Large events at First Bank Kuhlman Center overflow the 185 available parking spots, leaving attendees to park wherever they can. Expanded parking is among priorities for $250,000 in American Rescue Plan Act dollars budgeted for Wayne County Fairgrounds improvements. Wayne County’s commissioners viewed maps of possible new parking lots during their Sept. 11 meeting. A […]
Author Archives: Mike Emery
Mike Emery is a reporter and layout editor for the Western Wayne News.
Posted inNews
Health department sets sail at full steam ahead
The Wayne County Health Department needs steady leadership after a tumultuous year, and Dan Burk has been chosen to guide the department as its new director. During the nearly 12 months without a director, Burk has tackled increasing responsibilities within the department. He added duties while supervising the environmental side without the director, then took […]
Posted inNews
Solar parks add power for Richmond
Sunny summer days helped crews make significant progress constructing Richmond’s eighth solar park so that sunshine next summer will be capable of generating 6.1 megawatts of electricity. The addition of the solar park along U.S. 40 between Salisbury and Round Barn roads will increase the solar parks’ capacity to 46.88 megawatts during peak sunshine hours. […]
Posted inNews
Richmond program plans to plant 100 trees Nov. 9
A hundred trees will be planted Nov. 9 in Richmond as part of the city’s partnership with the Indiana University Environmental Resilience Institute. The planting plan was presented Sept. 3 to Richmond Common Council members by Thomas Hill, the city’s GIS coordinator, and Laura Karnes, the landscape and naturalist leader for Richmond Parks and Recreation […]
Posted inNews
County aims to reward employee longevity
Wayne County Council is exploring how to reward county employees’ longevity in the 2025 budget. During their Sept. 4 meeting, council members discussed stipends for employees who have worked at least five years. Wayne County assigns a wage to each position and employees are paid that wage, whether they’ve worked one day or 30 years. […]
Posted inNews
Mayor: City needs funding
Mayor Ron Oler has an expensive project list. His necessary items include replacing Fire Station 1, a new building at the police garage, new buildings and bandshell for Glen Miller Park, replacing the Richmond Municipal Building roof, and rebuilding the corridor from Interstate 70 to U.S. 40 along U.S. 35, Williamsburg Pike and North West […]
Posted inNews
New coroner gets a head start
When Brent Meadows won the Republican primary election for coroner, he was not the incumbent, but that’s exactly what he’ll be when he’s officially elected in November. Meadows, who is running unopposed in the general election, was elected Sept. 7 by a Republican caucus of precinct chairs to finish the term for Kevin Fouche, who […]
Posted inNews
Plan commission OKs Eagle Trace upgrades
Rocks surrounding a drainage pipe from the Eagle Trace subdivision in Richmond contained a puddle of water last week, but the newly dug retention basin was just a dry, grassy depression. That barren area, though, represents progress. For more than 25 years, the subdivision accessible off Round Barn Road has not met some city or […]
Posted inNews
Paint freshens county highway buildings
Fresh paint will soon spruce up two pole barns and the main building at the Wayne County Highway Department’s facility along U.S. 40. The buildings’ fresh look is among projects Mike Sharp, the highway superintendent, plans with $300,000 of American Rescue Plan Act money his department was allocated in February. Sharp updated Wayne County’s commissioners […]
Posted inNews
Richmond renews its animal contract for 2025
Richmond will continue taking stray dogs and cats to the Henry County Humane Society after the Board of Public Works and Safety approved a 2025 contract during its Aug. 29 meeting. Terms remain $41,200 for up to 400 animals, with each additional animal costing $103. The city has taken animals the 30 miles to New […]