February’s public meetings in Gary will center on decisions with direct implications for residents, including proposed sewer rate hikes, a sweeping zoning rewrite, and expanded redevelopment activity across the city. As those issues move forward, the Gary Common Council begins the year under new leadership. 5th District Councilwoman Linda Barnes-Caldwell now serves as council president, […]
Calvin Davis
Calvin Davis is Capital B Gary's government and politics reporter. You can reach Calvin at calvin.davis@capitalbnews.org.
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Public Safety, Redevelopment
Gary Secures $1.1 Million to Demolish Long-Abandoned West Side School
Abandoned school buildings have been among the biggest thorns in Gary’s side, standing as hulking reminders of decline. While some buildings have been torn down, the scale of the problem has continued to grow faster than funding to address it. Now, the city will use newly awarded congressional funding totaling $1.1 million to demolish the […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Lake County Report Finds Poor Oversight, Low Morale and Years of Financial Errors
A recent internal report paints a stark picture of how Lake County operates, citing loosely enforced attendance policies and a leadership culture rooted in control and fear. The report says those conditions have created “a very unreliable workforce” and allowed serious financial failures to persist for years. The Lake County Organizational Needs Report, prepared by […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Redevelopment, Sports
Chicago Bears Weigh Indiana as Gary Unveils Detailed Stadium Proposal
For the first time in decades, Gary officials say they are offering more than just a nearby location in talks about bringing the Chicago Bears to Northwest Indiana. This time, they say they have a financial plan they believe Illinois cannot match. On Thursday, city leaders unveiled a proposal that lays out how Gary could […]
Posted inCommunity, Politics & Policy
Gary Demonstrators Condemn ICE Following Fatal Minneapolis Shooting
A group of Gary residents and activists gathered on a cold and wet Saturday morning to voice their discontent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the city and across the country. The demonstration took place in the Miller neighborhood near the South Shore Line train station and was one of several held nationwide […]
Posted inEconomic Development, Politics & Policy, Sports
Why the Chicago Bears Are Looking Across State Lines for Their Next Stadium
The Chicago Bears said this week that they are expanding their search for a new stadium beyond Illinois, explicitly naming Northwest Indiana as a possible destination — a move that immediately reignited long-simmering speculation about whether the NFL’s oldest franchise could one day play across the state line. In a letter sent to fans, Bears […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, State Government
Senate Rejects Early Redistricting; Indiana Voters Remain in Current Districts
In a 31-19 vote, Indiana’s controversial early redistricting push hit an unexpected wall Thursday, as the state Senate declined to move forward with a vote that would have finalized a new congressional map targeting the state’s two Democratic-held districts in Northwest Indiana and Indianapolis. The House passed the plan earlier this week, but the Senate’s […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Indiana Redistricting Plan Could Leave Gary Residents Without a Voice in Congress
For nearly a century, voters in Gary have helped choose who represents Northwest Indiana in Congress. Under a proposed redistricting map now moving through the Statehouse, that influence would be diluted across a far larger, nine-county district. The proposed congressional map advanced by Indiana House Republicans would dismantle Northwest Indiana’s current district and disperse Gary’s […]
Posted inElections, Politics & Policy, State Government
House Passes Redistricting Plan That Dilutes Black Votes in Gary
After months of partisan standoff, public outcry and pressure from the White House, the Indiana House of Representatives voted 57-41 on Friday to pass House Bill 1032, a congressional map that could reshape the state’s political landscape for decades. Frustration and discontent echoed through the Indiana Statehouse as hundreds of Hoosiers crowded outside the House […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, State Government
After Backing Off, Indiana GOP Expected to Reopen Congressional Redistricting Fight
Indiana lawmakers will return to the Statehouse on Dec. 1 for a rare early start to the 2026 legislative session, where Republicans are expected to revive a proposal to redraw the state’s congressional map mid-decade in a move Democrats say will destabilize elections and undermine representation in Northwest Indiana. The announcement from House Speaker Todd […]
