This series was produced as part of the Pulitzer Center’s StoryReach U.S. Fellowship. In the empty halls of the Gary Neighborhood Services building on Grant Street once stood the Milky Way Cafe, a casual space created for breastfeeding moms to meet, share supporting resources, and consult with professionals. But the clinic, one of the few […]
Gary
Posted inCommunity, Redevelopment
New $30M YMCA Coming to Gary’s Tolleston Neighborhood
Gary officials have unveiled plans for a state-of-the-art, 91,000-square-foot YMCA in the Tolleston neighborhood that they hope will serve as a community hub. The $30 million project, one of the largest recent investments in the city, will provide fitness programs, health care services, and educational resources for the youth. On Friday morning, residents filled the […]
Posted inAir Pollution, Environmental Justice
Braun’s Executive Order Sparks Alarm in Polluted Communities Like Gary
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun’s latest executive order eliminating environmental justice protections is sparking concern in communities like Gary, a city long plagued by industrial pollution. Environmental advocates warn that gutting oversight will leave vulnerable residents with fewer safeguards against toxic emissions and hazardous waste. Earlier this week, Braun signed an executive order eliminating “environmental justice” […]
Posted inCommunity, Redevelopment
‘Bye Bye to Blight’: Gary’s Aetna Residents See Hope as Demolitions Continue
Since 2015, Penelope Love and her fellow neighbors of the Aetna Manor Revitalization Program have worked to restore the neighborhood through various cleanup projects. But eliminating blighted structures would take more than they could muster alone. Now, an ongoing city initiative fueled largely by volunteer efforts gives Aetna the boost Love sought. “It’s a good […]
Posted inArts, Community, Education
Gary Native PeQue Empowers Youth Through Art
As temperatures rise in Gary, so too is residents’ desire to push the city in a brighter direction. To that end, one avenue for change is being honed in our youngest citizens: through art. World-renowned artist PeQue, a Gary native whose murals have honored figures like Kobe Bryant and Kamala Harris, returned home — not […]
Posted inHealth
Gary’s Edgewater Health Celebrates International Women’s Day
For nearly a century, International Women’s Day has recognized the contributions and legacies of women across the world. This year’s theme, “Accelerate Action,” underscores the urgency of breaking down systemic barriers and biases that women face, including lower pay, unequal access to resources, and discrimination. At the current pace, full gender equality won’t be reached […]
Posted inBusiness, Economic Development, Local Government
‘This Is the Right Time’: Melton Pushes for Convention Center in Gary
Chatter bounced off the high ceilings of St. Timothy’s Church on Thursday as hundreds of Lake County residents filled the pews, waiting for an answer to a question that has stirred both hope and doubt: Could Gary become home to the long-awaited Lake County Convention Center? With the decision narrowed to two locations, Hard Rock […]
Posted inEducation
How Gary Students Can Get Tutoring Support for Standardized Tests
Standardized testing season is approaching, and for many Gary students, the stakes are high. Students who don’t pass Indiana’s standardized exams face additional studying requirements or are required to take summer school, but for third-graders, the consequences are even more severe. Those who fail the state’s reading assessment risk being held back and required to […]
Posted inMaternal Health
Black Mamas Matter: Addressing Maternal Health Disparities in Gary
This series was produced as part of the Pulitzer Center’s StoryReach U.S. Fellowship. “What can we do to improve Black maternal health?” The question, from a single Gary mom, fell on the empathetic ears of nearly 20 other women at J’s Breakfast Club in Gary. But the query, all too common, has reached far beyond […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy, Public Meetings
March 2025 Public Meeting Schedule for Gary
As the second half of Indiana’s legislative session picks up steam, the Gary Common Council is weighing the creation of a new legislative committee to track bills moving through the Statehouse that could soon become law and impact the city. The political landscape has shifted locally, too. Council member Marian Ivey has stepped into the […]
