This story originally published Oct. 31, 2025 The restaurant was still. Midday light slipped through the windows of J’s Breakfast Club on 26th Avenue and Broadway Avenue. In the back office, Joslyn Kelly sat at her desk, as the soft rustle of her staff moving in and out of the kitchen carried through the restaurant. […]
Community Spotlight
Posted inCommunity Spotlight, Culture, Religion
One of Gary’s Oldest Churches Welcomes Its First Black Woman Pastor
Murmurs filled one of Gary’s oldest churches this week as members attended Bible study, tidied up, and completed their daily tasks. Pastor Nicole Guns walked around the area with a smile as clergy members asked questions and prepared for upcoming services. “I didn’t know much about Gary, Indiana, before coming, outside of Michael Jackson’s house […]
Posted inBusiness, Community Spotlight
A Taste of Home: Sistas with Soul Brings Soul Food to Broadway
At the corner of 13th Avenue and Broadway, the smell of a home-cooked meal wafts to the sidewalk as the doors to Sistas with Soul open. Inside, Pamela Junior stands behind the counter, greeting regulars, welcoming newcomers, and serving food. Her sister, Alici’a Junior, slips between the kitchen and dining room, frying fish in the […]
Posted inCommunity Spotlight
She Was Born and Raised in Gary. Now, She’s Bound for the Skies.
Trinity Hobbs, a 24-year-old flight attendant from Gary, remembers the excitement she felt when she got her conditional job offer from American Airlines. “I feel very accomplished, because now I have an actual career where I get to enjoy life and get to help others enjoy life as well. So I’m very blessed. I feel […]
Posted inCommunity Spotlight
Restoration Project Brings New Life to Hatcher Park and Marshalltown Marsh
Glimmers of the evening sun shining through the trees gave Vertis Shirley all the light she needed to catch a glimpse of a gray catbird through her binoculars. “Right there on that tiny little branch,” said Kayla Lindsey-Fisher, senior stewardship associate for Audubon Great Lakes, as she directed Shirley’s attention to the spot where the […]
Posted inBusiness, Community Spotlight, Economy
Shoe Repairman in Gary Restores Community, One Sole at a Time
A quiet, cold air settled over the nearly abandoned shopping center in Gary, broken only by the faint creak of a door and the muted sounds of its lone open shop. Down the hallway, the squeak of worn soles echoed as customers hurried toward Anthony Rayford’s shoe repair shop, where he worked alone. “It’s a […]
Posted inCommunity Spotlight, Education
Cultivating Dreams: How a Gary Teen Discovered His Future in Farming
Surrounded by dozens of packing boxes and duffel bags in his childhood Gary home, Reid Hall prepares himself for his next adventure: going to college. Stuffing suitcases full of clothes, shoes, and golf clubs, he hasn’t fully packed for his move out of state. But he said he is excited to begin a new chapter […]
Posted inCommunity Spotlight
This Gary Teen Got Tired of Buying Clothes, So He Started Making Them
When Amir Watson was deciding what to name his clothing brand, the 18-year-old knew it needed to roll off the tongue. MUGEN AMOUR, a combination of Japanese and French words meaning “infinite love,” is what he landed on — resonating with its evocative message and potential to set the brand apart from others. In the […]
Posted inCommunity Spotlight
From Fashionista to Entrepreneur: Gary Business Owner Builds Her Dream Boutique
Among a group of stores with black and white signage in Merrillville’s Southlake Mall, a bright pink storefront stands out from the crowd: MJ’s Boutique. Inside, customers find shimmery dresses and denim jumpsuits hanging next to colorful blouses and racks of knee-length boots. Bouquets of pink roses are sprinkled across the store, and rows of […]
Posted inCommunity Spotlight
Gary High Schooler Finds Purpose in Representing Classmates
This story is part of Capital B Gary’s Community Spotlight series. We’re shining a light on the people, places, and businesses working to bring joy to and uplift Gary. To nominate a deserving spotlight, reach out to Gary Community Engagement Editor Derreka Rollins at derreka.rollins@capitalbnews.org. Last fall, Rayven Anderson had an idea. College application season was starting, […]