• Fort Wayne sees highest number of auto thefts in more than a decade

    Fort Wayne sees highest number of auto thefts in more than a decade
    FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — Fort Wayne saw the highest amount of stolen vehicles reported in at least 13 years during 2023, according to the latest FWPD annual report.878 cars were reported stolen to police in 2023. That's 25% higher than the 697 reported just the year before. This is also the first time since the department started regularly reporting the amount of stolen vehicles per year that the number has surpassed 700.According to FWPD detective Matt Newbauer, this upward trend is
  • Huntington man accused of stealing brass plates totaling $80K from Ellison Bakery

    Huntington man accused of stealing brass plates totaling $80K from Ellison Bakery
    FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -- A Huntington man is facing a felony theft charge after allegedly stealing several brass cookie forms worth thousands of dollars and taking them to scrapyards to make a few hundred bucks.Huston A. Smith II, 42, is accused of stealing 10 solid brass test cookie forms from Ellison Bakery where he worked until late July, according to Allen Superior Court documents.Ellison Bakery management learned about the theft in late June and determined that Smith had reportedly taken
  • CVS employee accused of stealing more than $100K in company deposits

    CVS employee accused of stealing more than $100K in company deposits
    FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -- A Fort Wayne man faces a felony theft charge after reportedly stealing deposits totaling more than $100,000 from the CVS Pharmacy store he worked at.According to Allen Superior Court documents, 47-year-old Grant E. Fisher reportedly admitted to police and asset protection managers with CVS that he took several company deposits that were worth a combined total of $101,826.While speaking with CVS staff, Fisher reportedly said he would take the company deposits home and t
  • Late afternoon headlines Wednesday, August 14

    Late afternoon headlines Wednesday, August 14
    FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Here are your late afternoon headlines for Wednesday, August 14.
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  • Allen County Sheriff's Dept. arrests man on meth dealing charges for a second time in north side home

    Allen County Sheriff's Dept. arrests man on meth dealing charges for a second time in north side home
    ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) - The Allen County Sheriff's Department (ACSD) arrested a man on drug dealing charges in a neighborhood off Coldwater Road in northwest Fort Wayne for a second time in just over two years.
    Police tell WANE 15 that after a months-long narcotics investigation, the ACSD's Drug Task Force served a search warrant at 222 Montalcino Run Wednesday morning.
    The Allen County Sheriff's Department Drug Task Force found narcotics inside the home at 222 Montalcino Run when executing
  • Death investigation at Superior Circle roundabout evolves into homicide

    Death investigation at Superior Circle roundabout evolves into homicide
    FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Two months after Fort Wayne Police swarmed a roundabout for an investigation near downtown, the coroner has named a shooting victim.FWPD launched a death investigation June 10 near Superior Circle, which connects Fairfield Avenue, Wells, Superior, and Ewing streets. Shortly before 11 p.m. that night, someone had called 911 near the roundabout.Surveillance video revealed the victim was in a red pickup truck that was stopped in the roundabout. No other information was sha
  • Sierra Tufts, Ethan Dahlen to take over anchor chairs

    Sierra Tufts, Ethan Dahlen to take over anchor chairs
    FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Longtime WANE anchor and reporter Sierra Tufts officially joins the First News team as co-anchor. Multimedia journalist Ethan Dahlen will take over the anchor chair for weekend evenings.Sierra has been at WANE 15 for over 5 years, previously anchoring First News Weekend, filling in on First News, and most recently, WANE.com’s digital anchor. Sierra will join co-anchor Pat Hoffmann and meteorologist Greg Shoup Monday through Friday 5 - 7 a.m.“I couldn’t
  • Allen County GOP reveal Bean Dinner speaker

    Allen County GOP reveal Bean Dinner speaker
    FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -- South Dakota Senator John Thune will keynote the 2024 Allen County Republican Reagan Bean Dinner on October 10.Allen County GOP Chairman Chairman Steve Shine made the announcement Tuesday.Thune is the U.S. Senate Republican Whip and, with the departure of Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, a leading contender to become U.S. Senate Majority Leader, if Republicans assume control after the November election.“Senator Thune’s upcoming visit to Fort Wayne shows th
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  • Driver sentenced for OWI in 2023 crash that critically injured 17-year-old

    Driver sentenced for OWI in 2023 crash that critically injured 17-year-old
    ADAMS COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) – An Adams County judge accepted a plea deal Tuesday for a woman who admitted to her role in a 2023 crash that left a 17-year-old in life-threatening condition.The judge handed Christen Gerber, 42, a 12-year sentence with five of those years suspended. Gerber will spend only two years in prison, court records show, with five years after that on probation with a monitoring device.Kaylee Heckber, 17, was driving with her 16-year-old boyfriend on the night of March 9
  • Afternoon headlines Wednesday, August 14

    Afternoon headlines Wednesday, August 14
    FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Here are your afternoon headlines for Wednesday, August 14.
  • Indiana Department of Education releases new high school diploma proposal draft

    Indiana Department of Education releases new high school diploma proposal draft
    INDIANAPOLIS -- Officials with the Indiana Department of Education unveiled its newest diploma proposal for Indiana high school students on Wednesday, coming after multiple higher education institutions and other officials spoke out and criticized the initial draft.
    During Tuesday's meeting of the State Board of Education, Katie Jenner, Indiana's secretary of education, presented a draft of a new diploma structure for the state, including base requirements for every student, plus the opportunity
  • Indiana Department of Education reports increase in proficiency in 2023-24 IREAD results

    Indiana Department of Education reports increase in proficiency in 2023-24 IREAD results
    INDIANAPOLIS -- With its 2024 IREAD 3 results, the Indiana Department of Education saw the largest single-year increase in proficiency since the assessment began in 2013.
    According to officials with the department, more than 67,000 third-grade students, or 82.5%, demonstrated proficient reading skills in the 2023-24 assessment. This was an improvement of 0.6% percentage points from the 2022-23 IREAD results."Ensuring Hoosier students are able to read is key to not only the future of Indiana, but
  • Infamous LA cop killer's gun found after armed robbery of $1 million watch

    Infamous LA cop killer's gun found after armed robbery of $1 million watch
    (KTLA) – Two men from South America who were found in possession of a handgun registered to infamous former Los Angeles Police Officer Christopher Dorner have been charged in a violent armed robbery of a $1 million watch from a man in Beverly Hills earlier this month, officials announced Tuesday.  Prosecutors with the United States District Attorney’s Central District of California Office say that on Aug. 7, the victim, his wife and two daughters were on the patio of a restauran
  • Car causes chain-reaction crash involving 6 vehicles near Warsaw

    Car causes chain-reaction crash involving 6 vehicles near Warsaw
    KOSCIUSKO COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) - A chain-reaction crash involving six vehicles on State Road 15 sent two of the drivers to the hospital Tuesday.A 28-year-old was driving a car on SR 15 when for an unknown reason he crossed the center line, hitting two trucks, according to a release from the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department.The driver of an oncoming semi tried to avoid the crash but hit one of the trucks. The semi flipped on its side and its contents spilled on the side of the road.
    The conte
  • Traffic stalled after car flips on Hillegas Road

    Traffic stalled after car flips on Hillegas Road
    FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Traffic was stalled Wednesday morning in west Fort Wayne after a car flipped in a crash.The crash happened on Hillegas Road near Bass shortly before 8:30 a.m. Dispatch confirmed at least one person was injured. It appears multiple vehicles were involved.Hillegas is closed to southbound traffic at the intersection. Traffic appears to be backed up on Hillegas all the way to Illinois Road. It's unclear when the road will reopen.
    WANE 15 has a crew at the scene to learn mor
  • Car flips in 3-vehicle crash on Hillegas Road

    Car flips in 3-vehicle crash on Hillegas Road
    FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Traffic was stalled Wednesday morning in west Fort Wayne after a car flipped in a crash involving two other cars.The crash happened on Hillegas Road near Bass shortly before 8:30 a.m. Dispatch confirmed at least one person was injured.
    A car flipped in a crash on Hillegas Road and hit an SUV, 8/14/24.A car involved in the crash on Hillegas RoadA car flipped in a crash on Hillegas Road, 8/14/24.
    Hillegas was temporarily closed to southbound traffic at the intersection. T
  • Morning headlines Wednesday, August 14

    Morning headlines Wednesday, August 14
    FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Here are your morning headlines for Wednesday, August 14.
  • FTC ban on noncompete agreements comes under legal attack

    FTC ban on noncompete agreements comes under legal attack
    NEW YORK (AP) — The federal government wants to make it easier for employees to quit a job and work for a competitor. But some companies say a new rule created by the Federal Trade Commission will make it hard to protect trade secrets and investments they make in their employees.At least three companies have sued the FTC after it voted to ban noncompete agreements, which prevent employees from working for competitors for a period of time after leaving a job. Their cases are now pending in
  • Autistic Joy is a 'neuro-sparkly' creation up for interpretation

    Autistic Joy is a 'neuro-sparkly' creation up for interpretation
    FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – Artlink is home to many beautiful artworks, but none quite as shiny or sparkly as Autistic Joy.Since the opening reception on August 1, the vinyl pieces assembled on acrylic display have been welcoming visitors to the vibrant experience of Sherry Polley as she settles into her missing identity."My work is a lot more about [how] it's not only okay to stand out, it is good to stand out," Polley said. "It is an asset to be quirky, to be a little bit bizarre and have
  • August heat with comfortable humidity

    August heat with comfortable humidity
    Even though today will be one of the warmest days of the week with lower humidity it will be a great day to spend some time outside. Showers and thunderstorms are back in the forecast Thursday through Saturday.
    It will be another hot afternoon with a high in the middle 80sBright sunshine with rapidly rising temperatures moving into the 80s by noon.
    Our first chance of showers will come Thursday afternoonThe August sunshine will take highs into the middle 80s this afternoon. Humidity will still b
  • Farmers' Almanac 2024-25 winter outlook released

    Farmers' Almanac 2024-25 winter outlook released
    FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - It may still be August, but it is not too early to start thinking about winter... ‘Frosty and wet’: Farmer’s Almanac predicts rainy, cold fall in IndianaThe Farmers' Almanac has released their 2024-2025 winter outlook for the United States. "Brace yourself for a Wet Winter Whirlwind! Farmers’ Almanac winter weather forecast calls for a season of rapid-fire storms that will bring both rain and snow, with little downtime in between."
  • City Council approves $1M in Legacy funds for The Fairfield

    City Council approves $1M in Legacy funds for The Fairfield
    FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -- An upcoming entertainment center on the southern edge of downtown Fort Wayne received a financial boost from Fort Wayne City Council Tuesday night that aims to aid the project.In a 7-2 vote, Fort Wayne City Council voted to approved a $1 million loan with Legacy funds for The Fairfield, a venue located at 1510 Fairfield Ave. that will have multiple floors for wedding spaces, duckpin bowling and golf simulators."It is absolutely a transformational project for the area a
  • Staying warm Wednesday with low humidity

    Staying warm Wednesday with low humidity
    Wednesday's early morning low temperatures are in the upper 50s around daybreak under a clear sky with a nearly calm wind.Humidity remains low, but will increase later this week. On Friday, we rise to "Tropical" and drop to "Humid" for Saturday and Sunday.
    Humidity levels stay in the comfortable range through Thursday with higher humidity for Friday and staying humid over the weekend.
    Wednesday begins sunny, but clouds will increase throughout the day and we'll be cloudy and gray by evening. Hig
  • Police respond to crash on Pontiac Street in southeast Fort Wayne

    Police respond to crash on Pontiac Street in southeast Fort Wayne
    FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -- The Fort Wayne Police Department (FWPD) is investigating a crash that has blocked off a street in southeast Fort Wayne Tuesday night, Fort Wayne dispatchers confirmed.Police were spotted at the intersection of Pontiac and Abbott streets, and a stretch of Pontiac Street has been blocked off by several FWPD vehicles.It is not yet known if anyone suffered injuries in the crash.WANE 15 has a crew at the scene and will update this story as we learn more.
  • FWPD: Young child hit, killed in southeast Fort Wayne crash

    FWPD: Young child hit, killed in southeast Fort Wayne crash
    FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -- The Fort Wayne Police Department (FWPD) is investigating a crash that left a young child dead Tuesday night.Police were spotted at the intersection of Pontiac and Abbott streets, and a stretch of Pontiac Street has been blocked off by several FWPD vehicles.An officer at the scene told WANE 15 the child was crossing the street with a group of friends when a vehicle hit the child, who was pronounced dead at the scene.The officer said alcohol does not appear to be a facto
  • FWPD: Young boy hit, killed in southeast Fort Wayne crash

    FWPD: Young boy hit, killed in southeast Fort Wayne crash
    FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -- The Fort Wayne Police Department (FWPD) is investigating a crash that left a young boy dead Tuesday night.Police were spotted at the intersection of Pontiac and Abbott streets, and a stretch of Pontiac Street has been blocked off by several FWPD vehicles.An officer at the scene told WANE 15 the child was crossing the street with a group of friends when a vehicle heading west on Pontiac Street hit the boy, who was later pronounced dead.The officer said alcohol and speed

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