Last year, Gary recorded 28 homicides, the city’s lowest total in 55 years. The drop was accompanied by a nearly 24% reduction in nonfatal shootings. That marks a sharp decline from its nation-topping total of 134 homicides in 1993. https://bit.ly/3OWyB4B

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. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/capital-b-gary-wins-indiana-spj-awards/

City officials weigh six competing proposals to redevelop the long-vacant property, the decision is shaping up as more than a choice about a single project. It could determine what replaces one of downtown’s most visible underused spaces. https://bit.ly/48gKb10

Thousands gathered in the city for an emotional screening of the movie in the music legend’s hometown. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/michael-jackson-biopic-gary-premiere/

Early voting began Tuesday, April 7, and continues through Monday, May 4. Gary residents can cast early ballots at the Gary Public Library, the city’s only early voting location. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/gary-early-voting-2026-primary/

Today is #LocalNewsDay, a national movement to reconnect communities with the local outlets that are doing the work that matters. Help Capital B keep telling local stories with big impact: https://gary.capitalbnews.org/local-news-day/

After months of advocating to the movie’s distributor, a private screening of “Michael” is coming to Gary. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/gary-indiana-michael-jackson-movie-screening/

Marijuana is legal in neighboring states but remains illegal in Indiana. Gov. Mike Braun has signaled a possible shift in his position on the drug, however. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/gary-indiana-marijuana-laws-mike-braun/

Where to Get Free Food in Northwest Indiana This April https://gary.capitalbnews.org/free-food-gary-nwi-april-2026/

For a brief moment in the mid-1990s, Gary stood on the edge of a radically different future. City leaders and members of the Jackson family began discussing plans for a theme park in Gary, an idea that soon expanded into something far more ambitious. https://bit.ly/3PNiJBA

A Common Council vote shifts the project, seen as as a turning point in the city’s economic trajectory, from concept to a new phase. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/gary-lake-county-convention-center-project/

The Gary Redevelopment Commission moved forward on a mix of neighborhood and downtown initiatives, including a measure to expand the city’s sidelot program and taking steps tied to the future of the Genesis Center. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/gary-public-meetings-april-2026/

A storytelling event tied to the upcoming movie will be held March 25 at the Gary Public Library from 3:30 to 7 p.m. and is open to the public. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/michael-jackson-biopic-gary-community-stories/

Indiana residents can no longer change the gender on their driver’s licenses under an executive order from Gov. Mike Braun that requires state-issued identification to reflect a person’s assigned sex at birth. gary.capitalbnews.org/indiana-driv...

Gary officials and residents are grappling with whether the city should welcome data centers amid concerns about environmental impacts, tax incentives, and strain on local infrastructure. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/gary-indiana-data-centers/

For residents and city employees alike, the effort isn’t about recognition – it’s about reclaiming neighborhoods from blight. https://capitalbnews.org/gary-grafiti-removal/

One of Gary’s most vulnerable communities — its animals — will welcome a new home this year after a collaboration between community partners. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/gary-animal-control-facility-new-shelter/

Churches, nonprofits, and government agencies across Northwest Indiana are hosting free food distributions throughout March as some families adjust to tighter federal work requirements for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients. https://bit.ly/4l7mFbJ

As federal SNAP work requirements tighten, churches and nonprofits across the region are hosting food distributions throughout the month. https://bit.ly/4l7mFbJ

Across Gary, some residents say loose and stray dogs have forced them to change daily routines, keeping people from walking their neighborhoods, playing outside or stepping out of their cars without first scanning the street. bit.ly/3ZXq43l

Many Gary businesses and other commercial property owners will soon see higher stormwater bills after the city approved a significant rate increase that shifts more of the cost of sewer and drainage upgrades onto nonresidential properties. gary.capitalbnews.org/gary-stormwa...

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. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/gary-school-board-walkout-principal-carl-scott/

The Chicago Bears’ long-running stadium search moved closer to becoming reality in Northwest Indiana on Thursday, as state officials signaled Hammond as the preferred site and lawmakers advanced legislation designed to support construction of a new NFL stadium. https://bit.ly/4qIXSfz

For Gary, Jackson’s legacy is tied closely to the city’s emergence as a center of Black political organizing in the 1970s and ’80s. gary.capitalbnews.org/jesse-jackso...

The first thing he did after he was elected? “I suspended the elections and I put on the floor to change the organization’s name to the Black Student Union,” he said. “Because what we were dealing with were Black issues.” https://gary.capitalbnews.org/todd-deloney-profile/

As Northwest Indiana residents’ utility frustrations mount over triple-digit increases, legislators, too, are feeling the pressure to use the tools at their disposal to help provide relief. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/indiana-utility-bill-relief-nipsco-costs/

Young artists from across Northwest Indiana take center stage at a Black History Month exhibition in Gary. gary.capitalbnews.org/gary-youth-a...

Residents say sudden bill spikes are forcing families to choose between heat, rent, and groceries as lawmakers debate a response. gary.capitalbnews.org/nipsco-bill-...

The homeless shelter will be relocating after 40 years on Broadway. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/brothers-keeper-gary-shelter-relocation/

Gary residents once again have a lot at stake in this year’s state legislative session, from proposals targeting diversity initiatives to changes in Medicaid eligibility and renewed efforts to lure the Chicago Bears to Northwest Indiana. gary.capitalbnews.org/indiana-2026...

The city will use newly awarded congressional funding totaling $1.1 million to demolish the abandoned property that was once Ivanhoe Elementary School, which closed its doors to students in 2010. gary.capitalbnews.org/ivanhoe-elem...

The Lake County Government Center in Crown Point houses several county offices referenced in a recent internal report that criticized leadership culture, internal controls, and financial oversight. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/lake-county-internal-report-financial-failures/

It details outdated processes, poor internal controls, and leadership gaps that auditors say expose the county to financial and operational risk. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/lake-county-internal-report-financial-failures/

Have you ever wondered about experiences Black elders in your family have had but never shared? Now is your opportunity to make sure those stories don’t get lost. https://capitalbnews.org/oralhistoryproject/

The Food Bank of Northwest Indiana and other groups host regular food distributions across Gary and Northwest Indiana. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/free-food-distribution-gary-northwest-indiana-january/

In an effort to bring community members together, several organizations across Northwest Indiana are hosting events to commemorate King’s birthday and legacy. Below is a list of events in Gary and the surrounding communities. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/mlk-day-events-northwest-indiana-2026/

A recent Indiana Court of Appeals ruling upheld state lawmakers’ authority to block the city of Gary’s long-running lawsuit against the gun industry. (via @indianacitizen.org) https://gary.capitalbnews.org/gary-gun-lawsuit-indiana-appeals-court/

Three decades after the Bears last explored Gary, the city is now offering three possible stadium sites. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/chicago-bears-stadium-proposal-gary-indiana/

From candlelight marches to service projects, communities across Northwest Indiana will mark the holiday with public events and tributes. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/mlk-day-events-northwest-indiana-2026/

The ruling adds a new chapter to a decades-long legal battle. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/gary-gun-lawsuit-indiana-appeals-court/

The local protesters joined others nationwide opposing the federal agency after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/gary-ice-protest-immigration-enforcement/

In response, food banks and community partners across Northwest Indiana continue to host food distributions aimed at helping residents access groceries. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/free-food-distribution-gary-northwest-indiana-january/

Lawmakers preview legislative priorities that are likely to be debated in the coming weeks. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/indiana-education-issues-2026-legislative-session/

We know there’s plenty going on in Gary’s Black community that doesn’t get the attention it deserves, so each week, our newsletter brings those stories to the surface. https://capitalbnews.org/newsletters/

The initiative will provide eligible graduating students in 2025 and 2026 with full tuition coverage for up to four years at the university. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/gary-iun-tuition-scholarship-hard-rock-urban-league/

“When I came along, music was just there. It was a natural thing for me,” Lamar Grear said. His parents, both Gary natives, raised him in Houston, where he first picked up the flute. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/gary-civic-symphony-new-conductor-lamar-grear/

If you’ve supported Capital B before, thank you. Your past generosity made this work possible. A renewed gift today helps us finish the year strong and carry this mission forward into the next chapter. capitalbnews.org/donate

At 13 and 16, respectively, Anna and Juda have spent more time in gardens than most of their peers. https://gary.capitalbnews.org/teen-gardeners-gary-food-education/

“It’s so exciting to see this area redeveloped, given its proximity to the highway, the fact that there’s a vision to do a full development, and we know that people want affordable housing.” https://gary.capitalbnews.org/gary-colonial-gardens-lewis-estates/

William “Bill” Coker has owned Billco’s for nearly three decades. “I didn’t know it was going to be my destiny. And now I’m actually walking in my destiny.” https://gary.capitalbnews.org/billcos-barbershop-gary/