The latest news & upcoming events in Fort Wayne Indiana

- Jenny Sumangid, Jordan Bechtel

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Good morning, Fort Wayne! Here is today’s update.

Today’s Weather

Friday, December 12
Hi 23° Low 8° | ❄ Scattered Snow Showers, Partly Cloudy Tonight
Friday will have a few scattered snow showers in the morning, with clouds dominating the rest of the day. Highs will reach 23°F with chilly W winds making it feel colder. Tonight, skies will clear out a bit after midnight, and lows will drop to around 8°F under partly cloudy skies.

In today’s edition:

💻 $2B Google Data Center Now Operational

🎟️ Winning $50K Powerball Ticket Sold at Fort Wayne Gas Station

🏡 Senior Living Proposed for Fort Wayne Industrial Park

🏕 Improvements Planned for Camp Potawotami

🎄 Festival of Gingerbread Sweetens Up the Holiday Season

🚓 Suspect Captured After Pedestrian Killed During Police Chase

🎨 USF Grad Brings ‘Zootopia 2’ Character to Life

🚨 Man in Life-Threatening Condition After Truck Strikes Bicyclist

⚖️ Police Seize Evidence, Search Home of Man With Same Name as Suspect

Sports

🏒 Murray Finding Footing in Second Season with Komets

Events and Live Music Schedule

📰News

💻 Google’s $2 billion Fort Wayne Data Center is officially operational, supporting services like Google Maps, Gemini AI, and Google Cloud clients. The facility employs up to 200 people and includes plans for AI infrastructure, energy management in partnership with Indiana Michigan Power, and environmental mitigation, including $1.2 million to conserve 22 acres of wetlands. Google will also support local schools, technical education, and apprenticeship programs. A community forum is scheduled Thursday, Dec. 11, from 5–7:30 p.m. at the Grand Wayne Center to provide information to the public. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🎟️ A $50,000 winning Powerball ticket was sold at United Marathon, 2001 Brooklyn Ave., Fort Wayne. Wednesday night’s winning numbers were 10-16-29-33-69 with a Powerball of 22. Hoosier Lottery also reported a $50,000 Double Play win in Cayuga, western Indiana. Winners are advised to keep tickets secure, consider financial guidance, and contact Hoosier Lottery customer service at 1-800-955-6886 for claim instructions. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🏡 A proposed 98-lot senior-only manufactured housing community would be built on 18.166 acres at 3200 W Ludwig Road in Fort Wayne, with homes starting around $180,000. The development would be in three phases, with each home having its own parking. Local industrial park business owners raised concerns about noise, traffic, and zoning compatibility. The Plan Commission will review the project and give a recommendation before it goes to Fort Wayne City Council. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🏕 The YMCA of Greater Fort Wayne will use a $1 million Lilly Endowment grant to renovate Camp Potawotami, one of Indiana’s long-standing youth camps. Planned upgrades include refurbishing the most popular lodge, enhancing entrance security, and building a new welcome center for check-ins. The three-year project prioritizes camper safety while improving the overall experience. Camp Potawotami serves children ages 6–17 and focuses on the ABCs of camping: Accomplishment, Belonging, and Character. Registration for summer 2026 is now open. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🎄 The 40th annual Festival of Gingerbread is underway at the Fort Wayne History Center, showcasing creations from both amateur and professional bakers. The festival runs through Sunday, Dec. 21. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and youth 3–17, and free for children 2 and under. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🚓 Fort Wayne police captured 30-year-old Denzel Trevon Gordon after a chase Thursday morning that left a pedestrian dead. The pursuit began near Lawton Pl. and Griswold Drive when Gordon fled a traffic stop. During the chase, he struck a pedestrian on Spy Run Avenue, sideswiped another vehicle, and discarded a handgun before fleeing on foot. Witnesses helped police locate him hiding in a backyard. Gordon faces multiple charges, including leaving the scene of a fatal crash, reckless homicide, criminal recklessness, and unlawfully carrying a handgun. The victim’s identity will be released after autopsy. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🎨 Adam Green, a 2002 University of Saint Francis graduate, served as an animation supervisor on Disney’s Zootopia 2, animating the character Gary De’Snake. Green credited USF for his fine art and animation foundation and has previously worked on Tangled, Frozen, and Moana. He shared insights on challenges animating a character without eyelids and encouraged aspiring animators to pursue their love of drawing, art, and storytelling. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🚨 A bicyclist sustained life-threatening injuries after being struck by a pickup truck at Bluffton and Winchester roads in Fort Wayne. The bicyclist was traveling on Winchester when the southbound truck made a slight left turn and hit him. The driver stayed at the scene and cooperated. Fort Wayne police’s Fatal Crash Team investigated, and the bicyclist was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Read more from WANE 15 here.

⚖️ Fort Wayne police mistakenly searched the home of Nathan A. Ross while investigating Nathan P. Ross. Officers had been tracking messages sent to an undercover officer involving child exploitation. Nathan P. Ross, 44, was later arrested during a traffic stop and charged with multiple felonies, including child exploitation and possession of child sex abuse material. No court date has been set. Read more from WANE 15 here.

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Events

🎨 Art

  • Saint Francis Creative Arts Alumni/Faculty Exhibition w/ Brooke Owens
    9:00 am–5:00 pm @ USF Rolland Art Center
    Free

  • Art of Hope
    9:00 am–5:00 pm @ First Presbyterian Gallery
    Free

  • Eat Well, Play Well
    10:00 am–5:00 pm @ Science Central
    $10–$12

  • Art for the Holidays
    10:00 am–6:00 pm @ The Orchard Gallery of Fine Art
    Free

  • SIP: Cup Exhibition & Sale
    10:00 am–6:00 pm @ Artlink
    Free

  • Good Vibrations: The Prints of Victor Vasarely
    10:00 am–6:00 pm @ Fort Wayne Museum of Art
    $8–$10

  • Paper Made II
    10:00 am–6:00 pm @ Fort Wayne Museum of Art
    $8–$10

  • Mimesis: The Natural World of Glass
    10:00 am–6:00 pm @ Fort Wayne Museum of Art
    $8–$10

  • It Was a Time to Sew: A Sampler of Quilts from the Collection
    10:00 am–6:00 pm @ Fort Wayne Museum of Art
    $8–$10

  • Kablam!: The Impact of Cartoons and Comics on Art
    10:00 am–6:00 pm @ Fort Wayne Museum of Art
    $8–$10

  • The Art Farm Holiday Pop-Up Gallery
    12:00 pm–6:00 pm @ The Art Farm
    Free

  • Women Take the Walls
    5:00 pm–8:00 pm @ Garrett Museum of Art
    Free

🎶 Music

  • Ron Rumbaugh (Variety)
    2:00 pm @ Heritage Pointe Senior Living
    Free

  • The DeeBees (Variety)
    6:00 pm @ Country Heritage Winery
    no cover

  • James Baker Trio (Jazz)
    6:30 pm–9:30 pm @ Ruth’s Chris Steak House
    no cover

  • Big Dick & The Penetrators (Classic Rock)
    7:00 pm @ American Legion Post 241
    no cover

  • Jake Carpenter (Variety)
    7:00 pm @ Sylvan Cellars
    no cover

  • Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (Swing)
    7:30 pm @ Honeywell Center

  • The Band Paradise (Rock)
    8:00 pm @ Mitchell’s
    $5

  • Straight No Chaser (A cappella/Holiday)
    8:00 pm @ Embassy Theatre
    $63.85–$181.15

  • Friday Night Vibes – Sunglasses at Night (80s)
    8:00 pm @ The Club Room at The Clyde
    no cover

  • Todd Harrold & Eric Clancy (Jazz)
    8:30 pm @ Deer Park Irish Pub
    no cover

  • The Meat Flowers w/ Farmer Five (Alternative)
    9:45 pm @ The Brass Rail
    $7

🎄 Festival

  • Tashi Kyil Tibetan Monks – Universal Human Rights Day
    9:00 am–4:00 pm @ ACPL Downtown
    Free

  • Festival of Gingerbread
    9:00 am–8:00 pm @ The History Center
    $5–$7

🌃 Sightseeing & Tours

  • Christmas at Camp
    6:30 pm–9:30 pm @ Camp Chief Little Turtle
    Free

  • Blue Jacket Fantasy of Lights
    5:30 pm–10:00 pm @ Franke Park
    $20–$80

  • Fort Wayne Zoo’s Wild Lights
    5:30 pm–11:00 pm @ Fort Wayne Zoo
    $10–$12

🧑‍🎨  Classes & Workshops

  • Morning Watercolor
    9:00 am–11:00 am @ Fort Wayne School of Art
    $200

  • Rockstar Karaoke w/DJ
    6:00 pm–10:00 pm @ American Legion Post 240
    Free

  • Paint Night
    6:30 pm–9:00 pm @ Fort Wayne School of Art
    $49

🎭 Theater

  • Elf: The Musical
    7:00 pm @ Wagon Wheel Theatre
    $21–$51

  • A Christmas Story
    7:00 pm @ First Presbyterian Theater
    $2–$20

  • The Nutcracker
    7:30 pm @ Arts United Center
    $35–$55

  • Holiday Spectacular: A Holiday Cabaret
    8:00 pm @ Three Rivers Music Theatre
    $15–$20

🥾 Recreation

  • Headwaters Ice Rink
    4:00 pm @ Headwaters Park
    $7

😂 Comedy

  • Josh Wolf
    7:00 pm & 9:45 pm @ Summit City Comedy Club
    $29–$39

  • Christmas Improv Show
    8:00 pm–9:30 pm @ Cinema Center
    $10–$17

🧩 Karaoke & Trivia

  • Portside Pizza Karaoke
    9:00 pm @ Portside Pizza
    Free

🏀🏈Sports🏒

🏒 Komets forward Blake Murray is off to a strong start in his second season with Fort Wayne, scoring two goals in his last two games. Through 20 games, the 24-year-old center from Uxbridge, Ontario, has six goals and 15 points, ranking third on the team behind Alex Aleardi and James Stefan. Murray, a 2019 sixth-round NHL draft pick by the Carolina Hurricanes, joined the Komets late last season and contributed 9 goals and 8 assists between regular season and playoffs. The Komets have a busy weekend ahead with three games in three nights, hosting Kansas City Friday and Kalamazoo Saturday, then finishing on the road against Kalamazoo Sunday. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🗓️ Komet’s Schedule

Fri, Dec 12 🏒
Kansas City vs Fort Wayne — 7:35 PM EST

Sat, Dec 13 🏒
Kalamazoo vs Fort Wayne — 7:35 PM EST

Sun, Dec 14 🏒
Kalamazoo vs Fort Wayne — 3:00 PM EST

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