The Local Fort Wayne

In this week’s newsletter, a significant former vendor at Union Street Market speaks out about what’s happening behind-the-scenes there. Link in bio.

In April, we’re partnering with the new cafe and reading room, 1892 Coffee & Books in Columbia City, to bring all paid subscribers a BOGO coffee drink. The cafe is located inside , an 1892 church that Fort Wayne couple, Retta and Ben Yoder, transformed into a two-storey vendor mall with everything from handcrafted furniture and home goods to one-of-a-kind vintage art, decor, clothing and more. Learn more in our full Q&A at thelocalfw.com!

Allen County switched to a “vote center county” this year, so you don’t have an assigned precinct voting location. Instead, registered voters can cast a ballot at any designated vote center.

So… How might the new system affect voter turnout? What’s one local race to watch? And how might state and national factors play into local primaries?

At first we started out real cool.... Not too long ago, Indiana customers had some of the most affordable energy in the U.S. But recently, the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) has “heard from thousands of utility customers from all over Indiana that they are struggling to pay their energy bills.” In response, they’re hosting listening sessions in April to give citizens a chance to share their concerns regarding rising utility costs. We caught up with IURC External Affairs Specialist Ben Gavelek to learn more about these sessions and what’s happening with your utility bills. Learn more in today’s newsletter on the link in our bio.

About one year ago, we broke news on concerns (and lawsuits) connected to Fort Wayne’s largest (ever?) public-private project, Electric Works. Since then, we haven’t seen much in-depth reporting about the campus, in general, so we decided to check in and get an update for you in this week’s Above the Fold.

You’ve probably seen a lot of national and local stories about immigration policy lately – everything from murders and protests, to federal changes, presidential memos and judicial actions (or reactions). It’s leading to a lot of chaos, confusion and – if you’re like us – concern about how it all relates to Fort Wayne.
This week, we did our best to break down a few key issues for you based on four things we’re watching locally. Learn more at link in bio.

Nearly 300 citizens attended Tuesday’s public forum about a casino in Fort Wayne. Our reporter Rachel Horton was in attendance, and she came away ready to share her notebook with us, starting with why citizens don’t have a vote on the casino in the first place – and how a red herring might be at hand.

ends Jan. 25! Here are our tips to snag a last-minute deal.

It may be freezing outside, but things are likely to heat up at tonight’s county council meeting, where the public is invited to weigh in on a potential casino in Fort Wayne. We’re attending and breaking down what to know in this week’s Above the Fold email newsletter on Thursday — available to paid subscribers only. See what a paid membership is about with a free trial on the link in our bio.