Richmond Community Schools is creating its own police department and will no longer have school resource officers (SROs) overseen by Wayne County Sheriff’s Office. Superintendent Curtis Wright recommended the school board not renew its memorandum of understanding with the sheriff’s office that provided one officer each for Richmond High, Test, Dennis and Community Youth Services […]

Author Archives: Millie Martin Emery
Millicent Martin Emery is a reporter and editor for the Western Wayne News.
Democrat party caucus selects council candidate
Richmond’s ballot has grown by at least one more candidate for the November election. Wayne County Democratic Party has conducted a caucus, unanimously selecting Carl Rhinehart III to run for an at-large common council seat. He joins fellow Democrats Claudia Edwards and Ron Itnyre, who filed earlier this year. Rhinehart, Edwards and Itnyre will face […]
Air conditioning adding comfort to comedy
The warmth of romantic comedy will be tempered by air conditioning this weekend and next. Richmond Shakespeare Festival has moved to a new location this summer: the newly renovated McGuire Hall at Richmond High School. The hall’s updates include more comfortable seats, cooler temperatures and new technology. RSF is offering an original, full-cast production of […]
Candidates filing for fall election
More candidates are throwing their hats into the ring for upcoming town and city elections. Richmond now has an independent candidate who has obtained enough signatures to file for mayor. Howard J. Price will face Republican Ron Oler and Democrat Dave Snow. Any other candidates wishing to run as independents or for minor parties in […]
Rarely heard stories now in spotlight
Drummer Harold Jones has toured the world with musicians such as Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole and Count Basie, but he’ll provide different kinds of notes when he returns to his hometown next weekend. Jones will be the keynote speaker for Wayne County Historical Museum’s signature dinner and exhibit premier at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, June 24. […]
Free music, food, tours raising Juneteenth awareness
Cultural celebrations are among local June activities that recognize Juneteenth as well as local residents’ positive impacts on their community. Although the commemoration started in Texas in 1866, Juneteenth (short for June Nineteenth) became a federal holiday in 2021. It recognizes June 19, 1865, as the day that enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas — […]
New voices to answer Centerville’s after-hours utility calls
Centerville’s town council is making alternate plans for how its after-hours, nonemergency utility calls will be answered as of July 1. Wayne County Emergency Communications dispatchers currently answer those calls, but Director Matthew Cain said the operations board asked the town to find another solution. Dispatchers are receiving an increasing number of non-emergency calls, particularly […]
Math education career adds up for Cheek
After studying philosophy and urban studies, Brian Cheek says he started his midlife crisis early and decided he wanted to be a math teacher. That apparently was a wise decision, because Centerville-Abington Community Schools honored Cheek as its Teacher of the Year at its May 23 meeting. Cheek teaches seventh grade math at Centerville Junior […]
Trials set for pair accused of cemetery theft
Trial dates have been set for a couple accused of stealing more than $150,000 from the Lutheran Cemetery Foundation of Pershing. An initial hearing took place May 30 for Trisha C. Taylor of Cambridge City in Wayne Superior Court 2. Judge Gregory Horn appointed Richmond attorney Mark Cox to represent Taylor as indigent counsel at […]
RCS staff to receive trauma-informed coaching
All of Wayne County’s school personnel soon will have more insights for their interactions with students who’ve been impacted by trauma and adversity. Richmond Community Schools’ board approved a $47,215 contract for Trust-Based Relational Intervention, known as TBRI, through Greenwood-based consultant Hope Alight. TBRI is geared for anyone working directly with children, such as paraprofessionals, […]