bond and Angi was set free.  Details of what Angi is alleged to have done have not yet been released.

(Eaton, OH)--There were two convenience store armed robberies in Eaton overnight Sunday night and Monday morning, and one person was in custody Monday.  The first happened at the Village Pantry on South Barron at just before 11 last night.  A man displayed a handgun and took money from the register.  Then, at just before 3 o’clock this morning, the Speedway station on North Barron was robbed at gunpoint.  This time, the suspect was taken into custody.  He’s been identified as 36-year-old Russell McMillan.  McMillan is facing a host of felony charges.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond man woke up in the Wayne County Jail Friday morning after being taken into custody Thursday night for allegedly soliciting sex from a child.  45-year-old Roy Nelson was arrested in the 300 block of South West 1^st Street.  Details of what Nelson is alleged to have done have not yet become available.  Child solicitation is a Level Five felony.

(Brookville, IN)--There’s even more trouble for Franklin County government, and this may be the most serious accusation yet.  Now, a former employee has filed a lawsuit against Franklin County’s Commission and Council.  In the lawsuit, Kim Robinson claims she was fired earlier this year from her job as deputy auditor because she refused to commit illegal acts.   Robinson claims she was told to pay some county employees twice for the same holiday, to give employees sick pay when they were not entitled, and to hide ghost employment.  Robinson claims she received orders to commit the illegal acts from the county’s clerk, treasurer, and the Circuit Court judge.

(Wayne County, IN)--A Richmond woman allegedly gave police a false name during a traffic stop that turned up several types of drugs late Thursday afternoon.  Officers found methamphetamine, cocaine, syringes, and other drug paraphernalia when a car occupied by 35-year-old Jessica Dunn and 55-year-old James Mikesell on U.S. 40 at Pennville Road between Centerville and Cambridge City.  Dunn likely gave police the false name because she’s wanted in Kentucky.

(Richmond, IN)--Two Pennsylvania residents were caught in Richmond Thursday night with lots of drugs.  The 18-year-old man and his 26-year-old girlfriend were taken into custody in the 5500 block of National Road East and jailed at 6 o’clock Thursday night.  RPD officers recovered methamphetamine, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.  Both were also charged with felony maintaining a common nuisance.  There’s no word yet on what the couple was doing in Richmond.

(Cambridge City, IN)--The dispute over wastewater treatment in the Gateway Industrial Park goes before the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission Thursday.  SugarCreek Packing, with the backing of both the town of Cambridge City and Wayne County, is asking for the commission to intervene.  SugarCreek has claimed that the failure of the Western Wayne Sewer District to follow through on promises to treat wastewater has prevented the company’s expansion.  Thursday’s hearing is preliminary and will establish a timeline for future hearings.

(Richmond, IN)--A Centerville man who had been convicted of auto thefts in Randolph and Jay County last year was behind bars in Wayne County Wednesday morning charged with an entirely different kind of crime.  23-year-old Kali Cryor was arrested on North 4^th in Richmond Tuesday.  Cryor allegedly exposed himself to a child yesterday and then gave police false information when officers investigated.

(Richmond, IN)--An allegedly drunken and unruly Richmond man was caught Tuesday after a residential burglary in broad daylight.  33-year-old Anthony Bishop is charged with burglary after he was found Tuesday at a home in the 400 block of South 10th.  A resident found that a window had been smashed to gain entry.  Bishop was sitting on the porch when police arrived with shards of glass from the window he had just broken still in his shoes.

(Eaton, OH)--The city of Eaton has 16 railroad crossings within just a mile and a half of track.  Railroad representatives are now working with the city to reduce that number.  Norfolk and Southern has offered the city a financial incentive to close at least three crossings.  They say that each crossing increases the likelihood of an accident from numerous trains that pass through Eaton on the same rail line that cuts through Richmond.  Crossings that could be closed include Cherry or Walnut Street.

(Wayne County, IN)--Wayne County is continuing on its pace of one new, substantiated case of child abuse or neglect every day in 2017.  According to newly released numbers, Wayne County had 149 new cases of abuse and neglect in the first 151 days of the year.  It also keeps the county on pace for a substantial increase from last year.  Currently, Wayne County cases are up 21% from the same point in 2016.

(Richmond, IN)--Methamphetamine was found in a car in the parking lot of Richmond’s K-Mart Sunday night.  Police investigated the report of a suspicious woman on the lot and found 45-year-old Jennifer Goodwin.  Goodwin originally refused to let police search her car but later relented.  As officers were busy processing the meth, a witness said they say Goodwin shove pills into her pants.  Those pills were later confiscated.  Goodwin was in the Wayne County Jail Monday morning.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond man has indicated that counterfeiting charges will not be pursued after his arrest last week.  Brandon Gray was arrested after a one-hundred-dollar bill turned up at Walmart.  Gray said that he was able to convince investigators that he did not know that the bill was counterfeit when he tried to make a purchase.  He said that he fully cooperated with police during the investigation.  RPD has not returned a call to confirm Gray’s account.

(Wayne County, IN)--Representative Dick Hamm’s office on Thursday released details of the Next Level Roads Plan for Wayne County.  Wayne County will receive more than $62 million in the next five years that will be dedicated to local infrastructure projects – mainly road and bridge repair.  By 2022, 159 miles of roadway will have been resurfaced and 33 bridges will have been fixed or replaced.  Some of the bigger projects include replacing the bridge on U.S. 40 over Nolands Fork Creek in 2022 and reconstructing the I-70 interchanges at U.S. 40 and State Road 227.  That will take place in 2021.  County-by-county details of Indiana’s Next Level Roads Plan were released Thursday.  Union County will get $2.8 million in the next five years.  Fayette County will get $7.2 million.  Randolph County is in line for $17.5 million in road and bridge upgrades.  And, Franklin County will get $14.5 million.  All of those counties will see major highways resurfaced.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond firefighters were called Friday morning to the 700 block of West Main Street.  The residents of a five-apartment home had evacuated when the call came in at just after 6:30 Friday morning.  Firefighters arrived to find light smoke showing.  West Main was blocked to allow for access to hydrants.  There was no initial report of any injuries or word about what started the fire.

(Eaton, OH)--More details have been released about an infant that was left alone inside a hot car in Eaton’s Walmart parking lot on Wednesday.  59-year-old Vivian Floyd of Eaton has been charged with child endangering.  Eric Beegley with the Eaton Police Department describes Floyd’s reaction when she came out of Walmart.  "When she came outside, she was wondering why everyone was around her car.  When they told her a child was inside, she was shocked."  Floyd thought that her daughter, who is the infant’s mother, had taken the baby with her when Floyd dropped her daughter off.  "She goes 'I didn't realize I had the child with me' and was obviously very emotional and concerned about the child," Beegley said.  The baby was not seriously affected.

(Eaton, OH)--A child was left in a hot car in the parking lot of the Eaton Walmart Wednesday night.  The fire department responded when others noticed the child in the car with the windows up.  They gained entry and got the child out without serious injury.  One person was arrested for child endangering, but that person’s name has not been released.  More details are expected to be released later in the day on Thursday.

(Richmond, IN)--An alleged counterfeiter was caught in the act Wednesday night at Richmond’s Walmart.  28-year-old Brandon Gray of Richmond woke up in the Wayne County Jail Thursday morning.  According to police reports, Gray tried to pass off a phony one-hundred-dollar bill during a purchase.  Counterfeiting is a felony.  Counterfeit bills are typically turned over to federal authorities.

(Preble County, OH)--500 customers of DP&L remained without power in Preble County Thursday morning.  For those residents, they’re now approaching two full days without power after strong winds blew through the area on Tuesday.  DP&L indicated it could be another full day before power is completely restored.  500 workers from five states have been working around the clock to restore power.

(Whitewater Valley)--Power was still out to many across the Whitewater Valley Wednesday morning after winds in excess of 60 miles per hour in some areas brought down trees and power lines Tuesday afternoon.  In Richmond, some customers of RP&L in the Liberty Avenue and College Avenue were still without power at 6 a.m. Wednesday.  There were only 36 customers of Whitewater Valley REMC still in the dark.  There were also a handful of outages for Duke Energy customers – mostly in the Fountain City area.  The largest outage area Wednesday morning was in Preble County, where more than 2000 customers were still in the dark.  That includes all 1400 households in Lakengren.  One representative of DP&L said Wednesday morning that restoration could come quickly, but it could also take up to three days.

(Richmond, IN)--Tuesday’s storm resulted in an injury to a Wayne County deputy.  The deputy was on Wernle Road in Richmond when a large tree limb fell on him.  He was taken to Reid Health to be treated for a possible broken leg.  His identity and current condition have not been released.

(Connersville, IN)--It’s a done deal for the former Marsh Supermarket on Virginia Avenue in Connersville.  The store closed last weekend but will soon re-open as an IGA.  New owner Eric Rabe owns five other IGA stores in the greater Cincinnati area.  Changes to the store could include a bulk Amish food section and remodeling.  Rabe is working toward an opening sometime next month.  Many of the former Marsh employees will be retained at the new Connersville IGA.

(Richmond, IN)--The number of babies born to addicted mothers at Reid Health is on pace to double this year.  Listen to this statistic released Monday by Lisa Suttle and the group Heroin is Here.  In the first five months of this year, 44 babies had been born to mothers who tested positive for some type of opioid.  That’s getting close to the total for all of 2016, when 58 mothers tested positive.  If the current rate continues, 106 babies will be born this year at Reid Health to addicted mothers.  Those newborns often suffer a variety of health problems and face extended hospital stays, usually at public expense.

(Cedar Grove, IN)--Two young children are okay and are in protective custody after their mom was found passed out from an overdose in her car.  It happened Monday night in Franklin County.  Authorities were called to a gas station on Highway 52 for an overdose.  They revived the woman with two doses of Narcan.  She then refused to be taken to the hospital.  The children in the car were described as a premature infant and a toddler.

(Randolph County, IN)--A Randolph County homeowner scared off three burglars Tuesday morning.  The man was sleeping on his couch at around 3 o’clock Tuesday morning at a home on State Road 227 a few miles north of Spartanburg.  Three people broke out multiple front windows to gain entry.  They fled when home’s occupant woke up and yelled.  Police searched for the trio but were unable to locate them.  There was no suspect description.

(Preble County, OH)--Yet another Whitewater Valley highway has closed for construction.  This time it’s State Route 122, which connects Boston and Eaton.  The road is closed now and will remain closed for the next couple of weeks just east of the small town of West Florence.  122 is a state road on the Ohio side, but was abandoned by Indiana as a state highway years ago and is now just a county road.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond man ran right out of his shoes Monday but was caught after a chase through one of the city’s problem areas.  29-year-old Dairion Stark was taken into custody when he ran into a house at North 11^th and D.  Then, Monday night, 33-year-old Craig Whitt was taken into custody on North West 2^nd Street.  Whitt was allegedly in possession of methamphetamine, syringes, and other drug paraphernalia.  Whitt is pictured in the accompanying photo.

(New Paris, OH)--If you’ve ever watched HGTV, you probably know what a tiny house is.  It’s a fully-functional home that’s usually mobile and generally smaller than 500 square feet.  Now, an entire tiny home village is being proposed for New Paris.  On Monday night, the Village Council will consider a proposal that would place the tiny house village close to the Natural Springs Resort area.  New Paris leaders were quick to indicate that it’s being proposed by an entity entirely different than Natural Springs.  Those leaders also refused to say how many homes are being proposed and referred all questions to the owner, who also has not returned our calls.

(Preble County, OH)--Severe storms affected parts of the Whitewater Valley Monday morning.  High winds  brought down trees and power lines across State Route 725 in the Camden area of southern Preble County at around 5 o'clock Monday morning.  Trees are also down in Hueston Woods.  Some tents were hit by trees Monday morning, but no one is thought to have been inside.  No injuries were reported elsewhere, although 725 had to be shut down for a time.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond man was taken into custody Sunday after allegedly breaking into a home.  31-year-old Matthew Eversole was caught at North 15^th and C.  For Eversole, it’s his 24^th trip to the Wayne County Jail.  Here’s his arrest record just in recent months:  Drug dealing in March, drug possession in March.  Possession last December.  Possession last September, and another arrest for possession – also last September.  Eversole also has a previous residential entry arrest.

(Richmond, IN)--A ribbon-cutting will take place Monday afternoon at the new location of the American Red Cross in Richmond.  Community leaders will be on hand at the new building at 829 East Main Street in Uptown Richmond.  From that office, the local chapter will continue to help victims of fires and other disasters.  The open house begins at 4 Monday afternoon.

(Richmond, IN)--There were a couple of Richmond drug arrests Thursday night.  Devante Ferguson was rounded up at Country Club Apartments on warrants for possessing and dealing marijuana.  When he was a teen, he had been charged with robbery as an adult.  Also Thursday night, 26-year-old Miranda Means was allegedly found with drugs and syringes in the 1400 block of South 6^th.  Means was in the Wayne County Jail Friday morning.

UPDATE 9:14 AM:

The victim in yesterday's fatal incident at the Richmond Sanitary District has just been identified as Danny Caldwell. pic.twitter.com/5RsAbS6qze

— Jeff Lane (@jeff_lanenews) July 6, 2017

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(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond Sanitation Department employee was killed Wednesday afternoon.  First responders, including a dive team, were sent to the Liberty Avenue plant after the employee went missing and was thought to have fallen into a wastewater tank.  At 6 o’clock Wednesday night, it was being called a recovery effort.  The victim’s body was eventually recovered and taken to Dayton for an autopsy.  The city has taken the virtually unprecedented step of having the city attorney prepare a press release which provides no details whatsoever of the incident or the identity of the victim, and indicates that no comments will be made.  One city employee, who spoke exclusively with Kicks 96 and The Point News on the condition of anonymity, has provided a few details.  That person is indicating that the victim fell through a hole into a wastewater treatment tank and drowned.  According to the source, the hole existed because a grate that should have been covering it was not in place.  Richmond’s City Attorney has instructed every city employee to remain silent about the incident other than reading the prepared statement.

(Eaton, OH)--The Eaton Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying a couple of theft suspects.  The two men are clearly depicted inside Cashland on North Barron Street in Eaton. If you can help identify the suspects, contact the Eaton Police Department.

(Richmond, IN)--Legendary Richmond High School boys basketball coach Dick Baumgartner has died.  Baumgartner died Monday night at Reid Health.  Today, many are remembering Baumgartner as a coach who raised the bar for success at RHS.  "I've never seen a guy at any level who enjoyed winning or being successful more than he did," said long-time sports writer Mike Lopresti.  Even though he never made it to a Final Four at RHS, Baumgartner still led the Red Devils to eight regional titles in 12 years.  Avis Stewart said Baumgartner’s reputation extended well beyond RHS.  "Dick was not only known locally and statewide, but Dick was known nationally."  He had developed a reputation as one of the country’s leading experts on shooting and hosted camps that continue.  Baumgartner was also known for inventing the Sure Shot basketball.  It's a basketball with a hand and circle for a palm printed on it that countless kids used to develop their shooting skills.  Baumgarnter was also known for his intensity.  "He thought about basketball 24/7.  I could walk past him in the hallway at the high school on game day and he wouldn't even see me," said Jan Clark.  Dick Baumgartner was 85.

(Brookville, IN)--A five-year-old boy drowned in Brookville Lake Tuesday.  It happened at Mounds Beach.  Investigators say the boy, who was from Cincinnati, walked away from his parents and into the water unnoticed until his body was found.  "A ten-year-old girl was swimming in the beach area.  She felt something and told her father that she thought she had just touched a body," said Correy Norrod with DNR.  Multiple bystanders performed CPR, including Maria Corona.  "He started doing compressions.  I was holding his chin.  Someone else was pinching his nose and putting air into him."  But the boy could not be revived.  It’s not yet clear if criminal charges will be filed.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond man was jailed late Tuesday night after allegedly firing guns from his porch while he was under the influence of alcohol.  It happened in the 400 block of South West 3^rd Street.  Shell casings from two weapons were found on the porch of 50-year-old Tony Chaney.  Officers took three different weapons from the scene.  Chaney allegedly blew a .129.  There were no injuries.

(Richmond, IN)--There were no injuries as a result of a crash that shut down a Richmond intersection Monday morning.  It happened at around 5:30 at the intersection of South 9^th and A Streets.  Rachel Gray is an Old Richmond taxi driver.  She was on South A when a pickup truck went through the light.  "The truck that hit me ran the red light.  After that, I did a complete 360 and I hit one of those flower pots in front of the Leland," Gray said.  The intersection re-opened at 6:30 Monday morning.  Gray said Old Richmond Taxi is closed until further notice.

(Wayne County, IN)--No one was hurt after a drunken woman drove the wrong way on I-70 at 90 miles per hour Sunday morning.  According to scanner traffic, the central Indiana woman was headed east in the westbound lanes of western Wayne County.  She was pulled over and police thought the chase had ended, but she fled again.  When she was finally taken into custody, she had a blood alcohol content of .129.  She was taken to the Wayne County Jail.