FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) — The City of Fort Wayne is receiving more than $54,000 from Norfolk Southern for four projects focused on public safety, neighborhood improvements and workforce development. The city was awarded four grants totaling $54,109 — one through Norfolk Southern’s Thriving Com munities Grant Program and three through its Safety First Grant Program. The funding will support projects involving neighborhood lighting, fire training, police intelligence-sharing and improvements to commercial corridors. The largest grant, $15,000, will help the city’s Department of Neighborhoods expand its Safe Neighborhoods Initiative in the Oxford neighborhood. The money will fund about 60 solar-powered motion-sensor lights and 30 strategically placed street trees. The Fort Wayne Police Department also received $15,000 to expand its Investigative Operations Center. The funding will go toward audiovisual equipment, computers, monitors and other technology designed to improve information sharing and coordination with law enforcement partners. The Fort Wayne Fire Department received $14,109 to upgrade its community fire extinguisher training program. The department plans to purchase a training system that creates more realistic fire scenarios for residents and businesses. The Fort Wayne Urban Enterprise Association received a $10,000 Thriving Communities grant for a corridor trades and beautification project. The initiative will focus on improvements along older commercial corridors while providing work-based learning opportunities for participants in the Small-Scale Developer Program. Planned improvements could include planters, benches, signage, public art and cleanup projects. Norfolk Southern launched its open-application Safety First and Thriving Communities grant programs in 2023. The programs support safety, sustainability, workforce development and community resilience across the company’s 22-state network. Mayor Sharon Tucker said the grants demonstrate the value of partnerships between the city and Norfolk Southern. The post Fort Wayne receives $54,109 in Norfolk Southern grants appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less