(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond woman was jailed late Sunday night after drugs were allegedly found in the presence of children.  25-year-old Tracey Luce was caught at North West 11^th and Peacock Road.  Officers found drugs and paraphernalia, and also determined that Luce was intoxicated.  She’s charged with felony neglect of a dependent.  In a similar case this weekend, April Hughes was also arrested for possession of a syringe and felony neglect.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond man has been brought back to Wayne County from southwest Florida to face a host of felony charges.  36-year-old Travis Halcomb was being held in Charlotte County, Florida, but was returned Sunday on charges that include felony strangulation and residential entry as well as misdemeanor battery.  Details of what Halcomb is alleged to have done locally have not been released.

(Union City, OH)--Authorities in Randolph and Darke County are searching for two missing teens.  Dennis Bailey and Kristin Forsythe have not been seen for more than 48 hours and attempts to reach them have been unsuccessful.  The two are from the Union City area.  Anyone who sees Dennis Bailey or Kristin Forsythe is asked to contact Randolph or Darke County law enforcement.

(RICHMOND)- Kicks 96 and The Point News has exclusively obtained copies of the proposed new boundaries for Richmond elementary schools.  The RCS Board this week approved redistricting as a way to make enrollment more even. The map shows that many students will be assigned to elementary schools that are not the schools closest to their homes.  For example, some students who live on South 23^rd would go to Vaile instead of the closer Charles Elementary.  Students who live near South 5^th and E would go to Starr instead of the closer Vaile school.  The boundaries are considered preliminary. 

Charles Elementary School

Crestdale Elementary School

Fairview Elementary

Starr Elementary

Valie Elementary

Westview Elementary

(Richmond, IN)--The Richmond Community School Board on Wednesday night narrowly agreed with a recommendation from Superintendent Todd Terrill to change elementary school boundaries.  "I recommend that we adjust the elementary school boundaries with the goal of every school being at 85% capacity," Terrill told the Board.  Some schools are over that mark; some are under.  But some Board members were upset that a major change came so quickly.  "Discussion essentially has been the last five days via email with half the Board participating and no community and no involvement with anybody else.  That's just not the way I like to do things," said Board member Jeff Slifer.  The Board voted 4-3 to approve Terrill’s recommendation for elementary boundary changes.  Changes will take effect at the beginning of the next school year.

(Centerville, IN)--A Centerville man was in the Wayne County Jail Thursday morning after misusing 911.  19-year-old Ronney Crouch called 911 multiple times and offered to work with police to buy methamphetamine as a way to get dealers arrested.  But, Crouch wanted to be able to keep whatever meth he was able to purchase.  Crouch had been arrested for the same thing earlier this year.  He also said on his Facebook page that he has fake urine for sale.

(Whitewater Valley)--On Tuesday, Kicks 96 and The Point News reported that Wayne County’s workforce had increased in the last month.  There’s more positive economic news.  Every Whitewater Valley county has seen a significant drop in its unemployment rate this month.  Wayne County’s rate today is down to 3.5%.  That’s down more than two full points from where it was at this time last year.  Union County had the biggest local drop and is now down to just 2.9%.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond couple is in the Wayne County Jail this morning after an incident at an apartment complex Tuesday.  27-year-old Kyle Maish and 26-year-old Jessica Maish are both facing felony charges after officers allegedly recovered methamphetamine from both of them in the 1800 block of South 13^th.  Kyle Maish is also charged with resisting arrest.  The quantity of meth that was recovered has not been released.

(Richmond, IN)--A man was banned from a Little Caesar’s in Richmond on Tuesday.  Scanner traffic indicated that man had entered the store several times.  The last time, he grabbed a female employee and demanded that she give him clean urine.  Employees forced him to leave without any of their urine.  He then rode his bicycle to McDonald’s.  That’s where RPD officers caught up with him.  The man was told he was no longer welcome, but there’s no indication he was arrested.

(Union County, IN)--What had been a popular summer spot in the Whitewater Valley is closing for good.  Marker’s Wally World on State Road 101 just south of Liberty has announced that it will not open this summer or at any time in the future.  Wally World featured activities like go-carts, miniature golf, and batting cages.  Wally World’s owner cited a desire to spend more time with family as the primary reason for the closure.  He said equipment would be sold off, but that he would retain the land.  Wally World had operated in Union County for several decades.

(Wayne County, IN)--Wayne County is continuing to rebound in terms of its workforce and employment numbers.  According to numbers released by the state Monday, Wayne County has added 67 people to its workforce in the last month.  There are also 158 more people actually working.  Wayne County had dipped below 30,000 in the workforce a few months ago, but now it’s well above that mark at 30,555.

(Preble County, OH)--Heavy rain has forced the closure of a Preble County highway.  State Road 320 just south of New Paris was not flooded Tuesday morning, but it had been affected by a mudslide.  A portion of a hillside gave way Monday afternoon close to U.S. 40 and had the highway blocked Tuesday morning.   Clean-up is expected to continue throughout Tuesday morning, but 320 is expected to re-open later in the day.

(Wayne County, IN)--There is some good news in regard to the issue of child abuse and neglect in Wayne County.  According to numbers released by the state over the weekend, there has been a significant drop in the number of local cases.  In the first quarter of last year, there had been 82 new, substantiated cases of child abuse and neglect in Wayne County.  This year, though, it’s 62.  That’s a drop of 32%.  The state has added human trafficking into abuse and neglect totals this year.  No area county, including Wayne, has had any cases of human trafficking.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond man has bonded out of jail after being arrested over the weekend on two felony counts of child molestation.  18-year-old Jerrell Deloney was booked into the Wayne County Jail on Saturday.  By Sunday night, he had already bonded out.  Details of what led to the arrest have not been released.  Deloney is charged with both Level 3 and Level 4 child molesting.

(Connersville, IN)--A reward has now been increased by $25,000 for information leading to the whereabouts of a Connersville girl who has been missing since 1986.  Denise Pflum was an honor student and four-sport athlete.  She went missing after going to look for her purse.  Any information can be delivered anonymously.  The Fayette County Sheriff’s Department says that even though the case is now 32 years old, it’s still considered an active investigation.

(Richmond, IN)--A part of McBride Stadium has come down.  Structural issues have prompted the demolition of the press box that sat on the stadium’s roof for decades.  Six years ago, a structural engineer examined the stadium’s canopy and determined the press box should come down, but it stood until last week.  The report indicated there was rotting wood in the canopy but that it was still structurally intact.  McBride Stadium’s overall condition has come into question in recent years.

(Richmond, IN)--While the Elder-Beerman building will be vacated, there may be new life for another downtown Richmond building.  The building that formerly housed Readmore Bookstore at 9^th and East Main has sold to the same architectural firm that purchased the former Hoppe Jeweler and Tivoli Theater building downtown.  The central Indiana firm has not said what they plan to do with the Readmore location.  After Readmore closed, the building housed a coffee shop for a short time.

(Richmond, IN)--The city of Richmond is a finalist for the 2018 Stellar Communities Program.  Richmond won a Stellar grant in 2013.  Funding from that has been used for downtown renovations including Elstro Plaza and for a connector to the Depot District.  Now, Richmond is again a finalist not as an individual city but as a region.  The Richmond region also includes the communities of Union City and Rushville.  Richmond is now competing against five other regions across Indiana.

(Arcanum, OH)--The NTSB this week released its final report on a plane crash that killed two people near Arcanum back in September of 2016.  The report says that 20-year-old Clayton Heins was piloting the plane with cocaine and alcohol in his system.  He had been released from a heroin rehab facility just a month before.  The NTSB said that Heins was flying erratically at low altitudes.  18-year-old Jacob Turner, who also died in the crash, texted a friend from the plane saying that Heins was "flying crazy."

(Richmond, IN)--Traffic on South A Street in Richmond has been heavily restricted for construction in recent months.  For parts of next week, though, it will shut down entirely.  The Richmond Police Department said Wednesday that, starting Tuesday, South A will completely close from South 3^rd to South 6^th for at least 45 minutes at a time.  The closure will allow crews to put in prefabricated roadway panels.  It’s a process that’s never been done in Indiana.  The closures will be in effect from Tuesday until Friday of next week.

(Greenville, OH)--Ten officers were sent to the hospital and the Darke County Jail was shut down yesterday after methamphetamine circulated through the air ducts.  It’s a result of an incident that happened Tuesday when a man dropped a baggie of meth as he was being booked into jail.  Air handling units were turned back on yesterday, and that circulated some of the meth residue.  More than two dozen inmates were transferred to jails in neighboring counties.  The jail operation will remain closed for a more thorough decontamination.

(Modoc, IN)--A Modoc business was heavily damaged by fire Wednesday night.  It broke out at M&S Screw on Main Street in Modoc and involved much of the south side of the building.  One Losantville firefighter was taken from the scene by ambulance to be treated for smoke inhalation.  There’s no word yet on the dollar amount of the damage or the cause of the fire.

(Richmond, IN)--It’s one of the anchors of Richmond’s downtown and now it’s set to close.  Local employees of Elder-Beerman would not confirm or deny that they had been told Tuesday to expect closure in 6-8 weeks.  No buyers stepped forward yesterday for Elder-Beerman’s parent company, Bon-Ton.  A hearing will be held Wednesday during which Bon-Ton officials will ask bankruptcy courts to approve a sale to a liquidator.  Elder-Beerman has operated in downtown Richmond for 45 years and was constructed on the site of Richmond’s 1968 explosion.  The closing of Richmond’s Elder-Beerman store will mean that the city will have lost what are arguably its two biggest attractions to downtown in less than a year.  Veach’s closed in August of last year and Chase Bank recently vacated downtown’s tallest building at 7^th and East Main.  The Elder-Beerman building covers 51,000 square feet.  What will become of it after the looming closure is unclear.

(New Paris, OH)--A New Paris landmark is coming back – name and all.  The Lamppost is returning.  The Lamppost had closed several years ago.  The building was then re-occupied as Baumbach’s BBQ, but that also shut down.  New owners told the New Paris Village Council recently that they’re projecting the Lamppost will open in early August.  Right now, they’re working out some issues with the liquor license.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond Common Council on Monday night voted down a proposal that would increase the city’s tax rate for the Cumulative Capital Development Fund.  That fund largely supplies equipment for first responders…things like police cars and fire trucks.  The essential need right now is for RPD patrol cars.  Council rejected the tax increase by a 7-2 vote.  "I know you guys need them.  We want to get them for you.  I just don't want to do it with extra taxes," said Council President Jamie Lopeman.  Misty Hollis said RPD would still be able to get new cruisers this year.  "We have the dollars to get the equipment that you need for this year.  We just need to work with the administration to make sure that that happens."  Five new police cars have been budgeted for this year.

(Centerville, IN)--Eastbound I-70 in Wayne County was shut down for a while Tuesday morning after two trucks collided.  It happened just east of the Centerville Road exit at around 2:30 Tuesday morning.  One moving semi apparently struck a large box truck that had pulled over to the side of the road.  There were no injuries, but eastbound 70 was closed for about two hours.  There was still debris on the side of the road at 6:30 a.m.  That was scheduled to be cleaned up a little later Tuesday morning.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond has fared very well in a study of the best and worst small cities to start a business.  The website wallethub.com looked at more than 1200 cities across the country and ranked Richmond #100, which puts it in the top 8%.  The primary reason for the high ranking is Richmond’s low cost of doing business, which ranked 85^th.  The cost of labor was also a key factor.

(Winchester, IN)--He’s known in Randolph County as the “Black Tracker Guy” and he allegedly has 80 regular methamphetamine customers.  Now, the “Black Tracker Guy” is behind bars.  63-year-old Tom Green has been charged with three counts of dealing meth after alleged drug sales to undercover informants.  Green has multiple previous drug-related convictions.

(Richmond, IN)--The search continued Monday morning for a man who fled from contact with police in Richmond Saturday afternoon.  32-year-old Joshua Adams ran from the scene of a traffic stop on National Road West.  Adams was able to elude police despite an extensive search through the Hidden Valley neighborhood.  Inside his car, investigators found loaded weapons, marijuana, methamphetamine, mushrooms, and drug paraphernalia.  Adams had been arrested on drug charges earlier this year.  He’s a white male with a thick beard and glasses.  Police say he should be considered armed and dangerous.

(Richmond, IN)--The Richmond Police Department conducted a prostitution sting and arrested five men in less than three hours.  The following men were arrested (years of birth in parenthesis): Hurshel Page Jr. (1973), Kevin Sims (1980), Adam Campbell (1984), Joe Garcia (1955), and Ken Martin (1968). All were taken to the Wayne County Jail and charged with patronizing a prostitute.  All have since bonded out.  The location of the sting has not been disclosed.  The arrests were made around noon on Friday.

(Richmond, IN)--An overnight police standoff in Richmond ended peacefully Monday morning.  Officers and deputies were called to the 2400 block of Northmont Lane where a suspect had holed himself up in a bedroom in his parents’ home.  Scanner traffic indicates he threatened to shoot anyone who opened the door.  The SWAT Team arrived and was able to convince the suspect to surrender without incident.  He was taken to Reid Health and put on a 24-hour hold.  Criminal charges are pending.  The suspect's name has not been released.

(Richmond, IN)--A strong 2017 has led to confidence among local business owners for the remainder of this year.  That’s according to the results of the IU East business survey, which were released Thursday.  104 business owners were surveyed.  Nearly 2/3 expected to see growth in output this year.  1/3 said they expected to employ more people.  The major concern of the business executives across the Whitewater Valley is the lack of a workforce with sufficient numbers of qualified employees.  Other concerns were inconsistent support from county officials and road construction.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond police caught a man after a foot chase Friday morning.  Officers came into contact with 31-year-old Joshua Straszheim in the area of South 9^th and E at around 2 o’clock Friday morning.  As they questioned Straszheim, he allegedly took items out of his pockets that included methamphetamine and a handgun, dropped them on the ground, and took off running.  He was caught a short distance away and charged with multiple felonies.

(Cambridge City, IN)--There were no reports of any injury after a car smashed into the McDonald’s at I-70 and State Road 1 near Cambridge City.  It happened at around 9 o’clock Thursday morning.  The front half of the car smashed into the side doors of the building.  Scanner traffic indicated that an officer at the scene said that the driver was a juvenile female who may have been suffering some sort of anxiety attack.  Damage to the McDonald’s building was substantial.

(Cambridge City, IN)--Police released more details about the arrest of a juvenile boy in Cambridge City.  Thursday morning, Kicks 96 and 101.7 The Point reported that the boy had been arrested on a charge of dangerous possession of a firearm after a post he made on Facebook.  New information released later Thursday revealed that there was never any sort of threat associated with the post.  It was a picture of the boy holding the gun.  A concerned citizen saw the post and alerted police.  The boy was taken to a juvenile detention center in Muncie.

(Richmond, IN)--Fire did heavy damage to a Richmond church on Thursday morning.  Firefighters were called to the Holy Temple Church of God at North 14^th and H Street at around 3:15 Thursday morning after a passer-by saw smoke.  Flames could be seen shooting from the roof.  Surrounding streets were shut down.  The fire was declared under control at around 5:30 a.m.  There were no initial reports of any injuries or what started the fire.  Damage will be extensive.

(Cambridge City, IN)--A juvenile was arrested Wednesday in Cambridge City after an investigation that began with a Facebook post.  According to police reports, the male juvenile was arrested on multiple charges that include dangerous possession of a firearm.  The arrest was made at a home on West Parkway Drive.  The exact content of the Facebook post and whether or not the boy was released to family members are details that have not been released.

(Richmond, IN)--One of the three men who robbed Phillips Drugs in downtown Richmond last summer has been sentenced.  Adrian Shoffner was sentenced in a Wayne County courtroom to 27 ½ years in prison.  Shoffner and two others entered Phillips last July with guns drawn and fled with narcotics.  They were caught a short time later.  No Phillips employees or customers were hurt.

(Connersville, IN)--Investigators in Connersville are asking for the public’s help in finding a counterfeiter.  In the last week, counterfeit bills have turned up at multiple locations, including Dollar General, Arby’s, Kroger, Speedway, and Cricket.  The suspect generally is with a female and drives and older, black Dodge Shadow.

(Dayton, OH)--It’s good news for an downtown Richmond retail anchor…An investor group is now working on a deal to buy Elder-Beerman’s parent company.  Bon-Ton announced Tuesday that it has signed a letter of intent from an investor group that includes three different companies.  The company had been set to be auctioned Tuesday, but that’s now been postponed.  The investor group that now has a preliminary deal to buy Bon-Ton has been interested in reorganizing the company to keep in running.

(Richmond, IN)--You already know that spring weather has been nowhere to be found across the Whitewater Valley, but you may not realize just how bad it’s been.  Check this out…there have been 40 days since March 3.  In those 40 days, how many days do think were both above the normal temperature AND free of any rain or snow?  The answer is one.  One out of 40.  That came on March 19, when it was three degrees above normal and rain and snow-free.  The other 39 of the last 40 days have had either below-normal temperatures, rain, snow, or all three.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond man was arrested at just before midnight Tuesday night and now faces a host of felony drug charges.  34-year-old Josh Farmer was taken into custody on North 13^th in Richmond.  Farmer allegedly had heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, syringes, and other drug paraphernalia.  The amount of drugs that were recovered has not been released.

(Richmond, IN)--A man wanted in North Carolina was caught after a strange incident on North 14^th in Richmond Tuesday night.  41-year-old John Sanborn of Hollansburg had apparently gone there to look at an apartment.  Then there was an allegation of a robbery.  Shortly after, Sanborn was found lying down in a yard after allegedly overdosing.  He was charged with resisting and possession of drug paraphernalia.  He was also being held Wednesday morning for possible extradition to North Carolina.

(Richmond, IN)--The day that many community leaders in Richmond had waited for for years finally came Monday…the building that was old Reid Hospital began to visibly come down.  Demolition work began Monday on the canopy over what was the emergency department entrance.  Old Reid had been abandoned for a decade and was, without question, the city’s biggest eyesore.  Demolition will continue Tuesday.  The entire project will take more than a year to complete and carries a cost of about $4.3 million.

(Cambridge City, IN)--There were a couple of arrests of note Monday night.  An Anderson man who was wanted in New Mexico was captured in Hagerstown.  Officers found marijuana when he was stopped at Main and Sycamore.  Also, Brandi Hook of Cambridge City was in the Wayne County Jail Tuesday morning.  She allegedly gave police false information when she came into contact with officers.  Syringes and other drug paraphernalia was recovered.

(Richmond, IN)--There’s been another development in Elder-Beerman’s struggle to survive.  Workers at some stores, including the Dayton Mall store, have received a notice about layoffs potentially taking place in the coming months.  Elder-Beerman’s parent company, Bon-Ton is for sale.  Elder-Beerman’s future, according to a release, will depend on what company buys Bon-Ton.  Bon-Ton said it was required by law to provide the layoff notice.  The company filed for bankruptcy in February.  The Richmond Elder-Beerman was not mentioned specifically in the release.

(Richmond, IN)--A member of the IU East men’s basketball team was in the Wayne County Jail Monday morning and is facing a felony criminal offense.  19-year-old Datrion Harper allegedly ordered a pizza to be delivered to the Chester Heights Apartments Sunday night and paid the driver with a counterfeit bill.  A representative of the restaurant indicated it had happened multiple times.  Harper is charged with felony fraud.  Harper just finished his freshman season with IU East and averaged just shy of nine points per game.

(Richmond, IN)--A hearing will be held later this week on a proposal to convert a downtown Richmond building into a homeless shelter.  Business owners adjacent to what was once Bluegill’s and Knucklehead’s Bar near 10^th and East Main have been notified of a Thursday meeting of the Board of Zoning Appeals.  An organization called Petra Project is requesting a variance to operate a homeless shelter with transitional housing.

(Richmond, IN)--At 1:30 Friday afternoon, just 17 minutes short of the exact 50-year point since Richmond’s downtown explosion, an observance will be held at Elstro Plaza.  That’s just a block away from what was Marting Arms and is now Elder-Beerman and the origin of two blasts that killed 41 people.  There will be a moment of silence.  Names of all 41 victims will be read.  A new monument will be unveiled that will be placed temporarily in Elstro Plaza before moving to its permanent home at the Wayne County Historical Museum.

(Pershing, IN)--Police arrested Timothy and Cassidy Loyd in Pershing Thursday.  Timothy is the man who allegedly escaped police in a chase when he drove through a farm field earlier this week.  And, as for Cassidy, it’s her fifth arrest in the last 16 days.  Officers allegedly found methamphetamine when they went to their home on Queen Street in Pershing on Thursday.  They also arrested 25-year-old Aaron Hidy and charged him with both dealing and possessing meth.  All three were in the Wayne County Jail Friday morning.

(Richmond, IN)--Smoking in bed is apparently to blame for a fire at a home adjacent to Westview Elementary in Richmond that left one man dead Wednesday afternoon.  Firefighters arrived and found smoke coming from the top of the home’s second floor.  They made entry into the home and found the victim near his bedroom door. The victim’s identity has not yet been released.  His body was taken to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office for an autopsy.

(Union and Franklin County, IN)--A good portion of the water that flooded our area earlier this week has ended up in Brookville Lake.  And, on Thursday morning, lake levels remained very high.  According to the Army Corps of Engineers, the lake rose an incredible eight feet in just one day this week.  On Thursday morning, it was five feet above its normal summer level and is covering spots that include Mounds and Quakertown Beach and Harbor Links Golf Course.

(Eaton, OH)--A traffic stop in Eaton turned up 49 caps of heroin, and now a Richmond man is in the Preble County Jail.  24-year-old Robert Sigmon was stopped on North Barron Street.  The officer observed marijuana in plain view, and that led to a further search.  That’s when the heroin was discovered.  Sigmon told officers that he had just purchased the drugs in Dayton and was on his way back to Richmond.

(Whitewater Valley)--The Whitewater Valley is drying out now after flooding rains inundated the area Tuesday.  Officially, about three and a half inchesof rain fell in Richmond, although many rain gages measured significantly higher.  There are multiple county roads still closed across the area, although just a few are heavily traveled.  State Roads 1 and 28 in Randolph County remained closed Wednesday morning.  Also closed was the south end of Pennville Road in Fayette County.  All dry fords in Union County are closed.  The Whitewater River in Brookville was at 21 feet Wednesday morning.  That’s a foot above flood stage.

(Richmond, IN)--There was been a fatal shooting Monday night and into Tuesday morning in Richmond.  Officers were called to North West 17^th in the Holsapple area after a man was shot, apparently by a family member, at just before midnight.  The victim was taken to Reid Health, where he was pronounced dead.  The shooter was taken to RPD headquarters where he was questioned by detectives well into Tuesday morning.  By 7 a.m., the shooter had not been charged with any crime.  Richmond police have not yet provided the identity of the victim or the shooter, or discussed the details that led to the shooting.

(Cambridge City, IN)--One person suffered minor injuries in a Cambridge City structure fire Tuesday morning.  It broke out at around 4:45 a.m. Tuesday at a home on Shirlin Drive just off of State Road 1.  Flames were showing near an attached garage when firefighters arrived.  The occupants made it out of the home, although a female resident was injured when she fell.  There’s no word yet on the extent of the damage or the cause, although there was a thunderstorm in the area when the fire broke out.