It’s hard to imagine Canadian wildfire smoke leading to canceled softball games in western Wayne County, but poor air quality has begun impacting local residents. Just a few weeks after an industrial plastics fire in Richmond filled area skies with black smoke and made national news, unfavorable air quality alerts have returned to the area […]
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Lt. gov. sees celebration, devastation
Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch enjoyed a celebration and viewed devastation May 9 during a spur-of-the-moment visit to Richmond. Crouch participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony as Test Intermediate School celebrated its 100th year, then she visited the site of the April 11 plastics fire, getting a firsthand look at the rubble remaining on the 13.8-acre site. […]
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Lawsuit alleges ‘blatant disregard’ for residents’ safety and welfare
The billowing black smoke from an April 11 plastics fire triggered an evacuation order that forced residents from their homes and closed businesses. A class-action lawsuit claims residents have experienced physical problems and emotional distress because of the fire at a North West F Street plastics recycling and resale business. It seeks compensatory and punitive […]
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Teens explore manufacturing careers
More than 300 Wayne County high school students are touring seven local manufacturers this month, possibly inspiring some of them to work in one soon. Economic Development Corp. of Wayne County organized the Oct. 6 tours for Richmond, Northeastern, Lincoln and Hagerstown students at Madison-Kipp, Ahaus Tool & Engineering, Blue Buffalo, Transcendia, SugarCreek and Dot […]
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The shared costs of blighted properties
Mayor Dave Snow made one point “crystal clear,” as he said, when speaking about the conundrum the city faced with plastics-filled properties on North West F Street that were a known fire hazard: Taxpayers would not pay the multimillion-dollar cleanup tab. The city had been working with Seth Smith, the owner of Cornerstone Trading Group, […]
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Preparing for a derailment: ‘what if’ the unthinkable happens?
Wayne County agencies have plans for derailment, other hazmat responses Despite being as prepared as possible for an accident involving hazardous materials, local fire and response managers agree that no one agency can be completely ready for something like the derailment that occurred Feb. 3 in a small Ohio town. In East Palestine, Ohio, 38 […]
Karla Jo Schenkel Abercombie
Karla Jo Schenkel Abercombie, 71, of Milton passed away at home on Thursday, December 8, 2022. She was born on April 15, 1951 in New Castle, IN to Eugene & B. Beth (Jones) Schenkel. Karla served as trustee of Posey Twp. for 19 years. She was member of the Posey Home-Ec Club. She retired from […]
Billy Ray Ervin Jr.
On Sunday, August 21, 2022, Billy Ray Ervin Jr., Cambridge City, passed away unexpectedly. Bill was born in New Castle, Indiana to Billy Ray and Gladys (Cox) Ervin. He was a 1970 graduate of Lincoln High School, attended the 72nd session of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, and was a member of the Cambridge City […]
Harold Roy Earl Williamson
PERSHING – Harold Roy Earl Williamson, 43, passed away Friday afternoon July 19, 2019 at his home in Pershing after a year-long battle with colon cancer. Harold was born in Richmond, Indiana, on May 19, 1976. He lived in Arizona and moved to the Western Wayne community as a teenager. Harold worked as a truck […]