David Davis couldn’t wait to cross the new Heiney Road bridge. For nine years, the old bridge was closed, forcing a detour from one field to another for the Wayne County farmer. Then, he watched this year as Brumbaugh Construction crews built the new two-lane bridge across the Whitewater River. Although it wasn’t officially open […]
Author Archives: Mike Emery
Mike Emery is a reporter and layout editor for the Western Wayne News.
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2 housing projects receive necessary OKs
Projects that could result in 72 apartments and 20 new homes received Richmond Advisory Plan Commission approvals June 25. Commission members voted 8-0 in favor of the development plan presented by Powers Properties Investments LLC to expand Chester Heights Apartments. The expansion into the former Berryfield Park will add three buildings and 72 units. Gordon […]
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Helping crime victims drives candidate
Ashley Green stepped before about 50 people June 28 on the south lawn of the courthouse to announce her Republican candidacy for prosecutor. The timing was right, she said, not only because she’s spent four years as chief deputy prosecutor for Mike Shipman, who decided not to run in 2026, but an announcement before the […]
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Is it a pothole or a crack? The software knows
A new software tool could help smooth out driving on Wayne County roads. Taylor White, a director of customer success for Vialytics, showed off the road management system during a June 18 presentation to Wayne County’s commissioners. Vialytics loads its software onto an iPhone that mounts inside a vehicle, which is then driven at 40 […]
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Small business center asks county to keep $15,000 support level
Five Wayne County small businesses that began last year received help from the East Central Indiana Small Business Development Center. The Muncie-based regional location to assist entrepreneurs and small business owners met with 44 Wayne County clients last year, said Judy Porter, the regional director, during a June 18 presentation to Wayne County Council members […]
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Phony hostage situation prompts police response
June 25, 10:07 a.m.: RPD statement Just before 10 p.m. yesterday, Richmond Police Department posted a statement about the incident on their Facebook page. The statement reads in part: Shortly after 5:00 PM today, the Richmond Police Department received a disturbing call from an unknown male stating that he was located in the 700 block […]
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Greens Fork business receives zoning variance
A Greens Fork man whose business tears down old houses and barns received permission to store the reusable lumber at his residence. The Wayne County Board of Zoning Appeals approved Amos King’s variance of use request to operate the wholesale construction salvage business at 3699 N. Mineral Springs Road, which is zoned agricultural. King has […]
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Gas station receives 5 variances from Richmond’s BZA
A new gas station and convenience store on U.S. 35 north of the Interstate 70 interchange will have two pole signs so I-70 motorists will more easily see where the business is located. Permitting two signs was one of five variances of development standards Richmond’s Board of Zoning Appeals approved June 11 for the planned […]
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District would protect historic structures downtown
Richmond’s Historic Preservation Commission voted June 9 to initiate the process of forming a downtown conservation district to protect important architecture and historic structures. All six members attending voted in favor of the motion, setting the district’s proposed boundaries as the Whitewater Gorge to 13th Street from North A Street to South A Street. Both […]
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County residents’ transit usage grows
The Union County Council on Aging and Aged’s transportation program provided 4,781 rides to Wayne County residents during 2024, and that number has increased significantly during 2025. Through May 27, the program’s provided 3,051 rides for Wayne County residents, Trisha Dearth-Adkins, the council’s executive director, told Wayne County’s commissioners during a June 11 presentation. She […]