Gary city officials moved one step closer to making the long-awaited Lake County Convention Center a reality Monday night. The Common Council advanced an ordinance that sets up a special convention fund for city and state matched funds, along with private contributions from Hard Rock Casino, to jointly bankroll the project with new appropriations outlined […]
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
August 2025 Public Meeting Schedule for Gary
Gary’s Common Council dealt primarily with zoning issues during its meeting in July. As a result, two new auto dealerships have been greenlighted for Fifth Avenue on the city’s West Side. Starting today, the council will address short-term rentals in the Miller neighborhood as it issues a final vote today on the rezoning of a […]
Posted inEducation
Virtual Teachers Spark Community Outrage in Gary; Union Cites Unfair Labor Practices
Members of the Gary Teachers Union and concerned residents filled the union office for a standing-room-only meeting Thursday to discuss the Gary Community School Corporation’s decision to enlist virtual teachers amid a nationwide teacher shortage. On July 9, the Gary School Board voted to retain Proximity, a company based in Austin, Texas, to supply up […]
Posted inEconomy
Congressional Visit to Gary Spotlights Urgent Need for Workforce Training in Northwest Indiana
U.S. Reps. Frank Mrvan, Gary’s representative in the U.S. House, and Nikki Budzinski, D-Illinois, hosted a workforce development roundtable Wednesday in Gary focused on expanding federal investment in job training and education. Held at the United Steelworkers Local 1066 union hall, the discussion brought together union leaders, educators, and nonprofits from across Northwest Indiana to […]
Posted inCommunity, Sports
6 Hometown Heroes Inducted Into the Gary Sports Hall of Fame
Six Gary sports legends each had their name and likeness immortalized in Gary sports lore Friday at the fourth annual Gary Sports Hall of Fame Ceremony. The list of inductees spanned multiple generations of Gary sports history, from world-renowned track and field stars and coaches like Marce Gonzalez Sr., who graduated from Froebel High School […]
Posted inElections, Health, Indiana Black Legislative Caucus, Mental Health, Politics & Policy
New Indiana Laws Could Strip Health Coverage, Voting Access in Gary
New state laws that took effect July 1 are drawing attention across Indiana, particularly in places like Gary, where access to health care and the ballot box is already uneven. In a city like Gary, where voter turnout is often low and civic trust is fragile, the new laws raise the stakes ahead of the […]
Posted inCommunity, Local Government
Love Your Block Grants Help Gary Residents Rebuild Their Neighborhoods
At 2109 Adams St. in Gary, a small community park is coming back to life not just with flowers and fences, but with purpose. A stage, once overlooked, will soon host spoken word events. A newly paved path leads into the city’s first handicap-accessible community garden, surrounded by a safety fence built with children and […]
Posted inHealth, Mental Health, News
Gary Launches Behavioral Health Division, Awarding $900K to 10 Local Health Organizations
Gary is launching a new Behavioral Health Division and awarding $900,000 in grants to local organizations, marking a major step in the city’s effort to expand access to mental health and addiction services. At a press conference on Thursday, Mayor Eddie Melton announced the new division along with the recipients of the funding while highlighting […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Politics & Policy
Gary Residents Could Soon Be Free From Vehicle Emissions Testing
After years of debate, Gary residents may soon see an end to the every-other-year vehicle emissions testing that’s long been required in Lake and Porter counties, thanks to a push state lawmakers are making to end it. The policy, a holdover from decades-old federal air quality regulations, has disproportionately impacted working-class residents in Northwest Indiana. […]
Posted inEducation, Youth
Pre-K Access Shrinks in Lake County and Gary as State Cuts Budget
Lake County families are bracing for the fallout of major cuts to Indiana’s On My Way Pre-K, the state’s first full-scale preschool program for low-income 4-year-olds, which advocates warn could severely limit access to early childhood education in communities already struggling with inequity. The program allows families to use state vouchers at participating public and […]