Ella Abbott

Fort Wayne

Reporter at WBOI-FM

caffeine-free journalist. 😴 @wboi but opinions are mine and my desk plant’s alone.

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Articles

Renovations begin at Arbors of Southtowne Square in southeast Fort Wayne

3 days ago | wboi.org | Ella Abbott
Autocad Medical to build $70 million manufacturing facility in Warsaw

4 days ago | wboi.org | Ella Abbott

Warsaw will see a $70 million manufacturing expansion in the form of a 100,000 square-foot Autocam Medical facility. John Kennedy is the president of Autocam Medical. He said the city of Warsaw has been very welcoming to the company, which currently employs 10 people at the Medtronic building. “The labor that exists in Warsaw is pretty amazing," he said. "You know, certainly a lot of machinists and engineers that know machine operations.
Local Republicans show support for Iranian nuclear site bombings

5 days ago | wboi.org | Ella Abbott

Republican representatives for Northeast Indiana have shown support for the bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend. State Sen. Todd Young thanks service members who carried out the mission on X, formerly Twitter, writing “the world will be safer if Iran's nuclear capability is destroyed.”3rd District Rep.
Incoming heat could break Fort Wayne low temperature records

1 week ago | wboi.org | Ella Abbott

A system of extreme heat is expected to move through northern Indiana beginning Saturday and linger until Tuesday. Highs are expected to be in the low-to-mid 90s in the Fort Wayne area, with lows in the mid-70s. Maddi Johnson, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Northern Indiana, said those low nightly temperatures could break previous records. “We are currently forecasting four days, consecutively, of record warm lows in Fort Wayne," Johnson said.
Fort Wayne awards $380,000 in grants to local assistance programs

2 weeks ago | wboi.org | Ella Abbott

Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker announced $380,000 in funding for 22 local non-profit programs focused on helping low- and moderate income residents. The City of Fort Wayne's Housing and Neighborhood Services Director, Kelly Lundberg said not every community uses the funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to fund non-profit services, but Mayor Tucker is committed to addressing needs of residents who are struggling.
Plant, Pick, Plate initiative kicks off in southeast Fort Wayne

2 weeks ago | wboi.org | Ella Abbott

The City of Fort Wayne kicked off the Plant, Pick & Plate program on the southeast side on Friday. WBOI’s Ella Abbott reports the program aims at educating students in fifth through ninth grade on growing and cooking their own food. The program operates out of an old, renovated firehouse on Winter Street, where Johnnie Mae Farm is located. Inside the building is a commercial quality kitchen where kids can learn to clean and cook the food they harvest from the farm out back.
Language Learning Access Lab trains local interpreters

3 weeks ago | wboi.org | Ella Abbott

The Language Access Lab announced the completion of its first community interpreter training program, which trains bilingual individuals to interpret in healthcare, social services, government and education settings. Irene Paxia is the executive director of the lab and said it’s important to have professional interpreters available who are trained on ethics, cultural mediation, terminology and best practices.
Remembering local immigration activist Fred Gilbert

3 weeks ago | wboi.org | Ella Abbott

In April, local immigration advocate Fred Gilbert passed away at the age of 78 Gilbert spent most of his life working with and helping to create space for immigrants and refugees in Allen County. Some of the people who knew and worked with Gilbert spoke about his motivation and the hole he leaves behind. Irene Paxia has worked with Imani Family Services, the American Red Cross and the City of Fort Wayne, working with and advocating for migrants.
Plymouth Congressional pastors announce hunger strike for Gaza

3 weeks ago | wboi.org | Ella Abbott

Two pastors from Plymouth Congressional Church today announced their intent to go on a hunger strike in response to a blockage of aid getting into Gaza. Rev. Timothy Murphy and Rev. Sara Ofner-Seals will participate in a fast, with Ofner-Seals' being 40 days and Murphy’s being an indefinite strike until aid is allowed back into Gaza. Murphy said he’s been contacting elected officials requesting pressure on Israel to allow full humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Fort Wayne Zoo reopens Coastal Cove with a new inhabitant

1 month ago | wboi.org | Ella Abbott

The Fort Wayne Zoo reopened Coastal Cove on Friday, introducing the public to two familiar sea lions – and a new seal. Could you tell the difference between a sea lion and a seal on the beach? For Fort Wayne Zoo executive director Rick Schuiteman he noticed that many people visiting the sea lions in Fort Wayne couldn’t. “We need to educate the public on the difference between a seal and a sea lion," he said.