Fort Wayne Update May 14th

Good morning, Fort Wayne - Here’s your Update

— Jenny Sumangid & Jordan Bechtel
The Fort Wayne Update

Thursday, May 14
Hi – 67° Low – 47° | 🌤 Mostly Sunny → ⛅ Partly Cloudy
A pleasant spring day with a mix of sunshine and clouds, reaching a comfortable 67°F under light NNW winds. Very high UV levels return despite the mild temperatures. The evening turns cooler with partly cloudy skies and a low near 47°F as light southeast winds settle in.

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Cop on a Rooftop Returns to Fort Wayne Dunkin’
• Indiana State Police troopers and other law enforcement agencies will participate in Cop on a Rooftop Friday in Fort Wayne.
• The event will take place at the Dunkin’ location on Lima Road from 5 a.m. to noon.
• Donations collected will benefit Special Olympics Indiana, which serves about 20,000 Hoosier athletes.
→ Read more from WFFT

Fort Wayne Advances Two Neighborhood Infrastructure Projects
• Fort Wayne City Council advanced two neighborhood infrastructure projects as part of the city’s planned $37 million investment in 2026 improvements.
• The Northwest Quadrant resurfacing project will move forward with an $879,152 investment within a broader $3 million resurfacing plan.
• The Concord Hills concrete street repair project near Rothman and Maplecrest roads was approved with a $466,775 investment.
→ Read more from WPTA

Design Firm Requests $16M+ for Tom Henry Industrial Park Project
• The MKS design firm is asking Fort Wayne’s redevelopment commission to allocate $16 million to $20 million to prepare the Tom Henry Industrial Park site for development.
• The 160-acre project on West Pleasant Center Road already has nearly $3 million invested and most design work completed, according to officials.
• The redevelopment commission said it will review and consider the funding request before making a decision.
→ Read more from WANE

Fort Wayne City Council Delays Fire Union Contract Vote
• Fort Wayne City Council tabled a vote on a contract between the city and Fort Wayne Professional Firefighters Local 124 after Tuesday’s meeting.
• Council needed seven votes to suspend rules for an expedited vote but did not reach the required threshold due to concerns about process and financial details.
• The contract will now return for introduction and consideration at a future City Council meeting.
→ Read more from WANE

FWCS Board President Switches Seats
• Fort Wayne Community Schools Board President Noah Smith moved from the District 3 seat to an at-large seat during Monday’s board meeting and was reappointed president.
• Community advocate Sheila Curry-Campbell filed a formal complaint alleging the board did not follow bylaws or provide a public application process for the vacancy.
• Smith said the move was reviewed with legal counsel and was intended to help attract future candidates ahead of upcoming election deadlines.
→ Read more from WANE

Salvation Army Week Highlights Women’s Leadership and Community Programs
• National Salvation Army Week runs Monday through Sunday in Fort Wayne to recognize the organization’s year-round community work.
• Local leaders highlighted the historical and ongoing role of women in Salvation Army leadership and social services.
• The organization is also promoting its “Paws and Pantry” drive, collecting food for both pets and families at its North Clinton Street location.
→ Read more from WANE

Fort Wayne Zoo to Host “Plant & Learn” Sessions in May
• The Fort Wayne Zoo is offering three “Plant & Learn” workshops in May where participants can learn gardening techniques from the zoo’s horticulture team.
• Sessions include a pollinator station for kids, a hanging planter, and a faux concrete planter, each scheduled on different days.
• Zoo staff will teach planting methods like the “thriller, spiller, filler” design approach used throughout the grounds.
→ Read more from WANE

Woman Identified in Weekend Shooting Death
• The Allen County Coroner identified the woman killed in a weekend shooting on Griswold Drive as 28-year-old Akaija Miller.
• Officials said she was found in her apartment with multiple gunshot wounds.
• Arionna Miller, 22, is facing murder charges in connection with her death.
→ Read more from WFFT

Fort Wayne Homeless Center Raises Questions About Sex Offender Laws
• Fort Wayne officials are planning a 24/7 low-barrier homeless resource center at 333 E. Washington Blvd. serving about 150 people daily.
• Legal experts and advocates questioned whether the facility’s lack of background checks could conflict with Indiana residency rules for certain registered sex offenders.
• City officials said they are reviewing policies from other shelters to ensure the center is both legal and safe for clients, staff, and neighbors.
→ Read more from WANE

Pursuit Ends in Fatal Rollover Crash on US 30
• Indiana State Police said a driver died Wednesday after a pursuit that began during a wellness check related to a mental health crisis.
• Police attempted to stop the vehicle on US 30 in Whitley County before the driver fled east into Allen County and crashed near Butt Road.
• Investigators said the vehicle struck a tree and rolled over, and the driver was the only person inside the car.
→ Read more from WANE

Man Dies After Shooting at Canterbury Green Apartments
• A man died Wednesday afternoon after a shooting at the Canterbury Green apartment complex on Abbey Drive in northeast Fort Wayne.
• Police said medics attempted life-saving measures before the man was pronounced dead at 2:01 p.m.
• Investigators said it is unclear whether the death was a homicide or suicide, and Purdue University Fort Wayne briefly entered lockdown during the response.
→ Read more from WANE

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Kids Face Nationwide “Reading Recession” As Test Scores Continue To Fall
• Researchers found most U.S. students remain behind pre pandemic reading levels, with only a few states showing meaningful improvement since 2022.
• Experts say schools seeing stronger results are often using phonics-based instruction and providing extra support for struggling readers.
• Many districts also improved attendance and expanded teacher training to help boost reading and math performance.

Why it matters here:
Declining reading skills can affect long term academic success, workforce readiness, and future educational opportunities for students nationwide.

→ 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

2026 Summer Selections
8:00 am – 9:00 pm @ PFW Visual Arts Gallery — Free

Austin Beale
9:00 am – 3:00 pm @ Dash-In — Free

Workers Behind the Wheels Gallery
9:00 am – 5:00 pm @ Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum — $10–$15

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

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

Experiments in Form: Glass of Paper Works of Marvin Lipofsky
10:00 am – 8:00 pm @ Fort Wayne Museum of Art — $8–$10

Green Wheels
10:00 am – 8:00 pm @ Artlink — Free

Memories of Water
10:00 am – 8:00 pm @ Artlink — Free

Fight Club
10:00 am – 8:00 pm @ Artlink — Free

Color In Motion
10:00 am – 8:00 pm @ Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory — $1–$7

Julie Wall: Grounded In Light
10:00 am – 8:00 pm @ Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory — $1–$7

Jeff Schofield: Green Wheels: The Art of Electric Vehicles
10:00 am – 8:00 pm @ Artlink — Free

The Art of Ezra Tucker
10:00 am – 8:00 pm @ Fort Wayne Museum of Art — $8–$10

Chuck Sperry: Archetypes
10:00 am – 8:00 pm @ Fort Wayne Museum of Art — $8–$10

The Fashion of Art Deco: Lifestyle in the Jazz Age
10:00 am – 8:00 pm @ Fort Wayne Museum of Art — $8–$10

Stacks
12:00 pm – 5:00 pm @ Ruth Koomler Art Gallery — Free

Color Me Spring
12:00 pm – 5:00 pm @ Virginia Stoner Huguenard Art Gallery — Free

Austin Beale
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm @ Dash-In — Free

Dan Savoie
6:00 pm @ Sylvan Cellars — Free

The Cold Hearts
7:00 pm @ The Club Room at The Clyde — Free

The DeeBees
7:00 pm @ Trolley Steaks & Seafood — Free

Mad Anthony Open Mic Night w/Mike Conley
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm @ Mad Anthony Brewing Co. — Free

Geoff Tate
8:00 pm @ The Clyde Theatre — $38.75–$64.75

Dave Pagan’s Love Jams
8:00 pm @ Wrigley Field Bar & Grill — No cover

Debutants w/Front Porch
8:00 pm @ The Brass Rail — $12–$15

Tronic Thursdays
10:00 pm @ O'Sullivan's — No cover

You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown
7:00 pm @ PPG ArtsLab — $10–$15

Aida
7:30 pm @ Arts United Center — $25–$40

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

Hawkins Karaoke Night w/DJ Jay Mars
10:00 pm @ Hawkins House of Fish — Free

Thu, May 14th🏒
Central Division Finals vs Toledo Walleye: Game 3— 7:35 PM EDT

Fri, May 15th🏒
Fort Wayne Komets @ Toledo Walleye— 7:15 PM EDT

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— The Fort Wayne Update