City Life Center of Northwest Indiana’s hallways are usually filled with children waiting for tutoring sessions, basketball games, hot meals, and rides home after school. But in recent months, leaders at the Gary nonprofit have been grappling with shrinking state and federal funding and the growing financial pressures that come with it. Earlier this month, […]
Rayonna Burton-Jernigan
Rayonna Burton-Jernigan is the Business and Economic Development reporter for Capital B Gary.
Posted inCommunity
Where Families Can Get Free Food in May in Northwest Indiana
As summer rapidly approaches, organizations across Northwest Indiana are scheduling free food distributions throughout May to offer families some relief from rising food prices. In Northwest Indiana, roughly 1 in 7 residents and 1 in 5 children are considered food insecure, meaning they lack consistent access to enough nutritious food. In Gary, almost 40% of […]
Posted inElections, Politics & Policy
Gary Voters Head to the Polls on Primary Election Day
Gary voters were greeted with steady rain and clouds on primary election day. While there is no presidential race on the ballot, several key federal, county and local contests are expected to shape life in Gary and across Lake County. In the 1st Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan faces a challenge from former Gary […]
Posted inHousing, Money
Affordable Housing Tour Stops in Gary With Push to Close Homeownership Gap
Music flowed through the hallway at Indiana University Northwest’s Savannah Center as residents walked in with folders in hand and questions on their minds. As the Thea Bowman Leadership Academy Drumline played classic hits to introduce the evening’s speakers, Gary welcomed a program with a clear objective: to bridge the housing gap in the Black […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Gary Takes Center Stage as Michael Jackson Biopic Premieres at Home
After months of work, West Side Leadership Academy became the site of something rare: a movie premiere that felt like a homecoming. Monday night brought an exclusive early look at Michael, the upcoming biopic tracing Michael Jackson’s rise, with a focus on his roots in Gary. In attendance were Michael’s brothers Jackie Jackson, Marlon Jackson, […]
Posted inArts, Community
Gary Has No Movie Theater, but Organizers Brought the Michael Jackson Biopic Home
When Karen Toering heard that a biopic of Michael Jackson was in the works, a lightbulb went off in her head. Could the film be shown in Gary, the city where Jackson’s story began? “It’s easier to carry optimism than it is to carry doubt and anxiety,” Toering said. After months of organizing and outreach, […]
Posted inCommunity
Where to Get Free Food in Northwest Indiana This April
Free food distributions are scheduled across Northwest Indiana throughout April, offering groceries to residents in Gary and surrounding communities as many families continue to stretch their food budgets. Roughly 1 in 7 Northwest Indiana residents are considered food insecure, meaning they do not have consistent access to enough food. Even for those receiving assistance, support […]
Posted inLocal Government, Politics & Policy, Redevelopment
How Gary Lost a $5 Billion Jackson Family Theme Park Deal
For a brief moment in the mid-1990s, Gary stood on the edge of a radically different future. City leaders and members of the Jackson family began discussing plans for a theme park in Gary, an idea that soon expanded into something far more ambitious. Envisioned as a destination on par with Graceland, the home of […]
Posted inArts, Community, Events, History
Gary Residents Are Invited to Share Michael Jackson Memories Ahead of Premiere
When chatter started about a potential Michael Jackson biographical picture being produced, the gears in the Gary International Black Film Festival’s team’s mind started to turn. “How could we celebrate our native son?” was the question they all asked as rumors turned into teasers and trailers for the film that began to drop into the […]
Posted inPublic Services
Gary to Build $1.4M Animal Control Facility to Replace Aging Shelter
One of Gary’s most vulnerable communities — its animals — will welcome a new home this year after a collaboration between community partners. Gary officials announced Thursday that the city will build a $1.4 million animal control facility to replace its deteriorating animal shelter at 625 W. Ninth Place and improve services for animals and […]