Local news and updates from Wayne County, Indiana reportersRichmond

One of Richmond’s four taxi companies has not complied with Richmond Police Department inspection requests. Officer Aaron Stevens, RPD’s administrative resource officer, reported to the city’s Board of Public Works and Safety during its Feb. 5 meeting that M&C Taxi did not comply with a scheduled Jan. 5 inspection date. It also failed to meet […]

Power outages are never convenient, especially when the temperature’s minus-4 degrees. Richmond Power and Light customers experienced that inconvenience a slim percentage of the time last year. The utility’s average service availability index, the ration of customer hours when service was available to total hours of demand, was 99.9851%, according to statistics General Manager Tony […]

When approving the 2026 budget, Richmond Common Council, the city’s fiscal body, implemented a policy giving itself additional oversight of city departments’ spending. That oversight became apparent during council’s Feb. 2 meeting, generating discussion among council members. An appropriation resolution requesting $329,343.65 for infrastructure and development, code enforcement, board of public works and safety, police, […]

Special Judge Matthew Cox has dismissed two intimidation charges filed in January 2025 against Wayne County Auditor Mark Hoelscher. The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office moved to dismiss the misdemeanor counts after Hoelscher successfully completed pretrial diversion. Hoelscher entered pretrial diversion in May. It required him to not commit a criminal offense for 180 days, to […]

The Indiana Department of Health has filed suit requesting a Wayne County judge force a Richmond mobile home park to comply with orders regarding cleanup and licensing. The lawsuit filed Jan. 16 and assigned to Superior Court 1 names Indianapolis-based Mobile Enterprises LLC and Rajpal Bhattal, the domestic limited liability company’s registered agent, as defendants. […]

A lawsuit involving more than 100 plaintiffs seeking damages because of the April 2023 plastics fire in Richmond will be heard in Henry County. The plaintiffs sued Cornerstone Trading Group, My-Way Trading, Seth Smith and the city of Richmond, claiming the April 11, 2023, fire on North West F Street caused economic damages, plus physical, […]

Richmond’s Depot District Association received permission to close Elm Place for its America’s 250th Celebration on June 13. During its Jan. 29 meeting, the city’s Board of Public Works and Safety unanimously approved the closure from North Eighth Street to North 10th Street from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day. The board also unanimously […]

Good News Habitat for Humanity has pivoted in recent years to renovate existing homes that need some tender loving care instead of building anew. The organization restored one Richmond home, 523 S. 11th St. in 2025, and a young family now lives there. That property happens to be near Habitat’s office at 1114 S. F […]

Nathan Hogg’s passion for public service has connected him with a variety of community building efforts in Wayne County. In 2026 it’s taking him beyond local borders to an internship with the Indiana House of Representatives and Indiana Black Legislative Caucus. The IU East junior and Richmond native started his role on Jan. 5. An […]