With four months remaining in 2025, Wayne County ridership on Whitewater Valley Regional Transit exceeded the 2024 total. Trisha Dearth-Adkins, the executive director of the Union County Council on Aging and Aged, provided Wayne County commissioners with an update Aug. 27. Through Aug. 22, 4,308 rides were provided Wayne County residents, closing in on 2024’s […]
Author Archives: Mike Emery
Mike Emery is a reporter and layout editor for the Western Wayne News.
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Hire the best person for the job, or the cheapest?
Whitewater Gorge activation work has begun at the Test Road trail head, but two more phases remain in the complicated and expensive project. To help with the upcoming phases, Richmond Parks and Recreation Department asked Richmond Common Council on Aug. 18 to consider an alternative method to engage a contractor. The ordinance would enable all […]
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Couple tries to stop parking problem
A Williamsburg couple will take its request for Wayne County to vacate an alley to the county commissioners. During its Aug. 21 meeting, the Wayne County Advisory Plan Commission approved a resolution providing a positive recommendation for the alley vacation. Daryll and Lilah Webb brought their request before the commission in June. They asked that […]
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County will help animal shelter’s kennel project
Wayne County commissioners plan to provide $30,000 for a HELP the Animals Inc. project. Commissioners saw a draft memorandum of understanding between the organizations during their Aug. 20 meeting. Funds are available in the 2025 budget’s animal welfare line item. The county contracts with HELP to accept animals from the county’s animal control officer. HELP’s […]
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City denies negligence in RCS student’s lawsuit
The city of Richmond denies any negligence, knowledge of or responsibility for the alleged bullying of a David W. Dennis Middle School student last school year. Lawyers representing the student and parents filed a lawsuit June 23 in Wayne County Superior Court 1 claiming the student was seriously injured and sexually assaulted during four separate […]
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Who pays for progress?
Expanding the Midwest Industrial Park’s sewer capacity might be a worthy endeavor, but several Richmond residents addressing Richmond Common Council on Aug. 18 balked at being asked to pay the $38 million price tag. “If this is for the industrial park, let the industrial park occupant pay for it,” Nick Wilson said during the public […]
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County council adopts vehicle taxes
Wayne County residents will pay between $7.50 and $212.60 in new taxes for each of their cars, motorcycles, trucks and trailers beginning next year. With a 5-2 vote, Wayne County Council enacted local option highway user taxes Aug. 25 that will provide tax money and, beginning in January 2027, access to the state’s lane-mile distribution […]
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Thousands of kids missing required vaccines
About 3,800 Wayne County schoolchildren are missing required vaccinations. Beth Newton, the Wayne County Health Department’s deputy director of clinical services, updated the county’s health board about the department’s efforts to vaccinate children during the board’s Aug. 12 meeting. Newton said postcards are being sent to each student ages 5 to 18 missing a vaccination. […]
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Auditor: Simple filing could save big money on taxes
Indiana’s changing property tax structure relies heavily on homeowners’ homestead exemptions. Wayne County Auditor Mark Hoelscher told the county commissioners during their Aug. 13 meeting that many eligible county homeowners have not filed for the homestead exemption. He said his office will mail 35,000 tax statements next spring, but only about 17,000 homeowners have the […]
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4-3 vote provides temporary wheel tax reprieve
Concerns about Richmond residents being taxed by both the county and city for their vehicles stopped Wayne County Council from enacting local option highway user taxes Aug. 20, while indicating it’s a temporary delay of the inevitable. Council voted 4-3 in favor of enacting an excise tax surcharge on passenger vehicles, small trucks, motorcycles, mopeds […]