To promote education about men’s health issues worldwide, organizations observe Men’s Health Month throughout June. Studies show health disparities in Black men are associated with social and economic factors, like high poverty, low education levels, lack of health insurance, and widespread unemployment. To address this, education, early detection, and increased awareness are strategies that can […]
Community
Posted inCommunity
Planting Hope: Gary’s Urban Gardens Foster Community and Healing
STANDING OVER AN open acre of lush greenery, Lord Cashus D gestures toward a garden full of fruit trees, flora, and an array of herbal and medicinal plants. “This is a sanctuary of the living,” said the Gary resident, who started the green space six years ago. “That’s why we created this.” Mystical Farms, a […]
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Looking for Summer Camps, Gary Parents? Here’s Where to Start.
Summer is almost here! Schools will be out in a matter of weeks, and it’ll be time to brave the constant heat again. Who’s excited? For kids, those months off provide some much-needed rest from eight-hour days, uniforms, and class changes. But that relief can quickly turn into boredom without something to occupy their time. […]
Posted inCommunity, Environmental Justice
Residents Fight Gary Works Air Permit: ‘If the Steel Mill Won’t Quit, They Should Get No Permit’
Across the street from the smoke plumes of Gary Works’ steel mill, community members gathered at 21st Century Charter School to fight for their right to clean air. “Our air quality is a joke,” said Gary resident and gardener Libre Booker, who was moved to tears while speaking. “Our air quality is actually a joke. […]
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Gary Residents Join Forces with City Hall in Cleanup Campaign
LaTanya Rodgers wielded her reaching claw like a sword, using her forearm to shield her face from snapping tree branches. Dressed in camouflage, she battled through the dense brush at Hatcher Park, determined to pick up as much trash as possible. “When people pollute, they’re not just disrespecting Gary, they’re disrespecting God’s country,” Rodgers said. […]
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Solar Eclipse Mesmerizes Gary: ‘Feels Like Watching God Do His Work’
Gary joined millions nationwide in witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime eclipse, a phenomenon that will not reoccur in the area for decades. The eclipse’s view began in Northwest Indiana at 2:07 CT pm. and was expected to be up to 97% totality in the area, according to meteorologist Zachary Yack with the National Weather service in Chicago. […]
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New Flash-Frozen Facility in Gary Promises Fresh Produce
Faith Farm and Orchard marked a milestone in its urban farming journey by unveiling a new flash-frozen kitchen facility in Gary’s Emerson neighborhood. The ceremony on Thursday began with a group prayer in the freezer and kettle-filled kitchen. A lineup of city and county officials, health professionals, and food justice advocates then talked about the […]
Posted inCommunity, Culture, State Government
Happy Hour and Carryout Cocktails Could Return to Indiana This Summer
This story was originally published by the Indiana Capital Chronicle. Expect to see happy hours and the option to add a cocktail to your carryout restaurant order as soon as July, under finalized legislation approved Thursday. It now goes to the governor. House and Senate Hoosier lawmakers were briefly at odds over the prospect of […]
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Meet Gary’s New Health Commissioner, Dr. Janet Seabrook
Long before Dr. Janet Seabrook was an award-winning physician and public health leader in Gary, she was just a kindergartener with a dream. She remembers visiting her pediatrician one day and deciding she wanted to be a doctor after the physician let Seabrook listen to her heartbeat with a stethoscope. “I said, ‘I’d like to […]
Posted inCommunity
From Tragedy to Advocacy: Eric Garner’s Daughter Talks with IUN Students
At Indiana University Northwest, four teens walked onto the stage of the school’s main theater, settling into the red chairs arranged for them. To their left stood Emerald Garner, the 32-year-old daughter of the late Eric Garner, who died after being put in a chokehold by a New York City cop in 2014. She’d selected […]
