(Richmond, IN)--Wernle Youth and Family Services has not yet confirmed, but multiple people – including an employee – said Thursday night the Wernle employees were informed earlier Thursday that the facility would close entirely in 30 days.  Back in January, Wernle had announced that it would end its residential services but would transition into an outpatient facility.  Now, it appears that won’t happen and that a Richmond organization that had survived 140 years through two world wars and a depression could not survive sanctions issued by the state over repeated violations in the last five years.  The Kicks 96 and 101.7 The Point report on what brought about the last round of sanctions has now been pushed back to next week.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond man has now become the second person charged with the murder of 33-year-old Nicholas Lakes.  Earlier this week, 39-year-old Earl Ray was charged with murder and attempted robbery.  Erica Petry already faces similar charges for the same incident.  Lakes was shot and killed in November of 2022 at a home in the 1100 block of North I Street in Richmond.  According to court documents, Lakes and Ray had been friends but had become involved in a dispute over Petry.  Witnesses told police that Ray entered the home wearing a mask, demanded money and drugs, and then shot Lakes.  Ray is currently in state prison serving time for robbery.

(Richmond, IN)--After formally acquiring McBride Stadium and some surrounding athletic fields earlier this week, Richmond Community School has now released a statement talking about some of the stadium’s uses.  RCS says the stadium will host both baseball and softball teams, but will also be open to the public for various recreational activities including youth leagues, summer camps, and community tournaments.  It will also host non-sports-related entertainment events.  It will not be hosting the Richmond Jazz – at least this year.  The Jazz have suspended their upcoming season.  A cleanup day at McBride is set for Saturday.

(Wayne County, IN)--The state has released some new numbers involving infant mortality.  And, for Wayne County, those numbers are eye-opening.  The infant mortality rate is the number of babies per one thousand live births that don’t survive to their first birthday.  Wayne County’s rate is 6.4.  Here are some of the factors:  One-third of pregnant Wayne County women receive no prenatal care in the first trimester.  One in seven smoke despite being pregnant.  And, half of Wayne County women who are expecting are on Medicaid.  All of those numbers exceed state averages.

(Richmond, IN)--The Richmond Community School Board met Wednesday afternoon.  And, in that meeting, one Board member announced his resignation.  Brad Walton is stepping down, but he’s not going far.  He will become an RCS employee as he becomes the Director of Facilities Management.  Walton had served on the RCS Board for 7 ½ years.  The remaining Board members will have 30 days to find a replacement.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond man with a history of fleeing police was jailed Wednesday for leading officers on another pursuit.  32-year-old Kory Owens was taken into custody near the intersection of North West 18^th and Main after a short chase.  An undisclosed of marijuana was located.  Nine years ago, Owens was sentenced to 14 years in prison after shooting a teen in the leg.  He had led police on another chase in the same general area of the city and threw cocaine and Xanax out of a vehicle during that pursuit.  Owens posted bond and was free Thursday morning.

(Whitewater Valley)--A line of strong thunderstorms passed through the Whitewater Valley early Wednesday morning and prompted a tornado warning for several counties, include Wayne.  The warning, which came at around 3:40 Wednesday morning, was not based on any actual tornado sighting but rather on radar-indicated rotation.  Wayne County’s only reported significant result of the storm was a transformer that blew and brought lines down across U.S. 40 near Hiser Station Road.  40 was closed while that issue was addressed.  In Preble County, tight rotation was indicated by radar in an area between Eaton and Lakengren, but no damage was reported.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond Community Schools and the city of Richmond officially closed on the sale of McBride Stadium Tuesday afternoon.  The sale actually includes not just McBride, but also the softball field between McBride and Cordell Pool and an area across Clear Creek with a softball field and what was commonly referred to as the Babe Ruth baseball field.  RCS has committed to an investment of half a million dollars to upgrade the area.  The city receives $12,000 and the first right of refusal if RCS ever sells the land.  A cleanup day has been set for Saturday at McBride to help prepare it for the upcoming season.

(Preble County, OH)--A heavily traveled Whitewater Valley highway is about to be shut down for an extended period of time.  In two weeks, the U.S. 35 bridge that crosses over I-70 and then allows drivers to merge onto the westbound interstate near the state line in Preble County will shut down for about six months.  It means that westbound traffic on 35 will have to divert to a different entrance onto I-70.  The closure is to allow for a complete replacement of the bridge deck.

(Richmond, IN)--A Cambridge City man has been sentenced for a shooting that occurred in the summer of 2022.  Joseph Cottman, who is now 21, was a teenager when he shot Skylar Goodwin in the legs near North 13^th and B from the passenger seat of a vehicle.  Cottman was later identified by the driver.  On Monday, Cottman was convicted of three felonies related to the shooting.  He was sentenced to nine years in prison.

(Richmond, IN)--Investigators are looking into the cause of a fire that broke out Monday morning on the west end of New Paris Pike in Richmond.  "It was a garage where they do maintenance work to vehicles," explained Battalion Chief Eric Holmes.  The fire had a good head start.  "It was fully involved when we arrived," Holmes added.  The structure was a total loss.  There were no injuries.  Smoke from the fire could be seen from Richmond’s east-side shopping areas.

(Richmond, IN)--The Richmond Education Association, or teachers’ union, has named a new president following last year’s controversial removal of Kelley McDermott.  Jay Lee is the new REA president.  Lee is currently a credit recovery teacher at Richmond High School and has 34 years of teaching experience.  He’s recently served as the REA vice president.  Marc Price has been named vice president.

(Whitewater Valley)--As of Monday morning, only three weeks remain for Reid Health and Anthem Insurance to reach an agreement before 44,000 Whitewater Valley Anthem Insurance carriers are considered out-of-network at Reid.  Those local Anthem carriers have now received a letter from the provider which indicates Anthem is not optimistic about the two parties coming to terms.  The letter states that Reid is leaving the preferred network on March 18 and says nothing about ongoing negotiations.  The letter goes on to state that patients would need to request approval for planned inpatient hospital stays and the failure to do so will reduce benefits to $500.

(Richmond, IN)--Chick-fil-A fans are still buzzing about the fact that Richmond’s former Steak-n-Shake on National Road East will become that popular chicken franchise.  There has been no publically announced projected opening date.  When the issue goes before the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals in a couple of weeks, there will be five issues on the table regarding space and parking.  Although not on the agenda but still in question is the issue of traffic flow.  There’s limited space exiting the restaurant onto West Eaton Pike, especially for those turning left onto U.S. 40.  There are 59 projected parking spaces and a two-lane drive-thru.

(Columbus, OH)--The man who raped and attacked a dozen women on both sides of the state line in the 1990’s has been denied parole.  The Ohio Parole Board has unanimously denied the parole of Steven Barker.  In its decision, the Board said that Barker was likely to commit more crimes.  Barker was not going to walk free regardless of the Board’s decision.  Even if he would have been paroled in Ohio, he would have gone straight to prison in Indiana for his Wayne County crimes.  Barker won’t be up for parole again for another ten years.  By then, he’ll be 71 years old.

(Richmond, IN)--The EPA has issued a progress update on the cleanup at the My Way Trading fire site.  They say that steel removal and recycling activities are now essentially complete.  The last two remaining containers of scrap steel and sheet plates were removed this week.  That steel has been taken away on a total of 124 trailers over the last few months.  More than 846 tons of scrap metal have been cleaned and taken to a recycling facility.  An additional 5900 tons of suspected asbestos-containing material has been shipped out of Richmond to an EPA-approved landfill.

(Randolph County, IN)--Reports of an explosion sent firefighters from multiple agencies to the Best Way Disposal facility near Modoc Thursday night.  The reports came in at around 10 o’clock Thursday night just off of State Road 1 a few miles north of Modoc.  Scanner traffic indicated that up to five trucks had caught fire.  It took about an hour to get the fire under control.  There’s no word yet on the source of any explosion or subsequent fire.  There were no initial reports of any injuries.

(Richmond, IN)--There’s now another lawsuit involving the My Way Trading fire.  Ekwealor  (Uh-kwall-oh) Pharmaceuticals owns a building that is adjacent to the site of the fire.  Ekwealor claims that Cornerstone Trading, under the direction of owner Seth Smith, placed plastics on its property that ultimately caught fire as the fire spread.  Both Smith and the city of Richmond are named in the lawsuit.  Ekwealor is requesting an unspecified amount of damages.  Another lawsuit filed by two Richmond residents continues to make its way through the federal court system.

(Richmond, IN)--Reid Health has sold a piece of property.  Wayne County property records show that Reid sold a large building at 910 Progress Drive to Clark, LLC, or OK Trucking, for $1.55 million.  The sale closed earlier this month.  It had been marketed for lease as a recently remodeled 15,000 square foot building dedicated to medical fitness and sports enhancement with several offices.

(Richmond, IN)--Thursday was supposed to be the day that an accused Richmond murderer was sentenced, but now that’s off because he’s backed out of his plea agreement.  Almost two years ago, Tayshawn Newman allegedly shot and killed Gerald Mullins on North 13^th because Mullins sold him marijuana that he didn’t like.  Newman fled the area but was eventually captured in Nevada.  The withdrawal from the plea now means the case goes to trial.  That’s been set for late July.

(Liberty, IN)--An alleged drug dealer is now being held responsible for the death of a Liberty resident who overdosed and died last year.  Liberty police along with the state police have been investigating the case for nearly a year.  As a result of that investigation, John Guess was taken into custody in Centerville recently.  Guess is charged with dealing a controlled substance resulting in death.  That’s the same level of felony as murder.  Guess was being held Wednesday morning in the Union County Jail on a half-a-million-dollar bond.

(Hagerstown, IN)--A semi and a train collided Tuesday in Hagerstown.  It happened on South Washington Street at around 3 o’clock Tuesday afternoon.  Images from the scene appear to show that the train struck the rear of the semi and spun it around.  There was no report of any injury.  There’s no word yet on whether or not the crossing gates were working or other factors involved in the incident.

(Richmond, IN)--A teenage child molester was sentenced Tuesday in a Wayne County courtroom.  19-year-old Timmothy Mattias was handed a sentence of nine years in prison with two suspended.  The sentence was the result of a plea agreement in which Mattias pled guilty to two counts of child molesting.  The case had worked its way through the court system for nearly a year and a half.  Mattias will also have to register as a sex offender.

(Liberty, IN)--A Richmond woman who drove under the influence of drugs and killed a man who was a Union County Highway Department worker and Franklin County School Board member was sentenced Monday.  40-year-old Gina Price was sentenced to 12 years in prison in a Union County courtroom Monday.  Justin Moore was working on Clifton Road in October of 2021 when Price hit Moore.  He was killed and another worker, Douglas Skaggs, was seriously injured.  Moore’s brother said at sentencing yesterday that no prison sentence for Price would ever be enough.

(Columbus, OH)--He raped 12 women on both sides of the state line in the 1990’s, and, this week, he’s up for parole.  Steven Barker is now 61 years old.  Either Tuesday or Wednesday, he will go in front of an Ohio parole board.  He had accepted a plea deal in Ohio in which he was sentenced to 135 years.  But, even if he’s paroled in Ohio, he’ll go straight to an Indiana jail cell for rapes in Wayne County.  Barker preyed mostly on elderly women who lived alone.  After he was caught, he and a cell mate escaped from the Preble County Jail in 1994.   He was captured in Houston six months later and has been behind bars ever since.

(Preble County, OH)--The Whitewater Valley’s first significant highway project of 2024 is about to get underway.  It’s on State Route 122, which connects Boston and Eaton.  Beginning in a couple of weeks, crews will completely remove all layers of highway and replace it.  The project is an extension of one that began last year’s repaving, moving from west to east.  122 will be reduced to one lane for about a month and a half.

(Richmond, IN)--Reid Health has updated information as negotiations continue with Anthem.  A deadline to reach an agreement with Anthem and prevent 44,000 area residents from going out-of-network is now less than a month away.  On Friday, Reid updated information with statistics about the financial challenges all hospitals are facing.  In 2022, more than half of all hospitals nationally operated at a financial loss and that trend continued into last year.  Reid indicated in its update that there has been an overwhelming response from the public and that they will now resume scheduling all patients with Anthem Insurance for appointments beyond the March 17 deadline.  They say they’re hopeful Anthem will continue negotiations.

(Richmond, IN)--The primary suspect in Sunday’s incident on South West 17^th in Richmond has already bonded out of jail.  Officers were called to the 400 block on a shots fired call Sunday morning.  One victim who had been pistol whipped was outside and told police multiple people were still inside.  Officers set up a perimeter and called the occupants out.  A search warrant was executed inside, where investigators found 19 grams of cocaine and other drugs.  31-year-old Sharae Jackson is charged with dealing and was out of jail Monday morning.

(Richmond, IN)--No new information was released over the weekend after two people were found dead from gunshot wounds on South 6^th in Richmond last Thursday.  62-year-old Carl Mullen and his 48-year-old wife Laura were identified as the victims.  According to a gofundme account established to help the couple’s adult daughter, Carl Mullen had recently retired to spend more time with his wife as she battled a chronic disease.  RPD investigators indicated that they believe it to be an isolated incident and that there is no immediate threat to the public.  Results of autopsies are pending.

(Richmond, IN)--Thursday, Kicks 96 and 101.7 The Point News reported that the Hueston Woods campgrounds has completely sold out on April 8 – the day of the total solar eclipse.  But how about Richmond hotels?  We’re now 52 days away from the eclipse.  We checked at Fairfield Inn at the state line Friday morning to see if there was any availability.  "It looks like there is not," an employee said.  Then, a check of the nearby Hampton Inn.  "As of right now, I don't have any availability at this property," a clerk said.  Finally, a little luck at Richmond’s Holiday Inn.  "We have eight (rooms) left," the employee explained.  Wayne County officials have predicted up to 100,000 visitors that day.

(Richmond, IN)--Plans are continuing to advance a project known as Smith Hill in Richmond.  It would create 178 single-family homes near the intersection of Backmeyer Road and South 37^th.  A Reid Health-involved LLC actually purchased that property three years ago from Paul Lingle for just under half a million dollars.  At that time, they indicated on sales forms that it would be a continued agricultural use.  But, last month, Reid said it was to development mid-range house to attract and retain employees.  Right now, roughly 43% of Reid Health’s employees live outside of Wayne County.  Friday morning, homes.com lists only 27 houses on the market in Richmond with an asking price over $250,000.

(Richmond, IN)--This week, the Richmond Community School Board extended the contract of Superintendent Dr. Curtis Wright.  In a prepared statement, the Board said that Wright has enhanced the overall performance of schools, improved student outcomes, and fostered a positive and collaborative educational environment.  Wright’s contract extends to 2031.  He will earn $175,000 annually with a three percent increase each year.

(Cambridge City, IN)--What turned out to be a relatively minor fire forced an evacuation early Thursday morning at SugarCreek in the Gateway Industrial Park near Cambridge City.  Firefighters were called to the complex at around 1:30 Thursday morning and determined that there was a fire in the exhaust of a cooker.  There were no injuries and the plant was operational later Thursday morning.

(Fountain City, IN)--On Wednesday, local law enforcement representatives got a safety briefing on the new electric buses at Northeastern.  Late in 2022, Northeastern schools received notification that the federal government was providing nearly $2.4 million to purchase six battery-powered buses.  First responders were shown details of the buses Wednesday in case one is involved in an accident.  Northeastern expects to have all six buses in use before this school year is over.

(Richmond, IN)--Some members of the Richmond Police Department have spent the last few weeks working with homeless people to help them find alternative places to live and get social services.  On Wednesday, RPD teamed up with other city departments to remove homeless encampments from several areas of the city.  Crews removed debris and trash from private property and from other areas that included South 37^th, the G Street Bridge, the gorge, and Veterans Memorial Park.  The efforts have been aided by an organization called Bridges for Life.

(Wayne County, IN)--Fire did heavy damage to a home on Cart Road near Inke Road Tuesday.  Firefighters from multiple agencies were called to the home between Richmond and Fountain City at around 9:30 Tuesday morning.  A mother in the home discovered the fire and was able to escape with an infant.  A passerby helped to keep the infant warm until firefighters arrived.  A photo after the fire was extinguished showed the home was gutted.  There is no word yet on the cause of the fire.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond couple was taken into custody overnight and they now face multiple drug charges.  Joshua Smith and Katherine Potts were located in the 1200 block of North A.  They’re both charged with possessing controlled substances.  Potts’ arrest late Tuesday night came just hours after a pre-trial hearing was held earlier Tuesday in a case where she allegedly struck a highway department worker while she was driving under the influence of controlled substances.  That incident happened last May on U.S. 35 near Williamsburg.

(Richmond, IN)--The Richmond Community School Board meets Wednesday afternoon and will address the contract of Superintendent Dr. Curtis Wright.  If approved, Wright’s new contract would run through the end of June in 2026.  It would automatically renew for one year each year through 3031.  Wright would earn $175,000 the first year with a three percent increase each year.  The meeting begins at 5:30 Wednesday afternoon.

(Richmond, IN)--Tuesday afternoon, there will be a gathering at Ivy Tech in Richmond for certain businesses interested being a part of the large project to widen I-70 to three lanes through nearly all of Wayne County.  It’s a part of the federal government’s Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program, which doles out contracts and federal funds based largely on the race and sex of owners of contracting companies.  This is audio from the DBE website:  "The DBE program remedies ongoing discrimination and the continuing effects of past discrimination in federally assisted transportation contracting markets nationwide.".  Tuesday’s meeting begins at 3 o’clock.  Construction is expected to start late this year.

(Richmond, IN)--As negotiations continue between Reid Health and Anthem to keep 44,000 area residents in network, another local health facility has issued a statement saying it is not affected.  Neighborhood Health Center has facilities in Richmond, Liberty, and Connersville.  Their statement indicates that the dispute between Reid and Anthem does not impact their services and that they will remain in network with Anthem.

(Richmond, IN)--There was a pursuit in Richmond early Tuesday morning.  Police officers began to pursue a suspect later identified as 19-year-old Damon Wilson.  Wilson fled into the Whitewater Gorge and was eventually stopped near the Veteran’s Park.  A handgun was recovered.  There was another occupant in the vehicle, but that person was not jailed.  Wilson is charged with felony resisting and reckless driving.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond murder suspect was behind bars Monday morning.  US Marshals and RPD investigators teamed up to locate 25-year-old Erica Petry.  She was found Saturday night in the 1200 block of North West 5^th.  Petry was allegedly involved in the shooting death of 33-year-old Nicholas Lakes in November of 2022.  A month later, Petry was flown to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton with what was thought to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.  Petry is also now charged with robbery and burglary.

(Richmond, IN)--The Indiana Department of Transportation has issued an updated timeline on the replacement of the U.S. 27 overpass in Richmond’s Depot District.  Crews have now finished pouring the shafts and columns for the new bridge.  In a couple of months, steel beams will be set for the bridge deck, which will be poured this summer.  The overpass is now projected to open to traffic sometime this fall, with the entire project being complete in a little more than a year.

(Preble County, OH)--A Preble County covered bridge has now reopened to traffic.  A year and a half ago, a semi took a wrong turn, tried to squeeze through the Brubaker Covered Bridge and did extensive damage.  The bridge had been closed ever since.  Careful reconstruction helped the bridge survive.  It dates back to 1887 on what is now Brubaker Road near the Preble County Historical Society.

(Richmond, IN)--Guilty.  That’s the verdict of a Wayne County jury this week in the case of a Centerville teen who was on trial for killing his own father.  James Burkhart was 16 years old when he shot and killed his father, who shared his name.  Testimony at trial indicated Burkhart shot his father in December of 2020 because of alleged abuse by his father against his mother.  A sentencing hearing is pending.  Burkhart faces a standard 55-year prison term.  He also faces trial in May for allegedly punching a jail officer.

(Connersville, IN)--Connersville police and State Police explosives specialists were on the scene overnight Thursday night and into Friday morning at a home in the 2000 block of Vermont Street in Connersville.  When they arrived, they found that explosive devices had been placed at both the front and rear entrances to a home there.  There was a controlled detonation of the devices after the surrounding area was secured.  Investigators are calling it an isolated domestic issue and say there is no threat to the neighborhood, schools, or the community as a whole.

(Preble County, OH)--Preble County Commissioner Rachael Vonderhaar, who is on the primary ballot, is firing back after an opponent challenged her record of attendance.  Information sent to multiple media outlets indicated that Vonderhaar has missed 44 commissioners meetings in the last three years.  She responded Thursday by indicating that she was battling a serious health issue during that time, but still attended 84% of the meetings.  Preble County commissioners meet about a hundred times each year.  She attended 235 of 279 meetings over the three years in question.

(Richmond, IN)--Reid Health released some numbers Wednesday as part of its ongoing negotiations to keep Anthem from becoming out-of-network for about 44,000 area residents next month.  Reid said that, last year, its expenses increased more than eight percent because of rising labor and supply costs and clinician shortages.  During that same time, Anthem’s rate increase to Reid was only 3.7%.  Reid cut programs, services, and positions to close the gap.  Meanwhile, Anthem increased its premiums last year to local employers by nearly ten percent and realized record profits of $5.5 billion.  More information about the situation can be found at reidhealth.org.  Anthem has now released its own scathing statement about Reid Health.  Anthem claims that a third-party research organization found that the reimbursement to Reid from private insurers in Indiana is more than four times what Medicare pays and that Reid is demanding more on top of their "already inflated rates."  The statement goes on to say that Reid has taken advantage of being the only major health system in Wayne and surrounding counties.  The statement lists other nearby providers for Anthem users.  The closest to Richmond is McCullough-Hyde Hospital in Oxford.

(Whitewater Valley)--Both the Richmond Police Department and the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department issued statements Wednesday after Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones on Tuesday issued an ominous warning about a terror attack.  Wayne County Sheriff Randy Retter attended the same conference in Washington as Jones last week and said Wednesday that his department is not aware of any credible information indicating an immediate threat to public safety.  That sentiment was echoed Wednesday by RPD Chief Kyle Weatherly.  But, Sheriff Jones held a press conference Wednesday and shared a differing takeaway from the National Sheriff's Conference in Washington.  "We were told by the FBI Director that it's not a matter of if, it's when," Jones said.  Jones added this:  "We were also told by Mr. Wray, the FBI Director, that there are more red flags going off now than before 9/11."  Jones said that it would likely be a cyber attack on power systems.  "You can't pump gas without electricity.  You can't pump water without electricity."  Butler County is 19 miles from Richmond.

(Cambridge City, IN)--Widespread illness has forced the closure of Western Wayne Schools Thursday and Friday.  Administrators said Wednesday that there have been substantial absences of both students and staff in recent days.  During the closure, school buildings will be cleaned and disinfected.  The plan now is to resume normal school operations on Monday.

(Butler County, OH)--There is an ominous warning from Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones, whose district includes College Corner and Oxford.  Jones has just returned from a national sheriff’s conference in Washington, D.C., and said that a terroristic attack on the United States is coming.  "I want to tell you that it's going to happen here," Jones warned.  He cited the fact that record numbers of people of all nationalities are pouring across the country's southern border.  Jones said that the FBI’s director indicated Chinese hackers are prepared to wreak havoc on American infrastructure:  "You're a fool if you don't listen to the chatter.  The federal government says they're here and it's coming."  Upon his return, Jones immediately equipped all deputies with AR-15’s and is expanding citizen patrols.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond resident was honored for her life-saving efforts at this week’s meeting of Richmond Common Council.  Last month, Heidi Lipscomb was delivering newspapers overnight when she saw an elderly man lying in his driveway.  He had fallen and been laying outside in temperatures around zero for six hours.  Heidi removed some of her own clothes, covered the man, and called for help.  Several members of the local police department presented Heidi this week with the RPD Livesaving award.

(Eaton, OH)--The Preble County Sheriff’s Office is turning to the public for help in locating a man with a history passing bad checks.  That man is Nathan Hake.  The total that investigators place on a new round of bad checks is $330,000.  Hake now faces three felonies.

(Richmond, IN)--Reid Health now has an entire section of its webpage, which can be found at a banner at the top of the home page, to address concerns about ongoing negotiations with Anthem.  More than 40,000 area residents covered by Anthem Insurance are in jeopardy of becoming out-of-network next month.  On the page, Reid indicates that it is not scheduling appointments after the March 17 deadline to reach an agreement with Anthem.  The page also provides answers to 15 frequently asked questions and offers two pieces of advice.  It encourages patients to urge Anthem to keep Reid in network and suggests they also ask their employers to do the same.

(Richmond, IN)--The last of the juveniles to be housed at Wernle Youth and Family Treatment Center in Richmond is now gone.  The number of residents has dwindled over the last five years after a series of Department of Child Services sanctions and probations.  Wernle is currently maintaining a staff of about 50 people.  There has been no word on how many of those people will maintain their jobs as Wernle transitions into an outpatient facility.

(Winchester, IN)--An initial hearing is set for Tuesday for a Winchester man accused of dealing meth and cocaine.  27-year-old Chad Sluder was arrested following a traffic stop late last week.  Sluder was pulled over on U.S. 27 at County Road 200 South because a taillight was out.  A canine gave a positive hit and nearly 18 grams of meth was recovered.  Sluder faces up to 30 years in prison.

(Richmond, IN)--Tens of thousands of area residents who have Anthem health insurance are set to be impacted if Reid Health becomes out-of-network for Anthem.  Kicks 96 and 101.7 The Point News was informed last week by a source close to the situation that patients of Reid Health and its providers would soon receive a letter stating that Reid has been unsuccessful in reaching an agreement with Anthem and will terminate the relationship with Anthem to stand up for its healthcare providers.  The letter has now been sent and states that Reid will be out-of-network for Anthem beginning March 18 unless an agreement is reached.  More than 44,000 area patients stand to be impacted.  A website has been created to give more information.  It’s reidhealthaccess.org.

(Whitewater Valley)--Even though the upcoming total solar eclipse in the Whitewater Valley is already a once-in-a-lifetime event, solar physicists are now saying it could be even more unique.  That’s because it is now predicted to occur during what’s called a solar maximum.  A solar maximum is best described as the time when the sun is most active.  It means there’s a higher chance for solar flares and coronal mass ejections.  The countdown clock to the eclipse stood Monday morning at 63 days and a few hours.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond Common Council is set to meet Monday night.  Council has an agenda full of ordinances on first reading, including a couple that deal with zoning.  There’s a request to turn part of the intersection of Salisbury Road and U.S. 40 into a commercial area.  Another proposed zoning change would pave the way for a part of Rose City Boulevard to become a temporary concrete plant to serve the I-70 widening project.  Both issues will likely be referred to the Plan Commission.  Monday night’s meeting begins at 7.  As always, you can catch it live on WCTV.

(Richmond, IN)--A murder trial continued Thursday in a Wayne County courtroom for a Centerville teen accused of shooting and killing his own father.  19-year-old James Burkhart has been on trial all week.  Three years ago, Burkhart allegedly his 51-year-old father who shares his name.  Court documents indicated Burkhart killed his father because of the way his father had treated his mother.  His case was waived to an adult court.  Burkhart also now faces another criminal case after allegedly punching a corrections officer in jail.  That trial is scheduled for May.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond man with three pending felony criminal cases now faces a fourth after a foot pursuit Friday morning.  Officers came into contact with 22-year-old Farrington Street at around 3 o’clock Friday morning near South 11^th and A.  Street allegedly fled on foot and was caught on South 13^th.  He was allegedly in possession of an unspecified quantity of meth and has been charged Friday morning with dealing.  He is also charged with being a serious violent felon in possession of a handgun, which was also recovered Friday morning.  Street was convicted of robbery in 2022.

(Liberty, IN)--A Richmond woman has been found guilty of causing the death of a Union County Highway Department worker.  42-year-old Justin Moore of Brookville died when Richmond’s Gina Price drove into him as he was spreading gravel on West Clifton Road in 2021.  Price was driving with fentanyl and methadone in her system.  A Union County jury has now found Price guilty of three felonies.  She will be sentenced on February 19^th.

(Richmond, IN)--A warrant was issued Wednesday and a former civil corrections officer with the Wayne County Sheriff’s Department was put behind bars at the jail where she worked six months ago.  24-year-old Adrain Blanton is charged with trafficking with an inmate.  Sheriff Randy Retter said Wednesday that Blanton was immediately fired when the alleged scheme was discovered last August.  She allegedly brought suboxone strips into the jail in exchange for $2000.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond police investigators say they’ve recovered stolen property taken in numerous thefts and burglaries.  A search warrant was executed in the 1700 block of Holsapple Road.  Inside, officers located stolen power equipment, tools, and other items.  That home’s resident, 39-year-old Michael Ramsey, faces charges connected to the thefts as well as dealing marijuana and being a serious violent felon in possession of a handgun.