Tuesday, December 30
Hi 26° Low 21° | 🌥 Mostly Cloudy, Cold
The day will be cold with a high of 26°F under mostly cloudy skies. W winds will blow at 15 to 25 mph, keeping it breezy. Tonight, clouds linger with a low near 21°F and WSW winds at 10 to 20 mph.

💧 Google To Fund Water Tower For Data Center Use

🤧 Fort Wayne Flu Cases Rising As New Variant Spreads

🌳 Downed Trees Close Portion Of U.S. 24, Berry Street

🏛️ Bell Mansion Hosting Complete Liquidation Auction

🍦 New Ice Cream Shop Opens In Southwest Fort Wayne

🌭 Fort Wayne Sonic Slated For Spring Opening Without The Drive-In

🥾 FW Man Completes Pokagon’s ‘Hell’s Point’ Hiking Challenge 125 Times

🔥 No Injuries In Early Morning House Fire Near Snider High School

🏒 Komets Set To Resume Games New Year’s Eve

💧 Google will fully fund and construct a water tower, the Adams Center Elevated Storage Tank, to support long-term reliability for Fort Wayne’s data center. The tower will meet City Utilities standards and, once completed, will be owned by City Utilities. Public comment on the project is open until Jan. 15 and can be submitted via mail or email to IDEM. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🤧 Local flu cases in Fort Wayne are increasing due to a new variant that has doubled in the past week, according to Super Shot Medical Director Dr. Tony GiaQuinta. The rise in cases follows holiday gatherings, and experts emphasize that it’s not too late to get vaccinated. Vaccination is especially important for children, as 80% of last year’s 300 pediatric flu deaths occurred in unvaccinated children, including many who were otherwise healthy. Common flu symptoms include fatigue and fever, and Dr. GiaQuinta advises handwashing and staying home if sick. Minor side effects may occur after the shot, but it cannot cause the flu. Read more from WPTA here.

🌳 Strong winds caused downed trees to block parts of U.S. 24 and Berry Street near downtown Fort Wayne. A tree on U.S. 24 between Hamilton and Homestead Roads closed both eastbound lanes around 8:30 a.m. Two additional trees blocked the intersection of Berry and Francis Streets just before 9 a.m. Crews are working to remove them. A downed power line was also reported near W 4th Street by Most Precious Blood Catholic Church. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🏛️ The historic Bell Mansion in Fort Wayne is holding a “Complete Liquidation” auction as it transitions to new ownership under Surack Enterprises. Built in the late 1800s, the mansion has served as a funeral home and a “haunted” event venue. Items up for auction include furniture, home decor, appliances, and more. Online bidding is open now through New Year’s Day at 6 p.m. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🍦 Chillz Delights officially opened its doors on Monday at the Time Corners Shopping Center in southwest Fort Wayne. The shop, located at 5930 W. Jefferson Blvd., Suite A, offers a variety of ice cream and donuts. The grand opening celebration runs until 9 p.m. Chillz Delights also has a location in North Manchester. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🌭 After 15 years, Sonic is returning to Fort Wayne, with an estimated opening in May. The new location will be attached to a Marathon gas station on Bass Road near the Thomas Road roundabout. The compact design won’t include a drive-in canopy, but four spots will allow car hop service for pre-orders, and counter service will be available inside. Franchise owner Alex Richardson plans to include more canopy stalls at future locations. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🥾 Steve Weaver, 75, of Fort Wayne, completed Pokagon State Park’s 8-mile ‘Hell’s Point Challenge’ 125 times, covering more than 1,000 miles on the park’s trails. The loop reaches the park’s highest point and connects to most trails. Weaver hikes an average of three times per week and enjoys watching seasonal changes and meeting fellow hikers. He has also completed challenges at multiple Indiana state parks, logging over 2,600 miles in 2025, with plans to tackle Brown County State Park next. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🔥 The Fort Wayne Fire Department responded to a house fire on the 4800 block of Dalewood Drive around 6:40 a.m. Flames were visible from the roof when crews arrived. Firefighters battled the blaze for about an hour amid high winds. The house had been previously vacant, and no one was home at the time. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Read more from WANE 15 here.

Enjoying the newsletter? Forward it to a someone in the Fort! 👇

🏒 The ECHL and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association have reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining deal. Komets players will return to team activities and resume play pending approval from the PHPA membership and ECHL Board of Governors. Previously postponed games from Friday through Sunday will now resume, with the Komets set to play on New Year’s Eve. Fans with tickets for postponed games can request exchanges or refunds by emailing [email protected] or calling 260-483-0011. Read more from WPTA here.

Wed, Dec 31 🏒
Bloomington vs Fort Wayne — 7:35 PM EST

Fri, Jan 2 🏒
Kansas City vs Fort Wayne — 8:05 PM EST

Sat, Jan 3 🏒
Kansas City vs Fort Wayne — 7:05 PM EST