In December, Wayne County lost Tom Butters, described by community members as a prolific artist, teacher and advocate who left behind an invaluable legacy. He was 84 years old. Bess Sturgis recalls her friend and collaborator as a force of nature within the arts community. An artist and author herself, Sturgis was both thrilled and […]
Author Archives: Lorin Williams
Lorin Williams is a reporter for the Western Wayne News.
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IU’s flawless season touches close to home for some
Indiana University won its first National College Football Championship last week, topping a historic 16-0 season. While many fans celebrated from the comfort of their homes, some Hoosiers witnessed the victory in person. Richmond’s Thane Berger, an IU freshman, experienced the flawless season up close as a team manager. The Northeastern High School alumnus described […]
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Milton faces possible federal ARPA fund recoup
A former town official says Milton might have to repay over $100K in federal dollars after required reports were not filed on time. Former Milton Clerk-Treasurer Terry Craig says that State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds allotted to the Milton council through the American Rescue Plan Act in 2023 are subject to being recouped by […]
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Meltdown preview: Crafts, treats & more
Wayne County is heating up for the coolest, coldest event of the season. Richmond’s annual Meltdown Winter Ice Festival will take place Jan. 29 to Jan. 31. Attendees can enjoy the official events, including watching an ice cream eating contest and joining a mug pub crawl and the Meltdown Throwdown, featuring ice-carving artists. If you […]
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Food trucks: A fresh trend
Food trucks are typically associated with county fairs and warm summers. Recently, the mobile eateries have become popular mainstays, offering new weekly meal options year-round. Nick Mathews, owner of Cooked, a Richmond-based food truck serving burgers, chicken and more, sees the recent area surge in food trucks as customers wanting different, fresher cravings. “It’s more […]
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2026 officers elected at Nettle Creek school board
Nettle Creek’s first school board meeting of 2026 saw the election of officers and committee appointments. At the Jan. 14 meeting, the board appointed Shaun Lieberman as president, Sandi Schraub as vice president and Julie Blaase as secretary. They elected Cody Sankey as board representative for the agricultural advisory committee; Lieberman to the Hagerstown park […]
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Housing push expands
Cranes, hard hats and dump trucks are just some of the clues that Wayne County’s housing stock is growing. It’s hard to keep track of the medley of projects that are in various stages, and you might be surprised by how many organizations — and which ones — are jumping in to work on the […]
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Nonprofit fundraiser InConcert to pause operations this year
After 20 years of entertainment and service to the Richmond community, nonprofit InConcert announced it would pause operations after its 2025 season. The organization shared the news on its Facebook page on Dec. 29. In the statement, InConcert President Liz DeMao expressed gratitude for the numerous sponsors, partners, volunteers, performers and patrons that made InConcert […]
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Hagerstown council honors heroism
A humble feat of heroism was acknowledged at Hagerstown’s Jan. 5 council meeting. Hagerstown High School junior Cale Schmitz received the Citizen of the Month recognition for his lifesaving actions last November. Council member Chris Blaase described how Schmitz and his father, Bryan, were involved in a head-on collision the weekend before Thanksgiving. Schmitz, despite […]
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Funding cuts cause nonprofits uncertainty
Oak Park Church has become a beacon of service to the community’s most vulnerable. Its multiple outreach efforts are all supported by revenue from the Oak Park Early Learning Academy’s childcare services. But with last year’s budget cuts to federal social services, the church finds itself in a fiscal bind. “We saw a 30-plus percent […]