Good morning, Fort Wayne! In today’s edition: Adam Conover, a Pufferbelly Trail bridge, a Google-funded water tower, and more. Let’s get to it!

— Cait Baker

🏆 Most popular this week

Curated by popular demand — here are this week’s most-clicked events, local spots, and stories.

Construction expected in 2026: Fort Wayne plans to begin building Pufferbelly Trail’s Vann Family Crossing over Coliseum Boulevard this year, pending INDOT approvals, supported by a $5 million donation to improve safety for trail users — read the full story.

Utility project draws scrutiny: Google plans to fund a $12 million water tower near a Fort Wayne data center. Application for a construction permit was filed, and public comment is open through Jan. 19 — get all the details.

Lead line replacements detailed: Fort Wayne neighborhoods will see 2026 utility work with water main upgrades and a force main on St. Joe Center Road. The Long-Term Control Plan has boosted river water quality — see what’s planned and where.

A landmark’s next chapter: After a decade of planning, Fort Wayne’s Arts United Center completed its renovation, preserving Louis Kahn’s only performing arts center. An interview explores how community input shaped the project — read the full interview.

New and ongoing art exhibits: Fort Wayne exhibits include A Tribute to Terry Pulley and Good Vibrations. The Purdue Fort Wayne faculty exhibition ends Jan. 11, and Gathered After the Fall continues through April 12 — check out the full lineup.

Plates with a purpose: Indiana BMV introduced five new Special Group Recognition plates, including a Purdue Fort Wayne design with a Mastodon. Each PFW plate purchase directs part of the fee to pollinator conservation — learn how and where to buy.

Are you overpaying? The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. I was paying over $300 for ONE car until I checked out various quotes, switched providers, and ultimately cut my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably losing money too — this free comparison tool makes it easy.

Gold & silver are hot: Gold just had it’s best year since 1979. Silver did even better, climbing nearly 150% in 2025… and analysts expect the momentum to continue. If you’re curious about adding precious metals to your portfolio as a market hedge, American Hartford has a helpful guide that covers everything you need to know. It’s free — and definitely worth a read.

A new haircare solution: My hair’s been thinning and I’ve been quietly ignoring it, hoping it’ll fix itself. Plot twist… it hasn’t. When I finally started looking into what I should do, there were so many options I didn’t know where to start. I stumbled on Keranique, and its simplicity really sold me. One kit, no pills, no choosing products, and no confusion whatsoever. It’s also on sale with a money-back guarantee (although I doubt you’ll need it).

📆 Sneak peek at next week

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🕯 Candle Making @ The Build Guild | Monday (1/12) at 6:00 PM – Learn to pour your own candles without turning the kitchen into a wax crime scene. Pick your colors and scents, bring a 4 oz glass container, and they’ll handle the know-how, the supplies, and the good vibes. Register online, or call like it’s 1998.

🚜 Fort Wayne Farm Show 2026 @ Allen County War Memorial Coliseum | Tuesday (1/13) at 9:00 AM – If you’ve been waiting for a reason to ogle new iron, talk soil, and pretend you needed another gadget, the Fort Wayne Farm Show is back for its 37th year. Expect big tractors, bigger ideas, familiar faces, and coffee strong enough to run a combine.

🍝 Dine to Donate @ Salvatori’s Fort Wayne Southwest | Tuesday (1/13) at 11:00 AM – Order your favorite red-sauce comfort from Salvatori’s, dine in or carry out at the Illinois Road or Auburn locations, and 15% goes to CASS. Show the digital flyer, and since it is the only one this quarter, call it philanthropy, dinner, and a night off.

🎨 Alcohol Ink Painting @ The Build Guild | Tuesday (1/13) at 2:00 PM – Trade your wine for alcohol ink and learn a pour-style technique, similar to acrylic pour, that turns happy accidents into wall-worthy art. Bring a hairdryer, not for your bangs, but for mesmerizing swirls and easier control. Register online, or call 260-209-9150 to prepay.

🍽 Savor Fort Wayne 2026 @ Pinhouse Social | Wednesday (1/14) – Savor Fort Wayne is back with 12 days of special menu deals at 50-plus local favorites. Give your kitchen a vacation, graze the city, dodge the dishes, and call it research. Stretchy pants highly recommended.

😂 Adam Conover @ Summit City Comedy Club | Thursday (1/15) at 7:00 PM – Adam Conover, yes, the guy from Adam Ruins Everything and The G Word, is back with a new hour that gets personal, mixing politics, sex, masculinity, and the joys of dating in your 40s, which is basically Costco sampling with heartbreak. Smart, sharp, and human.

✊ Creative Resistance: The Art of Protest @ First Presbyterian Church | Friday (1/16) at 5:30 PM – Trade the megaphone for a needle at First Presbyterian Gallery, where craftivism turns protest into quilts, embroidery, and handmade subversions. Featuring works by Rachel Ivy Clarke, Tamara Harper, and more, it’s radical, proof not every revolution needs a chant.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

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📻 Fort Wayne report

Weather forecast

Today – High: 40°F – Low: 22°F – Precip: 80%

Rain showers between 10am and 5pm, then a slight chance of rain and snow showers. Cloudy, with a high near 40. South wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Later: A chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 22. West wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible.

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Tomorrow – High: 32°F – Low: 23°F – Precip: 42%

A chance of snow showers before 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 32. West wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible. Later: Partly cloudy, with a low around 23. West wind 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

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