(Richmond, IN)--Black Friday shoppers were out early Friday morning, and so were security guards and Richmond Police officers looking to protect stores against shoplifters.  At Richmond's Walmart Friday morning, two alleged shoplifters were taken to the Wayne County Jail just a few minutes apart in separate incidents.  27-year-old Christina Ball has already bonded out.  48-year-old Maria Lowe of Richmond was still behind bars, charged with felony theft.  Many retailers were open Thursday, and that cut down on some foot traffic in stores Friday morning.

(Richmond, IN)--Being named a Rhodes Scholar is arguably the highest honor any college student can achieve.  Only one hundred students worldwide are named Rhodes Scholars annually.  Now, Earlham College has had two in the last three years.  Summia Tora is a native of Afghanistan and a senior Economics and Peace and Global Management student.  Her Rhodes Scholarship funds three years of graduate work at the University of Oxford in the UK.

(Centerville, IN)--The long-time leader of Centerville-Abington Community Schools will hang it up at the end of the school year.  Superintendent Phil Stevenson announced Tuesday night that he will retire next June after having spent 48 years in various roles at Centerville.  Stevenson told the school board Tuesday night that it’s been an honor for him to work with teachers, staff, and students, and that he wants to give the Board plenty of time to find his replacement.  The Board indicated it would begin the search process as soon as possible.

(Richmond, IN)--The stability of a building in Richmond’s Depot District has been in question for months.  And, on Tuesday, it was the focus of Unsafe Building Commission members.  The plan for the building at 831 North E is for an adult day care center to open.  But that can’t happen until the building is determined to be safe.  A billboard that’s seen by drivers on the nearby overpass sits on the roof, and the roof has a significant hole.  The commission Tuesday gave the day care a month to find an engineer to determine the billboard’s stability.

(Connersville, IN)--There’s added security for students in the Fayette County School Corporation.  Now, 911 dispatchers can directly view security cameras inside the school in case of an emergency.  Dispatchers won’t monitor cameras daily.  But, for example, if a shooter were to enter the building, dispatchers will have real-time video intelligence about the shooter’s location.  It would also allow dispatchers to get information to firefighters if a fire were to break out.

(Greens Fork, IN)--Here’s a follow-up to our report Monday on Wayne County puppy mills.  Wayne County has been identified as one of the worst in Indiana for the number of puppy mills, with 14.  In a different study by the Humane Society, one Wayne County puppy mill has been included in its list called the “Horrible Hundred”, which identifies the worst of the worst nationally.  A report by an inspector provides gruesome details of conditions at a Greens Fork puppy mill.  Most of those details are too graphic to share, but puppies and adult dogs were found in poor health and housed in crowded cages without adequate shelter from the elements.  In a related story, President Trump on Monday signed legislation that makes animal cruelty a federal offense, punishable by up to seven years in prison.

(Cambridge City, IN)--Cambridge City police recovered heroin during a traffic stop Monday on Chapel Street.  44-year-old Dustin Rubendall allegedly admitted he had heroin in his pocket after a police canine gave a positive indication.  Rubendall also had two active warrants.  He was in the Wayne County Jail Tuesday morning charged with possession of methamphetamine, narcotic drugs, and paraphernalia.  Quantities have not been released.

(Wayne County, IN)--An organization called “Bailing out Benji” has identified Wayne County as being one of the worst in Indiana when it comes to the number of puppy mills.  Bailing out Benji works to educate the public about puppy mills and the pet suppliers to which they sell.  According to a newly released map, Wayne County has 14 identified puppy mills.  Two of them house up to 150 adult dogs.  One houses up to 500 adult dogs.  Only four Indiana counties have more puppy mills than Wayne County.

(Richmond, IN)--An accused drug dealer and counterfeiter was taken into custody in the 100 block of North 10^th early Sunday.  34-year-old Lonnie Eubanks is charged with dealing both methamphetamine and cocaine.  Quantities of drugs recovered have not been released.  Eubanks has a massive criminal record that now includes a total of 60 charges in Wayne County.  He is also wanted in Preble County and will be held for authorities there.

(Greenville, OH)--A Richmond man was sentenced in a Darke County courtroom on Friday for years’ worth of abuse against a young girl.  45-year-old Marcus Woodworth was sentenced on five different counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material.  The victim testified Friday about the abuse changed her childhood and said that she still has nightmares.  Woodworth apologized before being sentenced to four years behind bars with five more years suspended.  He will also have to register as a sex offender.

(Richmond, IN)--A key witness testified in a Wayne County courtroom Thursday that he heard James Childers admit to stabbing and killing Austin Sparks.  That witness was Childers’ uncle, and his testimony is significantly different than what he said during Childers’ first trial.  Last year, James Mills testified that Childers never admitted to stabbing anybody.  But Thursday, Mills told jurors that the admission came while the two were smoking marijuana in a Cincinnati garage a few months after the murder.  The trial resumes Friday morning.

(Liberty, IN)--The Union County Sheriff’s Department issued a statement Thursday that they hope will ease the fears of some parents.  A young girl had indicated earlier this week that a man tried to abduct her in the area of the Liberty Elementary School.  That prompted the school system to issue a warning about a man driving a van. The Sheriff’s Department said Thursday that there was no attempted abduction, no ongoing threat, and that it was the result of a misunderstanding.

(Union and Franklin County, IN)--Improvements are coming to Brookville Lake and Whitewater Memorial State Park, thanks to $1.7 million in new state funding.  Much of that money will go toward converting the old bathhouse at the beach at Whitewater into a new nature center.  That building, which dates back to the 1950’s had fallen into disrepair.  The new nature center will house animals native to the area and include a 25-seat classroom.  The goal is to have the first phase done by next summer.  At Brookville Lake, there will be upgrades to docks at several boat ramps.

(Richmond, IN)--The organization called HYPE Richmond, which stands for Helping Young Professionals Engage, announced Tuesday that it’s merging with the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce.  When the merger is complete and takes effect at the first of next year, the name will change to HYPE Wayne County.  It will also mean an additional staff member.

(Cambridge City, IN)--Here’s more on the agreement that Kicks 96 and 101.7 The Point News reported Tuesday that will have the Western Wayne Regional Sewer District to construct a new treatment plant that will allow for expansion and SugarCreek and the Gateway Industrial Park itself.  The new plant will treat 1.8 million gallons of wastewater per day.  Wayne County will now get two seats on the Board, and that will require the approval of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

(Liberty, IN)--A new business is coming to one of Liberty’s busiest intersections.  Bath State Bank has announced that it will be opening a branch on the site of the former Skaggs Oil Company at the corner of U.S. 27 and Brownsville Avenue.  The existing Skaggs building will remain, but will undergo significant renovations that are expected to begin in the next week.  The branch is expected to be open in the spring of next year.  Bath State Bank has been in existence for 95 years and opened a branch in College Corner 11 years ago.

(Cambridge City, IN)--It appears the years-long dispute about how to handle wastewater at the Indiana Gateway Industrial Park is over.  On Monday night, the Sewer District Board voted unanimously to build a larger wastewater treatment plant.  Wayne County leaders had pressed the sewer district to expand capacity to allow SugarCreek to grow and to allow EDC officials to market available tracts of land.  SugarCreek now wants to enter a long-term agreement with the District for wastewater treatment.  Several details still need to be finalized.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond Common Council on Monday night heard about plans to make major improvements to a part of Peacock Road.  The city wants to apply for a grant that would fund most of $3.2 million worth of upgrades that would include bike paths and sidewalks for Peacock Road between North West 11^th and North West 18^th.  The theory is that the upgrades would improve safety for kids traveling to and from Dennis Intermediate School and the athletic fields in the area.  Some council members expressed concern over the amount of public input with the project.  Even if approved, work would be several years away.  The issue was referred Monday night to the Finance Committee.

(Richmond, IN)--The draft of the Richmond Rising plan is now available for the public to see.  Richmond Rising is the name given to the city’s master plan and includes how the city plans to address six key challenges in the coming years.  Those challenges include declining population and the quality of Richmond housing.  About 70% of the houses in Richmond are at least 50 years old.  Richmond Rising can be viewed on the city’s website.  A public hearing is set for Thursday night.

(Wayne County, IN)--Wayne County Clerk Debbie Berry has indicated that the county’s voting software vendor has taken full responsibility for an issue that left nearly 2000 Wayne County votes uncounted on Election Night.  Meanwhile, over the weekend, the Wayne County Democratic Party issued a statement about what it called, quote, disappointment that took nine days to discover the error and that there was not a sufficient number of operable voting machines at First English Lutheran Church.  New voting numbers mean that the race for a seat on Dublin Town Council ended in a tie.  Council has until the end of the year to decide how to break that tie.

(Richmond, IN)--A couple of alleged Richmond burglars were taken into custody Sunday.  Police arrested 44-year-old Rex Jordan and 38-year-old Chad Newton at Newton’s home in the 1100 block of South D Street.  Details of the alleged crimes have not been released, but it is a Level 2 Felony that carries a substantial prison term.  Jordan is a registered sex offender based on a 2009 conviction in West Virginia that is the Indiana equivalent of child molestation.  Newton’s criminal record includes arrests for cocaine and meth dealing.

(Eaton, OH)--A Kokomo family was asking Sunday for help from people in Eaton in locating their 15-year-old daughter, who they say is being held against her will.  The family says the girl is being held by a 17-year-old boy.  They say the boy’s SUV ran out of gas near a church on Maple Street in Eaton.  The girl was able to send a photo of the church to help identify her location.  They are reportedly in a black SUV. 

(Richmond, IN)--The majority of Whitewater Valley business owners who responded to an annual Indiana University survey are optimistic about the local economy next year.  That was one of the primary takeaways from Thursday’s Business Outlook Forum at Richmond High School.  54% were optimistic about the economy.  Only 19% had a negative outlook.  While the outlook of local business owners is relatively good, IU business experts are more caution with their expectations for 2020.  They predicted the area’s economy will continue to grow, but at a slightly slower rate than it has this year.

(Liberty, IN)--A plea agreement will mean that a Union County farmer will receive only probation after more than three dozen cows were found dead on his property earlier this year.  A total of 38 cows were found dead at the West College Corner farm of Rodney Sintz.  Many others were malnourished.  Sintz pled guilty to one felony count of failure to dispose of a dead animal.  Five other charges were dropped.  Investigators found that up to a hundred cows had inadequate access to food and water.  They were also kept in a barn that had manure a foot deep.

(Wayne County, IN)--A wanted Cambridge City man was taken into custody Thursday night.  Police responded to the Shell Station at U.S. 40 and Round Barn Road and located 25-year-old Shane Cail.  Cail had been wanted for possessing methamphetamine.  Now, he has a new criminal charge after allegedly giving police a false name Thursday night.  Cail has been booked into the Wayne County Jail multiple times already this year.

(Whitewater Valley)--It wasn't really the snow that caused travel trouble Tuesday morning.  It was the ice.  Mike Sharp with the Wayne County Highway Department explains.  "When it first started coming down, it was melting and freezing, which created an ice layer on the underneath side."  Here’s what crews were doing Tuesday morning.  "We're trying to get some abrasion put on it to help with traction, but it's going to be slick for a while," Sharp predicted.  Most areas of the Whitewater Valley got between two and three inches of snow.  There were a few accidents Tuesday morning across the Whitewater Valley.  One of them, according to scanner traffic, involved a snow plow.  A driver collided with the plow on Gravel Pit Road at just after midnight.  That driver went to Reid Health.  The snow plow had to be towed from the scene.  There was no indication that plow driver suffered any injuries.  Multiple slide-offs were reported Monday night as roadways began to freeze.

(Richmond, IN)--Two alleged drug dealers were booked into the Wayne County Jail Tuesday morning.  32-year-old Vernon Horn and 35-year-old Craig Whitt were arrested Tuesday morning near North West 5^th and L.  Both Horn and Whitt are charged with dealing both cocaine and methamphetamine.  Quantities of drugs and other details have not been released.  Whitt has a criminal history that includes failing to show up in court and resisting arrest.

(Whitewater Valley)--More local schools are closing due to the Red for Ed Day one week from today at the Indiana State Capitol.  Fayette County Schools and Franklin County Schools have now joined the growing list.  Richmond, Centerville, Nettle Creek, and Western Wayne all announced last week that they would be closing on the 19^th.  At the event, teachers will be lobbying for higher pay and to be held harmless from student scores on ILEARN exams.  School districts in our area have varying make-up days.

(Richmond, IN)--Fire destroyed a Richmond home late Sunday night.  It broke out at a home on South West H Street.  "When we pulled up, we found heavy flames coming from the second story," said Richmond Battalion Chief Chris O'Neill.  Shawn Wright has identified himself on social media Monday morning as the owner and occupant of that home.  Wright said that his dog woke him up and alerted him to the fire.  Both Wright and the dog were able to escape without injury.  As for the cause?  "Cause is still under investigation.  We have investigators coming in later today to look at it, O'Neill said.  Firefighters were on the scene for a couple of hours.

(Darke County,  OH)--One person died Sunday afternoon after crashing a motorcycle near a wooded area near Palestine – Union City Road in Darke County.  The 48-year-old northwestern Ohio man struck a tree while taking part in an Enduro Race.  Other racers immediately tried to help the man.  He was Careflighted to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, where he died shortly after arrival.

(Wayne County, IN)--Here are a couple of school notes.  Centerville-Abington Schools and Western Wayne Schools announced Thursday that they would join Richmond and Nettle Creek Schools and close on November 19 to allow teachers to attend the Red for Ed event at the Indiana Statehouse.  The makeup date in Centerville has been set for January 20.  And, multiple employees of the Richmond Community School system have indicated that the Test Intermediate School assistant principal who was arrested a week ago for drunken driving was fired this Tuesday.  RCS administrators have not – and likely will not – confirm that the assistant principal was fired.

(Richmond, IN)--An accused Richmond rapist was brought back to Wayne County Thursday after having been sought by investigators.  26-year-old Sergio Chub was captured in Iowa last month and was being held there until being returned to Richmond Thursday morning.  Details of the alleged rape have not been released.  The arrest warrant was issued in August of last year.  That’s about when Chub’s posts on social media stopped.

(Richmond, IN)--The G Street Bridge in Richmond is in line for a significant refurbishing.  Wayne County has been awarded a federal grant to rehabilitate the bridge, which is nearly 30 years old.  The first step is to assess the condition, and that will require the bridge to close to traffic for three days so that crews can hang over the side to inspect it.  That closure will begin a week from Monday, although it will be open in the mornings and after 3 o’clock to allow students to get to and from Richmond High School.

(Wayne County, IN)--Richmond and Nettle Creek are among schools that have cancelled classes for a day later this month.  The previously unscheduled day off for students is November 19.  It will allow teachers to attend a rally called Red for Ed Action Day in central Indiana.  The rally is to address issues like inadequate funding, standardized testing, and teacher shortages.  A month ago, Richmond teachers got a base salary increase of $3000, which represented the biggest raise in school history.

(Preble County, OH)--A new website has launched that’s aimed at connecting Preble County employers and job-seekers.  The website is preblecountycareers.com.  It’s a result of months of planning by the Preble County Development Partnership.  It’s also an effort to keep younger local residents in their hometown by highlighting the number of jobs that are available.  On Thursday morning, there were two pages' worth of jobs from some of the county’s largest employers including Neaton, Silfex, and Bullen.

(Richmond, IN)--Test Intermediate School Assistant Principal Christopher Ross had filed for a waiver of an initial hearing in Wayne Superior Court II on charges related to allegations that he was driving drunk on Halloween night.  On Wednesday, that waiver was denied.  An initial hearing is now set for December 2.  Meanwhile, Richmond Schools continues to refuse to say if Ross is on administrative leave, citing personnel issues.  And, RCS won’t say why it won’t say…whether it’s their own policy, contractual stipulations, or state law.

Here are election results from counties across the Whitewater Valley:

MAYOR:  Richmond Mayor Dave Snow will hold that title for four more years.  Snow beat Republican Challenger Jamie Lopeman by 192 votes out of 4000 that were cast.  Independent Thomas Owens was a distant thirdy.

COUNCIL:  There will four new faces on Richmond Common Council after Tuesday’s election.  Republicans won all three contested at-large seats with Ron Oler, Jane Bumbalough, and Larry Parker coming out on top.  For Parker, this will be his tenth term on Common Council.  Democrat Bill Engle will be a council newcomer after defeating Samantha Bryant 55-45%.  Other council seats were uncontested.

WAYNE:  In some other Wayne County races, Karen Chasteen easily won four more years as Richmond City Clerk.  Chasteen got more than twice as many votes as her two challengers combined.  The five winners for Dublin Town Council were Bruce Moles, Rex Snyder, Patricia Finley, Larry Walters, and Pamela Chaney.  And, for Milton Town Council, winners were Phillip Edwards, Ryan Coby, Robert Simon, John Noland, and Hugh Payne.  Wayne County’s voter turnout was 18.5%.

PREBLE:  In Preble County, two school renewal levies passed.  Levies at both National Trail and Eaton passed by roughly 2-1 margins.  In mayoral races, Karen Ross got 60% of the vote to win in Camden.  In Gratis, Benjamin Roles will be mayor after having won by just 27 votes.  And, in West Alexandria, Dan Utsinger came out on top by a 71-29% margin.  Most other tax issues also passed, including for the city of Eaton, Preble County Library, and for the village of New Paris.

FAYETTE:  Connersville will have a new mayor.  Republican Challenger Chad Frank defeated incumbent Harold Gordon by a 56-44% margin yesterday.  Members of Connersville City Council will be Mike Bishop, Diana Phillips, Clarence Werner, Jennifer Barrett, Brian Robb, and Bill Gray.  All six of those winners are Republicans.

UNION:  Here are some results from Union County.  The race for Liberty Town Council was a close one.  Derek Tipton was the top vote-getter, but only by 14 votes.  Derrek Jenkins was second, but only by five votes.  And, Matt Barnhizer was third, but only by 18 votes.  In the race for West College Corner Town Council, Emily Bourne came out on top, but only by four votes.

DARKE:  Darke County had an extremely close race.  In the race for Tri Village School Board, 711 votes were cast.  Shane Coby beat Tim Bevins by just one vote – 356-355.  It was also extremely close in the race for Arcanum Council.  With 615 ballots cast, Jacob Banks won by just nine votes.  Most tax levies in Darke County easily passed.  That includes in both New Madison and Greenville.

(Richmond, IN)--Polls opened across the Whitewater Valley Tuesday morning for traditional Election Day.  Absentee voting in Wayne County ended Monday with extremely low turnout numbers.  Only 1940 ballots were cast early this year, and that’s the lowest number since the county began using vote centers back in 2007.  Richmond hasn’t had more than 30% of voters turn out in any of the last four city elections.  In those elections, more than half the ballots had been cast during early voting.  If you are planning on voting Tuesday, you’ll need a state-issued ID card.  There are five polling places in Wayne County.  Four are in Richmond.  WCTV will have live coverage Tuesday night beginning at 6.

(Richmond, IN)--Selassie Ward is back in the Whitewater Valley.  Ward is a relatively well-known rapper who performs under the name 1Way Frank and whose videos have millions of views on Youtube was booked into the Wayne County Jail Monday afternoon.  Wayne County is holding Ward for Union County.  Ward, who is a Florida resident, is accused of breaking into multiple cars at Whitewater Memorial State Park earlier this year.  He was captured in Oklahoma last month.  There’s still no word on why Ward was in Union County.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond Common Council didn’t mess around Monday night.  In a meeting that lasted less than half an hour, council passed a salary ordinance by a 6-3 vote.  The ordinance dealt with a pay raise for ASFCME workers, which include city employees in the Street, Sanitation, and Parks Department.  Council members who opposed the ordinance did so over disagreements with the structure of the city’s new Department of Code Enforcement.

(Eaton, OH)--A former Ohio Highway Patrol Trooper who was already facing multiple counts of gross sexual imposition is now facing even more charges.  45-year-old Christopher Ward, who lives in Preble County, was accused of pulling female victims over and touching them inappropriately during the traffic stops.  Now, two more alleged victims have come forward, bringing the total number to seven.  Trial is set to begin next week.  If convicted, Ward faces up to life in prison.

(Connersville, IN)--Fentanyl was recovered during a Fayette County drug bust this week, and it was enough to kill more than half the population of Connersville.  Investigators had worked for more than a year on a case involving 58-year-old Pennie Robinson.  She was taken into custody at her Boulevard Place home Monday.  23.5 grams of Fentanyl was located.  That would be enough to kill nearly 8000 adults.  Robinson has been charged with dealing a narcotic drug.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond Community Schools has not commented publically on the status of Test Intermediate School Assistant Principal Christopher Ross.  Ross was arrested late Thursday night for drunken driving and resisting arrest.  So far, RCS has not publically acknowledged that the incident took place or said if he’ll be in school Monday.  Ross has bonded out of jail.  It’s the 4^th alcohol related arrest in the last 11 years.  The most recent was an OWI in Rochester four years ago.  Ironically, Ross had this message to Test students in a Facebook video address just last week.  "Red Ribbon Week is about getting real with the problem of substance abuse in our country.  It's about not lying to ourselves and saying things like 'it's only one time.'"  Ross was employed by RCS shortly after resigning in Rochester.

(Richmond, IN)--Voter turnout remains low in Wayne County in advance of Tuesday’s traditional Election Day.  You can cast a ballot Monday, but only until noon.  Then, on Tuesday, polls open at 6 a.m. and will remain open until 6 Tuesday night.  Polling locations Tuesday include the Kuhlman Center, First English Lutheran Church, First Baptist Church, and Mount Olive Baptist Church – all in Richmond – and the Golay Center in Cambridge City.

(Richmond, IN)--Wernle Youth and Family Treatment Center has denied allegations of negligence in a legal response to a lawsuit.  That lawsuit was filed by a Bloomington-area couple who claim that Wernle allowed their child to be housed with older, violent teens who ultimately repeatedly attacked the boy earlier this year.  The lawsuit also alleges Wernle was aware of the attacks and refused to let the parent see video of the incidents.  In the response, Wernle denies any responsibility.

(Richmond, IN)--The Assistant Principal at Test Intermediate School in Richmond was behind bars Friday morning after allegedly leading police on a drunken overnight car chase.  45-year-old Christopher Ross of Richmond is accused of failing to pull over on Richmond’s west side at around midnight.  Multiple police units joined in, with Ross eventually surrendering near South West 16^th and National Road West.  Ross’ blood alcohol content was allegedly .298, which is well over three times the legal limit.

(Richmond, IN)--It took a Wayne County jury about four hours to find Eric Lairson guilty of murder Thursday.  The verdict will mean that Lairson will spend most of the rest of his life in prison when he’s sentenced at the end of this month.  Lairson killed Tylissa Isaacs in a home on North 13^th in Richmond nearly two years ago.  In closing arguments Thursday, Lairson’s attorney, Steve Rabe, conceded that Lairson killed Isaacs, but denied that it was done intentionally.  Prosecutor Mike Shipman countered that the incident met the legal definition of murder.  Members of Isaacs’ family were on hand for the reading of the verdict.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond Police investigators would like to hear from anyone who can shed light on a shooting that occurred Thursday morning.  A man now identified as 43-year-old Floyd Story showed up at Reid Health with a gunshot wound to the leg.  He was taken to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton to be treated for a non-life-threatening injury.  Story was originally less than cooperative with police.  He said the shooting occurred at North West 5^th and L, although police could find no evidence to support that statement.