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Centerville HS views mock accident response

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Emergency response personnel from several agencies worked together to put on a mock accident demonstration to Centerville High School juniors and seniors before their prom.  Sponsored by SADD, help came from the Centerville police and fire departments, Wayne County EMS, Reid Health’s Trauma Unit and Wayne County Coroner Kevin Fouche. Coroner Fouche discussed the impact drunk/distracted driving would have on family members. Senior Cameron Nocton plays the part of the deceased, while teacher Lesli Walther and student Phoebe Chasteen are impacted by the sad news of the accident. Find more photos from this event in the May 25 edition of Western Wayne News. Photo by DAJO Photos

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WW Schools get $2.5 million for school improvement

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2 grants will focus on making schools among the best, superintendent says

Two grants worth about $2.5 million will be used by Western Wayne School Corporation to improve student performance by building on successes. The school corporation will receive $2.45 million from the Next Generation School Improvement Grant (Next Gen SIG) program, funded by the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE). Western Wayne Schools is one of 8 schools funded, out of 40 applicants. The funding will be spent over four years, with the first-year funds geared to planning and implementation to take place in each of the following years. Western Wayne will use the money to improve educational rigor for students in k-12.

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Industrial park adding 326 acres

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Goal of $4.4M purchase is to recruit large employers

Nearly $4.5 million of land is being purchased to expand Midwest Industrial Park in hopes of luring large employers to Wayne County. Wayne County and the City of Richmond will buy a total of 326 acres from Toschlog Family Farms LLC at $13,750 per acre, for a cost of $4,483,737.50. The price is nearly split between the two units of government. The county will buy 160 acres on the west side of Round Barn Road at the intersection with Gaar Jackson Road. Richmond will buy 166.09 acres on the east side of Round Barn.

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Plane vandalized a month after moving to veterans park

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Just a month after moving a retired military airplane to Wayne County Veterans Memorial Park to be viewed by local residents and visitors, vandalism has prompted its caretakers to add a fence to protect it. On May 10, veterans discovered that a small door on the Grumman A-6E Intruder had been pried open. “Fortunately it didn’t break off, but they bent it a little,” said volunteer Barb Goebel, who has helped expand the park’s collection of monuments and military equipment with her husband, Joe, who is president of the veterans’ committee. Veterans were able to get the door shut in hopes of preventing further damage while they decide what might be needed to better protect the historic equipment. “We don’t know what they’re going to do next – that’s the problem,” Goebel said of the vandal(s).

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Weather-related delays for Monday, Feb. 7

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Northeastern Schools:  90-minute delay because of icy conditions. Latchkey is cancelled. Elementary drop off at 9:40 for a 9:55 start; Preschool drop off at 9:55 for 10:00 start. Middle and High Schools drop off at 9:45 for a 10:05 start. Richmond Community Schools: Two-hour delay Monday, Feb.

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State team returns to fairgrounds Jan. 26-29 with COVID tests, vaccines

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Indiana Department of Health’s Strike Team has arrived at Wayne County Fairgrounds to offer free COVID tests and vaccines. It is the team’s second visit to the fairgrounds so far in 2022. • Location: Wayne County Fairgrounds, Tom Raper Center, 861 Salisbury Road, Richmond
• Dates: Wednesday, Jan. 26, through Saturday, Jan. 29
• Time: Noon-8 p.m.
• COVID-19 Testing-Rapid and PCR testing available
• COVID-19 Vaccines-Pfizer adult and pediatric; & Moderna
• Moderna Vaccine: 18 and older
• Pfizer Adult Vaccine: Age 12 and older
• Pfizer Pediatric Vaccine: Ages 5-11
• All minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian
• Booster vaccines will be available
Vaccine appointments can be made at ourshot.in.gov
Testing appointments can be made at coronavirus.in.gov
While walk-ins are welcome, appointments are preferred when possible.

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Delays, closures announced for Wednesday, Jan. 26

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School weather delays

*Richmond Community Schools: Two-hour delay. All RCS buses will be running on this adjusted schedule. Morning preschool classes will not meet. *Western Wayne: 90-minute delay. School at LMHS will begin at 10 a.m.

School at WWES will begin at 10 a.m. Drop off will begin at 9:45 a.m. Latchkey will begin at 8:30 a.m.

*Union (Modoc): Tw0-hour delay.

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5 taken to hospital for evaluation after car hits school bus in Cambridge City

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Four Western Wayne Schools students were taken to Reid Health after a car collided into their school bus. The auto’s driver told investigators that her windshield was frosted over, and she didn’t see the bus, said Wayne County Sheriff Randy Retter. The crash occurred the morning of Jan. 11 at the intersection of North Graham and Delaware streets in Cambridge City. Tonya Mills, 55, of New Castle, was driving southbound from the parking lot at Stone Gate Apartments, 301 N. Graham St., when she struck the center of the westbound bus with her 2013 Chrysler 200, a news release said.

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Security image released after Richmond store robbery

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Richmond Police Department has shared a security camera image of the suspect in a convenience store robbery in hopes of finding the suspect. At about 7:03 a.m. Friday, Jan. 7, first-shift patrol officers responded to a reported robbery in the 1200 block of South Ninth Street. Capt. Curt Leverton said the suspect is reported as a white male approximately 6’0” tall. He was wearing black pants, a black jacket with a gray hood, and light-colored shoes.

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Chamber dinner, IU East/RAM fundraiser postponed

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Three local organizations announced Thursday, Jan. 6, that they are postponing their large-scale fundraising events in January and early February because of the current COVID-19 conditions. A press release said that in consideration of the health and safety of the community and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Indiana University East, Richmond Art Museum (RAM) and the Wayne County Area Chamber of Commerce mutually determined the best course of action is to postpone their respective upcoming public events, Palate to Palette and the Chamber annual dinner, until a later time. IU East, RAM and the Chamber considered the size of the events, with regular attendance of hundreds of guests, and that the events are held in indoor venues. Additionally, Wayne County is experiencing a rise in coronavirus cases, putting a strain on the health care system.