Saying goodbye to SACS: Park Ginder set to leave role as superintendent of Southwest Allen County Schools - Fort Wayne news - NewsLocker (2024)

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -- One week from Wednesday will be the final day of school for Southwest Allen County School.That means it will be the final day of school for Dr. Park Ginder, as he's set to move on from his role as superintendent at the end of June.Ginder sat down with WANE 15 to talk about moving to another endeavor.He said it's the first time he wont be in school since he went to Kindergarten in 1969. He went from a student straight into being an educator, an administrator, and finish

Weather videos capture hail falling and high winds Friday night

HUNTINGTON AND MARKLE, Ind. (WANE) - Scattered thunderstorms moved across northeast Indiana Friday night. Along with heavy downpours, some areas experienced hail and high winds.Weather Watcher Riley Detamore sent in this video of hail falling in Huntington. The National Weather Service shared a report that hail was as large as nickels in Huntington County.
Weather Watcher Lance Huffman captured this view from Markle of a storm rolling in there. He has sped up the video to more easily see the dus

Historical ‘Watch Fire’ honors fallen veterans

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -- The Veterans National Memorial Shrine and Museum began their annual ‘Watch Fire’ ceremony Friday evening.This is the 36th 'Watch Fire' hosted at the memorial on O Day Road. Every year, the fire burns on the Friday before Memorial Day weekend to honor fallen heroes.
The term ‘Watch Fire’ dates back to the 1700s. George Washington used the term to alert troops of enemy positions. It was also used in the Revolutionary War to alert lost and wo

Business hits home run after Foster Park Little League theft

COLUMBIA CITY, Ind. (WANE) -- After a theft earlier this month threatened Foster Park Little League's season, the community rallied hoping to ensure that kids had a place to play.
Friday, members of the Foster Park Little League met with Landmaster, a UTV manufacturer, to thank them for their donation of a utility terrain vehicle worth over $18,000. With the donation, the Little League will be able to maintain the fields and not miss a single week of play.While visiting the Landmaster facility,

Advertisem*nt

Police, local businesses react to shots fired inside Georgetown Kroger

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — As law enforcement is still learning more about the man accused of firing shots inside Kroger, local businesses are still shaken up.​"We usually don't have that kind of activity in this area," said Darrin Poling, Manager at Jeff's Coneys.After Richard Klaff allegedly let off shots inside the Kroger, he ran to Dollar General which sits in the same parking lot to change clothes and was later arrested behind Fifth Third Bank across the street.Court docs: Alleg

Three Rivers Festival announces entertainment lineup for 2024

Video of changes coming to the 55th Three Rivers Festival.FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -- Three Rivers Festival has announced the entertainment lineup ahead of the 55th festival.
Set to hit the stage in July are:July 12 - The Sugarhill GangJuly 13 - Hinder with local opening acts Octopuss* and The Dirty VandalsJuly 14 - Sanctus RealJuly 15 - Lita Ford joined by Eliza Toth and Whoa, Man!July 18 - Last Call joined by Sweetwater All-Stars and Music Lovers LoungeJuly 19 - Crush, a Bon Jovi experience,joi

Fire breaks out at mobile home off Washington Center Road

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -- Fort Wayne Fire Department responded to the 5600 block of Le Steele Blvd, a mobile home park just off W Washington Center Road.
WANE 15 crew at the scene said they saw three fire trucks and one battalion unit. Based on photos extensive damage can be seen on the outside of the home.Details are limited at this time. WANE 15 will provide updates as they become available.
Photo of the home after the fire broke out.

Southwest Allen County Schools announces new superintendent

Video above shows the last sitdown WANE 15 had with Ginder ahead of his retirement.FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -- Southwest Allen County Schools has announced that a new superintendent will take over for the district starting July 1 after Dr. Park Ginder announced his retirement after the 2023-2024 school year.The SACS Board of Trustees has named Dr. Kent DeKoninck as the next superintendent of the SACS district.
Dr. DeKoninck has over 33 years of experience in public education and is a native of th

Advertisem*nt

More than 40 market rate townhomes set for Lower Huntington and Kress roads

ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) -- A local developer plans to build 42 market-rate, rental townhomes at Lower Huntington and Kress roads after receiving planning and county approval Friday.Preliminarily named Lower Huntington Road Townhomes, the five-acre development will feature high-end, two-story, two-bedroom, 2.5-bath units with about 1,200 square feet, an attached one-car garage and individual driveway, according to Scott Federoff, a local attorney associated with the project.The development laid

Wells, Whitley counties receive more than $500K from state health program

INDIANAPOLIS (WANE) -- Wells and Whitley counties have both opted in to the statewide Health First Indiana (HFI) initiative after each declining to join the program last year.Including Wells and Whitley counties, there were only six counties across Indiana to not join the program when it first launched in 2023.HFI will distribute $150 million in funding across the state's 92 counties for the 2025 fiscal year. Wells County will receive $549,510, and Whitley County will receive $666,724.“Thi

Hot Summer Nights returns to Black Pine Animal Sanctuary

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -- Hot Summer Nights has returned to the Black Pine Animal Sanctuary Friday night giving those the chance to see the animals in the wild!Black Pine Animal Sanctuary will open its doors from 5 to 8 p.m. giving guests to discover the wild at dusk, to watch animals participate in enrichment activities.Admission costs start at $10 for ages one to four, $12.50 for ages five to 17, $17.50 for ages 18 to 61 and $15.50 for ages 62+. Ages one and under get for free.
You can find o

15 Finds Out: How Fort Wayne landed Google

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -- While rumors circulated for months among the public about who was behind the proposed Project Zodiac on Fort Wayne's southeast side, the people who knew were busy planning and hitting deadlines on a near-daily basis to land the $2 billion Google data center.Jonathan Leist, Fort Wayne Community Development Director.
"We were laying out day by day, [asking] 'okay, when this approval happens, when can the next approval happen and what's the order of procedure?'" said Jona

15 Finds Out: How Fort Wayne got Google

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) -- While rumors circulated for months among the public about who was behind the proposed Project Zodiac on Fort Wayne's southeast side, the people who knew were busy planning and hitting deadlines on a near-daily basis to land the $2 billion Google data center.Jonathan Leist, Fort Wayne Community Development Director.
"We were laying out day by day, [asking] 'okay, when this approval happens, when can the next approval happen and what's the order of procedure?'" said Jona

Scattered storms tonight, more this weekend

A few more clouds come our way this afternoon with temperatures in the mid-upper 80s and humidity starting to increase.From now through evening, we'll see some scattered showers and storms. Gusty thunderstorm winds are possible with any strong storms.These storms will end before daybreak and Saturday will be slightly cooler than today, but mostly sunny through the afternoon.
Showers and storms will redevelop Sunday, especially during the afternoon and evening. Some of the storms may be severe pr

Want to get rid of old tires? Don't dump them, wait for free Allen County recycling event

ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) -- Allen County wants to make it easier and cheaper to dispose of unwanted vehicle tires.The county recuperated 4,000 tires last year from roadsides, wooded areas, alleyways,and anywhere else people dump tires rather than paying the county fee, said Stacie Hubbert, director of the Allen County Department of Environmental Management (ACDEM). The collection was quite an increase from 2021, when about 2,500 tires were recovered.“We’re already at about 2,0

Want to get rid of old tires? Don't dump them, wait for Allen County recycling event

ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. (WANE) -- Allen County wants to make it easier and cheaper to dispose of unwanted vehicle tires.The county recuperated 4,000 tires last year from roadsides, wooded areas, alleyways,and anywhere else people dump tires rather than paying the county fee, said Stacie Hubbert, director of the Allen County Department of Environmental Management (ACDEM). The collection was quite an increase from 2021, when about 2,500 tires were recovered.“We’re already at about 2,0

Defiance man killed in crash on U.S. 24 Thursday afternoon

DEFIANCE, Ohio (WANE) A Defiance, Ohio man died Thursday afternoon in a crash after police say he failed to yield to traffic on U.S. 24.
According to a press release from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the crash took place just before 4:45 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. 24 and Independence Road in Defiance County.
Investigators determined that James E. Bailey, 82, was driving south on Independence Road when he failed to yield from a stop sign and pulled onto U.S. 24. That's when a pickup going

Uber and Lyft discount available for those who drink too much this Memorial Day

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WANE)Sober Ride Indiana is offering a $10 discount for Uber and Lyft to help prevent people who are impaired from getting behind the wheel this Memorial Day holiday weekend. Rides are available if they originate in or have a destination of Indianapolis or Fort Wayne.“The Memorial Day weekend ushers in a season of activities, including the Indianapolis 500,” said Jim Bryan, ICJI’s Traffic Safety Director. “We encourage people to plan for a sober ride if

South Fort Wayne intersection shut down after pursuit, crash

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - A driver's pursuit with Fort Wayne Police ended Friday morning with a crash into another car and a fire hydrant.The intersection of Pettit Avenue and Hanna Street was temporarily shut down due to the investigation and flooding from when the hydrant burst.FWPD began investigating shortly before 11 a.m. An officer at the scene said it all started with a traffic stop at Lafayette and Pontiac streets, in which the car didn't stop for officers, starting a pursuit that lasted

South Fort Wayne intersection shut down after crash into fire hydrant

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - An intersection in south Fort Wayne was shut down Friday morning during a crash investigation.Fort Wayne Police began investigating shortly before 11 a.m. at Pettit Avenue and Hanna Street.A WANE 15 crew at the scene saw a vehicle had crashed into a fire hydrant. The intersection was blocked off with at least 10 FWPD units in the area, and the street appeared to be flooded.This story will be updated as details become available.

Evansville third-grader sets Guinness World Record

HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) - Guinness World Records recognized an Evansville Day School student as the youngest drone videographer in the United States.Third-grader Louisa Royer received a plaque on Tuesday during a ceremony at her school. Officials say the eight-year-old's interest in videography began at an even younger age, and she's been able to hone her skills to produce videos that showcase her perspective and storytelling ability.The Guinness Organization verified her record last October.

Lake Michigan beach to receive water rescue robot

BERRIEN Co., Mich. (WSBT) - As we approach summertime, beaches will start to get busier. This summer, Silver Beach in Berrien County will have a full staff of lifeguards, but also a new tool at their disposal, a water rescue robot.“It is a remote-control boat if you will, and it will be able to provide buoyancy for someone who might be struggling in the water," said Jill Adams, Berrien County Park Director.It's called EMILY, an Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard. It's 50 inches long,

Indiana beach to receive water rescue robot

BERRIEN Co., Ind. (WSBT) - As we approach summertime, beaches will start to get busier. This summer, Silver Beach in Berrien County will have a full staff of lifeguards, but also a new tool at their disposal, a water rescue robot.“It is a remote-control boat if you will, and it will be able to provide buoyancy for someone who might be struggling in the water," said Jill Adams, Berrien County Park Director.It's called EMILY, an Emergency Integrated Lifesaving Lanyard. It's 50 inches long, 1

Summer temps today strong storms possible

A few more clouds today with a slight chance of strong storms west of Fort Wayne tonight. But, we will be dodging storms mostly through the latter part of the holiday weekend. There's also a chance of strong or severe storms by Sunday afternoon.Temperatures will warm up quickly this morning to about 80 by noon. with skies remaining mostly sunny.A few more clouds this afternoon with temperatures in the middle 80s and humidity will begin to increase later in the day.By this evening we'll begin to

Morning headlines Friday, May 24

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Here are your morning headlines for Friday, May 24.

Summer sunshine today strong storms possible

More sunshine today but we will be dodging some rain through the latter part of the holiday weekend. There's also a chance of strong or severe storms by Sunday afternoon.Temperatures will warm up quickly this morning to about 80 by noon. with skies remaining mostly sunny.A few more clouds this afternoon with temperatures in the middle 80s and humidity will begin to increase later in the day.By this evening we'll begin to see some scattered showers and storms gusty thunderstorm winds are possible

Ohio governor calls special session to pass legislation ensuring President Biden is on 2024 ballot

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio's Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said Thursday that he is calling a rare special session of the General Assembly next week to pass legislation ensuring that President Joe Biden is on the state's 2024 ballot.The special session was called for Tuesday.“Ohio is running out of time to get Joe Biden, the sitting President of the United States, on the ballot this fall. Failing to do so is simply unacceptable. This is ridiculous. This is (an) absurd situation,”

Travelers trying to beat the Memorial Day rush are seeing flight delays and higher prices

The patience of Memorial Day weekend travelers was tested Thursday by widespread delays across the country, but there were relatively few canceled flights, raising hopes that airlines can handle bigger crowds expected Friday.By early evening on the East Coast, more than 6,000 flights had been delayed Thursday, with the biggest backups at the three major airports in the New York City area and Dallas-Fort Worth International.The Transportation Security Administration predicted that Friday will be

Summer sunshine today strong storms possible this weekend

More sunshine today but we will be dodging some rain through the latter part of the holiday weekend. There's also a chance of strong or severe storms by Sunday afternoon.Temperatures will warm up quickly this morning to about 80 by noon. with skies remaining mostly sunny.A few more clouds this afternoon with temperatures in the middle 80s and humidity will begin to increase later in the day.By this evening we'll begin to see some scattered showers and storms no severe weather is expected tonight

Rain and storm chances return for the weekend

Through the early morning, with our clear sky and very light wind, temperatures fall into the upper 50s by daybreak.Thursday's highs rose to the low 80s and it will be a little warmer Friday afternoon with temperatures in the upper 80s. Clouds increase advance through the PM hours.Showers and scattered storms are possible by late evening but the best chance is after 9 pm through the overnight hours up until sunrise Saturday. A few gusty and strong storms, with high winds 60+ mph, are possible, b