(Richmond, IN)--Sewer bills for Richmond residents are going up.  The average Richmond customer will see an $11 monthly increase that will be phased in over the next three years after Richmond Common Council gave its approval in a special meeting Monday night.  Council voted 6-3 to increase bills to fund court-ordered improvements to the sanitary sewer system.  Council President Misty Hollis talked about why the federal government is mandating the improvements.  "A lot of people might not know this, but we still have a few places that, when we have a huge rain, our sewer flows into the (Whitewater) river," Hollis said.  $33 million in bonds will be issued to fund five projects. $2.5 million in cash that’s on hand at the Sanitary District will be used to pay down the debt.

(Richmond, IN)--Sewer bills may be going up for Richmond residents, but it looks like electric bills will be going down.  On Monday night, RP&L’s budget for next year was presented to the Board, which is also Richmond Common Council.  Council President Misty Hollis talked about why bills could decrease next year.  "We buy our power from IMPA.  We are going to see a significant decrease in the cost of power next year.  That is going to pass down to the consumer," Hollis said.  Hollis also indicated that RP&L employees would see a pay raise.

(Richmond, IN)--Main Street in Uptown Richmond will be the latest victim of road construction.  Contractors plan to close access to and from Main Street west of South 8^th for up to three weeks beginning Tuesday.  Traffic will still be able to pass through Uptown from north to south on 8^th Street, but drivers will no longer be able to pass through Uptown on an east/west route.

(Wayne County, IN)--Wayne County’s death rate last year was well above the state average.  According to newly released figures from the state, Wayne County’s rate is 949 people per 100,000 residents, but the state rate is 835.  Even higher is Fayette County, which ranked 4^th with 1005 residents.  The leading cause of death in Wayne County last year was cardiovascular disease.  Wayne County’s rate in that category was 18% higher than the state average.

(Richmond, IN)--Local law enforcement agents went to South Carolina over the weekend to bring back an alleged attempted armed robber.  41-year-old Shira Rogers had been wanted since February.  Rogers allegedly took part in the stabbing of a Richmond man on South 6^th Street last December.  Rogers allegedly set up a meeting with the victim to purchase Walmart gift cards, but police say it was a setup for robbery.  Jeffrey Carlin was also charged in the attack.  Details of how Rogers was captured in South Carolina have not been released.

(Centerville, IN)--Here’s a story of two local law enforcement officers who went above and beyond the call this weekend.  An elderly couple from the Dayton area was traveling along I-70.  They were both confused and dealing with medical issues.  When their car was stopped on 70, Cambridge City Officer Tim Gard and Wayne County Deputy Nick Gulde realized the couple had nowhere to go and had not eaten in two days.  Officer Gard paid for a motel room in Centerville with his own money while Deputy Gulde paid for their food.  Family members were located and they were returned to the Dayton area Sunday night.

(Richmond, IN)--Another Whitewater Valley highway will close Monday for several weeks.  It’s State Road 121, which is better known as New Paris Pike, in Richmond.  New Paris Pike will close under I-70 to allow the pavement to be rebuilt and strengthened after the interstate overpasses were replaced.  There are no more lane restrictions on 70, although speed is still reduced there.  New Paris Pike will be closed for at least the next two weeks.

(Richmond, IN)--Bids were opened Thursday night for the demolition and removal of the old Reid Hospital buildings, and the news for the city is good.  Nearly all of the 18 bids that were opened in Council Chambers came in under estimates.  Bids to both remediate the land and demolish and remove debris ranged from about $2.6 to nearly $6.8 million.  Those figures are well below the initial estimate of $8.1 million.  Bids will be awarded next month after further examination.  Work is tentatively set to begin on the second day of the new year.

(Richmond, IN)--There were two drug overdoses a block apart on South 12^th in Richmond Thursday.  In the first incident, a man in the 200 block of South 12^th was revived.  Criminal charges are pending.  Then, several hours later, first responders were sent to the 300 block.  That overdose call did result in criminal charges against 26-year-old Jayme Montalvo.  She was jailed for possession of paraphernalia and a syringe.  She has 21 prior offenses for drugs, alcohol, and prostitution.

(Wayne County, IN)--New figures show that unemployment numbers are holding relatively steady as the number of people in the workforce continues to shrink.  Wayne County’s rate today is at 3.9%.  Currently, though, there are about 4000 fewer people in the workforce than there were a decade ago.  That’s despite that fact that average income in Wayne County is up 8.3% in the last five years.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond community leader has died.  Services have now been set for Jack Edelman, who died Tuesday at his home.  Edelman was the long-time leader of Richmond’s Recycling Center, but also served on numerous boards and was responsible for numerous philanthropic efforts across the Whitewater Valley.  Edelman was most closely tied to the Boys and Girls Club.  Service will be at 1 o’clock Thursday afternoon at Doan & Mills Funeral Home.  Jack Edelman was 92.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond Police were able to arrest a wanted woman late Wednesday afternoon.  23-year-old Meiah Tucker was taken into custody at 21^st and Reeveston Road.  Wednesday was her sixth trip to jail.  She was allegedly in possession of a syringe when she was arrested.  Vincent Sartain of Hagerstown was also caught in Richmond Wednesday with a syringe.  He was taken into custody in the 100 block of North 14^th and is also charged with resisting arrest.

The Darke County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents of a phone scam. The sheriff’s office says someone is calling people pretending to be a deputy and claiming they are seeking unpaid fines. One caller used the name of an actual deputy and judge, but the sheriff’s office says they do not collect fines over the phone. If you get such a call, you should report it to police.

(Randolph County, IN)--There was a fatal crash over the weekend in Randolph County.  Investigators say a 27-year-old woman from the Muncie area crossed the center line on U.S. 36 near State Road 227 east of Lynn and hit an oncoming pickup truck head-on.  She was killed instantly.  The driver of the truck was flown to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton and is expected to survive.  Robin Gilbert and Patrick Phillabaum of Arcanum were also in the truck.  They were not seriously hurt.

(Richmond, IN)--There’s a little bit of good news regarding road construction.  The I-70 bridge slide project over New Paris Pike has been completed ahead of schedule.  A lane reduction for eastbound I-70 traffic was supposed to have been in place for this entire week, but that won’t be the case now.  Still, there will be overnight lane closures to finish up on the interstate.  New Paris Pike will close again next week for up to two weeks to replace pavement under the new bridges.

(Winchester, IN)--A Randolph County funeral director who improperly touched a woman who was planning her mother’s funeral is now trying to get his license back.  43-year-old Thomas Oswalt operated the Oswalt Family Funeral Home in Winchester.  His license was suspended after he touched her thigh, texted her that he thought "she was hot", and then sent another text in which he apologized for "touching the merchandise."  In another case, Oswalt mishandled another female client’s money.  His reinstatement request is pending.

(Connersville, IN)--Connersville police officers are warning pet owners to be on the lookout for an apparent dog snatcher.  There have been several recent reports of dogs being taken out of fenced-in back yards.  In the most recent case, the man tried to reach over a fence on West 7^th Street to steal a small dog.  The police department has released a surveillance image of the man.

(Wayne County,  IN)--A New Madison man is facing multiple criminal charges after a Saturday night crash just north of Richmond.  It happened at U.S. 27 and Union Pike.  Police say 31-year-old Levi Back was driving drunk with someone under the age of 18 in the car.  He’s also charged with criminal recklessness.  Back allegedly pulled into the path of an oncoming car.  One vehicle rolled over.  Both ended up in  a ditch.  There were no life-threatening injuries.

(Wayne Co., IN and Preble Co., OH)--There was a wild police chase Friday morning.  It began at around 2 o’clock Friday morning when Preble County deputies located a stolen car.  The driver fled toward Wayne County on I-70.  38-year-old Christopher Hasul was clocked at 116 miles per hour on the interstate.  Hasul briefly eluded law enforcement until an Indiana State Police trooper located him in Williamsburg.  Hasul went through Greens Fork at 80 miles per hour.  He finally gave up at 38 and Jacksonburg Road.  Hasul faces multiple charges in Indiana and extradition back to Ohio.

(Preble County, OH)--Details of a fatal Preble County crash have been released.  33-year-old Stephanie Stiver of Eaton was killed in a Wednesday night crash on Engle Road east of West Alexandria.  She was a passenger in a Jeep being driven by her husband, Todd.  He lost control and struck a tree.  She was pronounced dead at the scene.  He suffered non-life-threatening injuries.  Investigators do not think drugs or alcohol were factors.

(Greenville, OH)--A Darke County burglar was sentenced Thursday.  31-year-old Jheramy Andress was sentenced to three years for a burglary there and still faces similar charges in other area counties, including Randolph.  Andress has a long criminal history and is also a registered sex offender.

(Richmond, IN)--Elected Wayne County officials met Wednesday night and passed the 2018 budget.  That budget is balanced with a cash balance that will remain intact and a two percent pay raise for county employees.  But one element of Wayne County government has caused recent concern.  Some elected officials are now publically questioning certain elements of the operation of the Wayne County Health Department.  "We don't want county tax dollars funding an operation that is in competition with other private-sector businesses," said Wayne County Council member Pete Zaleski in discussing one of the concerns.  Health Department Director Eric Coulter questioned that concern Wednesday, wondering with whom the department would be in competition.  Zaleski is also pushing for greater transparency and compliance with state agencies.   The Health Department serves 12,000 people and is now self-sufficient.

(Centerville, IN)--An allegedly drunken driver left the Centerville High School area Wednesday and then was involved in a serious crash.  53-year-old Kenneth Vaughn was headed south on Centerville Road when he crashed into a utility pole near Tice Road.  Vaughn’s pickup truck rolled over and he was ejected.  He was flown to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton where he was listed in serious condition Thursday morning.  The crash knocked out power to numerous homes in the area.

(Preble County, OH)--A crash on westbound I-70 in Preble County Wednesday backed up traffic for miles and put the integrity of the U.S. 127 overpass into question.  A trucker suffered a seizure at around 3:30 Wednesday afternoon and crashed into a crossbeam of the overpass.  "After about ten or 15 minutes of working on him, he did come back to.  Once he came back to he was flown to Kettering Medical Center as a precaution," said Ohio Highway Patrol Trooper Frank Simmons.  Engineers inspected the overpass.  "We have ODOT inspectors inspecting the damage, but it doesn't appear to be anything significant," Simmons added.  The 127 overpass was open Thursday morning.  The trucker is recovering.

(Richmond, IN)--There’s been yet another drug arrest on Glen Court.  This one happened at around 3 o’clock Thursday morning when 23-year-old Kenzie Adams and 30-year-old Edward Mann were allegedly found with controlled substances and drug paraphernalia.  It wasn’t the only drug arrest Thursday morning.  18-year-old Savannah Lester was arrested along with two juveniles at around 2 o’clock Thursday morning on Industries Road.  Officers located marijuana.  Alcohol was also involved.  Lester has been bonded out of the Wayne County Jail.

(Richmond, IN)--A man who appears on the IU East website as the Campus Services Assistant was jailed Tuesday night for the highest level of felony child molesting.  Investigators arrested 48-year-old Curtis Austerman at his home on Highland Drive in Richmond Tuesday night.  Austerman is charged with two counts of felony child molesting – one a Level One and the other a Level Four.  Details of what Austerman is alleged to have done have not been released.  Austerman has three previous arrests in Wayne County.  All involved alcohol.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond man was flown to a Level One Trauma Center after being struck by a car Tuesday night.  Matt Lopeman had just put a child in the back seat of a vehicle in the 300 block of South 16^th when he was struck by a passing car at 7:30 last night.  Lopeman was listed in critical condition Wednesday morning.  Police did not initially suspect the driver of the car to have been under the influence or speeding.

(Richmond, IN)--The 2200 block of Glen Court has become a block where crime necessitates almost a daily police presence, and there was another drug arrest there Tuesday afternoon.  Police stopped 28-year-old Rachel Hofer in that block.  Officers allegedly found multiple drugs, including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and a syringe.  The amount of drugs recovered has not been released.  Hofer was arrested just seven weeks ago for fraud.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond Common Council met Monday night and approved the 2018 budget, but it wasn’t without some discussion and it wasn’t unanimous.  Council members Misty Hollis and Jamie Lopeman voted against passage.  Lopeman spoke Tuesday morning about the reason for his no vote.  "Union contracts are not in place and insurance rates are not established," Lopeman said.  But, he said he saw improvement this year.  "I will admit that the budget this year was a lot better.  It came a long way as far as the process and getting where we need to be," Lopeman added.  Passage of the Sanitation ordinance at Monday night’s meeting of the Richmond Common Council was delayed when Lopeman voted against engrossment.  "This was roughly $29 in tax debt that would be added to our citizens.  I also feel that all members of Council need to be present and accounted for and on the record for a vote of this magnitude," Lopeman explained.  Two council members were out Monday night.  The sanitation plan includes a proposed 35% rate increase to customers over three years.

(Richmond, IN)--Multiple medics and law enforcement officers were sent to the 400 block of Randolph Street in Richmond on what appeared to be a teenage drinking or drug party early Tuesday mrorning.  The mother of a 16-year-old boy found him passed out at just after midnight.  Two people were taken to Reid Health.  Their identities and conditions have not been released.  A gun was also located at the scene.  There’s no word yet on whether or not any arrests were made.

(Richmond, IN)--There was a police pursuit through Richmond streets Monday night.  It began at around 8:30 near 10^th and North E Street.  The suspect crashed and then fled on foot at North 15^th and F.  A police canine was brought to the scene, but the man was not apprehended.  Police did take his gold Saturn from the scene of the crash.  Scanner traffic indicated a gun was found in the car.  He was described as a white male with shoulder-length brown hair.

(Wayne County, IN)--A Connersville woman has been released from the Wayne County Jail after a weekend incident in which she allegedly drove under the influence and crashed with a child in the car.  34-year-old Amanda Brawner was jailed at 2:47 Saturday morning.  The crash happened in the area of Pennville Road.  Brawner is also charged with possession of a syringe and paraphernalia and resisting law enforcement.  There’s no word on whether or not the child was injured.

(Richmond, IN)--A theft call at the Village Pantry on South E Street in Richmond Sunday turned into something more.  Police found 28-year-old Dylan Thompson allegedly in possession of an unlicensed handgun and with methamphetamine.  Thompson was also wanted for failing to appear.  He had been arrested for battery less than four months ago.  Thompson was in the Wayne County Jail Monday morning.

(Fountain City, IN)--While there’s turmoil for one Northeastern principal, another is being recognized as one of Indiana’s most outstanding.  Dawn Sonsini, who is the principal at Northeastern Middle School, has been named the District Six Middle School Principal of the Year.  That district covers much of east central Indiana.  Sonsini was elected by her peers and will be recognized in the state capitol next month.

(Fountain City, IN)--An emailed statement has been received by Kicks 96 and the Point News by someone identifying himself as Northeastern High School Principal Wes Wisner.  In the email, Wisner said "I wholeheartedly disagree with the steps being taken to remove me from my position as high school principal and wholeheartedly disagree that there are legitimate grounds upon which to base my removal."  Wisner goes on to thank those who have reached out to him in support.  Wisner appears to be on the verge of being fired.  A letter to Wisner from Northeastern administrators accuses Wisner of insubordination and neglect of duty.  Several school employees had filed complaints against Wisner.  Those complaints allege Wisner intimidated them and made them feel unwelcome.  He allegedly made one administrator cry.  Wisner was given a timeline to meet with both the superintendent and school board.  The board would ultimately approve the cancellation of his contract.

(Richmond, IN)--For the second consecutive morning, gunshots rang out in the Glen Court area of Richmond.  At about 2 o’clock Friday morning, an RPD officer who was patrolling in the area of the 2200 block of Glen Court heard about five gunshots.  Officers were unable to locate any shell casings and there were no reports of injury.  At about the same time Thursday morning, someone fired eight shots into a vehicle in the same area.

(Fountain City, IN)--While the Northeastern School Board and Superintendent remained quiet Wednesday night on the suspension of High School Principal Wes Wisner, members of the community did not.  Several people indicated Wednesday night that one of Wisner’s two suspensions this year came because he put the school on lockdown without notifying Superintendent Laura Blessing when a felony suspect was thought to be in the area.  "Most of us sit in the dark most of the time wondering what's going on," said one attendee Wednesday night.  Indiana State Trooper Eric Fields is also a Northeastern parent.  "I need to have answers because I need to know what we're doing to make our children safe.  If our kids aren't safe in our school, it doesn't matter what else we're doing," Fields said.  No response was offered by the Board Wednesday night other than from Board Member Keith Webster, who called the situation "a need-to-know basis."  Wisner remains on administrative leave.

(Richmond, IN)--Shots were fired in Richmond early Thursday morning.  It happened in the problem area of the 2200 block of Glen Court.  Witnesses heard the shots at about 2 o’clock Thursday morning and then heard a car peeling out of the area.  .22 caliper casings were found in front of a home.  Eight rounds went into the door of a vehicle.  The car was taken to be processed for evidence.  There was no indication of any injuries.

(Centerville, IN)--Wayne County Sheriff Jeff Cappa has issued a release Wednesday morning identifying the man found dead on Centerville Road last Friday as 27-year-old James Herbolt of Richmond.  Cappa also announced that Herbolt died as the result of a gunshot wound.  The release did not say how long Herbolt’s body may have been there.  But, on social media, family and friends made posts about Herbolt being missing as early as the 27^th of last month.  That’s nine days before the body was discovered.  The Wayne County Sheriff's Department is still seeking leads in the case.

(Centerville, IN)--A Centerville bank is closing, according to a letter to customers from the FDIC.  Mainsource Bank will close its Centerville branch on January 5.  The letter states that the decision to close the Centerville banking center was difficult, but that two other locations in Wayne County would remain open – one in Richmond and one in Hagerstown.  Mainsource began operations in Wayne County 15 years ago.

(Metamora, IN)--A Richmond woman is facing criminal charges after allegedly running over a child and then fleeing the scene.  Details were released Tuesday of the incident that happened this past weekend at Canal Days in Metamora.  Police say 54-year-old Shirley McKinney of Richmond struck a three-year-old girl while that girl was holding hands and walking with her grandmother.  The girl suffered non-life-threatening injuries to her lower extremities.  McKinney is currently free on bond.

(Richmond, IN)--There was another meth arrest in Richmond late Tuesday night.  25-year-old Heather Capps was taken into custody after a traffic stop on North West 18^th Street at about 10 o’clock Tuesday night.  Officers recovered both an unspecified quantity of meth and syringes.  Capps was in jail Wednesday morning with a high bond.  She’s had two previous failure to appear charges so far this year.

(Richmond, IN)--Wayne County Coroner Ron Stevens indicated Monday that it could be several more days before the identity of a man’s body that was found last Friday can be determined.  The body was found on Centerville Road just north of I-70.  Stevens said Monday that dental records, fingerprints, and DNA are all being used to try to come up with a positive identification.  Investigators are still not saying how long the body may have been there or how the man was killed.

(Lakengren, OH)--Lakengren is about to get national exposure.  Recently, the cable network HGTV visited the Preble County gated community to shoot an episode of Lakefront Bargain Hunt.

Local real estate agent Andrew Gaydosh talked Friday about how the cable network became interested.

“HGTV had approached me based on a similar program that we had done with Tru TV.  They wanted us to do an episode at Norris Lake in Tennessee, but I really wanted them to do Lakengren because I felt like Lakengren was better suited.”

That set the wheels of production into motion.  Taping took place last month.

“They brought in eight or nine people from New York that were members of a production company.  We filmed from seven o’clock in the morning until eight o’clock at night for four or five days,” Gaydosh explained.

In the episode, Gaydosh escorts a young couple through three lakefront Lakengren homes.  But, getting to that point took a lot of work.

“There was a ton of preparation,” Gaydosh explained.  Releases involving privacy laws needed to be obtained from the LPOA and from all individuals whose properties would appear on aerial photos.  We spent a month getting all of the proper releases to use images on TV.”

Preparing the homes themselves also took a lot of work.

“Homes had to be specifically prepared for television.  There could be no art on the walls and no family pictures.  Everything had to be staged professionally.  You can imagine the effort that went into preparing for the opportunity to shoot in the home,” Gaydosh explained.

In addition to seeing the homes themselves, viewers will also see what are known in the business as bumper shots of Lakengren’s amenities.  Video was also shot of the couple attending the Preble County Pork Festival because producers like to include local flavor in the program.
“We love the Eaton area, so it was easy for us to promote,” Gaydosh said.  “We’re going to get a ton of exposure.  It’s one of the most popular shows on HGTV.”

Gaydosh said that the couple did purchase one of the three homes they toured and are currently loving the Lakengren life.

A specific air date for the show has not been set, but it’s expected to air in the first two months of next year.

(Richmond, IN)--Investigators are still trying to sort out what happened on South O Street in Richmond late Monday night.  Witnesses reported seeing a woman driving erratically in the area.  Then, there was a crash.  Witnesses saw either one or two people fleeing the area on foot.  Another female was found in the back seat who was in an out of consciousness.  She was flown to a Level One trauma center.  Her identity and condition have not been released.

(Fountain City, IN)--The Northeastern Wayne School Board is set to meet Wednesday night for the first time since High School Principal Wes Wisner was placed on paid administrative leave.  Northeastern administrators have not provided an update on the situation since an email to parents that went out last week…five days after Wisner’s suspension.  Northeastern administrators again Tuesday failed to return calls from Kicks 96 and The Point News.  The agenda for Wednesday night includes an administrative report from the high school principle.  The meeting is set for 7 Wednesday night on West Main Street in Fountain City.

(Centerville, IN)--There’s still no identification on the body that was found Friday afternoon in Wayne County, and no arrests have been made for what was determined over the weekend to be a homicide.  The body was found near Nolands Fork and Centerville Roads, just north of I-70.  Forensic testing was being conducted over the weekend to help determine the identity.  There’s no word yet on how long the body may have been there or how the homicide was committed.

(Cambridge City, IN)--The weekend arrest of a Cambridge City man marks the second time in two weeks a Wayne County man has been charged with home improvement fraud.  This time, it’s 55-year-old David Hale.  Hale was jailed over the weekend but has bonded out.  He’s accused of taking money for home improvement work but not providing the service.  Hale is also charged with theft.

(Richmond, IN)--There were a couple of reports of shots fired Friday morning in Richmond, but investigating officers were unable to locate any evidence.  One officer heard a couple of shots in quick succession near South 7^th and E at around 2 o’clock.  Witnesses saw two vehicles fleeing the alley in opposite directions.  About an hour earlier there was a report of a shot fired in the 200 block of North 14^th.

(Richmond, IN)--A couple of unrelated domestic battery incidents  left two Wayne County men in jail Friday morning.  52-year-old Rodney Iiams was taken out of his home on Boyer Street in Richmond Thursday night and charged with Level 3 Felony Aggravated Battery.  Then, at 3 o’clock Friday morning, 27-year-old Casey Conyers of Williamsburg was taken into custody and charged with strangulation.  There’s no word on the condition of the victim in either case.

(Richmond, IN)--An IU East program has garnered national recognition.  It’s called the BOSS program.  That stands for Business Opportunities for Self Starters and is geared toward developing business interest in high school students.  IU East finished in the top three nationally this week in the national Economic Development Association’s Awards of Excellence.  3500 students have taken part since the program’s development a decade ago.

(Fountain City, IN)--Five full days after the fact, Northeastern Wayne school administrators finally on Wednesday issued a statement to parents about the status of high school principal Wes Wisner.  An email to all parents said that Wisner was placed on paid administrative leave until further notice.  The statement did not say what prompted the action.  Kicks 96 and the Point News has spoken with several sources close to the situation.  All indicate that it’s not the first time in this young school year that disciplinary action has been taken against Wisner.  Those sources indicate Wisner was effectively suspended last month with no explanation given to teachers and no notification given to parents.  Northeastern administrators have not returned three days’ worth of calls to Kicks 96 and the Point News.

(Richmond, IN)--The Indiana State Department of Education released letter grades for schools Wednesday.  Here’s a look at how Richmond schools fared.  While two-thirds of schools across Indiana got either an A or a B, that was not the case at Richmond.  Three schools received B’s: RHS, Starr, and Crestdale.  Charles, Fairview, Westview, and Test all got C’s.  Dennis and Vaile received D’s.  Eight of the nine schools fared either the same or worse than last year.  As for other area schools across the Whitewater Valley, only two high schools received A’s: Centerville and Winchester.  Northeastern Middle School also got an A.  Four elementary schools received A’s, including Eastview and Central in Connersville, Brookville, and Deerfield Elementary in Randolph County.  No area school received an F.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond Common Council met Wednesday night as a Committee of the Whole for a couple of reasons…the 2018 budget and a proposed sewer rate increase.  Council has a balanced general fund budget, but other budgets are underfunded by a quarter of a million dollars.  Also, a private company presented financials for the federally mandated sewer improvements.  They said that the impact to the consumer is a 35% rate increase over three stages to pay for the bonds.

(Fountain City, IN)--Wes Wisner still appeared on the Northeastern Wayne Schools website Wednesday morning as the high school principal as parents continue to clamor for answers regarding his status.  Multiple sources indicate that Wisner was led out of the school last Friday in the presence of law enforcement.  For the second consecutive day Tuesday, Northeastern administrators failed to return calls to Kicks 96 and The Point News regarding Wisner’s status.  He has not Tweeted on his school account in more than a month.

(Wayne County, IN)--One person was found dead under a tree stand in Wayne County Tuesday.  Authorities were called to the 300 block of Beeson Road, which is between Straightline Pike and U.S. 27, late Tuesday afternoon.  The coroner’s office was then called to the scene.  So far, officials have not said if the death was a hunting accident or was the result of something else.  The person’s name has not been released.

(Richmond, IN)--A Reid Health surgeon, who is also a Puerto Rican native, will be headed to that island soon to help with Hurricane Maria relief efforts.  Dr. Sara Diaz Valentin has organized a local effort to get medication to the island.  "Instead of just lamenting or complaining that help is not getting in, it was easier to figure out what I could do," Dr. Diaz-Valentin said  She consulted with Reid, which then donated all kinds of supplies. "We're talking about insulin for diabetics.  We're talking about antibiotics," she added.  Dr. Diaz-Valentin will head to Puerto Rico in the next few days to personally deliver the supplies and fill in for overworked physicians there.

(Centerville, IN)--An alleged Centerville drug dealer was taken into custody Tuesday night.  22-year-old Jacob Rasner was arrested at his home on Smoker Road and taken to the Wayne County Jail, where he now faces charges that include dealing cocaine or other narcotic drugs and dealing in methamphetamine.  Rasner now faces two Level Five felonies.

(Lewisburg, OH)--A unique educational farm is coming to Preble County.  It will be located just outside Lewisburg and will be called the Wild Hearts African Farm.  It will be a 31-acre farm operated by Brian and Amanda Badger, who have worked in Africa for the last decade as conservationists.  They plan to raise iconic African species of animals, including zebra and camels.  The farm will offer a safari tour experience where visitors will be driven through to see the animals and typical African structures.  There’s no word yet on an opening date.

(College Corner, OH)--Sentencing has now been set for a College Corner rapist.  49-year-old Frank Gross faces up to 25 years when he’s sentenced on November 8 in Preble County.  In May of last year, Gross’ daughter’s friend decided to sleep on the couch in the home of Gross and his daughter because she was too drunk to drive home.  She awoke to find Gross still standing over her and realized that she had been raped.  She immediately fled and was taken to an Oxford hospital, where Gross’ DNA was recovered.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond Common Council got an update on the demolition of Old Reid Monday night.  A representative of the company that’s managing the demolition told council that about two dozen of the firms that toured old Reid last week have indicated they’re capable of handling the project.  Most of those firms will return to old Reid on October 10 to take a closer look at what demolition will entail.  Council Monday night also gave final approval to the partnership between the city and the county that will help to fund the demolition.

(Centerville, IN)--There was a high speed chase through western Wayne County Monday.  It began when an officer noticed someone cutting up marijuana in a Jeep near Bentonville Road late Monday morning.  The driver fled to U.S. 40 and, according to scanner traffic, hit speeds of 135 miles per hour.  At one point, he tried to hit a state trooper.  The Jeep eventually gave out and the driver fled on foot.  He was caught after a short chase.  The man was taken to the Henry County Jail and had an active warrant in Lake County.  Two handguns were found under the Jeep’s driver’s seat.  The suspect’s name has not been released.

(Las Vegas, NV)--A group of five Richmond men were in Las Vegas Sunday night when a mass shooting broke out.  They were not at the concert, but were staying at the nearby Mirage when the shooting occurred.  The five are all tied to Elks Country Club in Richmond and had gone to Las Vegas for a golf trip.  The group includes Phil Earlywine, Del Demao, and Elks Pro Zack Palmer.  They told a relative that chaos broke out when word reached their hotel.  They fled into the streets where they were met by hundreds of other fleeing people.  All five were okay Monday morning.

Below is audio from our newcast this morning including audio from Phil Earlywine

(Richmond, IN)--A Columbus man is facing a host of felony charges after attacking a Richmond Police officer.  It happened early yesterday morning on Industries Road at an address that is used as a bus stop.  26-year-old William Erby allegedly attacked the officer and punched an RPD canine.  Details of what led police to come into contact with Erby and the conditions of the officer and canine have not been released.