Category: News

Fort Wayne Students Protest Amid Growing Concerns Over ICE Actions

By Max Nordman

As of 2026, Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations have reached an all-time high, sparking a series of protests nationwide and taking an effect on education systems, including some of the schools of Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Tasiana Neer, a student at Wayne High School, expressed her concerns regarding recent political events and ICE’s actions.

“It scares me to know that they have been approaching schools where minors attend in an attempt to deport people,” she mentioned.

Those concerns are shared by other students and faculty members in area schools.

Starting in February, students and staff at local FWCS schools in Indiana joined together for weeks of walkouts, protests, and other events to speak out against the perceived harm and violence perpetrated by ICE.

 Some schools involved in the recent protests include South Side High School and Wayne High School.

On Feb. 7, the students at South Side formed a walk out. The protest quickly sparked a pattern amongst the other schools in the district.

At Wayne High School, students and staff held their own protest on Feb. 12. They walked out of their classes and onto the baseball field closest to the school, and shared concerns about the work and possible risks they faced when discussing political issues.

“We didn’t think we would get approval honestly,” said Chloe Ruckman, a senior at Wayne. “It was surprising that our principal agreed to it.”

According to Ruckman, it was difficult to pinpoint who had started the initial protest idea. Many of the students had claimed that social media posts started circulating after South Side’s protest on Feb. 2.

The first social media post, dated Feb. 3, was posted by an anonymous Instagram account and suggested a walkout at Wayne High School. Different posts involving plans, routes, sign ideas, and staff involvement all came into fruition soon after.

Several students were caught off guard by the number of teachers and adults who wanted to be involved with the protest. But a large group of students also found that they themselves did not care about political matters, and just wanted an excuse to skip school for the rest of the day instead.

“You know it’s crazy when the students do something about it,” said Aaron Rehrer, a teacher at Wayne. “I’ve been working here for years, and I don’t think we’ve ever had a walkout like this.”

Their efforts strive to hold the ICE administration accountable for the perceived misuse of power within the nation since the 2024 election. More than ever people have increased concerns of being at risk of injury, murder, deportation, kidnap, assault, and more from ICE.

Certain groups in society have banded together to fight against ICE’s actions and bring back the meaning of justice and equality as a community.

Due to careful planning and the help of the staff members at these local schools, there have been no reported incidents of any injuries or violence taking place during these peaceful protests in the FWCS district. Additionally, FWCS mentioned that all five high schools in the district have met together for discussions about these matters of concern.

 Neer, the Wayne student, discussed the community building these protests have had on the schools. She expressed that much of the administration had worked with the students to help them in their efforts.

“I’m glad so many people are protesting lately,” she said. “Especially now when it’s actually getting serious.”

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Upcoming Forum to Discuss Student Experience in Higher Education

By Andrew Danielson

College students and recent graduates will have a chance to relate their educational experiences with the Fort Wayne community at a unique forum opportunity on Tuesday.

The forum, entitled “Students Speak Out” is open to the general public and will be held Feb. 24 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Meeting Room B at the Allen County Public Library, 900 Webster Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Organized by the Higher Education Working Group, the forum is a chance for students to share their positive and negative experiences of studying at an institution of higher education in a public, “citizen’s hearing” style of meeting.

“It’s important to hear from local people about how higher education works,” Dr. Leonard Williams said.

Williams is one of the main organizers of the event and he’s no stranger to education. Now a professor emeritus in political science, Williams spent nearly 40 years teaching American politics and political philosophy at Manchester University before retiring from there in 2020.

Now, Williams is returning to his educational roots.

In 2024, Williams, together with a few colleagues and friends, formed an informal organization called the Higher Education Working Group.

“It’s a group of faculty, students, staff members, some current and some former, who got together to kind of raise the profile of higher education issues in the Fort Wayne area and northeast Indiana generally,” Williams said.

He said that the group held a teach-in event last November, focusing on issues in higher education. The response from that first event was so engaging that the group began planning their next event, the “Students Speak Out” forum.

“The reception we received there was that we need to have more events to kind of talk about what’s happening to higher ed, not just in Indiana, but across the country,” Williams said.

That passion for sharing the student perspective is shared by one of Williams’ co-members of the Working Group, Dr. Noor Borbieva O’Neill.

O’Neill is the President of the Indiana Conference of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and a Professor of Anthropology at Purdue University Fort Wayne. She explained that this meeting, sponsored in part by the Indiana Conference of the AAUP, was a chance to hear from the students’ perspective on higher education.

“We’re hoping this second event [of the Working Group] is going to give us a much clearer sense of what needs to be done to help students, to make sure that higher education is serving their needs, our needs as a community,” O’Neill said.

O’Neill explained that the Working Group is hoping to hold a third event in the coming months with a possible screening of the film “Freedoms Under Assault” (date to be determined).

Folks not able to attend the forum can still participate and share their experiences by emailing the Higher Education Working Group at their email address: HiEdWkGp@gmail.com

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Fever drop to 8th seed after Sunday’s Loss to the Lynx

By Lindsay Burke

The Indiana Fever fell to the Minnesota Lynx for the second time in three days after Sunday night’s 97-84 loss. Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever in scoring yet again finishing with 26 points after going 7-for-12 shooting. It was difficult for the Fever to slow down MVP candidate Napheesa Collier who put up 32 points on the Indiana defense.

The Fever got off to a fast start much like they Friday night at home against the Lynx, but their pace quickly faded in this one. Despite taking another lead into halftime the Lynx came out fast and never looked back. They quickly cut into the Fever’s small lead and took full control of the game leading it the rest of the way.

One of the three hardship contract players for the Fever, Shey Peddy, is finding her comfort zone with her new team after scoring her season high 16 points. She’s been automatic beyond the arc after scoring three straight 3-pointers in her first game with the team. Aliyah Boston and Natasha Howard each added double figures for the Fever. Boston finished with 14 points while Howard added 10.

Aerial Powers had a solid game for the Fever after signing a 7-day hardship contract Saturday due to Sophie Cunningham being out the remainder of the season with an MCL tear. She drained five points and added five rebounds with three assists. It’s unclear what the Fever will do if Caitlin Clark returns before the end of the season. She missed her 15th consecutive game Sunday, but there was a glimmer of hope that she is inching closer to her return after being seen in shootaround prior to their game against Minnesota.

The Fever won’t be able to keep all three hardship contract players if Clark were to return and will have some decisions to make if it happens by the end of the season. Despite their loss to the Lynx, they still find themselves in the middle of a tight playoff race. The loss dropped them from the 6th seed down the 8th seed. The top 8 teams get a playoff bid and the Fever finish the season with the toughest remaining strength of schedule. Their final opponents combine for a winning percentage of .587.

The Fever return home Tuesday night against the Seattle Storm.

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Fever Lose Close One to League Leader Minnesota

By Lindsay Burke

The Indiana Fever returned home to Gainbridge Fieldhouse after a week long road trip. The challenge ahead of them seemed like it would be too much given the fact that their roster is so depleted due to injuries. The Fever started the game off fast after three quick 3-point attempts from newly acquired Shey Peddy who quickly showed her comfort with her new team. The Fever were led in scoring by Lexie Hull and Kelsey Mitchell.

The Fever led for much of the entire first half against Minnesota who was without their MVP candidate, Napheesa Collier. After taking a 52-50 lead into halftime, the third quarter woes returned for the Fever. They allowed Minnesota to come back from as many as 11 points down after committing turnovers and missed opportunities. A late fourth quarter push led by Lexie Hull’s career high day, the Lynx walked away with a 95-90 win.

Not being able to close out games has been much of the Fever’s problem. They oftentimes start the game off fast, but lose much of the rhythm coming out of halftime. Kelsey Mitchell has been the team’s most consistent player adding 28 points. But defensively they get sloppy committing turnovers and no longer playing with quick tempo. Shey Peddy fit right into the Fever’s system adding 10 points after Odyssey Sims would exit the game and Chloe Bibby was declared out just after pregame warm ups after feeling pain in her left knee.

The Fever will look to bounce back in a rematch with the Lynx Sunday at 7 p.m on CBS.

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Indiana Fever’s Late Efforts Fall Short in Loss to Dallas

By Lindsay Burke

The Indiana Fever’s late heroic comeback came up short in their 81-80 loss at home to the Dallas Wings. Having a short-handed roster showed gaps on the offensive side as the team trailed for much of the game. Sophie Cunningham filled in at point guard shooting 50 percent from the field after draining 14 points including the game tying shot just before the half after the Fever trailed by as many as 15. She’s the spark the Fever needs especially being faced with such a depleted roster. Veteran guard Kelsey Mitchell led the way finishing with 24 points.

Dallas kept swinging after giving up their double digit lead. Maddie Seigrist was their strongest shooter on the night and stepped up in a big way while facing their own injury woes competing without Arike Ogunbowale. She was 9-13 in field goal shooting and finished with 22 points. The Fever just couldn’t keep momentum going after Myisha Hines-Allen took a wraparound pass from Paige Bueckers to give the Wings a 78-61 lead with 6:38 left in the fourth quarter.

A missed free-throw with 14 seconds left in the game gave the Fever plenty of time to drive down the court for a game winning shot after Natasha Howard came down with the rebound. Once the Fever got down on the offensive side of the floor head coach Stephanie White opted to use her reset timeout just as Kelsey Mitchell was getting smothered by the sideline. The inbound ended back up in Mitchell’s hands who was trapped in the corner and put up a shot that landed short as time expired. Natasha Howard added 12 points and dominated in the paint once again with 12 rebounds.

Dallas’ Bueckers finished with 16 points and eight assists to lead her team to a 9-24 record. Their playoff hopes are diminished but can spoiler the rest of the way for potential playoff bound teams. The Fever had several chances to win this one, but put the pressures on themselves by committing 18 turnovers and allowing Dallas to capitalize on all that occurred in the first half.

The Fever look to bounce back at home against the Washington Mystics Friday at 7:30 p.m.

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Fever’s Winning Streak Snapped in Third Loss to Sparks

By Lindsay Burke

The Indiana Fever came into Tuesday night’s match up with the Los Angeles Sparks winners of five straight games. Despite knowing the Sparks’ struggles when playing at home this season, The Fever were faced with a tall task. The Sparks like to play tall and fast – things the Fever have had struggles with in slowing down for much of the year.

The Sparks led by as much as 13 at halftime. The Fever just couldn’t get any consistent rhythm going. The Sparks got multiple stops on the defensive end behind Cameron Brink’s solid protection of the rim. She tied her career high with five blocks on the Fever. Kelsey Mitchell was the Fever’s solid offensive piece finishing with 34 points on seven three-point shots made. This performance by Mitchell shouldn’t surprise anyone. After all, she has been the Fever’s most consistent player for most of the season. She also hit her 4,500th career point Tuesday night.

Deep into the fourth quarter, the Fever closed the gap on the Sparks going on an 20-11 run and coming within six points, but time just ran out on them. They struggled in the paint slowing and couldn’t seem to completely shut down the Sparks’ drives. The Fever aren’t quite used to seeing the fast tempo that Los Angeles likes to run which was evident in their first two meetings.

Playoff Hopes are Still Very Much Alive

The loss knocked the Fever to a 17-13 record, but didn’t have an immediate impact on their spot in the standings. In beating Seattle on Sunday, they hold the tiebreaker over them. The Fever currently hold the fifth spot in the standings with the top eight teams clinching the playoffs. There’s still a month left in the regular season, so a lot can still happen. Head coach Stephanie White has her team playing some of their best basketball, but their most recent loss showed some holes in many areas. It very well can be due to travel fatigue as the Fever have been on the road for the last week.

They’re eager to get home to Indianapolis playing in front of their home crowd again. Every game remaining the rest of the way is equally important. A week ago they found themselves going back and forth between sixth and seventh place. No one would have thought that the Fever would be sitting in a fifth place position having been without their top player, Caitlin Clark. Her timetable for return is still very much unclear, although it’s possible she can be activated at the end of August. But if the Fever continue to play well and put some wins together, there shouldn’t be any reason to rush her back in risk of jeopardizing her health.

The Fever return to action Thursday night to wrap up their road trip against the Phoenix Mercury at 10 p.m. EST.

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Indiana Fever Look to Build on Five Game Winning Streak

The Indiana Fever will try to avoid a three-game season sweep Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Sparks. Riding a five game winning streak is just what the team needed after facing a rocky start to the season. Head coach Stephanie White’s squad has had to overcome a lot from injuries to players coming and going but now her team seems to be playing as a complete unit despite Caitlin Clark’s absence.

Clark has missed the last seven games, the most of her entire basketball career. Consistency in rhythm is what the Fever have lacked most of the season, but have recently put it all together in just the last week. Several players have stepped up in big ways from All-Stars Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell to the team’s newest members Sophie Cunningham and Natasha Howard. However, the Fever go into the second game of their west coast trip facing the Los Angeles Sparks, who have beaten the Fever in both meetings this season.

Both Mitchell and Boston are averaging 16.0 points a game while Cunningham is shooting almost 50 percent from the field. Newcomer Aari McDonald has made some noise for the Fever as well. She plays fast off the ball creating nightmare scenarios for defenses to keep up with.

The Fever have beaten good teams this season, but the tempo that the Sparks play at has created some problems for them. Kelsey Plum is a sharp shooter that the Fever have struggled with shutting down in both match-ups and to add to it, the Sparks will have a healthy Cameron Brink back in the lineup. One thing playing into the Fever’s advantage is the Sparks have struggled to win at home all season – a 3-9 record when playing at Crypto.com Arena. Another positive factor is the Fever themselves have had solid shooting and have cracked down on the defensive side of the ball. With no timetable yet for Clark’s return, the Fever hope to continue the momentum before heading back to Gainbridge Fieldhouse this weekend.

They face the Sparks tonight at 10 p.m. EST on CBS Sports Network.

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Ciao! PFW Musicians Teach and Study at Italian Music Festival

By Andrew Danielson

It has been a busy summer for musician Mastodons, and earlier this month was no exception. From July 1 to 13, a group of former and current students traveled to Italy with Dr. Hamilton Tescarollo to attend the InterHarmony International Music Festival.

Dr. Tescarollo, director of Keyboard Studies at Purdue University Fort Wayne School of Music, served as a faculty member and guest instructor at the first of two sessions of the festival.

Located in Acqui Terme, Piedmont, Italy, the event is an intensive music camp where musicians from across the globe get the chance to play and study music with their international colleagues.

From Left: Christian Urizar, Olivia Bressler, Ben Morton (IU), Dr. Hamilton Tescarollo, and Allyn Beifus (Photos Courtesy: Dr. Tescarollo)

According to the festival organizers, cellist and current music director Misha Quint started what would become the InterHarmony Festival in 1997. In 2000, a name change was made and the InterHarmony International Music Festival came into being.

This year’s festival was held in Italy, but the location varies depending on the year. The festival’s website mentions other host countries as locations for previous camps, including the United States, The Netherlands, and Switzerland.

For Tescarollo, this year’s InterHarmony was his first time going to the camp.

He explained that he knew some of the camp faculty and had indicated interest in possibly attending the festival. When an invitation came to serve as a guest piano instructor for the camp, he jumped at the chance.

Tescarollo said his duties at the camp included teaching private piano lessons and instructing chamber music classes, as well as performing on the piano himself.

Tescarollo pointed out that the location of the festival gave students a unique opportunity to not only study music, but also to experience a new culture and new surroundings.

The town in which the camp was held, Acqui Terme, which means “Thermal Waters,” has been a site of relaxation and culture since the time of the Romans. Located just two hours away from Milan, students had the opportunity to go on excursions and see the historic and culinary heritage Italy has to offer.

PFW senior Christian Urizar at the piano during the festival
PFW music graduate Allyn Beifus playing at the festival

Joining Tescarollo in this international musical venture were four of his former and current piano students.

One PFW Mastodon who went on the trip was Allyn Beifus, a pianist and graduate of the School of Music.

She said one of her goals was to improve as a musician, while also getting to meet new people.

She offered an advice to students considering going abroad to study at an international music festival: “You will experience a trip of a lifetime at a place outside the country, experience the culture, and develop musicianship with the people around you that are participating in this event as well,” she said.

That spirit of excitement and curiosity to learn and study is what Tescarollo hopes students experience with international music festivals like InterHarmony.

He said the camp provided students with some amazing opportunities to learn and study music in an international setting.

“Basically, expand horizons and meet new people and make connections,” Tescarollo said.

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Inside the PFW Surplus Store: Reuse, Resale, and Resourcefulness

By Andrew Danielson

Rows of chairs, desks and filing cabinets are arranged in perfect order inside the spacious, well-lit room. One corner holds computers and monitors; the opposite wall supports a stack of flat-screen TVs.

There’s a quiet sense of anticipation in the room, as if the objects are waiting for new homes.

Welcome to the Purdue Fort Wayne surplus store.

Located at 5190 St. Joe Road in Ginsberg Hall, the store is a hidden gem on campus — a hub for reuse, sustainability and community service.

“We handle all the surplus in Purdue Fort Wayne circulation,” said TJ Swihart, surplus property coordinator.

Swihart, a 2025 PFW graduate in criminal justice, volunteered at the surplus store as a student before taking on his current role last year. His department manages the collection, sorting and redistribution of university surplus — deciding what gets resold, recycled or discarded.

Swihart explained that the goal of the surplus store is to act as a resource for both the PFW campus and the greater Fort Wayne community.

Items no longer needed on campus are collected and brought to the PFW warehouse — located in the same building as the store — where they’re evaluated. Usable items are offered for sale or repurposed for on-campus use. Anything that can’t be reused is recycled or discarded.

The range of items is vast.

“Anything that’s not just your generic trash,” Swihart said, describing surplus that includes everything from computers and projectors to office furniture and televisions. “The most consistent item, I would say, is the computers.”

Many of the computers come from the university’s IT department and are reset to factory settings before being sold at a steep discount.

The store is typically open to the public once a month, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Swihart said customer turnout depends on the inventory, especially high-demand items.

“Apple products are a huge deal,” he said with a chuckle, recalling a sale where about 30 customers lined up for Mac devices.

On an average public sale day, the store sees 80 to 100 shoppers.

But the surplus store also serves internal campus needs. Academic departments can request items for free, such as desks, chairs or electronics.

“It’s not just about selling to the public,” Swihart said. “It’s about storing items for reuse around campus.”

That reuse supports both the university’s budget and its sustainability goals.

“That’s our big thing – being sustainable,” Swihart said.

In addition to in-store sales, the department lists select surplus items on GovDeals.com, an online auction site for government surplus. Specialty or large items — like vehicles — are typically sold there.

One recent success: the sale of a 2001 Chevy Tahoe, maintained by PFW staff and sold for more than $4,000.

The surplus store is part of a broader department that also includes mail services and print operations. The team handles internal moves, mail delivery and more.

Swihart said what makes the work meaningful is seeing objects get reused that many people might think have outworn their useful life. It is the chance to keep items in circulation and out of the landfill.

“I like to try to make the world a better place,” he said. “Being part of a sustainability program is nice.”

The store also partners with nonprofits. Past collaborations have included food drives with Ronald McDonald House Charities. This month, the store is working with Blue Jacket, Inc., a local nonprofit that helps people with barriers to employment.

As part of the July 18 public sale, shoppers can receive a discount by donating professional clothing, such as a sport coat or dress shirt, to support Blue Jacket’s mission.

Whether providing free furniture to campus departments, steep discounts to students or support to nonprofits, the surplus store is helping extend the life of useful goods — and making PFW and the surrounding area a better, more sustainable place for everyone.

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No Cape, No Problem: ‘Rave Guardian’ App Watches Over PFW Campus

By Andrew Danielson

“Rave Guardian.” The name sounds like something straight out of a superhero movie. But this isn’t a reboot of the Marvel Universe – it’s a smartphone app and it’s freely available to all members of the Purdue University Fort Wayne campus community.  

Even though “Rave Guardian” may not wear a cape and fly to the rescue of civilians in distress, the free app is a tool that can help keep members of the PFW campus community safe through a variety of services and utilities.  

“Everybody on campus should know about it – your faculty, staff, students,” said sergeant Rick Wiegmann of the PFW police. 

Wiegmann is no stranger to either police work or the PFW campus. July first will mark his sixteenth year as a member of the PFW police department. In charge of field training for PFW’s police officers, Wiegmann also leads one of the day shifts on campus.  

Wiegmann explained that “Rave Guardian” is actually a combination of two separate services that have been combined into one app. 

Home screen of Rave Guardian app
Settings in Rave Guardian
Chat options

On the one hand, the “Rave” portion of the app allows campus authorities, including the PFW police department, to issue warnings and alerts to members of the campus community. 

Say for instance that a traffic accident has occurred on Coliseum Boulevard, blocking access to the Coliseum entrance to campus. The PFW police can issue a warning through “Rave Guardian” telling students, faculty, and staff not to come to campus via the Coliseum entrance. 

Yet another use for these emergency warnings could be severe weather impacting the campus, such as the campus closing down due to severe cold. 

But that’s only one portion of the app.  

Wiegmann detailed how the “Guardian” portion of the app allows the user to contact the PFW police either via phone call or text message. Such contacts could be for any number of reasons. 

One use of the “Guardian” feature is when a student has to walk to their car or to their dorm room alone. Perhaps classes went late and it’s dark out. In that case, the student can turn on Rave Guardian and actually ask the PFW police to monitor their progress as they walk to their destination. Based on the geolocation data coming from the student’s phone, the police are able to watch their physical progress and direction as they walk from their classroom to their car or home destination.  

From Campus Police to Mom: ‘Rave Guardian’ Lets Loved Ones Keep Watch at PFW

But it’s not just the PFW police that can be asked to be “Guardians.”  

Mom, dad, a sibling, or a close friend can also be added by a “Rave Guardian” user as a “guardian.” In that case, a student will contact their “guardian” and ask them to watch their progress as they head home.  

“Mom can watch you walk,” Wiegmann explained.  

For those students concerned about their privacy, rest assured that Rave Guardian isn’t always on.  

“There’s an on and off switch,” Wiegmann said.  

This means that a student can turn on Rave Guardian when they feel the need to have someone with them virtually, then shut off the app when they arrive at their destination. 

‘Rave Guardian’ App Enhances Campus Safety at PFW

Rave Guardian does have some other unique features in addition to the “guardian” option. For example, the app allows users to report suspicious activity on campus. Since that report can be done via text message within the app, users can quietly and quickly notify PFW police of a developing situation, giving the officers valuable time and information to respond.  

One of the most prominent features of the app is that it provides a “911” call option on the app’s home page. If there is a true emergency that requires immediate response from emergency services, users have the ability to quickly dial 911 right from the app without needing to pull up their normal cellphone calling/dialing screen.  

Rave Guardian provides the PFW community a quick way to connect with PFW police and emergency services, but monitoring “Rave Guardian” requests and messages is only one of the services the PFW police department offers.  

Sergeant Wiegmann explained that the PFW police are available to assist students, staff or faculty who have locked themselves out of their car. The officers can also help jump-start a car with a dead battery or they can provide guidance in changing a flat tire.  

In addition to their virtual “walk alongside” via the Rave Guardian app, PFW police are also available to escort students to their cars or dorms if the student is feeling a bit nervous about traveling to their destination alone. 

“If you have a student who says, ‘Hey, I’m kinda scared,’ we can give them an escort,” Wiegmann said.  

But there’s a challenge with offering these services – getting campus users to actually download the app and take advantage of all it has to offer.  

“That’s one of the issues – getting everybody to sign up,” Wiegmann said.  

To help increase awareness of the app, especially for new incoming students to PFW, the PFW police will provide convenient handouts of information at orientation. Those handouts include QR codes that link to a variety of PFW campus websites and resources, including where to download Rave Guardian. 

For more information about Rave Guardian and where to download the app, visit the campus safety and security website. The PFW police department can be contacted via their non-emergency number at 260-481-6827. For any emergency, you should call 911 immediately.

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