Gary residents can legally buy marijuana less than an hour away in Illinois. Back home, they can still be arrested for having it. That contradiction is becoming harder to ignore in Northwest Indiana, where state leaders are once again weighing cannabis policy while leaving current laws largely unchanged. Indiana remains one of the few Midwestern […]
Calvin Davis
Calvin Davis is Capital B Gary's government and politics reporter. You can reach Calvin at calvin.davis@capitalbnews.org.
Posted inLocal Government, Politics & Policy, Redevelopment
Gary Takes Next Step on $100 Million Lake County Convention Center
Gary officials moved a long-discussed Lake County Convention Center closer to reality, approving a key step that allows the city to begin negotiating costs for the project planned next to the Hard Rock Casino. At its March 24 meeting, the Gary Common Council approved a resolution allowing the city to begin working with a selected […]
Posted inLocal Government, Politics & Policy, Public Meetings
April 2026 Public Meeting Schedule for Gary
The Gary Redevelopment Commission moved forward on a mix of neighborhood and downtown initiatives, including a measure to expand the city’s sidelot program and taking steps tied to the future of the Genesis Center. The sidelot program allows homeowners to acquire adjacent vacant lots for maintenance or expansion, part of an ongoing effort to stabilize […]
Posted inLGBTQ, Politics & Policy
Indiana Blocks Gender Changes on IDs, Raising Risks for Trans Residents
Indiana residents can no longer change the gender on their driver’s licenses under an executive order from Gov. Mike Braun that requires state-issued identification to reflect a person’s assigned sex at birth. The policy, which went into effect Feb. 12, applies to all gender changes on Indiana-issued credentials, ending a long-standing Bureau of Motor Vehicles […]
Posted inEconomic Development, Politics & Policy, Utilities
Gary Residents Question Whether Data Centers Are Worth the Cost
Gary officials and residents are grappling with whether the city should welcome data centers amid concerns about environmental impacts, tax incentives, and strain on local infrastructure. During a public forum hosted by Common Council member Darren Washington, community members, environmental advocates, and residents discussed the potential benefits and liabilities of data center development in Gary. […]
Posted inEducation, Health, Politics & Policy, Utilities
Gary Lawmakers Warn New Laws Could Raise Energy Bills, Cut Medicaid Coverage
Gary residents could soon feel the effects of new state laws on everything from health care coverage to energy bills and public schools, local lawmakers warned last week. At a legislative town hall Saturday in Gary, state Sen. Mark Spencer and state Reps. Earl Harris Jr. and Vernon Smith walked residents through the changes, highlighting […]
Posted inEducation, News, Youth
Teacher Suspended After ‘Monkeys in a Zoo’ Comment to Merrillville Students
A Merrillville Intermediate School teacher has been suspended with pay pending an investigation after telling students, “You all are acting like monkeys in a zoo,” according to Merrillville Community School Corporation Superintendent Dexter Suggs. The remark, which parents say was directed at a fifth-grade class on Feb. 24, sparked outrage at Tuesday’s Merrillville School Board […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Politics & Policy, Public Services
Gary Businesses Face Higher Stormwater Bills as New Rates Take Effect
Many Gary businesses and other commercial property owners will soon see higher stormwater bills after the city approved a significant rate increase that shifts more of the cost of sewer and drainage upgrades onto nonresidential properties. The new structure raises stormwater charges to $14.38 per 1,000 gallons for commercial and industrial properties — an increase […]
Posted inRedevelopment
Citywide Demolition Plans to Clear Dozens of Unsafe Buildings
Snow fell lightly Monday as an excavator’s steel claw hovered and tore through a century-old house, shattering windows and siding that had been warped by years of neglect. The three-story home, which once stood at 674 Harrison St., was the first of 60 structures to fall during this year’s Citywide Blight Blitz scheduled to take […]
Posted inEducation
West Side Students Stage Walkout Over Principal Carl Scott’s Removal
Students at West Side Leadership Academy staged a peaceful walkout Friday a day after the Gary Community School Corp. board voted not to renew Principal Carl Scott’s contract. The board declined to explain its decision, citing personnel policy. Scott could not immediately be reached for comment. The vote has sparked backlash from students, staff, and […]