Fort Wayne news

• Big temperature swings highlight February 2025

  28-02-2025 23:33 via wane.com
  
  FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - February 2025 is just about in the books and it has been a wild month in terms of our temperatures. We sure have had our fill of both cold and warm days... Sick of winter? Spring weather predictions released by NOAAAfter starting out the month with a string of red, above average days, we saw an arctic airmass move in during the middle of February. We experienced plenty of below average temperatures in the middle of the month before rebounding nicely by month's end. Desp
  
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• Annual Fort Wayne tourism spending surpasses $1B for first time

  28-02-2025 23:08 via wane.com
  
  FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE)— A report released by Visit Fort Wayne revealed annual visitor expenditures surpassed $1 billion for the first time in 2023.Some of the numbers in the annual report are a year delayed as the data takes time to process. In the same time period, Fort Wayne and Allen County saw 9.2 million visitors. That's up from 8.8 million in 2022. The $1.1 billion spent is up from $995 million the year before.For perspective, if tourism didn't exist in Allen County, each household
  
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• Char's Grill and Smokehouse set for opening day in Woodburn

  28-02-2025 22:55 via wane.com
  
  WOODBURN, Ind. (WANE) -- The restaurant scene will officially return to Woodburn Saturday morning when Char's Grill and Smokehouse opens its doors for the first time.Located at 22301 Main St., Char's Grill and Smokehouse will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. from Wednesday to Sunday, including Saturday's opening day. The restaurant also anticipates ramping up hours in the future.Char's Grill and Smokehouse will feature Midwest diner staples while also serving an assortment of smoked meats. Third ti
  
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• Seeing robins again? Believe it or not, they never left Indiana

  28-02-2025 22:25 via wane.com
  
  FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -- With the recent rise in temperatures and the first official day of spring less than a month away, some Fort Wayne residents have started observing their first American robin sighting of 2025.However, the common backyard bird is actually a species found in the area year-round.An American robin sits outside a backyard pond in Fort Wayne March 5, 2024.
  Greg Majewski, president of Three Rivers Birding -- the northeast Indiana chapter of the National Audubon Society, said r
  
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• Fort Wayne man accused of dealing meth out of mother's home pleads guilty

  28-02-2025 22:18 via wane.com
  
  Video shows 2024 footage of Justin Watson's arrest.FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - A Fort Wayne man at the center of a months-long narcotics investigation recently pleaded guilty to dealing methamphetamine.Justin Watson was arrested in August 2024, the second time in two years he faced drug-dealing charges. The Allen County Sheriff’s Department's Drug Task Force allegedly found drugs at the home in a neighborhood off Coldwater Road in northwest Fort Wayne where Watson and his mother lived. RELAT
  
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• Governor Braun directs flags to fly at half-staff in honor of former New Haven mayor

  28-02-2025 21:25 via wane.com
  
  NEW HAVEN, Ind. (WANE) - Governor Mike Braun is directing flags in Allen County to be flown at half-staff Saturday following the death of a former New Haven mayor.Lynn Hopkins Shaw died Tuesday at 88 years old. He served as mayor for over a decade from 1988-1999.Flags of both businesses and residents in the county should be lowered from sunrise to sunset on March 1.
  
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• Fort Wayne man with notorious reputation arrested for grand theft after swindling company out of thousands

  28-02-2025 21:08 via wane.com
  
  FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - A man whose name has been tied to various business schemes and social media scandals over the years was booked into jail this week on charges including grand theft.Brian Anthony Thornton, 45, is being held at the Allen County Jail as of Wednesday on a half-a-million-dollar bond and is awaiting extradition to Jacksonville, Florida for alleged "fraudulent behavior."Brian Anthony Thornton (Courtesy Allen County Sheriff's Department)
  The police department for CSX -- a railr
  
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• Watch the full Trump-Zelenskyy Oval Office meeting

  28-02-2025 20:11 via wane.com
  
  Editor's note: The full meeting of the two presidents can be seen in the video player above.
  (AP) - President Donald Trump shouted at Ukraine's leader on Friday during an extraordinary meeting in the Oval Office, berating President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for “gambling with millions of lives” and suggesting his actions could trigger World War III.The last 10 minutes of the nearly 45-minute engagement devolved into a tense back and forth between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Zelensk
  
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• Oscar-winner Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa may have been dead for days or weeks, sheriff says

  28-02-2025 19:08 via wane.com
  
  SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Authorities investigating the deaths of Oscar-winner Gene Hackman and his wife are waiting for the results of the autopsies and carbon monoxide testing to determine how they died.Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, apparently had been dead for days or even a couple of weeks when investigators found their bodies while searching the couple's Santa Fe home on Wednesday. Investigators are trying to figure out the last time anyone saw or spoke to them, Santa Fe County She
  
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• Washington man arrested for stealing $8M fishing boat with crew still on board, officials say

  28-02-2025 17:06 via wane.com
  
  (KOIN) — A 42-year-old man from Washington state has been accused of stealing an 80-foot, $8 million commercial fishing boat with the crew still on board.The suspect, identified as Joshua Stedman of Aberdeen, boarded the Jamie Marie around 9 a.m. on Feb. 8 and temporarily convinced the crew that he was the boat’s new captain, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Police said.“A subject had boarded the vessel, woke the crew and advised them they needed to get und
  
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• Are egg producers inflating prices during the bird flu outbreak to boost profits?

  28-02-2025 17:02 via wane.com
  
  OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Egg producers blame the bird flu outbreak for driving prices to record highs, but critics believe giant companies are taking advantage of their market dominance to profit handsomely at the expense of budget-conscious egg buyers.Advocacy groups, Democratic lawmakers and a Federal Trade Commission member are calling for a government investigation after egg prices spiked to a record average of $4.95 per dozen this month. The Trump administratio
  
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• Meet the world's newest wealth class: 'Superbillionaire'

  28-02-2025 14:46 via wane.com
  
  (KTLA) -- It’s a new category of the ultra-rich: the Superbillionaire.According to The Wall Street Journal, there are now two dozen people in the world whose net worth is at least $50 billion. So, who's on the list?Obviously, Elon Musk is on top. He has a net worth of about $419 billion, which is—wait for it—more than two million times as much as the typical American household. Also on the list is Jeff Bezos, who is worth $264 billion; Mark Zuckerberg, who is worth $221 billion
  
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• Driver dies a week after fiery crash on US 24

  28-02-2025 14:37 via wane.com
  
  This video shows initial coverage of the crash.ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) - The driver whose car spun out, caught fire and crashed on US 24 earlier this month has died, the Allen County Sheriff's Department announced.A serious crash involving one vehicle took place near the intersection of U.S. 24 and West County Line Road on February 18, 2025.
  The crash happened Feb. 18 near the intersection of US 24 and West County Line Road around 5:30 a.m. Investigators said the driver hit a business sign, ca
  
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• Redevelopment commission member responds to criticism of Back 9 development

  28-02-2025 13:43 via wane.com
  
  FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) On Wednesday, Villages of Arneo developer James Khan announced that Back 9 Golf & Entertainment would be building a facility at the retail, housing, and commercial complex located off North Clinton between I-69 and I-469.
  The announcement was quickly met by criticism from Fort Wayne City Council member Russ Jehl who lives in the area. ‘Bait-and-switch’: Councilman Russ Jehl opposes golf entertainment center, cites zoning issuesJehl claimed the Fort Wayne R
  
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• Gusty winds with a temperature rollercoaster ride

  28-02-2025 12:46 via wane.com
  
  Gusty winds will take us on a wild rollercoaster ride over the next 24 hours, with afternoon temperatures near 60 falling into the 20s by Saturday morning.Winds will be gusty this afternoon with a Wind Advisory in effect.
  Skies will be partly cloudy, and winds will increase by late morning, with temperatures near 50 by noon.
  Winds caused by a northern cold front will gust up to 45 mph this afternoon. Temperatures will surge into the upper 50s to around 60 by late this afternoon.Winds will contin
  
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• What to know about the lives and deaths of Hollywood icon Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa

  28-02-2025 12:42 via wane.com
  
  Gene Hackman, a Hollywood giant and two-time Oscar winner, was found dead along with his wife and dog in their New Mexico home Wednesday, though investigators believe they may have been dead for some time and the cause of death has yet to be revealed.Hackman, 95, was a prolific actor who performed as an array of heroes and villains in films including “The French Connection,” “Hoosiers” and “Superman" from the 1960s until his retirement
  
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• Crash splits car in half on Fort Wayne's east side; teen critically hurt

  28-02-2025 10:06 via wane.com
  
  FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -- The Fort Wayne Police Department is investigating a crash that split a car in half, leaving a teenager with critical injuries. It happened near the intersection of Schele Avenue and South Coliseum Boulevard around 3:30 a.m. Friday.In a press release FWPD says the car was traveling south on Coliseum Boulevard when it left the roadway striking a tree. The impact of the crash caused the car to split in half. One half of the car was wrapped around a tree while the other ha
  
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• Crash splits car in half on Fort Wayne's east side

  28-02-2025 10:06 via wane.com
  
  FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -- The Fort Wayne Police Department is investigating a crash that split a car in half, leaving a person with critical injuries. It happened near the intersection of Schele Avenue and South Coliseum Boulevard around 3:30 a.m. Friday.One half of the car could be seen wrapped around a tree. The spread between the two halves in about 75-100 feet, according to police at the scene.Medics transported the victim to a hospital in critical condition. Police told WANE 15 the victim
  
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• Gusty winds with temperature rollercoaster ride

  28-02-2025 10:04 via wane.com
  
  Gusty winds will take us on a wild rollercoaster ride over the next 24 hours, with afternoon temperatures near 60 falling into the 20s by Saturday morning.Winds will be gusty this afternoon with a Wind Advisory in effect.
  Skies will be partly cloudy, and winds will increase by late morning, with temperatures near 50 by noon.
  Winds caused by a northern cold front will gust up to 45 mph this afternoon. Temperatures will surge into the upper 50s to around 60 by late this afternoon.Winds will contin
  
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• Chase suspect leads police through Ohio and Indiana with child inside vehicle

  28-02-2025 10:00 via wane.com
  
  HARLAN, Ind. (WANE) -- A Harlan man led police on a chase through Ohio and into Indiana early Friday morning, according to the Hicksville Police Department (HPD.) Police confirmed a child was inside the vehicle while the chase was happening.Police were notified about a possible intoxicated driver at a business in Hicksville. Police found the vehicle and attempted to stop it. The driver refused to stop and continued into Indiana on State Road 37, according to the HPD.
  The Allen County Sheriff's D
  
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• Police investigating fatal shooting on Fort Wayne's southeast side

  28-02-2025 08:26 via wane.com
  
  FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -- A woman died early Friday morning, in a shooting in the 3000 block of Drexel Ave. That's just off Wayne Trace, north of Oxford St.Fort Wayne police responded to the area shortly after 12:30 a.m. They found the woman on the ground outside a home, with a gunshot wound. Police and then medics attempted life-saving measures, but the woman was declared dead about a half-hour later.Investigators do not have a person of interest at this time, but say there is no threat to the
  
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• FWPD investigating fatal shooting on Drexel Ave.

  28-02-2025 08:26 via wane.com
  
  FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -- A woman died early Friday morning, in a shooting in the 3000 block of Drexel Ave. That's just off Wayne Trace, north of Oxford St.Fort Wayne police responded to the area shortly after 12:30 a.m. They found the woman on the ground outside a home, with a gunshot wound. Police and then medics attempted life-saving measures, but the woman was declared dead about a half-hour later.Investigators do not have a person of interest at this time, but say there is no threat to the
  
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• Arrest made in fatal shooting of woman found outside Fort Wayne home

  28-02-2025 08:26 via wane.com
  
  FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -- A woman died early Friday morning, in a shooting in the 3000 block of Drexel Ave. That's just off Wayne Trace, north of Oxford St.Just hours later, a suspect was under arrest.
  Jaskaran Singh
  Fort Wayne police responded to the area shortly after 12:30 a.m. They found the woman on the ground outside a home, with a gunshot wound. Police and then medics attempted life-saving measures, but the woman was declared dead about a half-hour later.At 6:30 a.m., police notified the
  
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• Preparing for Friday's windy day

  28-02-2025 04:42 via wane.com
  
  FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - High winds are expected across northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio on Friday. You will want to be prepared for wind gusts as high as 45 mph. PHOTOS: Hail from Thursday t-stormsA Wind Advisory will be in effect from 10 AM to 7 PM on Friday. This is when wind gusts will be the strongest and most impactful.A Wind Advisory will be in place on Friday.
  A Wind Advisory is issued when sustained winds of 30 to 39 mph or wind gusts up of 45 to 57 mph are expected for a period of
  
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• Man guilty of 2 rape charges in Steuben County

  28-02-2025 03:18 via wane.com
  
  ANGOLA, Ind. (WANE) -- After three hours of deliberation Thursday, Jorge Juarez Lopez was found guilty of numerous crimes, including two counts of rape with a deadly weapon.The Steuben Superior Court jury found the 31-year-old guilty of all other charges, too, which included two counts of intimidation and one count of possession of a counterfeit government-issued ID.Jorge Juarez Lopez - courtesy Steuben County Prosecutor’s Office
  Court documents say in June, 2023 a teen told police Lopez s
  
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• Students escape school bus fire in Ohio

  28-02-2025 02:05 via wane.com
  
  CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio (WJW) — An emergency broke out Thursday morning on a school bus carrying children in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. An unexpected blaze — requiring a quick evacuation.Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District Superintendent Liz Kirby said in a statement issued Thursday that the fire began behind one of Bus 21's rear wheels. How to save your video: Facebook to automatically delete live videos after 30 daysThe cause of the fire is under investigation.
  
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• PHOTOS: Hail from Thursday t-storms

  28-02-2025 01:48 via wane.com
  
  Hail in Berne from Ross and Linda BuschmanHail on a SW Fort Wayne deck. From Lisa MyersHail falling in SW Fort Wayne from Lisa MyersHail on the patio in SW Fort Wayne. From Katie McAninchWide view of storms approaching Ossian. Taken by WANE Meteorologist Lance HuffmanFORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - A weather system that moved through Thursday afternoon and evening produced some heavy rain and t-storms across the area. Some of the storms produced small hail. WANE Weather Watchers sent in their photos o
  
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• Windy, warm Friday weather followed by a cold weekend

  28-02-2025 00:53 via wane.com
  
  Today's main raHowever, the big story is our wind forecast. Winds have been picking up in speed today with late afternoon gusts reaching 30-35 mph. Higher winds are coming tomorrow.Temperatures hit 50°, or higher, in a number of spots this afternoon. Evening temps drop off quickly after sunset and we'll be down to the upper 20s by morning.Temps drop into the upper 20s in the early morning.Conditions become even windier tomorrow, all thanks to a strong area of low pressure to the north of us
  
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