Wednesday, October 1
Hi – 78° Low – 47° | ⛅ Partly Cloudy → ☁️ Mostly Cloudy
Partly cloudy skies with highs near 78°F and a brisk ENE breeze. A pleasant day with a touch of fall crispness in the air. Tonight turns cooler with mostly cloudy skies and lows dropping to 47°F so sweater weather returns.

🚧 Crash Shuts Down Jefferson Boulevard Near Jefferson Pointe

🍴 Local Food Throwdown Brings Top Chefs Together

🏗️ Touch Care Ministries Launches $10M ‘Transformation 06’

🐕 FWACC Officers Rescue Husky Stuck In Tree

🎶 PFW Record Label Seeks Talent For Goldstock Music Festival

🎃 Pumpkin Path Opens At Botanical Conservatory

💰 Fort Wayne Faces Budget Shortfall After SB1

🔫 FWPD Seizes Weapons From 16-Year-Old

🏐 Carroll Volleyball Stays Perfect At 23-0

🚧 A crash involving two cars and a semi shut down West Jefferson Boulevard near Jefferson Pointe Tuesday morning around 10:45 a.m. The road was closed near Ardmore Avenue, with traffic backing up eastbound past the mall entrance and stretching to Freeman Street. Injuries have not yet been confirmed. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🍴 Nine of Northeast Indiana’s top chefs competed at the Local Food Throwdown fundraiser on Monday at The Lodge at Camp Red Cedar. Guests sampled three appetizers, entrees, and desserts, then voted for their favorites. The event featured local ingredients, live jazz, a food-themed silent auction, and the launch of the “Local Food for All Fund.” Proceeds benefit the Northeast Indiana Local Food Network. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🏗️ Touch Care Ministries is launching “Transformation 06,” a $10 million project to expand neighborhood resources in Fort Wayne’s 06 zip code. Plans include an international grocery store, affordable laundromat, maternal health clinic, larger garden, patio, and parking. The campaign will start in 2026, with $300,000 already raised. A “Harvest Celebration” event this week kicks off early fundraising. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🐕 Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control officers rescued a husky named Aurora after she chased a squirrel up a tree and couldn’t get down. Officers Taylor and Baird responded, using treats, encouragement, and finally a catch pole to safely guide her back to the ground. Aurora was reunited with her owner, and FWACC shared bodycam footage of the rescue. The agency hopes moments like this highlight the wide range of work animal control officers do in the community. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🎶 Purdue Fort Wayne’s student-run record label, Gold Top Music Group, is preparing for the fifth annual Goldstock Music Festival at the Clyde Theatre on Dec. 4. The label, managed entirely by students, is still accepting auditions for local artists. Main Stage sign-ups close Oct. 5, and Side Stage sign-ups close Oct. 19. Last year’s event featured 11 acts and drew nearly 500 fans, with even more expected this year. Read more from WANE 15 here.

🎃 The Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory has opened its annual Pumpkin Path, transforming outdoor gardens with hundreds of pumpkins and fall décor. The family-friendly attraction includes a children’s scavenger hunt, photo opportunities, and locally sourced pumpkins from Kurtz Farms. The Pumpkin Path runs through the final full weekend of October. Read more from WFFT here.

💰 Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker says Senate Bill 1 has doubled the city’s tax revenue losses from $11 million last year to $25 million this year. The city will use $8 million in cash reserves to help cover the 2026 gap, but a long-term solution is needed. An SB1 task force has been created, with City Controller Pat Roller also assisting. The 2026 budget is projected to be $800,000 less than 2025 due to property tax changes. Leaders are working to attract businesses and continue projects like North River development, while keeping public safety and neighborhood improvements a priority. Read more from WFFT here.

🔫 The Fort Wayne Police Department’s Gang and Violent Crimes Unit confiscated multiple weapons from a 16-year-old following search warrants. Officers seized two handguns, an AR pistol, an AR upper, 300 rounds of ammunition, high-capacity magazines, and equipment to convert Glock handguns to full auto. FWPD says the raid reflects its ongoing commitment to ending youth violence and keeping guns out of the hands of minors. Read more from WANE 15 here.

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

🏐 Carroll volleyball, ranked seventh nationally in the USA Today Super 25 Poll, improved to 23-0 with a 3-0 sweep over Concordia at Charger Fieldhouse. Senior Bailey Sinish, recently honored as Carroll’s all-time kills leader, added 15 more to bring her career total to 1,579. Carroll now prepares to host NorthWood on Tuesday, while Concordia (15-9) will face Wayne at home. Read more from WANE 15 here.