The Environmental Protection Agency’s work to clean up part of the site of the April 11 plastics fire in Richmond has begun as of Nov. 6, and is expected to last through the summer of 2024. That’s according to Allen Jarrell, the on-scene coordinator for the EPA, who addressed media at a Nov. 14 press […]
Author Archives: Chris Hardie
Chris Hardie is the owner and publisher of the Western Wayne News.
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Water tower move could save Cambridge City $200K
Wayne County commissioners heard from Economic Development Corporation President Valerie Shaffer that moving the planned location of a water tower at Gateway Industrial Park by 860 feet could save Cambridge City $200,000. As a part of the plans in motion for Sugar Creek Packing Company’s $11 million expansion there, officials realized that the tower’s original […]
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Centerville continues water project work
Calibrating water meters at the central water plant could help track down the source of a Centerville water system leak. That’s according to town manager Kevin Slick, who asked Centerville’s council at its Nov. 14 meeting to approve $20,350 to enable maintenance that will include that calibration work. The expense is for the installation of […]
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2023 uncertified election results
9:15 p.m. – Ron Oler defeats Dave Snow for Richmond Mayor Although Richmond will have a new mayor, he won’t be a new face to area voters. Ron Oler, who has served on Richmond Common Council for 12 years, defeated two-term Richmond Mayor Dave Snow on Tuesday. In unofficial results, Oler, a Republican, received 51.23 […]
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Commissioners weigh pandemic relief spending priorities
What should $4 million in uncommitted federal relief funds be spent on to improve Wayne County? Should the county focus on quality of life improvements, catching up on infrastructure maintenance, highly visible projects that add to community pride, or something else? Those were the questions that Wayne County’s commissioners wrestled with during their morning Sept. […]
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Richmond council defers DORA decision, advances budget
Richmond Common Council took the next step at a Sept. 18 meeting toward finalizing its 2024 budget, and no one from the community used the available public hearing time to speak for or against the budget’s details. The budget ordinance was tabled and is now in a 10-day waiting period before it can be formally […]
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Couple experiences ‘adjustment’ living in a motel following fire evacuation
What to pack? What to do with the pets? Where to go? Those were just some of the questions Travis and Karen Poling had to consider in the moments after learning that their house on North West H Street was in the evacuation zone when an industrial fire broke out Tuesday, April 11. Karen was […]
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Amid growing concerns, environmental, health impacts of fire remain unclear
As soon as word spread that the massive plume of black smoke billowing over Richmond on Tuesday, April 11, was from burning plastics, many began to wonder about the health impacts on the community’s air, water and soil. Top of mind might have been the February train derailment just 300 miles away in East Palestine, […]
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Fire fatigue: Evacuation order remains as officials work to assess health impact
At an afternoon press conference on Thursday, state and city officials said that while progress is being made, they are not ready to allow evacuated residents back into homes surrounding the site of Tuesday’s fire. An order to shelter in place remains active as shifting wind directions and smoke patterns mean that even more of […]
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Richmond fire response continues as officials blame ‘negligent’ property owner
READ THE LATEST: Fire fatigue: Evacuation order remains as officials work to assess health impact 6:24 PM: Mayor announces press conference Mayor Dave Snow posted on Twitter that the fire is still active, that environmental hazard assessment is still happening, and that a press conference is planned for Thursday at 2 p.m. 5:40 PM: Red […]