February’s public meetings in Gary will center on decisions with direct implications for residents, including proposed sewer rate hikes, a sweeping zoning rewrite, and expanded redevelopment activity across the city. As those issues move forward, the Gary Common Council begins the year under new leadership. 5th District Councilwoman Linda Barnes-Caldwell now serves as council president, […]
Politics & Policy
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Public Safety, Redevelopment
Gary Secures $1.1 Million to Demolish Long-Abandoned West Side School
Abandoned school buildings have been among the biggest thorns in Gary’s side, standing as hulking reminders of decline. While some buildings have been torn down, the scale of the problem has continued to grow faster than funding to address it. Now, the city will use newly awarded congressional funding totaling $1.1 million to demolish the […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Lake County Report Finds Poor Oversight, Low Morale and Years of Financial Errors
A recent internal report paints a stark picture of how Lake County operates, citing loosely enforced attendance policies and a leadership culture rooted in control and fear. The report says those conditions have created “a very unreliable workforce” and allowed serious financial failures to persist for years. The Lake County Organizational Needs Report, prepared by […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Redevelopment, Sports
Chicago Bears Weigh Indiana as Gary Unveils Detailed Stadium Proposal
For the first time in decades, Gary officials say they are offering more than just a nearby location in talks about bringing the Chicago Bears to Northwest Indiana. This time, they say they have a financial plan they believe Illinois cannot match. On Thursday, city leaders unveiled a proposal that lays out how Gary could […]
Posted inPartner Content, Politics & Policy, Public Safety
Ruling Absolving Legislature in Halting of Lawsuit Praised, Panned
This story was originally published by The Indiana Citizen. For the Gary gun lawsuit that has survived three appeals and multiple changes to state statute, the recent order to dismiss from the Court of Appeals of Indiana might be yet another chapter, rather than the end of the decades-old litigation. The December ruling from the […]
Posted inCommunity, Politics & Policy
Gary Demonstrators Condemn ICE Following Fatal Minneapolis Shooting
A group of Gary residents and activists gathered on a cold and wet Saturday morning to voice their discontent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the city and across the country. The demonstration took place in the Miller neighborhood near the South Shore Line train station and was one of several held nationwide […]
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 — […]
Posted inEconomic Development, Politics & Policy, Sports
Why the Chicago Bears Are Looking Across State Lines for Their Next Stadium
The Chicago Bears said this week that they are expanding their search for a new stadium beyond Illinois, explicitly naming Northwest Indiana as a possible destination — a move that immediately reignited long-simmering speculation about whether the NFL’s oldest franchise could one day play across the state line. In a letter sent to fans, Bears […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, State Government
Senate Rejects Early Redistricting; Indiana Voters Remain in Current Districts
In a 31-19 vote, Indiana’s controversial early redistricting push hit an unexpected wall Thursday, as the state Senate declined to move forward with a vote that would have finalized a new congressional map targeting the state’s two Democratic-held districts in Northwest Indiana and Indianapolis. The House passed the plan earlier this week, but the Senate’s […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Indiana Redistricting Plan Could Leave Gary Residents Without a Voice in Congress
For nearly a century, voters in Gary have helped choose who represents Northwest Indiana in Congress. Under a proposed redistricting map now moving through the Statehouse, that influence would be diluted across a far larger, nine-county district. The proposed congressional map advanced by Indiana House Republicans would dismantle Northwest Indiana’s current district and disperse Gary’s […]