Richmond’s trees represent infrastructure, just like roads and bridges. Thomas Hill, the city’s GIS coordinator, wants residents to one day pay as much attention to that green infrastructure as to the gray infrastructure. This summer, the city will pay more attention to the trees that provide shade, which lowers temperatures, reduces energy bills and benefits […]
Author Archives: Mike Emery
Mike Emery is a reporter and layout editor for the Western Wayne News.
Posted inNews
Auction sells 16 delinquent properties
Bidders paid $3,200 for 16 properties during a tax lien certificate sale April 16 in the Wayne County Administration Building. The purchase amounts, though, are not as important as again having the chance to receive property tax payments. Each of 31 properties included in the auction has overdue taxes and failed to sell at a […]
Posted inNews
Property tax angst, rather than relief
The Republican-controlled Indiana General Assembly promised Hoosiers property tax relief when passing 2025 legislation; however, that’s not what some Wayne County taxpayers felt when opening their tax bills. Instead, they’re expressing angst to the Wayne County Treasurer’s Office that their bills do not reflect an expected reduction. Tax payments this year reflect last year’s property […]
Posted inNews
RFD identifies 6 prospective employees
Richmond Fire Department’s recent recruiting efforts resulted in a six-person hiring list that the city’s Board of Public Works and Safety approved April 9. Nick Arbogast, the department’s chief of EMS, said three openings currently exist and two or three retirements are expected this year. The hiring list is: Jadon Kolb of Losantville; Brandon Wetherell […]
Posted inNews
Variance will permit storage building on Flatley Road
A Richmond Board of Zoning Appeals decision April 8 will permit construction of a storage building at a Flatley Road residence located in a high intensity industrial zoning district. The BZA unanimously granted a variance of development standards to reduce side and rear setbacks for the planned 1,500-square-foot building. The building will leave a 10-foot […]
Posted inNews
County moves toward Vaile property transfer
Twenty-two vacant properties in the Vaile neighborhood should have new homes by the end of 2027. Affordable HomeMatters already has acquired 19 properties and is close to securing three more from Wayne County’s commissioners. During their April 8 meeting, commissioners unanimously authorized Ron Cross, the city attorney, to prepare resolutions that would transfer tax certificates […]
Posted inNews
Zoning variance allows customizing vans into campers
Keith Rose customized a van for he and his wife to camp. It turned out so well that other campers want him to create campers for them. During an April 9 meeting, the Wayne County Board of Zoning Appeals granted 4-0 a variance of use for Rose to begin a customization business inside a pole […]
Posted inNews
AI’s power requires electricity
When wanting information, it’s so simple to pull out a phone or laptop and quickly ask for AI assistance without thinking about the search process and the energy it uses. Data centers, the facilities that house servers and data storage, require significant power for operations and cooling. They are projected to use 12% of all […]
Posted inNews
Volunteers clear 360 pounds of trash from city park
Four people cleared 90 pounds of trash an hour during an April 4 cleanup effort at Bicentennial Park. Brandon Panensky, a Richmond parks employee who led the effort, honored the three volunteer helpers during the April 9 parks board meeting. Howard Price, Gary DeLucio and Anthony Alana worked four hours to collect 360 pounds of […]
Posted inNews
Richmond joins nonprofit land bank
A land bank designed to help revitalize Wayne County neighborhoods has received Richmond’s buy-in and $180,000 commitment. During their April 6 meeting, Richmond Common Council members approved 8-1, with Lucinda Wright opposed, an interlocal agreement with Wayne County government that forms the land bank. The city’s Board of Public Works and Safety then also approved […]