Features

Partner Content Valisha Reber, medical and social services liaison, right talks with Ann Heign, executive director, during a staff meeting at the International House office.

One simple action at a time: International House drives lifelong change for refugees and immigrants

“We’re honored to be able to support IHouse and the people whose lives they’re changing. When we see people like them, who are trusted and really gifted, on a faith-filled mission to serve others, we want to see the community invest in them.”

Feature Story Field Team Supervisor Tom West, left, and Amanda Lapham work together to set up lights.

Millions of lights and miles of electrical cords: Behind the scenes of the Fantasy of Lights

"The route was just one single loop in and out of Sherman Boulevard, and that single loop was about a mile and a half long. Today we’ve grown to three miles long and we have 186 display scenes, so in 10 years, it has grown pretty significantly.”

Feature Story NEIECC hosts meetings where attendees can learn about new initiatives and have discussions around early childhood challenges.

From crisis to collaboration: Tackling Northeast Indiana’s childcare shortage

"I feel really lucky to be in this community that I think really gets it and is working to make a difference. If we want to be a community of choice, if we want that quality of life, we want more economic development, people to come and our community to thrive– this is the linchpin.”

Feature Story Powers Hamburgers on Harrison Street.

Another chapter in the history of Powers Hamburgers

"Our goal was just to really make this a place that Fort Wayne can be proud of. This is a place that is as Fort Wayne as Coney Island or The Embassy or Parkview Field.”

News Mayor Sharon Tucker celebrates the groundbreaking of Packard Park with neighborhood residents and Councilmen Bender and Paddock.

Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation breaks ground on Packard Park Redesign

The $1.9 million redesign of Packard Park is expected to be completed in the summer of 2025.

Feature Story Friends of the Third World, 611 W Wayne St, Fort Wayne, IN 46802

#PlaceofNEI: Friends of the Third World is bringing a mission to the marketplace

“We have videos of the coffee producers and the tea producers. People can see the actual workers picking the coffee cherries. We’ve learned a lot about how coffee is grown and we get to show people that.”

Feature Story Inside The Urban Hippie's new location at 111 W Columbia St Ste 101, Fort Wayne, IN 46802.

One-of-a-kind finds and community connections: Shopping locally provides perks not found online

“I meet somebody new every day. That’s part of why I started the shop. I knew that after retiring I would miss all those connections with all those people.”

Feature Story Fort Wayne Vegan Restaurant Week Organizer Heather Dahman and her husband, JR Dahman, trying new dishes during Vegan Week.

Fort Wayne’s Vegan Restaurant Month spotlights inspired plant-based fare

Back by popular demand, Vegan Restaurant Month draws attention to vegan dining options and the larger national trend of the increased demand for plant-based options.

Feature Story With the help of Universal Design Works, The Zoo explored ways to strategically integrate universal design principles into the guest experience.

Accessible by design: What it means to design inclusive attractions for all

"I'm meeting people who are impacted by universal design as well. It's really cool how God puts people in my life who understand what I'm trying to accomplish, and they recognize the strategic value that having these types of services adds to their organization.”

Feature Story Kathleen Palm

5 questions with Hoosier horror book author Kathleen Palm

"I like creepy and weird things. I like looking into the darkness and seeing what's there. I think that can help you see the light better."

Feature Story Tori Grieser, founder of Push for Progress

Push for Progress Founder Tori Grieser talks community, fashion and representation

“I always wanted to design for kids. Kids just don't have a lot of stuff that's just theirs. You'll see a lot of brands make a kid’s line– or a kid version of what they sell to adults and it leads to styles that aren't really for kids."

Feature Story While walking through the Girl Scouts' STEM Expo, attendees see interactive demos and speak with women who work in STEM.

These initiatives are celebrating women in STEM– and aiming to inspire the next generation

“We know from research that women and girls are underrepresented at every stage of the STEM pipeline."

News The Elex, under construction, is scheduled to open in late 2025.

The Elex: Construction on phase two of Electric Works is underway

The Elex is a mixed-use development located on the Electric Works campus.

Partner Content Townhouses owned by Jen and Ben Bailey are under construction in Lagro.

Time, talent, money and love are transforming rural communities in Wabash County

“We want people to see our little community and see that we have something to offer and that it’s a great place to live and to raise a family."

Feature Story YLNI Board President Ian Broad-White

4 questions with YLNI Board President Ian Broad-White about the 200 Acts of Kindness Campaign

“Some people don't necessarily want to be recognized or patted on the back or seek out that attention just because they did something that was a small, kind gesture, but I think more so today than ever we need to shed light on that.”

Feature Story Betsy Kachmar, Co-President of League of Women Voters of Fort Wayne, right,  talks with Chris Castaldi about voting at the Allen County Public Library Tecumseh branch.

‘Lots of really good reasons to vote’: How community leaders are championing voter engagement

Getting people to the polls is a marathon, not a sprint —  and starts long before Election Day.

Feature Story Liz Kelpin, owner of Sunbound Books

Sunbound Books: An independent bookstore joins the lineup of small businesses in the 05

“I kept waiting for someone else to open a bookstore and no one did, so I guess I will.”

Feature Story Manchester University students volunteer at a Habitat for Humanity event in Wabash County.

How higher education institutions are prioritizing community impact in Wabash County

“First of all, the fact that we have a university in Wabash County is a special thing and it's my belief that we need to support the community just like the community supports us."

Feature Story The Harvester Homecoming Festival

Local nonprofit honors the legacy and lasting impact of International Harvester in Allen County

"The Harvester Homecoming Museum is expected to attract IH enthusiasts from around the world. With support from the Redevelopment Commission of New Haven and a request to IEDC for additional funding, we are confident in the project’s success and its pivotal role in celebrating Hoosier manufacturing excellence."

Feature Story Content Creator McKayla Nevers

Through her lens, McKayla Nevers brings a new perspective to Fort Wayne

“I love Fort Wayne. I've been here my whole life and to see Fort Wayne come from what it was to what it is now and to be able to capture that and kind of document that– it just feels really special.”

Feature Story Tony Belton inside The Scoop Hitchen, a trailer that he converted to serve ice cream out of.

A sweet expansion: How Brightpoint's small business loans helped Classic City Creamery grow

“Being a CDFI means more than just being able to loan dollars out. It's also providing up-front technical assistance for the businesses– helping them with their business plan, with their projections, registering with the Secretary of State— anything that will give them a better chance at getting started and being successful.”

Feature Story Owners Chuck and Lyndsey Springer at their shop, Reclaimed Fort Wayne, 1514 St. Joseph Blvd. Fort Wayne, IN.

Reclaimed Fort Wayne: Finding new homes for forgotten treasures

“We have the opportunity to bring beautiful pieces back to life, repurpose, and give new homes to live on. Otherwise, it could’ve ended up in the landfill."

Feature Story A CTN bus.

10 proposed solutions to address transportation barriers in Northeast Indiana

“Understanding transportation gaps in all of Northeast Indiana is crucial. In smaller organizations, we have limited resources. No individual system could have gleaned this kind of information. This report gives us important county- and region-specific data that will help us work together to meet the needs of our communities and our riders.”

Feature Story ARCH's office in downtown Fort Wayne was one of their preservation projects.

ARCH is testing new ways to share the history of Fort Wayne's historic neighborhoods

“One of the things that we thought was important was giving people a connection to their own neighborhood history because those historic northeast neighborhoods are old."

Feature Story Fort Wayne has over 130 miles of trails.

#PlacesofNEI: Explore Fort Wayne through its trail network

Fort Wayne's trail network is more than just a scenic route. It’s an active way to connect with the heart of the city.

Feature Story Innovative Housing Showcase features four types of builds.

Innovative Housing Showcase tests new design and construction methods in Fort Wayne

“Traditional housing models and construction methods often fail to meet the needs of diverse and changing demographics, leading to shortages, rising prices, and increased pressure on the market.”

Feature Story Hatfield & Sons Distillery in Waynedale

How Hatfield & Sons Distillery went from garage hobby to successful business

“It kind of turned into an obsession for me. I like building things and understanding the process. My wife let me spend a lot of money on my hobby in the garage until it was ridiculous and then we decided this is way over a hobby and we should try to make money with this.”

Feature Story Plug and Play's grand opening in Warsaw.

Accelerating Innovation: Bringing Silicon Valley to Northeast Indiana

“Everyone’s been excited and eager to bring this on and see how it has potential to really be such a benefit. To see something that’s warmly embraced on so many levels is really cool.”

Feature Story An exhibit at the Wabash County Museum.

Small towns, lasting legacies: Wabash County's efforts to preserve local history

“I think the most important thing people can do to preserve our history is to stay curious and ask questions. Read the roadside signs and the historical markers. Take that tour of an off-beat, quirky museum. There is so much to gain from learning about the past.”

Feature Story Even after reopening to the public, a large portion of Fox Island Park remains closed off for safety reasons.

Fox Island Park is open again– but the cleanup is far from over

“Nature does what nature does. Nature will heal herself. The forest growth will not recover to previous levels in our lifetimes, but we all hope to be good stewards so that this is here way beyond the lifetimes of anyone currently available to see it.”

Feature Story The bulk of programming at Healthier Moms and Babies consists of home visits, which are done by nurses or family advocates who walk alongside women during and after their pregnancy until the baby turns two.

Local organizations are helping moms and babies flourish with new state funding

“I think that this is really a great example of the state recognizing that we need more public health dollars. This is an excellent example of how it worked all the way from the funding at the state legislature to the Allen County Department of Health and then out to human services organizations.”

Feature Story The Ehle Family

Full House: Generations of families share homes and lives

“We’d go over there, they’d come over here, at least half of the time. I’m not sure whose idea it was, but someone asked, ‘Wouldn’t it be easier if we all lived together?’”

Feature Story Local Food Week is July 26 through August 4.

Local Food Week offers new ways to experience Northeast Indiana’s food scene

“This is just our way of promoting our local farmers, producers, and entrepreneurs in the local food scene.”

Partner Content Maddy Ball works with a co-worker in nutrition services.

Enriching young adults’ lives through work readiness internships

“It teaches skills the participants can take into any workforce, such as arriving on time, working as a team, and completing tasks on time. The program builds confidence and independence. It’s wonderful from a work training and a personal skills perspective.”

Feature Story Jody Hemphill Smith with her husband, Mark Paul Smith

New foundation upholds local artist's legacy and nurtures future talent

"What if I deconstruct the elements of a painting… turn them into steel, throw them into thin air?"

Feature Story 2nd Fridays, North Manchester

Main Street organizations are revitalizing the heart of Northeast Indiana communities

“Without our Main Street organizations, the historic downtowns throughout Wabash County and the work they do, we would fall to the plight of urban sprawl. They are truly focused on the economic vitality of the structures that are part of our cultural heritage of where we were, who we were, and what made our communities even become communities.”

Feature Story Illustrator James Newton

Meet Roanoke-based illustrator and animator James Newton

“The reason I do what I do is not to necessarily express myself but to connect with people. Even though I spend 90 percent of my time in my office, the most important work comes whenever I sit down with that client to get to know them, try to figure out their vision, talk shop with them, or share my work with other people and see how it resonates.”

Feature Story Friends gather to play at Hileman Farms, which features 5 private pickleball courts.

‘Keep them local’: How proposed pickleball courts in Wabash County promote placemaking

“It’s been amazing how many people locally have approached me and said that they've been playing for years and they love the sport and can't wait to have courts. It’s been neat to see the response and the positivity.”

Partner Content Signage for the Double Up program at Ft Wayne's Farmers Market on Dynamo Alley.

Expanding the reach of Double Up Indiana, a SNAP-matching program

“Over the course of the last three and a half years, we have matched approximately $300,000 so that would be $300,000 worth of fresh fruits and vegetables that are going to families who pay with SNAP or food stamps.”

Partner Content Antonuccio’s Italian Market, a specialty Italian market in the 07 zip code

What is the Elevate Small Business Grant and how is it helping local entrepreneurs?

“At the Bank, we offer several different programs to support affordable housing development and homeownership, all of which are designed to support strong communities. The Elevate Small Business grant is that final piece of the puzzle needed to help build robust and thriving communities across our district.”

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