Following a merger in January, The Allen County SPCA and H.O.P.E for Animals announced their new collective name is Humane Fort Wayne.

The rename is a step in the effort to solidify a joint identity. Formally, the two organizations are the Humane Society of Fort Wayne.

Executive Director Jessica Henry said the organization put together a focus group to decide on a name that would signal how united the two organizations are in their efforts to save animal lives.

With 52 residents of northeast Indiana hospitalized due to COVID-19, the area hit its lowest rate for hospitalizations on Monday since last April.

According to the Indiana Department of Health, statewide hospitalizations are at their lowest since early July, with 635.

Two additional deaths were reported in the region due to COVID-19 on Monday, and an additional 62 cases were reported.

The City of Fort Wayne has opened up a new emergency rental assistance program to help individuals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and have fallen behind on rent and utility bills.

Indiana ranks among the worst states in the country for voter turnout. And improving that is the goal of a new, nonpartisan organization: HOPE – Hoosiers Organized, People Energized.

The state of Indiana’s economic development arm has a new, temporary leader after Secretary of Commerce Jim Schellinger abruptly stepped down last week.

The Indiana Department of Health reported 168 additional confirmed deaths over the last week. That brings the state’s total to 12,310 confirmed deaths. The state also reported more than 5,500 new cases in the last week.

The second half of the General Assembly’s session got off to a slow start: Senate lawmakers debated the details of a program to help small businesses and a bill to guarantee schools their full funding is closer to passage. 

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened the state’s first mass vaccination site Friday. Gov. Eric Holcomb and other state officials received their COVID-19 vaccine.