Hey Locals,

Following last week’s standing-room-only public hearing on the Google data center, we share next steps for concerned citizens in this week’s Above the Fold – including details on a group attending City Council tonight.

We also mourn the loss of a Downtown staple, Pint & Slice, which announced plans to close its pizza parlor (permanently) at the end of this year. We explain why. Also in Briefs: We dive into a reader’s request for more information regarding the Indiana Attorney General’s press conference in Fort Wayne last week, which contained some inaccurate information – not to mention fear-mongering. 

This weekend: Kick off the holiday season with the annual Christmas on Broadway tree lighting, featuring special eats at Rune. Plus, a new opportunity to shop the YLNI Farmers Market Downtown at Headwaters Park Ice Skating Rink this season!

Heads up: We’ll have an abbreviated (and uplifting) issue next week for the Thanksgiving holiday. Hope you enjoy some time away from your devices!

Don’t forget: In November, we're partnering with Pikoso Burrito Co. at Union Street Market to bring all paid subscribers to The Local 20% off their dinner orders.

Now, let’s get started!

NOTE: Links to Journal Gazette articles are marked(*) and may be behind a paywall.

Citizens rally against Google's diesel generators.

A group plans to attend City Council tonight.

What’s happening?

Following last week’s packed public hearing on 179 diesel generators at the Google data center, a group of concerned citizens is planning to rally tonight outside Indiana Michigan Power’s Downtown HQ at 5:30 p.m. They also plan to attend tonight’s City Council meeting at Citizens Square nearby, where citizen advocate Kim Koczan gives us key insights on what to expect.

Here are a few quick points:

• Tonight’s City Council meeting is a committee session with no public comment period. Koczan notes that citizens have been unable to speak at council for the past three meetings, due to council’s biweekly schedule for public comments and last week’s President’s Day holiday (no meeting). 
• Citizens are asking local elected officials to speak up. Even though her group won’t be able to speak at the mic, Koczan says they have been in contact with City Council members – some of whom say they were unaware of Google’s diesel generator demands when they initially supported the project. Her team hopes local leaders will advocate for citizen concerns with state decision-makers.
• Top priorities include more time, transparency and environmental protections. Koczan fears Google’s use of diesel generators will not comply with EPA standards and that the tech giant will demand additional generators on-site as it develops. She says an ideal outcome would be IDEM delaying or denying Google’s request until local leaders can review the information more thoroughly and advocate for protections for local people and the environment near the site, which is close to several schools and homes.

So… why didn't local leaders know about Google’s diesel generators sooner? And how did we get to a point where citizens are rallying against the project?

We explore the topic in this week’s Thursday newsletter – for paid subscribers only.

• Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is investigating the City of Fort Wayne for “welcoming” immigrants, citing false information to justify the move. Last week, Rokita held a press conference at the Allen County Courthouse to announce investigations into several local entities working with immigrants, including the City of Fort Wayne, Amazon, and the nonprofits Catholic Charities and Amani Family Services. Rokita repeated unfounded claims about "labor trafficking" and incorrectly stated that Fort Wayne has been designated as a “Certified Welcoming” city by Welcoming America, which the city refuted on WANE 15. (It was actually Allen County that earned this designation in September.) In late 2024, Rokita used similar "witch hunt" tactics in Logansport, Ind., rooted in inaccurate information about Haitian immigrants there. He's attempted investigations in other cities where judges have denied him, citing a lack of “sufficient facts.” (A reader has asked us to follow Rokita's investigation locally, and we'll report more in coming weeks.)
• Downtown Fort Wayne’s iconic 816 Pint & Slice is closing its doors after 18 years, citing rising food prices and other business costs. “Food costs have roughly doubled in recent years, and the math just isn’t workable anymore for a small, family-run, handmade kitchen like ours,” it posted in a heartfelt message on social media yesterday, announcing its closing date as Dec. 31. Pint & Slice has contributed to Downtown’s resurgence, noting that: “Back in 2007, Downtown Fort Wayne went quiet after 5 p.m.” We wonder: what does this mean for other small businesses Downtown? And if Indiana is a “business-friendly state,” what support exists for businesses like Pint & Slice that have helped rebuild communities? Hit reply to this email, and send us your reflections.
• Allen County's former Sheriff Ken Fries (R) is running for the job again in 2026 against incumbent Troy Hershberger (R). Fries was sheriff for eight years and retired in 2015 due to term limits. (Indiana's Constitution limits sheriffs to serving eight years within a 12-year period.) Between Fries and Hershberger, who took office in 2022, David Gladieux was sheriff for two terms marred by controversy – financial and otherwise, including a 2022 federal court order mandating Allen County to address conditions at the existing jail, which resulted in the controversial new jail project. Fries says he decided to run after being contacted by county officers asking him to come back. He hopes to re-implement community programs like the Citizens Academy. "Law enforcement works much better with community involvement, and that’s what I’m going to push for," he tells WANE 15.
• Downtown Taco Bell is moving across the street on Jefferson Blvd. soon due to plans by the Allen County-Fort Wayne Capital Improvement Board (CIB), which owns its current property. Local developer and CIB member Don Steninger tells WANE 15 Taco Bell’s move into its new building at 405 W. Jefferson Blvd. could be complete by mid-December. The CIB owns the rest of its current block, which contains Rally’s and King Gyros, both on short-term leases. The former Taco Bell location will soon be seeking a short-term lease tenant, as well. Within the next five years, Steininger expects the CIB may use the block for a project, like expanding the Grand Wayne Center next door to make Fort Wayne more attractive to large conventions.
• Fort Wayne and Allen County are implementing new types of zoning intended to help fill smaller lots and make housing more affordable to families. On Nov. 7, zoning for zero lot line housing went into effect, allowing developers to build multiple attached housing units on adjacent lots, like townhouses. These housing types were previously difficult to build and finance under city and county codes. Within the past year, city and county officials have also allowed accessory dwelling units (ADUs), and next up is cottage courtyard zoning, or "pocket neighborhoods," expected by September 2026.
• Aqua Indiana broke ground on an expanded wastewater treatment plant in Southwest Allen County, the “largest investment in the company’s history.” The $28 million project at 6811 Engle Rd. is expected to serve customers in Allen, Huntington, and Whitley counties by reducing the risk of sanitary sewer overflows, improving odor control and enhancing sludge treatment to return cleaner water to the environment, The JG* reports. Officials cite “population growth” for the expansion. Water-intensive projects like the Google data center are also expected to vastly increase water demands for the City of Fort Wayne in coming years.

Kick off the holidays: with the 21st annual Christmas on Broadway on Nov. 21 at 5 p.m. Along with the classic tree lighting, parade and outdoor vendors, there’s a Polar Express Train Ride for children this year and grab-and-go meals on the Rune patio, including grilled skewers in flatbreads, mulled wine and hot chocolate. 

Ice skate: at the grand reopening of Headwaters Park Ice Skating Rink on Nov. 22, 4-9 p.m. This season, the rink is partnering with YLNI’s popular Downtown Farmers Market to host a special evening winter market on select Saturday nights, from 4-7 p.m., beginning Nov. 29th. ($7/person ages 3+)

Hike: at the Allen County Public Library’s Storytime Wilderness Wanderers adventure in Lindenwood Nature Preserve on Nov. 21, 4:30-5:30 p.m., hosted by Children's Librarian Haley and Naturalist Paris from Parks & Recreation. (Registration required)

Shop: local gifts and treats at the Autumn Vendor Show at Georgetown Place on Nov. 20, 1:30-4 p.m., and/or at the Le Chic Holiday Market Nov. 21-22 at the Kruse Plaza in Garrett.

Celebrate: Good Bread for All’s Christmas Window Display on Nov. 21, 5-8 p.m. with gluten-free, vegan pizzas.

Taste: bourbon and bites at the Four Roses Bourbon Tasting at Urban Golf on Nov. 19, 6-8 p.m. (RSVP required)

Snap a picture: with Santa and friends at the annual Christmas at Glenbrook display, beginning Nov. 21 at 10:30 a.m.

Listen: to Dueling Pianos with musicians Alicia Pyle and Daniel Vaides at The Fairfield on Nov. 21, 8-10 p.m. ($23/ticket)

Dance: at Cafe Con Perreo at The Fairfield, featuring DJs from Indianapolis spinning Latin pop and dance beats with specialty coffee vendors on Nov. 22, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Attend: the fourth-annual Funsliger’s Ball, featuring the Debutants and Friends at the Clyde Theatre on Nov. 22 at 8 p.m. (tickets starting at $15)

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Have a great week, Locals!

-Your Editor, Kara Hackett