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. […]
Author Archives: Mike Emery
Mike Emery is a reporter and layout editor for the Western Wayne News.
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 […]
Posted inNews
Mayor: City budget’s back in black
Mayor Ron Oler voted against the city’s 2024 budget as a Richmond Common Council member because it was a funded budget, but not balanced. As council began two nights of budget meetings Aug. 20, Oler said the 2025 budget’s general fund is in the black. Oler said the budget includes a 4% raise for nonunion […]
Posted inNews
O’Rourke chosen to demolish former Elder-Beerman building
The city of Richmond has selected a company with experience in complex demolition projects, including pedestrian skywalks, to demolish the former Elder-Beerman building and skywalk. O’Rourke Wrecking Company of Paragon, Indiana, was awarded the bid for $711,000 during the Aug. 22 meeting of the city’s Board of Public Works and Safety. O’Rourke’s bid was $40,040 […]
Posted inNews
Health department rearranges workers in its 2025 budgets
Wayne County Health Department has dropped its 2025 county budget request by about $13,000 from its 2024 funding. The county Board of Health approved the department’s revised county budget and the department’s Health First Indiana budget during its Aug. 20 meeting. That enabled the department to present the budgets to Wayne County Council during an […]
Posted inNews
County addresses animal issue at ‘crisis point’
Between neglect, abuse, health issues, and not having homes, animal welfare problems stretch to all corners of Wayne County. So far, Wayne County’s government and the City of Richmond have taken the lead in trying to address animal welfare through funding from the Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program. Commissioner Mary Anne Butters wants to see that […]