Clyde Moberly Road was named Nov. 27, 1978, by Wayne County Commissioners Elmer Toschlog and Jerry Dils. What once was a private lane accessing a single farm from Webster Road served multiple homes by then. Wayne County has maintained Clyde Moberly and cleared snow from the roadway, the U.S. Postal Service has delivered mail to […]
Author Archives: Mike Emery
Mike Emery is a reporter and layout editor for the Western Wayne News.
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Stabilizing Queen Anne house remains concern
A month after deciding a historic Queen Anne-style house along East Main Street should be saved, Richmond’s Historic Preservation Commission had a short discussion about the house Oct. 15. The house at 1828 E. Main St., on the northwest corner of 19th and East Main streets, has been saved twice. Commission members have met with […]
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Council trims county’s general fund budget to $38 million
With 6-0 votes Oct. 16, Wayne County Council approved the county’s 2025 budget and Wayne Union Recycling’s budget. Council worked since hearing six hours of departmental budget requests July 17 to trim the general fund budget. That budget was estimated on the Department of Local Government Finance’s Gateway website at $40,325,920. Council passed a general […]
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Emergency communications project cost: $3.1 million
American Rescue Plan Act dollars presented Wayne County an opportunity to address a decades-old emergency communications problem, while one official says it’s the wrong project to prioritize. During their Oct. 16 workshop, Wayne County Council members and county commissioners heard the price tag: $3,138,294.29. That includes outfitting two new towers with 800 megahertz equipment, equipment […]
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Well-water testing fills void
Some property purchases require third-party testing of well water, and the Wayne County Health Department will begin providing that service Oct. 28. Dan Burk, director of the health department, said the new service fills a void, because no private business currently provides well testing. Some federal housing loans require third-party testing. The health department will […]
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Bridge costs less than expected
Progress continues toward replacing a bridge that’s been closed for eight years. The Heiney Road bridge over the west fork of the Whitewater River was closed because the deck could not be repaired. The Indiana Department of Transportation received five bids for the project that ranged from $1,770,000 to $2,412,950. Brumbaugh Construction of Arcanum, Ohio, […]
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Courthouse projects nearly ready for bidding
Wayne County’s historic courthouse had its exterior repaired and restored in a project that took more than a year. With that project completed, the sloped, brick plaza outside the courthouse’s east entrance, which is not Americans with Disabilities Act compliant, will receive attention. Plans include replacing the bricks with stairs and installing an ADA-compliant ramp […]
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Council pulls $800K from budget appropriation
Richmond Common Council appropriated nearly $60 million for the city’s 2025 budget Oct. 7, but not before removing more than $800,000 from the appropriation. Justin Burkhardt, chair of council’s finance committee, made four motions that pulled $831,839.83 from the budget appropriation. The majority — $682,899.83 — came from Richmond Fire Department and emergency medical services […]
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Utility leader thanks crews, customers
Hurricane Helene pounded Wayne County with strong winds and torrential rain Sept. 27 that wreaked havoc on the Richmond Power & Light electric grid. While most sheltered inside — even if in darkness — RP&L crews defied the elements to restore power as quickly as possible. During the Oct. 7 RP&L board meeting, Tony Foster, […]
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Funding plan incentivizes homebuilders
In an effort to squeeze more housing availability out of existing space, Wayne County economic leaders are requesting at least $500,000 to accelerate the completion of housing subdivisions. At its Oct. 7 meeting, Economic Development of Wayne County’s board approved spending $500,000 from its Consolidated Economic Development Income Tax fund, and the parameters of the […]