A decrease in Richmond Power & Light’s Energy Cost Adjustment rate will save customers seven cents for each 1,000 kilowatt hours used during the year’s fourth quarter. General Manager Tony Foster presented the change to his board, which is comprised of Richmond Common Council members, during its Sept. 5 meeting. The board approved the change […]
Author Archives: Mike Emery
Mike Emery is a reporter and layout editor for the Western Wayne News.
Posted inNews
Wayne County Council OKs 4 new positions
Wayne County Council approved four new positions and took action on other personnel requests during its Sept. 6 meeting. Council members voted 6-0 to permit county judges to hire three legal assistants and also unanimously approved a grant clerk position for the auditor’s office. All will proceed with trying to fill the positions this year. […]
Posted inNews
$25 million in improvements planned
Tireless effort brought Wayne County to this point of the Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program. A rigorous application process earned the county a place in the third HELP cohort. More than 900 people provided input about what their communities need, and about 100 people served on committees identifying and prioritizing projects for the best uses of […]
Posted inNews
Richmond taps alternative sources to fund budget
Richmond plans to use more than a million dollars in redevelopment, opioid settlement and American Rescue Plan Act dollars to fund its 2024 budget. On Aug. 28 and 29, Richmond Common Council members received proposed budget reports from Mayor Dave Snow, Controller Emily Palmer and the city’s department heads. Snow said the budget proposal is […]
Posted inNews
Livestock auction returns to BZA
A livestock auction facility in Wayne County made sense, but a Helm Road location adjacent to The Barn at Helm flower farm and event space drew opposition. Comments to the county’s Board of Zoning Appeals often followed that line of thinking: The idea would benefit county farmers, but that location didn’t work. The BZA on […]
Posted inNews
Richmond council OKs development changes
Richmond Common Council approved a comprehensive update to the city’s Unified Development Ordinance. Council members unanimously voted Aug. 21 to support two changes proposed by the Richmond Advisory Plan Commission, then to adopt the 57-amendment ordinance. The plan commission had voted 7-0 recommending council accept the updates to the 2010 UDO. Former city planner and […]
Posted inNews
Taxing entities must file budget reports, meeting dates
Wayne County citizens have an opportunity to address how their tax money is spent locally. The county’s taxing districts must advertise their proposed 2024 budgets, public hearings and budget adoption plans on the state’s Department of Local Government Finance website. Visit https://budgetnotices.in.gov/unit_lookup.aspx?ct=89000 to find budget information submitted by county government, the city of Richmond, plus […]
Posted inNews
County council puts requests for new positions on hold
Auditor Mark Hoelscher withdrew his request for a new full-time employee to track grants. Hoelscher made the move at the end of Wayne County Council’s Aug. 16 workshop after council members delayed making a decision on his request. Council considered that and two other requests because they had received classification and wage information from their […]
Posted inNews
Farm Bureau to provide fairgrounds with gazebo
The Wayne County Fairgrounds will soon feature a gazebo. Wayne County Farm Bureau will purchase for about $35,000 and donate a 16-foot-by-32-foot gazebo for the fairgrounds. Commissioners voted 3-0 during their Aug. 16 meeting to grant Farm Bureau naming rights to the livestock show arena for five years in return for the donation. Farm Bureau […]
Posted inNews
New health funds get 1st OK
Health First Indiana funding will not immediately improve Wayne County residents’ health. Instead, accepting more state money will signal the beginning of ramped-up efforts to make Wayne County healthier and help residents live longer. The county ranks 90th of Indiana’s 92 counties in life expectancy. Wayne County Council members Aug. 16 unanimously approved the Wayne […]