Hagerstown is joining the list of area towns concerned about how proposed state legislation might reduce or remove local control of services. During their Feb. 3 meeting, Hagerstown Town Council members heard from fire chief Rick Cole about the potential implications of various bills, including HB1233. Proposed by Republican rep. Karen Engleman from District 70, […]
Author Archives: Chris Hardie
Chris Hardie is the owner and publisher of the Western Wayne News.
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State dings school system for financial management
The Indiana State Board of Accounts released a Jan. 29 report noting Nettle Creek School Corporation was deficient in managing some bank accounts and in submitting required reports to the state. The report examined the management of the school corporation’s extracurricular bank accounts from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2023. SBOA said the school […]
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Residents share community improvement ideas
Housing, child care and health care topped the list of issues needing funding and improvement in Wayne County, according to 15 residents who attended a Jan. 29 public meeting that Forward Wayne County facilitated. The event, held at the Richmond High School cafeteria, was the first of four listening sessions that community leaders are holding […]
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Radio encryption squelches scanner listening
As area first responders and public safety personnel make more use of encrypted radio communications, the residents who have traditionally tuned in to scanner traffic might be wondering about the loss of transparency. Government officials say there are still options to hold them accountable. In a culmination of years of planning and equipment upgrades, many […]
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Sensitive student, teacher data stolen
An attack on a software tool that Richmond Community Schools and Centerville-Abington Schools use has potentially exposed undetermined amounts of sensitive student and teacher data to hackers. PowerSchool, a California-based cloud educational software service, notified schools who use the service that a December 2024 compromise of one of its customer support systems had allowed an […]
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Several schools transitioning to delayed starts
After several inches of snow, the Whitewater Valley’s road conditions are prompting a new round of delays for Wednesday, Jan. 8, and downgraded travel advisory. Last update at 10:47 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7. Travel watch Closures/delays Wednesday, Jan. 8 Schools Warming resources The Emergency Warming Center in Richmond is open in the evenings while temperatures […]
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Winter weather closures and resources
Prompted by the weekend’s snowy weather, organizations are updating their hours or announcing closures. Some warming centers are open for those without heat, and there are resources for monitoring road conditions. Do you know of a closure, school update or other important advisory related to the weather? Please email contact at westernwaynenews dot com with […]
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Library plans move for building repairs
Morrisson-Reeves Library in Richmond will move at least some of its operations to a temporary space while its building undergoes major renovations to address problems. The library said in a Nov. 20 press release that a recent facilities assessment revealed “significant issues” with the building on North Sixth Street in Richmond’s downtown, including deteriorated masonry, […]
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Cambridge City council reviews blight updates
Cambridge City’s town council continued efforts to stay on top of blighted properties and other eyesores during its Nov. 11 meeting. Public works superintendent Ken Risch said that several properties on Front Street are seeing progress, and that he’s in the process of writing letters related to other properties that may need to be torn […]
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Centerville schools approves staff raises
WWN was unable to send a reporter to the Nov. 12 meeting of the Centerville-Abington Schools board. This meeting summary is based on provided meeting minutes. The board approved 5-0 a 2% pay increase for noncertified staff to take effect with the first paychecks of Jan. 2025. The change will lower the cash balance in […]