Hey Locals,

It's a heated election week, but we might have found the one topic Democrats and Republicans can actually agree on: It's time to curb consolidation in the healthcare industry. (Take that topic to the Thanksgiving table.)

We follow up on recent reports by The Guardian about Parkview Health with insights from a Yale economist on how Indiana can respond. We also have the inside scoop on what's happening with Electric Works and details on three fall foodie events you won't want to miss in November.

Plus: We're kicking off your holiday shopping season right with a new deal at Fort Wayne's local toyshop, Hopscotch House! All paid subscribers get $5 off any purchase in November. Did you know we give our paid members a freebie every month at a local business to cover the cost of membership? See what a paid membership is all about with this 30-day trial, and you can get that discount!

Now, let's get started!

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

How can Indiana curb healthcare consolidation?

Yale Economist Zack Cooper answers our question.

What's happening?

After reading two stories by The Guardian about Parkview Health's monopoly in Northeast Indiana, we were curious: Where do we go from here? What specific measures can Indiana take to curb healthcare consolidation?

We reached out to Yale Economist Zack Cooper (interviewed by The Guardian), and he directed us to a policy memo he wrote on this topic a few years ago.

The quick answer? He says: "More antitrust enforcement from state and feds (state Attorney General in Indiana has more power after recent law was passed), and no Certificates of Public Advantage (that’s what’s going on in Terre Haute)."

We break down key points to understand in our premium newsletter.

• Local exclusive: What’s happening with Electric Works? We sat down with Scott Fergusson, Owner of Chapman’s Brewing (and a subscriber to The Local), to find out. Stay tuned for more reports. So far, we can say: Fergusson and a newly created team of about eight local operators, known as Three Pillar Operations (3PO), have been contracted to take over operations management on campus. One focus for Fergusson is filling Union Street Market, which he believes is an indicator of how the public perceives Electric Works, as a whole. His team has a few concepts in the works, including diversifying the market's beverage vendors. Kekionga Craft cider recently closed its booth, but Fergusson says a new concept, the Neon Pear, will open by December in the former Kitchen & Co. space of the East Hall. “We’re going to make it into a lounge with nearly 30 wines by the glass, craft cocktails and even more varieties of Kekionga cider on tap,” Fergusson says. “The Charlie Horse Bar will also be reopening soon at Union Street Market under a new name.” Stay tuned for updates!
• The largest outdoor stadium in Northeast Indiana is opening in 2026 by Fort Wayne FC Principal Owner Mark Music. The stadium will have a capacity of about 10,000 for soccer, concerts and other events and will be located south of Bass Road and west of I-69. “Sports is an integral part of today’s society and adds to the quality of place," Music says. "Soccer will continue to grow especially with the World Cup phenomenon that will come to the United States in 2026.” Fort Wayne FC is currently semi-professional, but plans to bring professional soccer to Northeast Indiana by 2026, the news release says. Stay tuned for details!

Plus: early-voting drama, Junk Ditch Brewing's closure, new shops Downtown and more. We cover it all in our premium newsletter.

New deal with Hopscotch House!

This month, all paid subscribers to The Local get $5 off at the local toyshop in November.

What’s happening?

The holiday shopping season is here, and we’re teaming up with Fort Wayne’s local toyshop Hopscotch House to bring all paid subscribers a special $5 off any purchase in November. 

• In case you haven’t heard: Hopscotch House has an amazing selection of new and vintage toys, games, puzzles, stuffed animals and more for kids of all ages (and children at heart)!
• Fun fact: It's owned by lifelong Fort Wayne resident Taber Olinger, who also owns the modern-day general store Fancy & Staple down the street at 1111 Broadway. Both buildings were built in the 1880s, and Olinger has given them colorful new life. Fancy, in particular, is known for its holiday displays with bright bottlebrush trees and festive trinkets. 

We also sat down with Olinger to get a few tips to start your holiday shopping list.

Q: Do you have any favorite products or product lines at each shop? 

TO: Oh yes, over at Fancy, I’m obsessed with all the stationary items, statement earrings, cool tees, and art! And, at Hopscotch, some of my favs are Candylab cars, Minikane babies, markers and pens from OOLY, all the plush, and my main weakness is the vintage stuff. You don’t even want to know how much of that I keep instead of putting our on the sales floor. No joke!

Q: Tell us about the local products you carry about each shop. 

TO: I carry (and love) a lot of local artists, and here are just a handful of names that come to mind: Imaginary Animal, Adeline Griswold, Jared Andrews, Grace Yencer, Phangear, K F Strasen, Corey Purvis, Tuff Girl Gang, Fleur to Gather, Hyde + Alchemy, Knotoday, Waya Mama, Rock Paper Print, Justin Lim, David Birkey, Afro Plump, and Daniel Dienelt. Some of these artists have hung on my gallery walls, or sit on the shelves of the sales floor, and some of them are permanently on the walls and fixtures, inside and out!

Q: Any pro tips for shoppers? 

TO: YES! There is an awesome free public parking lot at the corner of Wilt and Van Buren, that is just about one block away from either one of my shops. There’s also a ton of other cool local businesses, galleries, and eateries, that I would visit while in the area. If it were me, I’d make a day of it, for sure! 

Another tip, reguading events: Be sure to check out First Fridays on Broadway (every first Friday), which Fancy & Staple is part of. And if you have kiddos around the ages of 3-6, you’ll definitely want to check out our Paper Boat Playtime that happens monthly here at Hopscotch House. It’s an hour of themed play, craft, sensory and story time hosted by Miss Emily.

Learn more in our full story!

Make reservations: for three pop-up dinner events at local eateries.

1. Dana's: One of the newest bars on The Landing is hosting its first Wine Dinner on Nov. 6, 6:30-9 p.m., featuring a five-course menu, including dry-aged ribeye, paired with French wines. ($185/person)
2. Rune: Chef Sean Richardson's next tasting dinner is Nov. 10, starting at 5 p.m., featuring guest Chef Kealan McGlade of Bravas. "Think fall flavors, squash, brown butter, sweet potatoes, that kind of thing," an IG post says. ($115/person)
3. Le Bosc: Similar to Rune's roots, there's a new French-American culinary pop-up debuting at Fortezza Coffee on Nov. 16 at 6 p.m. Local Chef Riley Savick is offering five-course menu, featuring seasonal ingredients and French techniques, including a potato and caramelized onion tortellini in fermented pepper sauce and a krumkake dessert with white wine poached pear, custard and whip cream. ($80/person, with an optional $35 wine pairing)

What else? We share more things to do in our premium newsletter.

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Let us know at thelocalfortwayne@gmail.com.

Have a great week, Locals!

-Your Editor, Kara Hackett