Tom Powell
News Director
Tom Powell is a well-respected newsroom leader with more than 20 years of experience in television news. His work as a journalist has been recognized with two regional Emmy awards and a regional Murrow award. He is currently the News Director at WPTA. Before anchoring and reporting for ABC21, Tom anchored Fort Wayne's NBC News at 5, 6, and 11 with broadcast veteran Linda Jackson.
Tom took his first reporting job in Sioux Falls after graduating from the University of Illinois. He then spent eight years as a general assignment reporter at WREG in Memphis and five years as an anchor at WSJV in South Bend.
The Allen county judge who was brought in to oversee the Delphi Murders case is currently working from home.
While investigating, police learned that a manager at Dunham’s was kidnapped at gunpoint away from the store and was held hostage by two suspects. One of the suspects then went inside the store, which was closed at the time of the robbery, and stole a large number of pistols.
A company spokesperson says 89-year-old Alan Fox passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends. He ran the company from 1960-2012. Alan was son of the company’s founder Hugo Fox. He left his career in chemical engineering to run the family business.
Trisha Ohlwine says the father of her children was mentally ill and died by suicide in the Allen County Jail. She believes local law enforcement did not take the necessary steps to prevent the tragedy. She also believes the set-up of the jail itself contributed to his death.
When 21Investigates learned about Jonathan Ohlwine’s suicide, our team wanted to know more. We filed a public records request to see what landed him in jail in the first place. Our team obtained police body camera video and court documents which shined new light on the case.
Attorneys representing Delphi murders suspect Richard Allen have filed a petition asking for the Indiana Supreme Court to take action in the case.
The DeKalb County Commission voted to reject a resolution Monday that would have allowed a renewable energy company to move forward with a planned solar farm.
After a Fort Wayne Police Department Seargent was issued an infraction for striking and killing a pedestrian while on duty, 21Investigates filed a public records request to obtain the body camera footage from responding officers.
The fight over funding for a new Allen County Jail continues.
21Alive’s Tom Powell met the Golden Bachelor’s father, who lives right here in Fort Wayne.
A late night round of severe weather caused damage in LaGrange Tuesday.
You have welcomed her into your home as a trusted source of news in Fort Wayne. Now, 21Alive’s Linda Jackson is celebrating 35 years in broadcasting.
You simply can’t put a price on pride.
There was a big party Thursday in the small town of South Whitley, off of State Street at the Columbia Senior Apartments. All of the residents came out to celebrate Nyla South’s 109th birthday. Nyla was born on July 6, 1914. It was a month that changed the world. Just weeks after Nyla was born, World War I began.
Allen County court records show former Bishop Luers teacher Matthew Brown has been charged with four counts of child seduction.
We’re told the video was taken during a basketball game at SportONE Parkview Fieldhouse during a tournament Saturday.
The Allen County Board of Commissioners presented an update on the progress of building a new Allen County Jail to the Allen County Council Thursday morning.
A Fort Wayne native witnessed history during the final curtain call for Broadway’s longest-running show.
Urban search and rescue teams worked to go through damaged homes.
Leaders with Southwest Allen County Schools (SACS) have announced a “path forward” 10 days after a viral photo of a student in Blackface caused protests at Homestead High School (HHS).
Commissioner Richard Beck began Friday morning’s Allen County Commissioners meeting with discussion about site selection for a new Allen County Jail.
The family of a teen girl murdered in Paulding, Ohio decades ago is hoping that modern technology can identify a killer.
The Allen County Commissioners gave an update on their efforts to satisfy a federal judge’s order to remedy overcrowding at the Allen County Jail during a County Commissioners Meeting Friday morning.
Health officials are working to raise awareness among a public that is fatigued from two years of constant COVID-19 messaging and precautions.
Parents are learning just how expensive school shopping can be with inflation pushing up prices on everything from paper to laptops.
With Indiana’s near-total ban on abortion taking effect in September, it’s helpful to know how babies are made in the first place. But the state doesn’t require schools to teach such lessons to their students.
The Indiana House of Representatives gets its turn debating a near-total abortion ban after the Senate passed the measure last week.
The neighbors insist a jail will make their neighborhoods less safe and less appealing for development.
t would be easy to think a Republican-authored bill would sail through a Republican-dominated legislature. But in the case of a proposed abortion ban, the process is anything but easy.
When Diana Rockey lost a special ring in Tippecanoe Lake, she thought it was gone forever.
Rabbi Meir Bargeron of Fort Wayne’s Congregation Achduth Vesholom explained his faith’s position on abortion and why he believes Indiana’s proposed abortion ban violates not only the bodily autonomy of women but strikes at the very heart of religious freedom.
Neighbors are adamant that a proposal to build a new county jail in their corner of the city will reverse years of economic development work.
A Fort Wayne woman says a now-former police officer exposed himself as he was on duty after her initial call for help.
While those lawmakers were happy to discuss their desire for new abortion laws then, they have since gone quiet in the lead-up to the special session, leaving many to wonder what options are being considered.
Erica Bray Manning thought she heard the sound of firecrackers. Her husband knew it was something more sinister. He grabbed their daughter and they ran to an underground garage for safety.
Some Fort Wayne residents have been waiting for the City to remove a tree that is blocking the street since the latest damaging storm blew through nearly one week ago.
“I didn’t expect to have to bury her so soon,” Heather Johnson told ABC21′s Tom Powell during an interview on Thursday.
In a matter of moments, Mr. Diaz fell victim to a tragic fireworks accident. His friend opened up to ABC21′s Tom Powell during the News at 7.
On Thursday’s edition of the News at 7, Tom Powell looked into EMT and paramedic pay in Fort Wayne, while asking a former paramedic how he would treat the troubled TRAA.
The Tree Rivers Ambulance Authority is closer to taking over daily operations from its prime contractor after years of slow response times and inadequate staffing levels.
According to Nielson, at least 20 million people watched the first hearing in prime time. That’s a bigger audience than the Game of Thrones finale attracted. While ratings have dropped since then, they still pull considerable numbers in the millions.
Last week’s Derecho is behind us, but the clean-up efforts are still well underway across 21Country. Whitley County officials say residents suffered so much damage, that they are scrambling to find help removing all the downed trees.
The vividly disturbing descriptions are often left out of the conversations among those in power, but doctors understand the stakes.
Calls are growing louder for Indiana’s leaders to reduce or pause the gasoline tax as Hoosiers pay record-high prices for fuel. So far, Governor Holcomb and Statehouse Republicans have refused to do so.
State Representative Jim Lucas (R-Seymour) plans to draft a bill that would give teachers the option to arm themselves in the classroom while undergoing mandatory training.
As politicians debate gun safety policy, some districts have implemented their own security plans using new technology.
A woman who confronted her pastor during a service where he confessed to having sex with her when she was 16 years old is speaking with ABC21′s Tom Powell in her first sit-down, on-camera interview.
Indiana University Medical School Professor Dr. Gabriel Bosslet says physicians and scientists shouldn’t be afraid to advocate for change when it comes to guns in America. He recently retweeted an article about treating gun violence as a health crisis.
Zionsville mayor Emily Styron is among those calling for new legislation, and she isn’t shy about calling out those who refuse to listen.
