Friday, December 19
Hi 36° Low 27° | 🌤 Partly Cloudy, Cloudy at Night
Expect a mix of clouds and sunshine through the day, keeping temperatures on the chilly side with a high near 36°F. A light west southwest breeze will add a bit of bite to the air, especially during the morning hours. Clouds increase overnight, with lows settling around 27°F and a steady south southwest wind continuing.

🏗️ Construction Begins On Wells Street Wedge Development

🏠 Freeland Mansion Sold To New Owner

🏘️ Housing Demand Grows Downtown And East Central

🚂 Fort Wayne Zoo Launches ‘All Aboard!’ Campaign

💰 Another Massive Powerball Jackpot

🌱 Fort Wayne’s Human Agriculture Cooperative Ready To ‘Grow’ National

🚗 Decorated Your Car Night Brightens Fantasy Of Lights

⛸ Winter Wonder Ice Festival Takes Over PSM Icehouse

🔥 Car Bursts Into Flames In Garage Of Fort Wayne Home

🏒 Komets Beat Bison, Remain In First Place

🏗️ Construction is now underway on The Eddy, a $45 million mixed-use development at the Wells Street Wedge near downtown Fort Wayne. The project will include 111 apartment units, 236 parking spaces (some open to the public), and 3,300 square feet of ground-floor retail space overlooking the St. Marys River. The parking garage is expected to open in 2027, with full completion planned for 2028. The site connects to Promenade Park via the historic Wells Street Bridge and is supported by multiple state and local funding sources. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🏠 The Freeland mansion in southwest Fort Wayne has officially sold for its $6.75 million asking price, according to Noll Reserve. The home, also known as “The Hamilton,” was listed in late October and will remain a private residence, with the buyer choosing to stay anonymous. Built over five years starting in 1995, the mansion features eight bedrooms, nine full baths, six half baths, nine fireplaces, and more than 5,000 square feet of outdoor terrace space, along with luxury materials and craftsmanship by local and regional builders. The home was originally built by Pizza Hut magnate Dick Freeland and his wife Deanna, both of whom have since passed away. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🏘️ A new housing market study shows strong demand for new housing in downtown Fort Wayne and the East Central neighborhood over the next five years. Downtown could absorb up to 263 new apartments and 78 for-sale units per year, while East Central could add up to 58 rental units and 20 for-sale homes annually. Most new residents are in one- or two-person households, with nearly 34% moving from outside the region. City leaders say they are balancing growth with affordability and note increased housing demand also helps attract new businesses. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🚂 The Fort Wayne Zoo launched its “All Aboard!” campaign to raise $600,000 for train upgrades, including a new electric engine. The zoo’s 60-year-old train has faced frequent downtime, and replacement parts are difficult to source. The upgrades aim to preserve this original zoo tradition and ensure children and families can continue enjoying the ride. Read more from WANE 15 here.

💰 The Powerball jackpot continues to grow after no winner claimed Monday night’s drawing. It now stands at an estimated $1.25 billion, with a cash value of over $572 million, ranking as the sixth-largest in game history. Locals shared how they’d spend the winnings, including helping family, traveling, paying off bills, retiring, and investing in businesses. The drawing airs Wednesday night at 11 on WANE 15’s Nightcast. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🌱 Fort Wayne’s Human Agriculture Cooperative (HAC) plans to expand nationally with support from Daymond John’s Next Level CEO production company. The co-op will use a documentary to educate, train, mentor, employ, and feed communities across the U.S., aiming to open new HAC chapters and build an interconnected farming food hub system. HAC works with rural farmers in 17 northeast Indiana counties and also teaches vocational skills. They are fundraising $40,000 for production, licensing, and travel to 10 cities including Chicago, New York, Atlanta, and Miami. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🚗 Blue Jacket Fantasy of Lights hosted Decorate Your Car Night, featuring holiday-themed cars lit up with thousands of bulbs. Preferred Automotive Group partnered with the event, giving out prizes and free Christmas trees. The event took place on closed roads in Franke Park, allowing drivers to safely display their decorated cars. The tradition started six years ago after vandalism at the park, and Preferred Auto has supported the festival with a decade-long sponsorship. Read more from WANE 15 here.

⛸ PSM Icehouse is hosting the Winter Wonder Ice Festival on December 18-19. The family-friendly event features performances by the Fort Wayne Ice Skating Club, a Tree Lighting Ceremony, Holiday Glow Skates, Breakfast with Santa, and a Winter Village Vendor Fair. “Nutcracker on Ice” shows are scheduled Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🔥 A car caught fire Thursday morning in the garage of a west side Fort Wayne home on the 2600 block of Haeman Road, near Leesburg Road. Firefighters from Southwest Fire Rescue, West Central, and Northwest units responded. The fire caused heavy smoke but no injuries were reported. The flames were controlled in under 30 minutes. Read more from WANE 15 here.

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🏒 Odeen Tufto scored the game-winning goal as the Komets came from behind to beat Bloomington 4-3 on Wednesday night. The Komets overcame an early 2-0 deficit and now lead the ECHL Central Division by four points. Nathaniel Day stopped 14 of 17 shots in goal. Fort Wayne will host the Indy Fuel on Friday and Cincinnati Cyclones on Saturday at 7:35 pm. 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