(Parker City, IN)--The Monroe Central school family is mourning the loss of one of their students.  Charli Siekmann, who was a Monroe Central junior and member of the girls golf team, died on Tuesday.  Charli has been involved in a serious accident a week ago and had been in intensive neurocritical care since.  Since that accident, the Monroe Central family had been wearing Charli’s favorite color, yellow, as a symbol of hope.  Services for Charli Siekmann were pending Thursday morning.

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond father and son were taken into custody early Wednesday morning in an incident that involved the city’s SWAT unit near North 19^th and East Main Street.  45-year-old James Jones Senior was wanted for failing to appear in a drug case.  When officers went to Jones’ North 19^th Street home Wednesday, they found Jones along with his son, who shares his name.  Investigators also found an undisclosed quantity of cocaine or other narcotic drugs and drug paraphernalia.  Jones Senior is now being held without bond.

The Richmond Common Council voted 7-to-2 Monday night to approve a forgivable loan financing structure for infrastructure at the planned Smith Hill housing development.

The move unlocks a 4.3-million-dollar READI 2.0 state grant. The vote followed heated debate. Some council members voiced frustration over shifting plans and the potential inclusion of rental townhomes. But representatives from Reid Health and the Wayne County Chamber urged approval, warning that Richmond desperately needs modern market-rate housing to recruit and retain workers—and that stalling would cost the community millions in state funding.

The City of Richmond is weighing an appeal after a federal jury found the city partially liable for the 2023 industrial fire.

During Monday night’s Richmond Common Council meeting, the Mayor’s office confirmed a jury assigned forty percent of the fault to the city. Officials noted disappointment with the verdict, highlighted a recent 2.1-million-dollar settlement resolving claims against site operators, and urged council members to coordinate with corporate counsel as they evaluate legal options and potential remediation for the former Hofco property.

Overnight work continues along the Revive I-70 corridor, and drivers will see fresh restrictions early this morning. INDOT says from 1 to 7 a.m., the State Road 1 ramps to and from eastbound I-70 are closed. Then tonight, starting at 8 p.m. and running through 7 a.m. Thursday, eastbound I-70 will be down to one lane between Brick Church Road and Centerville Road. The construction?zone speed limit remains 55 miles per hour, and drivers are urged to slow down and stay alert in work zones

A Randolph County man faces up to 12 years in prison after being charged with child molesting.

Court documents show 36-year-old Jacob Anthony Beane was charged Monday in Randolph Circuit Court with a Level 4 felony. Authorities allege Beane improperly touched a juvenile girl in Lynn between 2019 and 2020, when the victim was under the age of 12.

Investigators say Beane denied all allegations during an interview last month, but deputies were unable to reach him following that meeting.

An arrest warrant has been issued for Beane, who also faces an unrelated domestic battery trial scheduled for February.

Nearly seven months after severe weather threw a wrench into its daily operations, Girls Inc. of Wayne County is finally heading back home.
High winds and destructive storms on March 11th caused significant structural damage to the South 8th Street facility in Richmond, forcing the non-profit to pack up its after-school programs and operate out of temporary spaces for most of the year.
Following extensive repairs and interior renovations, the organization will officially welcome girls back to its home center on Monday, October 5th.
To celebrate the milestone, Girls Inc. is hosting a community open house on Thursday, October 8th, from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. Neighbors, community partners, and supporters are invited to tour the newly renovated space, meet the team, and celebrate their return. No RSVP is needed.

Local civic groups are teaming up this weekend to help Wayne County voters prepare for Election Day.

The Richmond NAACP, Wayne County Indivisible, and the League of Women Voters will host a free, non-partisan Voter Engagement Rally this Saturday from 2:00 to 5:00 PM at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Richmond.

Organizer Jo Swanger says the goal is to make election prep approachable and fun before key deadlines hit. 

Attendees can meet candidates across all party lines, verify voter registration, and get practical polling information ahead of the October 5th registration deadline. The family-friendly event also features music and free snacks.

Organizers urge residents to get involved, emphasizing that local elections directly shape daily community life.

Preble County officials say 911 service was partially restored yesterday after a countywide outage caused by an equipment and network failure with BrightSpeed Phone Company. Lines were “in and out” through late morning yesterday as calls were rerouted to the Darke County Sheriff’s Office. Residents were urged to stay on the line if they dialed 911, with dispatchers confirming all calls would still be answered.
 

A 60-year-old woman was taken into custody on outstanding warrants over the weekend in Wayne County, Indiana.

According to county booking records, Darla Ann Bailey was arrested on Saturday, September 19, 2026. She faces charges of Level 6 felony stalking violations alongside Class A misdemeanor criminal trespass.

Authorities booked Bailey into the Wayne County jail, where her bond for the stalking warrant was set at $10,000

Winchester Speedway is mourning the loss of longtime owner and racing advocate Charlie Shaw, who died at age 90 . Shaw purchased the historic high?banked oval to preserve its legacy as the “World’s Fastest Half?Mile” and oversaw major grassroots events, including the Winchester 400, USAC sprint cars, and ARCA Menards Series races.  Known for his hands?on leadership and commitment to Randolph County, Shaw modernized operations while protecting the track’s 1916 character. The Speedway remains under Shaw family ownership, with operations led by his longtime staff

Indiana has been approved for mass SNAP benefit replacement after August’s severe storms caused widespread power outages. The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration will automatically replace benefits for eligible households across 19 counties, including Wayne County. Depending on when benefits were issued, households will receive between 15% and 60% of their monthly allotment. Households that received their benefits between August 5th and August 9th will receive the largest replacement, at 60% of their monthly allotment.  About 36,500 households may qualify, with assistance totaling up to $10 million.

A federal jury has ruled that the City of Richmond, Cornerstone Trading Group, and owner Seth Smith are liable for the massive 2023 warehouse fire that displaced roughly 2,000 residents . Jurors found the city and company negligent, saying they ignored long?standing safety concerns and failed to address hazardous conditions at the NW F Street plastic recycling site where the fire began on April 11th, 2023.  The verdict assigns 60% responsibility to Cornerstone and Smith and 40% to the city. The next phase will determine damages for property owners and displaced residents included in the class action, which was certified last year.

Following August’s severe storms and flooding, the Small Business Administration has boots on the ground across Wayne and surrounding counties offering low-interest disaster loans.  SBA Public Affairs Specialist Elijah Neahouse visited Brewer Broadcasting with important details on the programs available.

Officials stress that sixty percent of SBA disaster loans go to homeowners and renters, not just businesses. Approved applicants receive no interest and no payments for the first full year. The physical damage filing deadline is October 25th. To apply or check eligibility, visit lending.sba.gov or call 1-800-659-2955.

(Darke County, OH)--Details of a fatal dog attack in Darke County were released Thursday.  Investigators say it happened earlier this week on Clapp Road, which is just off of U.S. 36 near the state line.  83-year-old Mildred Malott had walked next door when she was attacked by a group of three dogs that had been let outside by that home’s owners, Scott and Pennie Royer.  Malott was pronounced dead at the scene.  All three dogs, which were described as mixed-breed, were handed over to the Darke County dog warden.  Under a new Ohio law, dog owners are responsible for the behavior of their dogs – even if it’s on their own property.

(Connersville, IN)--The former treasurer of the Fayette County Free Fair Association has escaped jail time despite stealing more than $6000 from that organization last year.  Makinsey Price was arrested following a state police investigation revealed that she wrote checks for herself, transferred money to herself, and kept cash that had come in through rodeo collections.  A plea deal resulted in a year’s worth of probation to Price and an order to pay more than $6500 in restitution.

(Richmond, IN)--It was nowhere near as bad as it was last month, but heavy rain Wednesday night created street flooding that forced some of those streets to be closed in Richmond.  Most areas in and around Richmond received around three inches of rain in less than two hours.  The Spring Grove area of Richmond received the most at 3 ¼ inches.  Street flooding resulted on North E in the Depot District, on National Road East near Industrial Parkway, and at the entrance to Ravina Park, where firefighters responded for a water rescue.  All streets were open Thursday morning.

(Richmond, IN)--Wayne County leaders Wednesday night approved an interlocal agreement to permanently dispatch first responders in the town of Liberty and Union County.  Barry Ritter talked about the benefits Wednesday night.  "This interlocal agreement is a win-win for all three parties.  It saves Union County and Liberty money annually, but it also compensates Wayne County above and beyond for the services that they're buying.  Most importantly, it's going to enhance public safety in Union County," Ritter said.  The agreement will be in place through at least the end of next year.  Union County will pay $200,000.  Liberty will pay $50,000.

(Richmond, IN)--There was a large police response during a standoff in the 100 block of North 17^th in Richmond Wednesday afternoon.  Officers had gone to that area to arrest 30-year-old Dylan Spencer.  Spencer had failed to show up for a hearing in a strangulation and domestic battery case.  RPD took to social media to ask nearby residents to stay inside and for others to avoid the area.  Spencer was eventually taken into custody.  Because he failed to show up in court, he is now being held without bond.

(Richmond, IN)--Wednesday night, Wayne County elected officials got on update on the construction and reopening of the Richmond Avenue bridge.  That bridge, which is a key connector of many parts of Richmond to the city’s northwest side, closed to traffic in early March.  It was supposed to have reopened by now, but that’s not the case.  The delay exists largely due to efforts to level out both sides of the bridge, and that’s been complicated by a gas main that runs through part of the bridge.  County Engineer Brandon Sanders has the timeline.  "We are looking at probably end of October / first of November for a completion date," Sanders said.  The Bridge Avenue bridge is expected to open around the same time.

(Connersville, IN)--Beginning Thursday and running through Saturday, FEMA representatives will be back at the Baptist Temple in Connersville to assist flood victims.  Meanwhile, Mayor Chad Frank continues to address the financial implications of major repairs that are needed at the city’s wastewater treatment plant.  "I can't afford the $5 million bill we have right now.  So we have to figure out how we have to do long-term planning to pay for all of this," Frank said.  That plant is currently operational.  The latest estimates in Connersville show that 280 residents were impacted by last month’s flooding.

(Wayne County, IN)--The Indiana State Police recently conducted a traffic enforcement initiative targeting semis traveling through the construction zone of I-70 in Wayne and Henry County.  And, according to the numbers they released Tuesday, it’s paid off big time.  Before the enforcement effort, the area was averaging eight crashes per week.  During the operation, there were three crashes total.  The effort included 159 citations for semi drivers and 16 arrests.

(Richmond, IN)--Vacant and deteriorating houses have long been a problem in some Richmond neighborhoods.  They’re a magnet for squatting and drug activity.  on Tuesday, an emergency order was issued to have one of those homes demolished.  That property is near 11^th and South B.  This discussion about the duplex’s owner and the activities on the property is from Tuesday’s meeting of the Unsafe Building Committee:  "I don't know for sure, but I believe Mr. Anderson knew that some of those people were in there.  I don't know if they were supposed to be trading work for staying there, but there was no water or electric at one point."  The committee voted unanimously for demolition.

(Note:  The photo accompanying this story is not of the specific duplex.  It is a photo of a home demolition that is in the public domain.)

(Richmond, IN)--A Richmond man accused of molesting an elementary-school age family member was returned to the Wayne County Jail from north central Indiana on Tuesday.  Antonio Cosner is now being held on a $35,000 bond.  So far, Cosner refused to speak with investigators about the allegations, but he has confirmed that he is HIV positive.  An initial hearing for Cosner is pending.

(Preble County, OH)--One semi crash Wednesday morning affected two highways in Preble County.  It happened at the State Route 726 overpass of I-70.  The crash occurred at 4 o’clock Wednesday morning on 726, but part of the wreckage ended up on the interstate.  There’s no word yet on what caused the crash or the extent of the injuries suffered by the driver.