Illinois will not have to turn over its statewide voter registration database to the U.S. Department of Justice after a federal judge dismissed the government’s lawsuit Friday, leaving the personal information of roughly 8 million registered voters protected. U.S. District Judge Colleen Lawless ruled that the Justice Department lacks the legal authority under the Civil […]
Gary
Posted inLocal Government, Politics & Policy
August 2026 Public Meeting Schedule for Gary
A busy month lies ahead for Gary officials as demolition begins at Broadway Manor, budget season gets underway and several major projects continue to move through the city’s boards and city council. The Gary Housing Authority confirmed this week that demolition is moving forward on the Broadway Manor public housing complex, on the 1200 block […]
Posted inEnvironmental Justice, Health, Politics & Policy
Gary Common Council Backs Medicare for All, Presses Nippon for Cleaner Air
The Gary Common Council unanimously approved two resolutions Tuesday night backing Medicare for All and urging U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel to invest in cleaner steelmaking technology at Gary Works. The measures are symbolic and carry no legal force. Together, however, they add Gary’s voice to national debates over expanding healthcare coverage and modernizing one […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Utilities
Gary Leaders Fear Indiana’s AI Boom Might Mean Higher Utility Bills for Residents
Gary Common Council members are back at the table with a familiar question: As AI data centers multiply across northern Indiana, who ends up paying for the power they need? Kerwin Olson, executive director of the Citizens Action Coalition, argued at a public forum Wednesday that residents already squeezed by rising NIPSCO bills could be […]
Posted inCommunity
Gary’s Pop-Up Roller Rink Revives a Black Tradition of Community Gathering
If you’ve driven down Broadway over the past few weeks, then you may have seen dozens gathered under the Jackson 5 mural overlooking Fifth Avenue. For several weeks this summer, the Gary Arts Council transformed the space beneath the mural into a community gathering place for an often-forgotten activity: roller skating. “Skating is something that […]
Posted inCommunity
Where to Find Free Food Across Northwest Indiana This July
July welcomes new changes and food insecurity problems, as benefits for those receiving the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program changed this month. Starting July 1, Indiana will tighten SNAP eligibility through new verification requirements, including limiting how much money and assets a family can have to qualify for the program. In addition, the state is ending […]
Posted inCommunity, Events
For Her Birthday, Gary Teen Is Giving Other Teens a Place to Belong
Most teenagers ask for gifts on their birthday. Mariah Smith is giving one instead. For her 15th birthday, the Gary teen is hosting a carnival and movie night for local youth in hopes of creating something she says many teens in the city are missing: a place to gather, have fun, and build community. “I […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
New Indiana Laws Now in Effect Will Impact Some Gary Residents
Beginning today, some Gary residents could face new hurdles to keeping food assistance. People experiencing homelessness may face fines or jail time for camping or sleeping on public property. And city leaders trying to tackle blight have a new tool for selling vacant lots. Those changes stem from three new laws that took effect July […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Redevelopment
As Gary Pursues New Development, a Black-Owned Landmark Is Fighting to Survive
The meetings had been going well. For months in early 2025, attorney Macarthur Drake and his family met with Gary officials about the future of downtown Broadway. The conversations centered on how the city planned to protect Drake’s building at 487 Broadway while demolishing the vacant structure next door. Four meetings. Maybe five. Each one […]
Posted inCommunity, Economy
The Black Families Who Built Gary’s Middle Class
This story first appeared on For the Record: A Black Oral History Archive. The archive is a collection of over 100 firsthand stories of Black life in America. Ernest Mosley planned to stay three years. Fresh out of high school in 1975, he walked three blocks from his East Chicago home to Inland Steel looking for […]
