Good morning, Fort Wayne - Here’s your Update

— Jenny Sumangid & Jordan Bechtel
The Fort Wayne Update

Monday, January 19
Hi 13° Low 0° | 🌨 Windy, Flurries Possible
Overcast skies with gusty winds today, highs near 13°F and W winds at 20 to 30 mph. A few flurries or snow showers are possible, with humidity around 70%. Tonight will be partly cloudy with lows near 0°F and lighter W winds.

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Fort Wayne and Allen County Offices Closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• City and county offices will be closed Monday in observance of the holiday.
• Garbage and recycling services will be delayed by one day for the rest of the week.
• 24/7 county divisions, including the Juvenile Center, Youth Services, Community Corrections, Sheriff’s Department, and Highway Department, will remain open.
→ Read more from WPTA

Fort Wayne Firefighters Rescue 4 Pets from Northeast Side House Fire
• Firefighters responded to a house fire on the 3300 block of Eastwood Drive around 10 p.m. Saturday.
• Four pets inside the home were rescued, and three adults and a child had self-evacuated before the fire department arrived.
• The fire was extinguished in about 15 minutes and was ruled accidental and electrical in origin.
→ Read more from WPTA

One Dead in Single-vehicle Crash on I-69 South of Goshen Road
• A pickup truck veered off the northbound lanes of I-69 near the 308-mile marker and struck a tree on Saturday evening.
• The elderly driver was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
• The crash is under investigation by the Allen County Sheriff’s Department.
→ Read more from WPTA

Indiana Music Education Association Celebrates 80th Anniversary in Fort Wayne
• More than 3,000 music teachers, students, and performers are participating in the annual IMEA conference across multiple downtown locations.
• The event features performances by jazz bands, orchestras, choirs, ensembles, and college music programs.
• The conference runs through Saturday and aims to inspire students and support music education in Indiana schools.
→ Read more from WPTA

Indiana Senate Advances Bills Limiting Social Media for Minors
• Senate Bill 199 would require minors under 18 to obtain written parental permission before creating social media accounts and was advanced 11-2 in committee.
• Senate Bill 159 would require schools to strengthen technology plans, allow parents more control over school-issued devices, and limit noneducational use during instructional time.
• Supporters cited concerns over student mental health and online safety, while critics raised issues about enforcement, privacy, costs, and local control.
→ Read more from WPTA

Indiana House Advances Protections for Defendants with Intellectual Disabilities, Senate firing squad bill stalled
• House Bill 1432 would bar the state from seeking the death penalty against defendants with intellectual disabilities at any point before trial and was unanimously approved by a House committee.
• The bill adds an automatic evaluation process with independent assessors to ensure intellectual disability claims are considered early, potentially reducing public defense costs.
• Senate Bill 11, which would allow execution by firing squad, remains on hold as lawmakers approach legislative deadlines and other death penalty bills await hearings.
→ Read more from WPTA

Indiana lawmakers Revisit Bill Criminalizing Homeless Encampments
• The proposed legislation would make it a crime to sleep on public property in Indiana.
• The Fort Wayne Rescue Mission and city officials expressed concerns that criminalization would create barriers for people experiencing homelessness and strain law enforcement.
• Fort Wayne currently has shelter capacity for only 19% of the homeless population, leaving many without beds during cold weather.
→ Read more from WPTA

Miss Fort Wayne Advocates for Stronger Online Child Exploitation Laws
• Grace Schoegler, Miss Fort Wayne, is using her platform “Shine a Light” to raise awareness and prevent human trafficking and online child exploitation.
• Schoegler testified before Indiana lawmakers, sharing her personal experience, contributing to a bill unanimously passing out of committee.
• The legislation now moves to the House floor for a full vote, aiming for stronger and more individualized punishments for offenders.
→ Read more from WPTA

Indiana Special Olympics Prepares for Annual Polar Plunge Fundraiser
• Participants will take the Polar Plunge at Metea County Park on January 31 to raise funds for Special Olympics Indiana athletes.
• Plungers must fundraise at least $100, with higher fundraising tiers earning event merchandise, and the event supports athletes with intellectual disabilities.
• Multiple plunge events across the state continue through March, with a goal of raising $115,000 for the organization.
→ Read more from WANE

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Up to 1,500 U.S. Troops on Standby for Potential Deployment to Minnesota
• Active-duty soldiers from Alaska’s 11th Airborne Division are ready in case of deployment to Minneapolis amid rising protest tensions.
• Minnesota National Guard has also been directed to prepare, though no deployment has occurred yet.
• Officials say any military action would follow orders from the Commander-in-Chief, but legal experts warn invoking the Insurrection Act now could be unprecedented.

Why it matters here:
Local residents could see a dramatic federal response to protests, affecting public safety, civil liberties, and daily life in Minnesota.

→ Get the full national breakdown from our team at The Nova

Not Talking Out of School: The Hector & Carol Garcia Retrospective
8:00 am–9:00 pm @ PFW Visual Arts Building — Free

Portraits of Lives Affected by Incarceration
9:00 am–9:00 pm @ ACPL Jeffrey R. Krull Gallery — Free

Art from the Heart: Florals & Heart Motifs
10:00 am–6:00 pm @ The Orchard Gallery of Fine Art — Free

Watercolors
10:00 am–6:00 pm @ The Orchard Gallery of Fine Art — Free

Jim Weber
6:00 pm @ The 6 on James — Free

Monday Blues Jam Sessions
7:00 pm @ The Club Room at The Clyde — Free

Deer Park Karaoke
9:00 pm–9:00 pm @ Deer Park Irish Pub — Free

Latch String Karaoke
10:00 pm @ Latch String Bar & Grill — Free

Fri, Jan 23 🏒
Indy vs Fort Wayne — 7:00 PM EST

Sat, Jan 24 🏒
Cincinnati vs Fort Wayne — 4:05 PM EST

Sun, Jan 25 🏒
Wheeling vs Fort Wayne — 4:15 PM EST

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— The Fort Wayne Update