(Wayne County, IN)--Some new statistics have been released by the state involving opioid drug use and overdose deaths in Wayne County.  And, some of those statistics reflect positive trends.  Last year, according to the state, Wayne County had 33 confirmed drug overdose deaths.  That was the lowest number in at least the last six years.  Some other numbers…in the first quarter of this year, there were 240 opioid dispensions per 1000 Wayne County residents.  Fayette County had the highest ratio in the state with 338 per thousand residents.  And, last year in Wayne County, there were 205 emergency room visits for drug overdose.

(Darke County, OH)--One person was killed and another was injured in an ATV crash in Darke County late Thursday night.  First responders were sent to an area of Goubeaux Road north of Greenville at around 11:30 Thursday night.  An ATV driven by 18-year-old Damien Bruns of Versailles was traveling in a field when Bruns lost control and rolled several times.  Bruns was Careflighted to Miami Valley Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.  A passenger, 18-year-old Carly Graves, suffered non-life threatening injuries.  The crash remains under investigation.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond’s Board of Public Works will meet Thursday and will address demolition of the former Elder-Beerman building.  The contract that will likely be approved Thursday is not for the demolition itself; rather, it’s with a company called American Structurepoint to provide professional services to prepare and develop a structure demolition package.  Once the old building is demolished, the plan is to replace it with an apartment complex with as many as 150 units.  The skywalk to the parking garage will come down.  Richmond’s need for housing was highlighted recently during the debate about a planned neighborhood near South 37^th.  That plan, which would have created 178 new homes, was rejected by Council.

(Eaton, OH)--An arrest has been made after a pedestrian was struck and the driver fled the scene in Eaton Wednesday.  A female was hit on North Barron Street.  She suffered what were described as multiple broken bones including her wrist, her ankle, and her nose.  The suspect fled in a light-colored SUV.  Eaton police issued photos of the vehicle.  The man was taken into custody later Wednesday in West Alexandria.  He’s Roy Dawson Junior.  Dawson faces charges that include felony hit-and-run and tampering with evidence.

(Wayne County, IN)--Multiple people were injured in a crash that involved as many as five vehicles on eastbound I-70 in Wayne County late Wednesday night.  Multiple first responding units were to an area near the Centerville exit at around 10:30 Wednesday night.  At least four juveniles complained of various types of non-life-threatening injuries.  One medical helicopter was summoned and another was placed on standby.  Eastbound I-70 was shut down for about a half an hour.  There was no word Thursday morning on the conditions of the victims or what led to the crash.

(Richmond, IN)--Richmond Community Schools has lost an administrator to another Indiana school district.  Brent Baker, who was hired two years ago as RCS’s Director of Student Achievement, announced Tuesday that he will be stepping down to become the new superintendent of Alexandria schools.  Baker has also served as Chief of Elementary Education.

(Brookville, IN)--Two attempted murder charges have been refiled against a Franklin County man.  The incident that is bringing the charges happened in December of 2022 when Greg Guilfoyle was located walking down a highway with a small child in extremely cold temperatures.  When confronted by a Franklin County deputy, Guilfoyle allegedly shot the deputy in the deputy’s protective body armor.  The deputy returned fire.  Charges were dropped this February when new information surfaced, but those charges have now been refiled.

(Richmond, IN)--Red Lobster abruptly announced Tuesday that it is closing 87 of its restaurants across 27 states.  Richmond’s location on National Road East does not appear on that closure list.  A liquidator is placing equipment at the closing stores up for auction.  There are two stores in Indiana that are closing and neither is close.  No Ohio stores are listed.

(Centerville, IN and Eaton, OH)--New military banners are going up this week in two Whitewater Valley communities in advance of Memorial Day.  In Centerville, more than 60 banners are going up along Main Street that show the names and photos of Centerville veterans who served in various branches of the service.  It’s the same in Eaton, where the banners are going up along Barron Street.  Centerville is planning a parade this coming Saturday night that will highlight the veterans.

(Connersville, IN)--The owner of the property that the family of Connersville’s Denise Pflum wants to have searched has filed for a second delay in the hearing that would force that search to occur.  Denise was a teen when she went missing in 1986.  The family wants to search the property of Erika Johnson, who has a family member who is widely suspected of being involved in her disappearance.  Johnson’s attorneys filed for a second continuance.  The next hearing takes place this coming Monday.

(Richmond, IN)--Efforts are intensifying to find a Richmond teenage girl who has been missing for nearly a week.  She’s 17-year-old Briley Bowling.  She was last seen early last Wednesday morning and is thought to have voluntarily gotten into a vehicle with a 28-year-old man.  New information from the family indicates that vehicle could have traveled to southern Kentucky.  Multiple local law enforcement agencies are involved.

(Wayne County, IN)--Wayne County’s Economic Development Corporation has provided a recap of what was an incredibly successful last year.  In 2023, the EDC landed four large-scale new projects that will create 180 new jobs and result in an estimated $355 million in investment.  Another existing Wayne County company committed to a $66 million expansion that will retain 321 jobs.  Also, a plan called Revitalize Richmond came into focus with a $25 million grant to Earlham College.  That plan is supported by $83 million in committed investments in Richmond’s downtown resulting in more than $100 million in planned investment projects.

(Preble County, OH)--Expect some backups on I-70 in Preble County Monday.  70 will be reduced to one lane near U.S. 127 as part of a continued construction project at that overpass.  The lane closure is expected to last for three hours.  Meanwhile, construction continues at the westbound U.S. 35 entrance onto 70.  That onramp is completely closed and is expected to remain shut down for several more months.

(Preble County, OH)--Details of a fatal Preble County crash were released over the weekend.  The crash happened Friday afternoon at the intersection of Highways 725 and 177, which is about halfway between Fairhaven and Morning Sun.  Investigators say a Kentucky man in a pickup truck went through a stop sign and was sideswiped by another vehicle.  That man was pronounced dead.  The driver of the vehicle he hit is a 29-year-old woman from Brownsville.  She and her small child were not hurt.

(Richmond, IN)--INDOT is calling it a key milestone for the U.S. 27 bridge replacement project over Richmond’s Depot District.  The first beams have been delivered and set on the new bridge this week.  A total of 63 beams will provide support for a span that will run 190 feet.  It’s expected to take several weeks to set the beams.  Drivers in Richmond will continue to see more beams brought in over the next several weeks.  That will mean some closures at various times along North E Street.  The bridge is expected to open to traffic later this year.  The entire project will wrap up sometime next year.

(Eaton, OH)--An Eaton businessman will make his first appearance in court Friday have being arrested Wednesday on numerous child pornography charges.  The investigation into Ernest Hatmaker began nearly two years ago.  Hatmaker is alleged to have shared child pornography on several apps.  No local children are thought to have been involved.  Hatmaker is being held in jail without bond.

(Richmond, IN)--Several local law enforcement agencies are involved in the search for a missing local teen.  17-year-old Briley Bowling has not been seen since early Wednesday morning when she voluntarily left her father’s home with a 28-year-old man.  He was driving a vehicle described as a black Mustang with white racing stripes and a nursing license plate.  Her mother said late last night there is still no word on e Briley's location.

(Whitewater Valley)--Storm damage was being assessed across the Whitewater Valley Wednesday in the aftermath of numerous tornado touchdowns on Tuesday night.  So far, the National Weather Service has confirmed three touchdowns in our area.  An EF-1 tornado struck on the north side of Greenville.  It was on the ground for 12 miles and had maximum wind speeds of 110 miles per hour.  Another confirmed tornado touched down just south of Oxford near McGonigle.  The strength of that tornado has not been determined.  In Franklin County, the state’s salt dome on State Road 101 north of Brookville was completely destroyed by what the weather service was an EF-1 tornado.  There were initial indications of a tornado near Milton and another near Orange in Fayette County, but those have not been confirmed.

(Richmond, IN)--Steps to move the Richmond Sanitary District office are progressing.  The district’s leader, Pat Smoker, said this week that there all already records being stored at other sites and that the current office is still bursting at the seams.  "The district has a significant amount of documentation boxed in hallways and an administrative assistant's desk in an open lobby," Smoker explained.  Additionally, Smoker said that many Richmond residents want a centralized location that its current location on Liberty Avenue does not offer.  The Sanitary District is looking to purchase a building at South 7^th and A that’s valued at around $350,000.  The plan was sent this week to Richmond’s Finance Committee and will go before Commil Council on the 20^th.

(Hagerstown, IN)--One of our area’s late summer and early fall festivals appears to be in jeopardy.  It’s Hagerstown’s Jubilee Days.  Here’s Robin Nugent from the Lions Club addressing Hagerstown’s council this week:  "We have nothing.  We just can't do it."  She was talking about preparations and financing for the festival.  There was brief discussion about asking the town to take over and then this question from council:  "Are we better off to skip this year and to get a new committee to do this and to rethink Jubilee?"  No final decisions about this year’s Jubilee Days were made this week.