(Wayne County, IN)--Wayne County recorded two more Covid-19 deaths Wednesday.  Although there have now been nine deaths recorded in the last week, other Covid-19 numbers are coming down significantly.  On the first day of this month, Wayne County was averaging 92 cases a day.  So far this week, the average daily number is less than half of that ... 35.  Eight days ago there were 86 patients in Reid Health containment areas.  This Thursday morning, that number had been nearly cut in half.  It’s down to 45.  All eight of the patients on ventilators at Reid Thursday are unvaccinated.  The status of Whitewater Valley counties remained unchanged when Indiana’s updated Covid-19 map was released Wednesday.  Wayne County remains in the orange along will all other area counties except for Union and Franklin County, which remain in the red.  Union County passed the 1000-case mark Wednesday and also recorded a Covid-19 death.  Franklin County now has the highest seven-day positivity rate in all of Indiana at just over 20 percent.

(Cambridge City, IN)--Lincoln High School is in the midst of a large Covid-19 quarantine.  According to letter to Lincoln parents from Superintendent Andy Stover that was dated Monday, more than one student who attended last weekend’s Homecoming dance tested positive.  The result is that every student who attended that dance has been ordered to quarantine until Wednesday of next week.  The exact number of students affected was not disclosed.

(Richmond, IN)--There was a robbery at Genesis Apartments in Richmond Wednesday afternoon.  The victim had intended to sell a pair of tennis shoes to 19-year-old Jeremiah Croft, who lists a Mississippi address.  But Croft allegedly pulled a gun and took both the shoes and some cash.  Croft was caught nearby and the gun was recovered.   No injuries were reported.

(Wayne County, IN)-- Three more Wayne County Covid-19 deaths have shown up on the state’s dashboard since Tuesday morning.  It brings the total to 233 people.  Two of the seven deaths reported in the last five days have been people in their 40’s.  Wayne County reported 47 new cases Tuesday, which continues a recent trend of fewer daily cases.  Meanwhile, Reid Health announced Tuesday that people who are newly eligible for a booster dose of Pfizer’s vaccine can now sign up for an appointment at Reid’s vaccination locations.

(Centerville, IN)--Things got testy between two members of Centerville Town Council Tuesday night.  At issue was a development occupied largely by Hasidic Jewish families that are new to the area.  The claim by some is that building covenants for the Sunset Development are not being enforced.  One council member wanted the issue on the next agenda.  Here was the exchange between that member and the council President that followed that request.

"It's not something that, at this time, we can address."

"So it's secret."

"No, it's not secret."

'Yes, it is."

"You always say that, and you cost us $26,000 because you said we were doing a cover-up."

"I cost you $26,000?"

'Yes."

Discussion on the topic ended with a call for transparency.

(Cambridge City, IN)--The Western Wayne Regional Sewer District has been notified that it’s receiving a large grant to help offset the cost of the new wastewater treatment plant.  Two million dollars is coming to the district from the Indiana Finance Authority.  While the $2 million is significant, it represents only about 1/9 of the total projected cost.  A special meeting of the district’s board has been set for Wednesday night to address construction costs.  The new plant is now not expected to be operational until the summer of 2023.

(Wayne County, IN)--There are some improving Covid-19 numbers for Wayne County Tuesday morning.  There has been a substantial drop in the number of patients in Reid Health containment areas.  Last Wednesday, there were 86 patients.  On Monday, that number had dropped to 76.  Tuesday morning, the number of Reid patients is down to 59.  Still, 11 of the 12 people in the Reid ICU Tuesday morning were unvaccinated.  Wayne County reported 29 new cases Monday, which is well below recent daily averages.  The positivity rate Tuesday is 10.7%, which also represents an improvement.

(Richmond, IN)--Reid Health’s main Covid-19 vaccination clinic is moving this week to a new location.  Since January, the main clinic has been at the Kulhman Center.  But, beginning Thursday, it will be located at Reid Plaza next to the PACE Center on National Road West.  Reid said in a statement Monday that the new site offers a bigger location without having to inconvenience any activities already planned for the Kuhlman Center in the coming weeks and months.

(Greenville, OH)--A Darke County jury on Monday found 59-year-old Richard Bowman guilty of murdering his own wife.  The jury deliberated for seven hours Monday following testimony that lasted all of last week.  Bowman’s bond was immediately revoked and he was sent to jail.  A sentencing date has yet to be set.  In closing arguments, prosecutors said that the primary motivation for the murder of Teresa Bowman was that Richard Bowman had been dating someone else and that there was substantial life insurance money.

(Richmond, IN)--Bob Ciprietti is one of the two men accused of stiffing Wayne County for more than a million dollars in unpaid property taxes for the old Reid Hospital property.  Back in May, Ciprietti paid the county $75,000 as a settlement.  Now, Ciprietti is going after his former business partner, Ernesto Zamparini.  Now, a special judge in Wayne Superior Court I has issued a ruling stating that Ciprietti is entitled to collect $75,000 from Zamparini.

(Eaton, OH)--A man and his dog were hit by a train in Eaton Sunday afternoon.  It happened at about 3:45 in a wooded area near the Eaton Water Works Park on Park Avenue.  The man was flown to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton and, at last report, was listed in stable condition.  His identity has not been released, and there’s no word on what he was doing on the tracks.  The man’s dog did not survive.

(Greenville, OH)--A long-time Whitewater Valley sheriff is calling it quits.  Darke County Sheriff Toby Spencer has announced that he will retire effective at the end of next month.  Spencer has spent an incredible 47 years in various capacities with the Sheriff’s Department, and the last 28 of those 47 years have been as sheriff.  Spencer did issue a parting shot.  He said "I was elected to protect the citizens of Darke County.  Unfortunately, under the courts of Darke County, the only ones that are protected are those that continue to offend and continually break the law.  There is no accountability for those that prey on our society."

(Wayne County, IN)--Wayne County has passed the 10,000-case threshold for Covid-19.  62 more cases were reported Thursday, and that brings to total number of cases to 10,020.  The very first case was reported exactly a year and a half ago Saturday.  This month has already had the third most Wayne County cases of any month since the pandemic began, and 97% of those cases this month have been from the Delta variant.  There were 77 patients at Reid Health Friday morning.  83% of them are unvaccinated.  The weekly number of Wayne County residents becoming fully vaccinated continues to grow.  In the last week, 469 more residents became fully vaccinated.  It was a slight increase from the week before.  By comparison, in the first week of August, only 165 became vaccinated.  Wayne County’s vaccination total now stands at 26,964.  It means that 56% of Wayne County’s population has either had Covid-19 or is now fully vaccinated against it.

(Wayne County, IN)--Wayne County reported four more Covid-19 deaths Wednesday.  That’s the highest single-day total since late December of last year.  Seven deaths have been reported in Wayne County in just the last two days.  The total now stands at 226.  Wayne County added 63 new cases Wednesday and will likely cross the 10,000-case threshold either Thursday or Friday.  There was not a lot of significant change when Indiana’s updated Covid-19 map was released Wednesday.  Wayne, Union, and Randolph County all remain in the orange while Fayette, Franklin, and Henry County are in the red.  On the map, Wayne County’s seven-day positivity rate is 13.2%.  Franklin County now has the third-highest positivity rate in all of Indiana at 21.4%.  WCTV is airing a special edition of “In Focus” Thursday night to answer questions about the latest developments with Covid-19.  Doctors Thomas Huth and David Jetmore will join host Eric Marsh to answer questions from the public.  The program airs at 6 o’clock Thursday night on Channel 11 in Wayne County.  It can also be viewed live on WCTV’s Facebook page.

(Richmond, IN)--One of Richmond’s most wanted was taken into custody Wednesday at a strange location.  36-year-old Loni Eubanks was arrested at Interfaith Apartments on North West 5^th.  Eubanks had active warrants for robbery and battery with a deadly weapon.  In his adult life, Eubanks has racked up more than 60 criminal charges.  He was also allegedly in possession of cocaine or other drugs when he was apprehended Wednesday.

(Richmond, IN)--She lured two men to a Richmond home to be robbed at gunpoint, and now 24-year-old Mikala Dunaway will spend the next dozen years in prison.  Dunaway pled guilty this week to a Level 3 felony as part of a plea deal.  One of Dunaway’s alleged accomplices, 22-year-old Colton Tout, is currently scheduled to go on trial in February of next year.

(Wayne County, IN)--Wayne County reported three new Covid-19 deaths Tuesday, bringing the total to 222.  The number of Covid-19 patients at Reid Health has also risen to 86.  All 14 of the Covid-19 patients in the Reid ICU Wednesday morning are unvaccinated.  The county also reported 50 additional new cases Tuesday.  The number of cases in recent days has dropped.  Still, if recent daily averages hold, Wayne County will surpass the 10,000 case mark at some point in the next two or three days.  As of Wednesday morning, the county has had 9897 cases.

(Muncie, IN)--A plea agreement has resulted in only probation for a Richmond man who had been accused of driving under the influence of marijuana and causing a fatal crash on U.S. 35 just outside of Muncie.  45-year-old Andrew Martin, who was also from Richmond, died in the crash on New Year’s Eve of 2018.  27-year-old Brandon Martin pled guilty this week to operating a motor vehicle with a controlled substance in the blood.  Brandon Martin this week blamed the crash on heavy rain.

(Richmond, IN)--Fire did heavy damage to a home in the first block of South 14^th in Richmond when it broke out at just before midnight Tuesday night.  "When we pulled up, we had a lot of flames on the south side of the structure," said Battalion Chief Eric Holmes  "The occupant wasn't home at the time."  Fire investigators will return to the scene Wednesday to look for a cause.  There’s no word yet on the dollar amount of the damage.

Up in the air. It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s new airborne surveillance technology being rolled out in Butler County by Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Aviation Unit. According to officers, the new “Downlink” equipment connects law enforcement on the ground to live feeds from aircraft in the skies. While speed enforcement remains the primary mission, the unit has also been mobilized for other uses, including both surveillance of demonstrations and search and rescue missions

The generosity doesn’t stop in our area with the Wayne County Foundation announcing  that 40 organizations have been selected to participate in the Foundation’s challenge match. This marks the foundation’s 10th consecutive year delivering the initiative. Last year’s match generated over $1.83 million dollars for local organizations; this year’s initiative will run from November 1 to November 9.

https://waynecountyfoundation.org/challenge-match/

As executive director of the Wayne County Health Department Christine Stinson reported at the most recent board meeting, the number of positive cases in Wayne County appears to show signs of slowing down. Wayne County’s weekly positivity rate fell to 13.7% last week, according to the state’s COVID-19 dashboard. Reid Hospital’s resources remain stressed: 73 COVID-positive patients are being treated in Reid’s containment areas, and of the 16 COVID-19 patients in the ICU, 14 are unvaccinated. According to Wayne County Health Board Member Pete Zaleski again at the recent board meeting, about 1 in 300 Wayne County residents die from the virus.

Several young children had a wild time at Glen Miller’s splash pad around 5pm on Saturday evening - literally. Scanner traffic indicated that raccoons chased children as they attempted to take a break from the heat. According to other residents, numerous raccoons congregate near the tennis courts in Glen Miller Park due, in part, to the fact that residents feed them.

(Richmond, IN)--Shots were fired all across Richmond’s south side overnight Thursday night and Friday morning.  Shots were reported at Genesis Apartments, on Abington Pike, on South 9^th, and on South 13th.  Shell casings were found on South 13^th.  At around 1:30 Friday morning, officers stopped a vehicle near Liberty Avenue and Test Road.  Shell casings and an AR-15 were found inside that vehicle.  Arrested at the scene was 36-year-old Joshua Wooten.  He’s charged with criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon.  He’s also charged with possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon because he was just released from custody three weeks ago for battery.  Wooten bonded out of jail at 3:30 Friday morning.  Also arrested was 22-year-old Trey Seifer.  He’s charged with OWI endangerment.  He has also already bonded out.  There were no initial reports of any injuries.  Investigators have not yet said what prompted the incidents.

(Wayne County, IN)--This week, Wayne County has had one of its highest vaccination totals in months.  459 Wayne County residents have become fully vaccinated since last Friday.  That’s a 62% increase from the week before.  With 26,495 residents now fully vaccinated, Wayne County this week passed a milestone.  Just over 40% of residents of all ages are now fully vaccinated.  Wayne County added 78 new cases Thursday.

(Wayne County, IN)--There has been an unmistakable drop in jobless claims in Wayne County that has coincided with the end of the weekly $300 unemployment bonus connected to Covid-19.  A few months ago, when an announcement was made that jobless benefits would be extended, jobless claims in Wayne County spiked from 59 to 473 in a single week.  Now, with extra money no longer being doled out, claims this week were cut by more than half…from 83 to 39.  That’s the lowest number of weekly claims since before the pandemic began a year and a half ago.

(Richmond, IN)--Dr. Thomas Huth with Reid Health talked recently about how they’re seeing more seriously ill Covid-19 patients that are younger in age.  "We've had them as young as about 21.  And, we're seeing a number of deaths in the last week or so - about ten."  There’s also been a lot of discussion recently about how many seriously ill people are unvaccinated.  On Wednesday morning, ten of the eleven patients at Reid were unvaccinated.  But Huth also discussed another common trait of the seriously ill.  Huth said that 95% of local residents seriously ill with Covid-19 are significantly overweight.

(Richmond, IN)--Wayne County reported another Covid-19 death Tuesday, bringing the total to 216.  The latest is a 41-year-old Richmond man who had been at Reid Health since the first of the month and had documented his ordeal on social media.  Meanwhile, Wayne County added 80 more Covid-19 cases and is getting closer to having had 10,000 cases.  The county stood Wednesday morning at 9557.

(Richmond, IN)--Police officers located a theft suspect following a search through cornfields near the Wayne County Fairgrounds Tuesday.  The suspect, who was later identified as 35-year-old Jesse Glisson, fled when he noticed officers waiting at his home on North West L Street.  Glisson drove straight into a cornfield and then bailed out.  Multiple agencies arrived and used a police canine and a drone to locate Glisson.  Inside his home, investigators found multiple stolen items including a trailer and two motorcycles.

(Wayne County, IN)--The Wayne County Health Department clarified details of a Covid-19 death Tuesday.  This week, the death of a person in his or her 20’s was reported.  But, that death actually occurred way back in March…long before the Delta variant surfaced.  Meanwhile, 70 new cases were reported Tuesday.  The number of patients at Reid Health dropped to 72.  Of the 13 Covid-19 patients in the ICU Wednesday morning, all 13 are unvaccinated.  And, of the nine on ventilators, all nine are unvaccinated.

(Richmond, IN)--A semi driver escaped injury early Wednesday morning in a crash that left the cab of his truck partially dangling over Union Pike.  That truck, which was hauling 40,000 pounds of cheese, went into the median of I-70 at around 1:30 Wednesday morning and came to rest over the top of Union Pike.  Crews were cleaning up for several hours.  And, in Preble County Wednesday morning, there was a crash in the construction zone at the junction of I-70 and U.S. 35.  One person was sent to the hospital.

(Wayne County, IN)--Wayne County reported three new Covid-19 deaths Monday, including the youngest person yet.  A Wayne County resident in his or her 20’s became the youngest person to die with the virus.  A person in their 30’s and another in their 40’s are also among the ten to die this month.  Before the Delta variant, there had been 198 deaths but none under the age of 50.  There’s no word on whether any of the three most recent victims had been vaccinated or had serious underlying health conditions.  Eight more people were hospitalized at Reid Health Monday, bringing the total to 80.

(Hamilton, OH)--The mother who killed her own six-year-old son when she tried to abandon him at Rush Run in Preble County was sentenced Monday to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 21 years.  29-year-old Brittany Gosney received the maximum sentence.  Her attorney blamed other people for what Gosney did.  "She, on multiple occasions with multiple people, told them that she was overwhelmed."   But prosecutors said there is no evidence she reached out to anyone and remained quiet Monday.  "Did you hear one word from her?  Not one peep."  The death penalty did not apply in Gosney’s case.

(Richmond, IN)--Beginning Tuesday, there’s another spot where you can get vaccinated against Covid-19.  Reid Health announced Monday that vaccinations will be available on its main campus Monday through Friday. Specifically, the site is next to the Home Medical Equipment store.  Both the one-dose Johnson & Johnson and the two-dose Pfizer vaccines are available at the Reid site.

(Richmond, IN)--Wayne County has recorded 457 cases of Covid-19 in the last week.  What’s significant about that number is that it’s the first time since the first week of July that the Monday-to-Monday case total has decreased from the week before.  That week, for the entire week, there were a total of eight cases.  At Reid Health Monday morning, there were 72 patients.  That’s the highest that number has been since early December of last year.  60 of those 72 patients are unvaccinated.  Of the 12 patients in Reid’s ICU Monday morning, ten were unvaccinated.

(Noblesville, IN)--A change of plea hearing for a former Richmond police officer that was to have taken place late last week was cancelled just before it was set to begin.  Former RPD officer Terry Hopkins is charged with murder in central Indiana after allegedly helping a female co-defendant feed poisonous mushrooms to the victim.  The case is now set to go to trial in late January of next year.  Hopkins was a law enforcement officer for more than two decades.

(Wayne County, IN)--There’s no word yet on the conditions of two people who were injured critically enough in an accident involving a buggy Sunday to require medical helicopters.    It happened on State Road 38 at Jacksonburg Road near Hagerstown at around 3:30 Sunday afternoon.  Scanner traffic indicated both an adult female and a child were seriously injured.  At least one other child was less seriously hurt.  38 was shut down for about an hour.

(Wayne County, IN)--President Biden’s new Covid-19 vaccination mandate, which was announced Thursday, will affect thousands of Wayne County workers.  Biden announced that any employer with more than a hundred workers must either require those employees to be vaccinated or provide proof of a negative test on a weekly basis.  According to numbers from Wayne County’s EDC, 26 fully private companies fall into that category.  They range from Belden with 707 employees to Ahaus Tool and Silgan White Cap with 112.  Those 26 private Wayne County companies employ a total of 5476 people who now must be vaccinated, be tested weekly, quit, or see their employers face substantial fines.  Less than half of Wayne County residents of traditional working age are fully vaccinated.

(Wayne County, IN)--The number of Wayne County cases of Covid-19 has gone up in the last two weeks, but the number of people becoming fully vaccinated has dropped.  Last week, 303 residents had become fully vaccinated.  This week, that number dropped to 283.  26,036 Wayne County residents are now fully vaccinated.  That translates to just under 40 percent of the county’s overall population.  Wayne County reported 89 new cases and two new deaths on Thursday.

(Richmond, IN)--Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb addressed local business and community leaders Thursday during a luncheon hosted by the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce at Forest Hills.  Holcomb touched on a wide variety of topics.  The most local topic was the widening of I-70.  Eventually, I-70 will be three lanes wide from Columbus to Indiana’s state capital.  "Being on that flight path - being on that thoroughfare, is a huge, huge benefit," Holcomb explained.  Holcomb said it will make Richmond more marketable.  "You already have the location.  There are a lot of businesses that want to be in the right location.  This is it.  Richmond is on the front row."  The state is pursuing federal grants.

(Richmond, IN)--Wednesday night’s meeting of the Richmond Community School Board lasted only a few minutes because of four people who violated the mask mandate.  Deputies had been placed at the door to prevent people from entering without wearing a mask.  The four walked maskless past the deputies anyway.  They were asked to leave.  They did, but only for a short time.  After gathering outside for a few minutes, the four walked in again without wearing a mask.  The school board meeting was then brought to an abrupt end.  A new date has not been set.  The Board was supposed to have dealt with the renovation of several buildings.

(Wayne County, IN)--Wayne County reported four more Covid-19 deaths Wednesday, including the youngest person yet.  Earlier this week, a local resident in his or her 40’s died from Covid-19.  Now, a person in his or her 30’s has died.  Another person was in his or her 50’s.  None of the four people had been fully vaccinated.  Another testing and vaccination clinic has been set for Friday and Saturday outside Ivy Tech in Richmond.  Wayne County moved into the red when Indiana’s updated color-coded Covid-19 map was released Wednesday.  Red indicates the highest level of spread, and Wayne County’s positivity rate Thursday morning stood at just over 14%.  Franklin County is the only other Whitewater Valley county in the red.  All other counties in our area were orange Thursday.  Wayne County reported 53 new cases Wednesday.Beginning Thursday, Reid Health is pausing all elective inpatient surgeries due to the latest surge in Covid-19 cases.  All scheduled surgeries will be reviewed for urgency.  The move will allow members of the clinical staff to be available for other inpatient needs as cases rise and Reid remains on critical bed status.  Urgent surgeries will proceed, as will outpatient surgeries scheduled at Reid Outpatient Surgery & Endoscopy.  There were 68 Covid-19 patients at Reid Thursday morning.

(Richmond, IN)--Two juveniles led police officers from multiple agencies on a wild high-speed chase Thursday morning.  There’s no word yet on where or why the chase began, but it entered Wayne County from the north at around 4 o’clock Thursday morning.  The boy and girl fled south through Fountain City on U.S. 27.  Between Fountain City and Richmond, speeds reached 110 miles per hour.  The two bailed out near the Nine North Apartments and were both caught following a short foot chase.  They were taken to Reid Health.  Because they’re juveniles, their names will not be released.

(Wayne County, IN)--Expanded local statistics are now being provided on a daily basis to indicate the impact of Covid-19 on those who are vaccinated and those who are not.  Here’s a look:  Out of the 67 patients at Reid Health right now, 57 are unvaccinated.  Of the 14 patients in intensive care, 13 are unvaccinated.  Of the 11 people on ventilators this morning, ten are unvaccinated.  All of that prompted this message from Mayor Dave Snow during Tuesday night’s meeting of Richmond Common Council.  "Covid numbers are rising at an alarming rate.  I again want to urge everyone to get vaccinated."  80 new cases were reported Tuesday.

(Wayne County, IN)--Wayne County reported three more Covid-19 deaths Tuesday.  It brings the total number of deaths to 207.  One of the three was a person in his or her 40’s.  It marks the first time that any Wayne County resident under the age of 50 has died from Covid-19.  All three who died were unvaccinated.  Over the Labor Day weekend, Wayne County had 227 cases.  30% of those cases were in people age 18 or younger.  The county is currently experiencing breakthrough cases at a rate of just under five percent.  Wayne County will surpass the 9000 case mark on Wednesday.

(Wayne County, IN)--Wayne County has recorded 646 new cases of Covid-19 since last Monday, and that’s the highest Monday-to-Monday total it’s ever had.  Not only is it the highest weekly total since the beginning of the pandemic – it’s the highest by more than a hundred cases.  Wayne County’s positivity rate has gone above 14%, and there are now 59 patients in Reid Health containment areas.  There have been no recent statistics to indicate what percentage of the cases are in those who are unvaccinated and those that are breakthrough cases.

(Randolph County, IN)--There was a fatal crash in Randolph County on Sunday.  Investigators said that an 18-year-old boy from just east of Cincinnati was traveling north on Randolph County Road 200 East just east of Winchester when he lost control after crossing some railroad tracks.  His car went into a ditch and then struck a utility pole.  The boy was flown from the scene to a Level One Trauma Center but died Monday.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond Common Council meets Monday night to get set for 2022.  Council will address ordinances that cover the 2022 budget for the city, salaries for most city workers, and salaries for themselves.  Discussions about the budget have been ongoing with department heads for the last month.  All of those ordinances are on first reading.  Monday night’s meeting begins at 7 o’clock.  You can catch it live on WCTV.

(Richmond, IN)--After reporting a record 144 cases on Wednesday, the number of Covid-19 cases reported Thursday dropped below one hundred…but barely.  Wayne County reported another 95 cases Thursday.  The county’s positivity rate took an increase Thursday and stood at 14.2% Friday morning.  Also increasing Thursday was the number of patients in Reid Health containment areas.  That number stood at 59 Friday morning.  That’s the most Covid-19 patients Reid has had at one time since the middle of January.

(Wayne County, IN)--Even though the number of cases of Covid-19 rose significantly this week, the number of Wayne County residents becoming fully vaccinated dropped from the week before.  The weekly number of residents to become vaccinated had been rising steadily – from 185 to 271 to 367.  But, this week, that number dropped to 303.  It means that 25,753 Wayne County residents are fully vaccinated.  That represents 39% of the county’s overall population.

(Wayne County, IN)--Wednesday, Wayne County reported its highest single-day total of Covid-19 since the pandemic began a year and a half ago.  Wayne County reported 144 cases Wednesday, blowing away the previous single-day high of 105, which was set last week.  The Wayne County Health Department said that 54 of the 144 cases, or about 38%, are in kids 18 and under.  In the latest update, Richmond Community Schools reported 58 new cases, but none of them were in kids in elementary schools.  Wayne County remained in the orange Wednesday when Indiana’s updated Covid-19 map was released.  The map puts the county’s positivity rate at 11.5% and dropping.  Union County remains in the red.  Franklin County was downgraded from orange to red with a positivity of 18%.  There was also another big jump Wednesday in the number of Covid-19 patients in Reid Health containment areas.  There are 54 patients in Reid.  On Monday, that number was 35.

(Richmond, IN)--Wedneday was an important day for Richmond’s first responders.  It was the formal dedication of the Izzy Edelman Fire and Police Training Center.  The center is located just north of Richmond Power & Light and will help the city attract and train firefighters and police officers.  It includes both classroom and physical training spaces and is named for Richmond’s Izzy Edelman, who died in a fraternity house fire at IU in Bloomington in 1984.

(Richmond, IN)--The city of Richmond continues to seek new police officers, and now they’ve extended that hiring process.  RPD announced Wednesday that the process has been extended until September 24.  Preliminary testing is done by appointment online at Ivy Tech in Richmond.  Applicants have to be between 21 and 39, have a high school diploma or GED, and have never been convicted of a felony.

(Wayne County, IN)--There’s been no letup in the daily number of Covid-19 cases in Wayne County.  The county reported another 97 cases Tuesday with a positivity rate that has now risen to 13.3%.  The demographics of local residents who have had Covid-19 are changing.  For months, people in their 50’s made up the largest age group of those affected.  With the recent rise in cases, people in their 20’s have now caught those in their 50’s.  An updated Covid-19 map comes out later Wednesday.

(Richmond, IN)--A man was jailed after allegedly exposing himself at Charles Elementary School in Richmond Tuesday.  It happened at just past noon.  That person, who has been identified as 25-year-old Jason Voss, allegedly exposed himself and then left the area.  But, according to scanner traffic, an alert bystander followed Voss to his home on Southeast Parkway where he was arrested.  He was charged with indecent exposure, which is only a misdemeanor.  Voss has already bonded out of jail.

(Oxford, OH)--One area community now has returned to a full, community-wide mask mandate.  On Tuesday, a mask mandate went into effect for Oxford.  The mandate applies to all public indoors spaces, including all retail businesses, bars, and restaurants.  The mandate will remain in place in Oxford until at least December 13.  Miami University also issued a requirement Tuesday that all students, staff, and faculty become fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by the middle of November.