Good morning to you Gary! Catch up on our news and events right here. Keep reading to stay in the know. ☀️
In today's newsletter:
Today's riddle: Why did the fish blush ? 🤔 (Answer below!)
1. 'The best part of my job': Boeing workers give school supplies to 150 kids at Boys & Girls Club (chicagotribune.com) — Boeing employees helped equip 150 kids at Gary's John Will Anderson Boys & Girls Club with backpacks and school supplies, part of a drive supporting 750 children in Gary and Chicago. Coming just weeks after the derecho that left many Gary residents without power, the giveaway at the Tolleston Opportunity Campus offered practical help and a morale boost for local families.
2. Mind on Money: Disaster relief in the tax code (nwitimes.com) — Northwest Indiana residents, including those in Gary, can tap special federal tax relief after August's FEMA-declared disaster, potentially withdrawing up to $22,000 from retirement accounts without early-withdrawal penalties. The column explains who qualifies, key deadlines, and how this permanent SECURE 2.0 provision can help cover uninsured storm losses like damaged homes, displacement, or lost wages.
3. Gary Fell Into Darkness. Black Churches Refused to Leave It There (michiganchronicle.com) — After a powerful Aug. 11 storm left much of Gary without electricity for up to 17 days, local Black churches stepped in with food, supplies, and volunteers while officials pressed the utility over slow restoration. Residents describe both the hardship of prolonged outages and the deep resilience and mutual aid that are helping Gary recover and challenge negative stereotypes about the city.
4. U.S. Steel announces Gary Works blast furnace reline completion (chicagotribune.com) — U.S. Steel has finished a $350 million reline of Blast Furnace #14 at Gary Works, securing long-term steel production and jobs in Gary but drawing criticism from local environmental advocates. Community groups in Gary argue the company should shift some of its planned $3.1 billion investment toward cleaner direct-reduction technology to protect residents' health and keep the mill competitive.
5. Seven killed in Indiana floods last month, and survivors are still waiting on government's emergency aid (thecooldown.com) — Gary residents endured more than two weeks without power after the August 11 derecho, part of record flooding that killed seven people statewide and caused an estimated $5 billion in damage. The article details limited FEMA aid so far, state and local relief efforts, and how climate and funding decisions have left communities like Gary and Cambridge City struggling with long, uncertain recoveries.
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Ok Gary! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: It saw the ocean's bottom! (Thank you Gary M. for sending it in!)
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