(Richmond, IN)--A block of East Main Street in Richmond will have to be closed for an entire month to remove a dilapidated building.  The city announced Monday that East Main will close between 9^th and 10^th Street to allow for demolition of the building at 916 and 918 East Main.  That’s close to what was once Kessler’s Sporting Goods.  That building was recently declared unsafe and beyond repair.  An emergency demolition was then ordered.  Monday’s release from the city does not say when the closure will begin.

(Eaton, OH)--A Preble County man who is also a former Ohio Highway Patrol trooper was finally hauled off to prison Monday.  47-year-old Christopher Ward had been given a three-year sentence last May for sexually battering multiple women and girls, including some while he was working in uniform as a trooper.  "It really affected me in my life and it still affects me.  It's always in the back of my mind," said  Here is one of Ward's victims).  Ward was allowed to remain out of prison for six months during the appeal process, but that ended Monday.  Ward’s attorney filed a motion for a new trial Monday just before Ward was taken away.

(Connersville, IN)--More details have been released about that fatal porch collapse in Connersville that Kicks 96 and 101.7 The Point reported exclusively Monday morning.  Investigators have now identified the victim as 45-year-old William Fields.  Fields was working Saturday night as a pizza delivery driver when he stepped onto the porch of a house on West 27^th Street.  He fell through the porch and was pinned by heavy debris.  The incident has been determined to be an accident and there is no ongoing criminal investigation.

(Centerville, IN)--A Centerville woman pointed a weapon at a Wayne County Sheriff’s Deputy and Centerville Police officer Sunday night and was shot as a result.  It started at 6:30 Sunday night at a home in the 500 block of East South Street.  Officers responded to a report of a suicidal female.  She was outside on a porch when the officer and deputy arrived.  That’s when they noticed she had a weapon.  The woman retreated inside for a short time and then came back out.  That’s when she pointed the weapon at the deputy and was shot.  She was taken to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton by helicopter.  Her name and condition have not been released.  Both the officer and the deputy have been placed on administrative leave.

(Wayne County, IN)--There has been a drop in the number of weekly Covid-19 cases in Wayne County.  The county has reported that 126 people have tested positive since last Monday.  That’s a 26% drop from the previous Monday-to-Monday weekly total and an 83% drop from the week before that.  Wayne County, though, has reported another Covid-19 death, bringing the total to 264.  There were 35 patients at Reid Health Monday morning.  71% of those people were unvaccinated.

(Connersville, IN)--One person was killed over the weekend in Connersville in what was initially reported as a porch collapse.  According to scanner traffic, first responders were sent to the 200 block of West 27^th Street at 11:30 Saturday night when a porch collapsed.  There has been no information released yet regarding what caused the porch to collapse, the identity of the victim, or other circumstances surrounding the incident.

(Richmond, IN)--Saturday is Small Business Saturday in Richmond.  Mayor Dave Snow explained in a recent promotional video why it’s important for people to do at least some of their Christmas shopping locally.  "On average, for every dollar spent locally, 67 cents stays local."  Organizations like the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce and Main Street Richmond are taking part.  Many local stores have online shopping options.

(Eaton, OH)--Holiday festivities kick off in Eaton Friday night.  It begins with a White Christmas celebration at 5:30 Friday afternoon at the Preble County Courthouse with music from the Eaton High School Band.  That will be followed by the first night of Whispering Christmas at Fort St. Clair.  The popular local light display will continue every night through Christmas.

(Wayne County, IN)--Wayne County on Tuesday reported two new Covid-19 deaths and its highest single-day case total in nearly six weeks.  The two deaths bring the county’s total to 263.  There were 47 new cases reported Tuesday.  The last day it was higher was back on October 12, when Wayne County reported 52 cases.  The county’s positivity rate Wednesday morning stood at 7.6%.  An updated color-coded Covid-19 map comes out later Wednesday.

(Richmond, IN)--One of three people who led RPD officers on a high-speed chase Wednesday morning was booked into jail at 4:30 Wednesday morning.  24-year-old Kasey Collins now is charged with dealing both cocaine and methamphetamine.  According to scanner traffic, speeds reached 100 miles per hour shortly after the chase began at 12^th and East Main in Richmond.  The SUV crashed near the 1400 block of South J.  Collins was captured, but two other people including one male and one female were able to get away.  There were no reports of any injuries.

(Liberty, IN)--A funeral service has now been set for Union County Commissioner.  Paul Wiwi died last weekend as a result of kidney disease.  Wiwi had been a Union County Commissioner for the last 13 years, but had also served the county in several other roles including as a 4-H leader and as a Co-Op board member.  Visitation begins at 4 o’clock Friday afternoon at Urban-Winkler Funeral Home in Liberty.  Paul Wiwi was 81.

(Wayne County, IN)--Unemployment numbers for the Whitewater Valley that were released Monday are incredibly – and possibly historically – low as many employers remain desperate to fill open positions.  Wayne County’s unemployment rate Tuesday morning was just 2.7%.  That’s the lowest it’s been in at least the last decade.  But some counties are even lower.  Randolph and Franklin County are at just two percent, and Union County is even lower than that at just 1.5% unemployment.  Some other important numbers…Wayne County’s labor force has dropped by 700 people since this time last year.  There are also 774 Wayne County residents who are currently counted as unemployed.

(Eaton, OH)--A court on Monday rejected the appeal of a Preble County resident and former Ohio Highway Patrol trooper who accosted several juvenile and adult females.  47-year-old Christopher Ward had been found guilty a year and a half ago, but his three-year prison sentence was put on hold for appeal.  That ended Monday.  "This brings a lot of peace.  I'm happy for the other victims and their families.  I'm happy for the community." said one girl who Ward assaulted during a stop on U.S. 35 in Preble County.  A motion to impose the sentence will be heard November 29 in Preble County Common Pleas Court.

(Richmond, IN)--There is now a pending motion to transfer Austin Neathery out of the Wayne County Jail.  Neathery is awaiting a March trial for allegedly murdering Richmond’s Tremel Carpenter more than three years ago.  A couple of weeks ago, Neathery incurred new charges after allegedly attacking a captain and a lieutenant at the jail.  The motion is called a Motion to Transfer for Safe Keeping.  A judge will hear that motion on November 30.

(Richmond, IN)--The investigation was continuing Monday morning following a weekend drug bust at Salisbury Stables.  It happened late Saturday night and followed a lengthy investigation by multiple law enforcement agencies.  A search warrant was executed as a result of suspected drug activity with a police helicopter hovering above.  Three people were taken into custody.  They include Laura Turner, who has already bonded out and was free Monday morning.  She’s charged with maintaining a common nuisance and drug possession.  Adrienne Turner and Sonya Bowser were also jailed.  Scanner traffic indicated that there was an unsuccessful search for another suspect.  The amount of drugs recovered has not been released.

(Birmingham, AL)--A Richmond man who has been on the run for 20 years has been captured.  Back in the summer of 2001, Larry Flake was supposed to go on trial in Wayne County for sexual misconduct with a minor, but he never showed up and had not been seen until recently.  A new lead surfaced, and that led RPD investigators and the FBI to Birmingham, Alabama.  Flake will be extradited back to Indiana and will face new charges that include Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution.

(Dublin, IN)--A Richmond man who was accused last year of stabbing his own father was back behind bars Monday morning following another incident in western Wayne County last night.  23-year-old Tyrus Adcock-Bell was taken into custody in Dublin Sunday night and charged with both strangulation and battery with a deadly weapon.  Details of what led to the new charges have not been released.  Adcock-Bell is scheduled to go on trial in January for allegedly stabbing his father.

(Richmond, IN)--A social media post by Firehouse BBQ & Blues indicates that the restaurant in Richmond’s Depot District will be closed for the immediate future following yesterday morning’s fire.  It broke out in a back kitchen area near a smoker and was contained to one room, although smoke and water damage extended beyond.  There’s no word yet on exactly what caused the fire and there were no injuries.  Owner Tom Broyles, who is also a firefighter, was on duty when the call came in and responded to his own building.  He credited other firefighters for keeping the fire from spreading.

(Wayne County, IN)--156 more Wayne County residents have become fully vaccinated against Covid-19 since last Friday.  That’s nearly the exact same number as the previous week.  It brings the total number of Wayne County residents fully vaccinated to 29,085.  The new vaccination totals, combined with previous cases, means that 62% of Wayne County residents have either already had the virus or been fully vaccinated against it.

(Arcanum, OH)--There have been several Whitewater Valley teens reported missing in the last couple of weeks, and here’s another one.  15-year-old Mariah Cheadle of Arcanum is still missing this morning.  Mariah left home in the predawn hours Monday by walking west on Delisle-Fourmans Road.  She has not been seen since.

(Hagerstown, IN)--Earlier this week, Kicks 96 and 101.7 The Point News reported that Franklin County schools had dropped the mask mandate for students.  Now, a Wayne County school system is considering doing the same thing.  Right now, all five public school systems in Wayne County require students to mask up.  But, Nettle Creek could lift that mandate when students return after Christmas break if numbers continue to remain low.  At its most recent meeting, Nettle Creek school board members expressed initial support with lifting the mask requirement.  For now, though, the requirement remains in place.

(Alquina, IN)--A missing Fayette County girl has been found.  Brittany Jones went missing on Tuesday after calling 911 to report that someone was trying to break into her home.  Law enforcement agencies from multiple counties used canines, thermal imaging drones, and a state police helicopter to try to locate her without any initial success.  Then, Wednesday afternoon, she was finally located in a wooded area near Alquina just east of Connersville.  She was taken to Reid Health and was listed in stable condition.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond teenager was taken into custody Wednesday and charged with criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon.  Details of what led to the charge against 19-year-old Keshawn Edwards have not been released, but that’s the charge that is typically associated with firing a weapon.  Edwards was arrested at his home at an apartment complex in the 1700 block of South L Street Wednesday afternoon.

(Brookville, IN)--One Whitewater Valley school that has had masking in place this school year has now dropped that requirement.  The Franklin County School Board recently lifted not only the requirement that students wear a mask in school, but also quarantining mandates.  In the decision, the school board at Franklin County cited what they called "wiggle room" in statewide guidelines and said that other school districts in the area were not enforcing mandates.  The decision followed a contentious round of public comment.

(Richmond, IN)--An alleged Richmond meth dealer who was just arrested two weeks ago was arrested for the same thing Tuesday morning.  Back on the first of the month, Chester Neathery was allegedly found with 59 grams of meth and $1400 in cash.  He was declared indigent, a public defender was appointed, and Neathery was released.  Then, at around 2:30 Tuesday morning, Neathery was found allegedly driving on a suspended license near 11^th and East Main.  An undisclosed amount of meth was recovered, and Neathery was again charged with dealing.

(Richmond, IN)--The EDC of Wayne County has announced several staffing changes.  Theresa Lindsey, who was the office manager, moves into the position of business and workforce development manager.  Lindsey will replace Sarah Mitchell, who will take the newly created position of economic development manager.  Valerie Shaffer remains president of the EDC.  She’s held that role for nearly ten years.

(Wayne County, IN)--There’s been a big spike in Wayne County’s Monday-to-Monday Covid-19 case count.  There have been 230 cases since last Monday.  That’s a 71% increase from the week before and almost double the case total from two weeks ago.  It’s also the highest weekly total since the first full week of last month.  The county’s positivity rate is back up to 7.8%.  There was also a Wayne County Covid-19 death over the weekend, bringing the total to 259.

(Richmond, IN)--Even though he’s been behind bars for more than three years after being charged with the murder of Richmond teen Tremel Carpenter, Austin Neathery is now facing a brand new felony.  Neathery has been charged with two counts of battery against a public safety official following a recent incident at the Wayne County Jail.  Details of that incident have not been released.  Neathery is set to go on trial for Carpenter’s murder in March of next year.

(Richmond, IN)--An alleged Fountain City teenage drug dealer was taken into custody early Monday morning.  Richmond police stopped a vehicle in the area of South 16^th and L Street in Richmond and detected marijuana.  18-year-old James Capps of Fountain City was charged with dealing.  He was also allegedly in possession of a handgun without a permit.  The amount of marijuana recovered has not been released.

(Wayne County, IN)--The number of Wayne County residents becoming fully vaccinated against Covid-19 this week has dropped substantially from the week before.  153 residents have become fully vaccinated since last Friday.  That’s a 35% drop from the week before.  Wayne County has now had 28,929 residents become fully vaccinated.  That’s 44% of the population.

(Richmond, IN)--A second person has been arrested in connection with the shots fired incident that occurred at Genesis Apartments in Richmond Thursday morning.  26-year-old Ivan Cantu has been charged with criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon and possessing a handgun without a permit.  No injuries were reported.  There’s still no word on what led to the shooting.

(Greens Fork, IN)--A railroad crossing in Greens Fork will remain open.  It’s the crossing on Water Street, which was the scene of a fatal car/train crash back in May.  When the railroad announced that it was considering closing the crossing, Greens Fork residents and the town’s council voiced their opposition.  And, apparently, the railroad listened.  They have abandoned plans to close the crossing.  It’s one of only two crossings in the entire town.

(Modoc, IN)--The former principal of Union Elementary School in Modoc is now facing serious criminal charges.  34-year-old Ashley Breedlove is accused of having sexual relations with a junior high school boy in her office at the school.  Evidence that will be used by the prosecution include video of her kissing the boy on a school bus.  Breedlove resigned as principal at Union Elementary last month.  She now faces five felony charges, one of which carries a 12-year prison sentence.

(Richmond, IN)--A train struck a truck at the Elks Road crossing in Richmond Wednesday afternoon.  A railroad employee told investigators when they arrived that one person was in the truck.  A medical helicopter was placed on standby, although no one that was injured was found at the scene.  Then, shortly afterward, officers found the man who was allegedly behind the wheel wandering around in the area of a car dealership on Sycamore Drive.  31-year-old Kevin Richards was charged with OWI, resisting, and leaving the scene of a crash.

(Richmond, IN)--Shots were fired at Genesis Apartments in Richmond early Thursday morning.  Officers were called to Genesis – formerly known as Country Club Apartments – at around 1 o’clock Thursday morning when residents reported hearing at least one shot.  RPD located 25-year-old Rogelio Gonzalez in the area.  Gonzalez is now charged with criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon and possessing a handgun without a license.  There was no report of any injuries.

(Richmond, IN)--The man who allegedly stole a street sweeper and drove it through Richmond a couple of days ago has been identified as 54-year-old Sammy Allen.  Allen has still not been booked into jail, but is still faces a long list of criminal charges.  New information released Monday indicated Allen swerved at one police officer who was trying to set up spike strips.  The chase ended when Allen drove the street sweeper into the river in the Whitewater Gorge near Veteran’s Park.

(Richmond, IN)--Wayne County’s weekly jobless claims numbers are returning to pre-pandemic levels.  New numbers show 32 claims in the last week of October.  That week last year, there were 238 claims.  Based on local vaccination statistics, about 2600 Wayne County workers who are currently employed at private companies with more than a hundred employees are not vaccinated against Covid-19.  According to federal mandates, they’ll have to become vaccinated in two months to continue to work at those Wayne County organizations or face weekly testing.

(Richmond, IN)--A call to the Speedway station on Chester Boulevard in Richmond Monday night led to a drug arrest.  Officers allegedly found a man now identified as 46-year-old Elijah Nugent sleeping or passed out behind the wheel of a vehicle there.  Officers also found methamphetamine, other drugs, and drug paraphernalia.  Quantities have not been released.  Nugent has a history of drug-related criminal charges.

(Richmond, IN)--Someone led police on a chase all through Richmond early Sunday morning on, of all things, a stolen street sweeper.  But that person didn’t just drive it – he used it to damage or destroy lots of property along the way including a detached garage with police in pursuit.  The street sweeper struck numerous parked cars as the chase wound through Richmond’s downtown and Fairview areas – among others.  The driver was eventually taken into custody and was sent to Reid Health for an evaluation.  There’s no estimate yet of the dollar amount of property damage, but it will easily be at least in the tens of thousands of dollars.  The driver was still at Reid Health Monday morning and has not been identified.  Numerous charges are pending.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond teenager appeared on the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children website Monday morning.  She’s 14-year-old Courtney Tout.  According to that website, Courtney has not been seen two weeks.  She was last seen in Richmond, but other details of Courtney’s disappearance have not released. 

(Wayne County, IN)--Wayne County’s Monday-to-Monday Covid-19 case count ticked up slightly.  It marks the first time in more than a month that the weekly count has gone up.  But it’s not by much.  There were 121 cases two weeks ago.  Last week, there were 134.  Reid Health was down to 19 Covid-19 patients Monday morning.  It marks the first Monday since August 16 that there have been less than 20 patients.  Wayne County’s positivity rate Monday morning stood at 5.5%.

(Indianapolis, IN)--Indiana leaders say that the state will fight President Biden’s requirement, which was enacted Thursday, that requires employees who work at companies with more than a hundred employees to get vaccinated against Covid-19.  "This is not a workplace issue," said Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita.  According to numbers from Wayne County’s EDC, 26 fully private companies fall into the requirement.  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 in two months.

(Wayne County, IN)--The number of Wayne County residents becoming fully vaccinated took a slight upturn this week.  206 residents have become vaccinated since this time last Friday, which is slightly more than the 189 the week before.  It breaks a string of four straight week of declining vaccinations.  There have now been 28,776 Wayne County residents become fully vaccinated.  That’s just under 44% of the population.  Lots of families took advantage Thursday, which was the first day that children as young as five years old could get the Covid-19 vaccine.  The Facebook page of the Wayne County Health Department on Thursday posted a photo of children lined up outside the building on South A Street in Richmond waiting to receive the vaccine.  The Health Department had obtained 300 doses of the pediatric Pfizer vaccine.  There’s no word yet on how many young children were vaccinated.

(Richmond, IN)--Tensions were high for a few minutes at Test Intermediate School Thursday morning.  Test school officials received word that a student arrived with a gun.  There was a large police response.  Test was placed on lockdown while the student was detained.  The weapon was located.  It was found to be a BB gun and an all-clear was given.  The gun had not been fired in the school and no one was hurt.

(Wayne County, IN)--The Wayne County Health Department announced Wednesday that they are administering the Covid-19 vaccine to children as young as five.  The Health Department has obtained 300 doses of the pediatric Pfizer vaccine.  As part of that announcement, the department is holding a special clinic from 4 o’clock Thursday afternoon until 7 Thursday night.  Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

(Whitewater Valley)--For the first time in two and a half months, Wayne County is not in the orange or red on Indiana’s Covid-19 map.  Wayne County improved to yellow Wednesday with a positivity rate of 4.5%.  Randolph County is now the only area county left in the orange, and none are red.  Fayette County improved to blue, indicating the lowest level of spread.  But, Wayne County did report two more Covid-19 deaths Wednesday.  It brings the total to 258.

(Richmond, IN)--She had only been out of jail for a couple of weeks, but now a Richmond teen is facing lots more jail time after being arrested for dealing methamphetamine.  18-year-old Jalynn Christian was taken into custody Wednesday in the 400 block of South L Street.  Details of what led to that arrest have not yet been released.  Christian had been jailed for criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon.

(Connersville, IN)--Connersville is rallying around Council member Tommy Williams.  Williams’ home caught fire late last week.  A racial slur was spray-painted on the home at the time the fire broke out.  Since then, more than $30,000 has been pledge to a gofundmeaccount.  Williams was appointed to Council last year after Mike Bishop resigned.  A social media post with racial overtones had been attributed to Bishop, although he denied making it.

(Preble and Darke County, OH)--Tuesday was Election Day in Preble and Darke County.  Here’s a look at some results.  Every tax levy on the ballot in Preble County passed and, in most cases, passed easily.  That includes a levy for the Preble County Council on aging and an operating levy for the village of New Paris.  26% of registered Preble County voters cast ballots.  19% of voters turned out in Darke County and passed all the levies on the ballot.

(Connersville, IN)--Both the FBI and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security have become involved in the investigation of a fire that happened last Friday in Connersville.  The fire broke out on a porch and destroyed a bedroom at a home on North Grand Avenue.  But, it’s the home of Connersville City Council member Tommy Williams.  Family members have indicated that a racial slur was spray-painted on the porch when the fire broke out.  The family was not home and there were no human injuries, but two pets died.  An exact cause of the fire has not yet been determined.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond Common Council met Monday night for all of about 15 minutes.  But, in that short period of time, they did address an ordinance that deals with a proposed large expansion of a Richmond manufacturer with the help of a tax abatement.  "This ordinance is for Hills Pet Nutrition.  It's a $17 million investment and will create 64 jobs," said Councilman Doug Goss.  Council referred the ordinance to the Tax Abatement Committee.  Richmond Mayor Dave Snow on Monday night announced a special event that’s occurring at the end of this week.  It’s called First Responder First Friday, and it will be held in the Depot District this Friday afternoon.  "All first responders and community members are invited.  It's a good opportunity to thank first responders for all of their work through the pandemic," Snow said.  Snow also said that the Veteran’s Day Parade will be back this year.  It steps off at 12^th and Main at noon on Saturday and heads west through downtown.

(Mount Auburn, IN)--A home on U.S. 40 at the western edge of Wayne County was destroyed by fire Tuesday morning.  The fire broke out at around 1:30 Tuesday morning on the south side of U.S. 40 in the Mount Auburn area.  Multiple crews responded.  The initial indication is that the house is a total loss.  There were no injuries and there’s no word yet on what started the fire.

(Wayne County, IN)--Wayne County’s Covid-19 numbers continue to improve, according to the Monday-to-Monday case count.  There have been 121 positive cases since this time last Monday.  That’s the lowest weekly total since the first full week of August.  There were 25 patients at Reid Health Monday morning.  That’s the fewest since August 16.  Eight of the nine patients in the ICU and five of the six who were on ventilators Monday morning are unvaccinated.

(Wayne County, IN)--There was no official word by 6:30 a.m. Monday on what appears to have been a fatal crash on I-70 in Wayne County Sunday.  First responders were sent to the area of eastbound 70 near the Centerville Road exit at 4 o’clock Sunday afternoon.  Scanner traffic indicates the vehicle rolled and that occupants were ejected.  Eastbound 70 was shut down for more than an hour.  The names of the occupants and the conditions of survivors have not been released.  The initial indication was that they were not from the Whitewater Valley.

(Indianapolis, IN)--A former Connersville resident has been found guilty of numerous charges involving the production of child pornography.  40-year-old Angela Baldwin was convicted in federal court last week on charges that include Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.  For more than three years, Baldwin used cameras that had been hidden throughout her home to produce child pornography.  The victims, in some cases, were related to Baldwin or her friends.  Sentencing will take place in about three months.