Wednesday, December 17
Hi 42° Low 36° | ☁️ Mostly Cloudy, Rain Late
Expect a mostly cloudy day with temperatures climbing to around 42°F and a light southwest breeze. It stays overcast through the evening, with rain showers developing late at night as winds pick up. Overnight lows settle near 36°F, and the breezy conditions may make it feel cooler at times.

🚌 Free Citilink Bus Rides Offered Through Dec. 27

🏭 Tretau To Build Manufacturing Plant In Fort Wayne

🏗️ Ivy Tech Unveils Major Campus Renovation Plans

🐕 New K-9 Enzo Joins Fort Wayne Police Patrol

🔥 Fire Breaks Out On East Washington Boulevard

🎄 Fort Wayne Zoo’s Wild Lights Wows Guests

💙 Canterbury Students Honored After Near-Drowning Rescue

🗡️ Woman Pleads Guilty After Arming Herself With Machete

🏒 Komets Leading Scorer Stefan Recalled By Bakersfield

🚌 Fort Wayne residents can ride Citilink for free on all fixed routes and Access paratransit services through Saturday, Dec. 27. Anthem sponsors Free Fare Saturday on Dec. 20, while Ambassador Enterprises extends free fares through the rest of the holiday season. Citilink also runs a Holiday Shuttle on Dec. 19 and 20 with nonstop service between Central Station, Northcrest Shopping Center, and Glenbrook Mall. Access riders must schedule trips in advance through the Citilink Access app or by calling 260-432-4546. Read more from WFFT here.

🏭 European magnet wire company Tretau announces plans to build its first manufacturing plant outside of Europe in Fort Wayne in 2026. Operating in the U.S. as Tau Wire Corp, the company plans to invest more than $18 million and create over 70 new jobs over the next four years, citing Fort Wayne’s industrial base and skilled workforce as key factors. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🏗️ Ivy Tech Fort Wayne has launched a three-phase capital improvement project aimed at improving campus navigation and expanding access to programs. Plans include a new 50,000-square-foot Nursing and Health Sciences building, a renovated Student Life Center bringing key student services under one roof, and future upgrades to the Coliseum campus. Two older buildings on the North Campus will be demolished as part of the project. The renovations were approved in December 2023 and construction is now underway. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🐕 The Indiana State Police Fort Wayne District welcomes patrol K-9 Enzo after he graduates with his handler, Trooper Bryce Kanning, from the 16th ISP K-9 Training School. The 12-week program includes more than 480 hours of training in obedience, tracking, suspect apprehension, building searches, and narcotics detection. Enzo, a German Shepherd, will patrol Whitley and Huntington counties and assist across the Fort Wayne District. Read more from WFFT here.

🔥 A fire broke out Tuesday near the 2600 block of East Washington Boulevard, just east of downtown Fort Wayne. The area is zoned as a car dealership, and a public safety alert warned residents to avoid the 2400–2800 blocks due to smoke and emergency activity. No injuries were reported, but the structure partially collapsed, causing significant traffic delays as crews worked the scene. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🎄 The Fort Wayne Zoo’s Wild Lights event is dazzling visitors with nearly a million lights and over 80 decorated trees. Guests enjoy light shows, holiday activities like cookie decorating, and special shows including a 40-foot tree lighting in the Australian adventure area. The event is part of the new Fort Wayne Light Fest, partnering with Blue Jacket’s Fantasy of Lights and the Christmas Market. Wild Lights is open nightly through January 4, except Christmas Eve and Day. Read more from WANE 15 here.

💙 Two third-grade students at Canterbury School were honored after one rescued the other during a near-drowning at an indoor pool. Braxtan Phiri jumped into deeper water during a birthday party and began to struggle. Clark Miron noticed his friend was in trouble and jumped in to pull him to safety. The boys were recognized at the school’s Character Awards Ceremony and wore matching “Bros for life!” hoodies, with one labeled survivor and the other hero. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🗡️ A Fort Wayne woman, Bianca Hernandez, pleaded guilty to Level 5 felony intimidation after locking herself in a home armed with a machete. She will serve four years, three in prison and one on parole. Officers responded to the 3500 block of Plaza Drive after reports of a disturbance. Hernandez swung the machete at people in the home and refused to exit, prompting tactical team intervention. Charges of kidnapping and criminal recklessness will be dropped as part of her plea deal. Read more from WANE 15 here.

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🏒 Fort Wayne Komets’ leading scorer James Stefan, with 12 goals and 10 assists in 23 games, is being recalled by the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. Defenseman Dru Krebs returns to Fort Wayne and is expected to play in Wednesday’s game at Bloomington. The Komets will host Indy Fuel and Cincinnati Cyclones on Friday and Saturday. Read more from WANE 15 here.

Wed, Dec 17 🏒
Bloomington vs Fort Wayne — 8:00 PM EST

Fri, Dec 19 🏒
Indy vs Fort Wayne — 7:35 PM EST

Sat, Dec 20 🏒
Cincinnati vs Fort Wayne — 7:35 PM EST