When Natè Billingsley got the idea for a dumping business, she wanted to do two things: help clean up her hometown and find work for formerly incarcerated individuals. “What I was finding is when they come home, they can’t find steady employment, and if they do have steady employment, the salary isn’t ‘cutting the mustard’ […]
Education
Posted inCommunity, Education
Gary Youth Center Struggles to Stay Open After State and Federal Cuts
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, […]
Posted inEducation
Capital B Gary Wins 3 Statewide Awards, Including First Place For Tornado Coverage
Capital B Gary earned three honors at this year’s statewide journalism awards, including a first-place finish for its breaking news coverage of a tornado that tore through the city. The awards were announced April 17 at the annual banquet of the Indiana Society of Professional Journalists, which recognizes top work across print, digital, radio and […]
Posted inEducation, Health, Politics & Policy, Utilities
Gary Lawmakers Warn New Laws Could Raise Energy Bills, Cut Medicaid Coverage
Gary residents could soon feel the effects of new state laws on everything from health care coverage to energy bills and public schools, local lawmakers warned last week. At a legislative town hall Saturday in Gary, state Sen. Mark Spencer and state Reps. Earl Harris Jr. and Vernon Smith walked residents through the changes, highlighting […]
Posted inEducation, News, Youth
Teacher Suspended After ‘Monkeys in a Zoo’ Comment to Merrillville Students
A Merrillville Intermediate School teacher has been suspended with pay pending an investigation after telling students, “You all are acting like monkeys in a zoo,” according to Merrillville Community School Corporation Superintendent Dexter Suggs. The remark, which parents say was directed at a fifth-grade class on Feb. 24, sparked outrage at Tuesday’s Merrillville School Board […]
Posted inEducation, Higher Education
Gary High School Partners With Indiana Universities to Offer Free College Degrees
The gym at 21st Century Academy buzzed with chatter Friday as elementary, middle, and high school students gathered in the stands. Excitement rippled through the crowd as they waited to hear the big announcement: They could get a college degree at no cost while still in high school. “We will not just give the money, […]
Posted inEducation
West Side Students Stage Walkout Over Principal Carl Scott’s Removal
Students at West Side Leadership Academy staged a peaceful walkout Friday a day after the Gary Community School Corp. board voted not to renew Principal Carl Scott’s contract. The board declined to explain its decision, citing personnel policy. Scott could not immediately be reached for comment. The vote has sparked backlash from students, staff, and […]
Posted inHigher Education, Partner Content
Indiana’s Targeting of Degrees With Low Earnings Could Eliminate These Programs
This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters Indiana lawmakers are moving to eliminate state college degrees that aren’t earning graduates enough on the job market, mirroring the federal government’s targeting of career programs delivering poor results. SB 199 appears to only apply to a handful of degrees at […]
Posted inArts, Education, Youth
Gary Youth Art Exhibit Celebrates Black History Month Creativity
Families filled the Marshall J. Gardner Center for the Arts on Friday night for a show put together by young people that featured artwork from teens and young adults across Gary and Northwest Indiana during Black History Month. Called Colors of Culture, the exhibition was created to give Black youth a place to show their […]
Posted inEducation, Partner Content, Politics & Policy, State Government
From Cellphones to STEM: What Indiana Lawmakers Are Debating in 2026
This story was originally published by the Indiana Capital Chronicle. Stricter cellphone bans, more focus on STEM and increased school “efficiency” are shaping up as some of the highest-priority education debates Indiana lawmakers will tackle during a fast 2026 legislative session that starts back up next week. The session will be shorter than usual — […]