Input Fort Wayne

It’s hard to have a conversation related to disabilities without the topic moving to the impending cuts in Medicaid. To once again hear that institutionalization (including nursing homes) is being considered rather than Community Integration creates a sense of déjà vu. Reagan introduced the Medicaid Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) program to help disabled citizens live outside of institutions. We all soon learned that they did more than live.

In 2016, Alex Hall started pulling a thread to find answers about Fort Wayne’s lack of public art. “I was just an artist in the community – and I was really interested in answering the question, ‘Why didn’t we have more murals and public art in our downtown?’” she says. That curiosity led to the creation of Art This Way, which transforms mundane surfaces in the city’s downtown district into works of art.

This article was made in partnership with Parkview Health. Statistics from Parkview Health show that around 40% of kids seen in the emergency room for concerns of abuse or neglect were seen again in the ER days or years later. It’s a statistic that Dr. Tony GiaQuinta, physician leader for Parkview’s Children’s service line, would like to change for the better. “What we were seeing was this repetitive cycle of child abuse and neglect that was not being corrected the first time,” GiaQuinta says.

Tyler Elliot wasn’t much of a runner until early 2025, when he started training for the Run Wild 5K at the Fort Wayne Zoo. When his bosses at the Fort Wayne Parks Department got wind of his plans, they came up with an interesting proposition: Would Elliott be interested in starting a run club? Elliott, who works as a Riverfront Fort Wayne Special Events Coordinator, agreed, and now considers himself more of a runner than he’s ever been.

While Indianapolis recovers from historic flooding, water experts met on the west side to plan how to keep Indiana’s water clean. Scientists, water managers, local and state officials gathered last week at the Biltwell Event Center for the annual White River Alliance’s Indiana Water Summit. Top of mind was how to ensure that waterways are clean enough so that potential future natural disasters, like floods, aren’t made worse by toxic water.

What stories should Input Fort Wayne be telling? What issues deserve more attention? And what do you wish more people understood about our community? Join us at Tall Rabbit at 10 a.m. on Sept. 12 for an Input Fort Wayne Listening Session. Not sure what a listening session is? Think of it as a chance for us to hear from you directly. We’ll start with a brief look at the stories we’ve been covering lately and what we hope to tackle in the future.

On August 29, the Myaamia Heritage Foundation is hosting the inaugural Myaamia Cultural Fest in downtown Fort Wayne during the Taste of the Arts Festival. From 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the culture, history, language, foodways, and arts of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, who called Fort Wayne and northeast Indiana home prior to their forced removal in 1846.

A person collects groceries and baby supplies from Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center in Indianapolis on Oct. 29, 2025. Credit: Stephanie Amador for Mirror Indy Hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers are eligible for federal safety net programs, but many aren’t enrolling to receive benefits, according to a recent study by the Urban Institute. The State of the Safety Net Program, released in March, provides data on seven federal programs and two tax credits for every state.

This story was created in partnership with Visit Wabash County. Crisp air, colorful leaves, and plenty of family fun make fall the perfect time to visit Wabash County! From pumpkin patches and fall festivals to local flavors and spooky adventures, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Pack up the family, hit the road, and make some unforgettable fall memories in Wabash County! Bluegrass at Hopewell.

This article was made in collaboration with the City of Fort Wayne Department of Neighborhoods. Across Fort Wayne’s 450+ neighborhoods, local leaders are constantly searching for answers, solving problems, and innovating on behalf of their community. Working as a neighborhood planner, Réna Bradley has met quite a few residents over the last four years, and as she’s helped them find a path forward, she’s also heard their struggles.