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Wednesday • March 18, 2026
City of Gary Announces Major Donation from Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana to Support New Gary Animal Care Facility Gary, Indiana — The City of Gary is proud to announce a significant community investment from Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana. The company has committed a $500,000 contribution to support the design and construction of the City’s new Gary Animal Care facility—matching the $500,000 in ARPA funds already allocated for this critical project. This $1.4 million project will replace the City’s severely deteriorating Animal Control facility with a modern, humane, and efficient structure designed to better serve animals and residents alike. The new facility, to be located at 950 Jefferson Street, will include administrative offices, indoor and outdoor kennels, quarantine space, and necessary storage areas. WDi Architecture is currently developing the facility’s design. The project will be going out to bid in the coming months followed by construction in the summer. Mayor Eddie Melton expressed deep appreciation for Hard Rock’s partnership, noting the positive impact this contribution will have on public safety, animal welfare, and neighborhood quality of life. “This generous contribution from Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana demonstrates their continued commitment to being a true community partner,” said Mayor Eddie Melton. “This project will allow us to provide compassionate, modern care for animals while improving essential city services. Hard Rock’s support is helping us turn a long‑standing need into a transformative investment for our residents and our city.” Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana President & CEO Matt Schuffert emphasized the company’s dedication to supporting community advancements in Gary. “Hard Rock is proud to stand with the City of Gary on a project that enhances both public safety and community well‑being,” said Schuffert. “We believe in supporting initiatives that strengthen neighborhoods and improve quality of life. This new Animal Control facility will serve the city for years to come, and we are honored to contribute to its success.”
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Lori Latham, 1st District Councilwoman, highlighted the collaborative effort required to bring this vision to fruition. “This project is a testament to what we can achieve when the public and private sectors align for the good of our community. Replacing our outdated facility has been a priority, and this funding ensures we can provide a safe, modern environment for our staff and the animals in our care. We are grateful to Hard Rock for helping us bridge the gap to make this facility a reality. The remaining project funding—totaling $400,000— will come from existing Community Development and Animal Shelter allocations. The city is also working closely with Silverstray Social, the official nonprofit partner supporting the Animal Control Division. With this contribution, the City of Gary and Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana continue building on a shared vision for a safer, healthier, and more compassionate community.
Prepare for the Season Living in Chicagoland provides the joy of experiencing all four seasons: winter, spring, summer, and fall. You’ll experience winter snow, spring flowers and light showers, summer warmth, and fall colorful leaves. However, this past week the weather brought the terror of an EF-3 Tornado to a few small towns in Kankakee and Newton Counties. The tornado left a path of destruction that may take months to a year to recover from. Houses, cars and property were severely damaged or destroyed. Sadly, several people were injured, and three people lost their lives, including Maurice R. Norington (65), a former army veteran, of Aroma Park, Illinois and an elderly couple, Edward L. Kozlowski (89) and Arlene Kozlowski (84) in Lake Village, Indiana. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), the EF-3 tornado was part of a supercell thunderstorm that produced several other tornados around the area including an EF-1 in Wheatfield, IN, an EF-2 in Starke County, IN, EF-3 near Sun River Terrace, IL, and an unrated tornado in Pontiac, IL. The Aroma Park-Lake Village tornado hit winds up to 150 mph. It was on the ground from 6:18 – 7:39 PM with a range of 36.4 miles per NWS. The storm also produced large hail ranging between 3” to 6.1”. A 6.1” hailstone was noted as the largest for state record. Numerous storm chasers and nearby residents captured video footage of the massive tornado as it moved quickly across the area towards Aroma Park. On Thursday, March 12, 2026, Governor J.B. Pritzker surveyed the damaged area of Kankakee County and has directed several agencies to help with support and resources in the area. I interviewed Isabella Hernandez, of Kankakee County, regarding her experience. Her family, including daughter and fiancé, were at home when the storm hit. She said the early warning sirens alerted them to move
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quickly into the basement. Devonte Dobbs, her fiancé, quickly gathered shoes and coats in case everything was lost. Isabella said “shortly after they could hear the wind, house shaking, and then water started coming into the basement. They were terrified and held onto each other, while praying. When the storm ended, they came out to discover their front porch was gone and some damage to the house, but their neighbor’s home was basically gone. I asked her what was going on in her mind as she first observed her home and surroundings. Ms. Hernandez responded, “The fact ours (house) is still standing is by the grace of God.” She is very grateful that her family and home survived without severe damage. Most of the damaged areas had to evacuate because of the lack of utilities on, including water and electricity. Power work crews were working this past weekend to restore power to occupied homes. Other crews and volunteers worked through the past days to clear debris from roadways. Ms. Hernandez noted that her family had difficulties finding clear roads because of numerous fallen trees blocking streets. The areas are starting with the cleanup and recovery; however, this is just the beginning of the spring storm season. Here are some tips per CDC.gov to prepare in case of a tornado warning. 1. Take shelter immediately. The sirens warn if there has been a sighting or is a high risk of a tornado developing. Be ready to respond quickly to tornado warnings when you hear the sirens. 2. Know the signs of a potential tornado. Rotating funnel cloud forming, debris flying, dark or green sky, low-lying clouds, large hail, and noise like a freight train. 3. Find a safe spot to hide. Go to the lowest level, preferably a basement. Seek the most interior room, center hallway, bathroom, or closet
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without windows. 4. Stay away from and don’t locate under heavy objects that can fall over or through the floors like a refrigerator, China cabinet, couch or piano. 5. Get under a sturdy table or workbench in the lowest level if possible. 6. Avoid windows. They blow out from the wind and glass can injure or kill. 7. If in a mobile home, if you have time go to a nearby shelter building, preferably with a basement. Avoid, if possible, large open cafeterias, gyms, or auditoriums because typically the roofs are secure only by the outside walls with nothing in the middle to brace the roof from falling in. 8. Find something to put over your head to protect it from flying or falling debris. 9. Do Not try to outrun a tornado in your vehicle. Get to the nearest shelter. If you can’t, CDC.gov website states to “either get down in your vehicle” …or “leave you vehicle and seek shelter in a lowlying area such as a ditch or ravine.” 10. Always protect your head during the storm. Head injuries are the most common injury because of flying and falling debris. There are several steps you can take in preparation for future storms such as: take precautions by paying attention daily to the weather reports for notifications of severe weather conditions so you’re informed, plan an area ahead of time for a safety spot in your home that everyone is aware of, and have a preparedness kit with a go-bag with change of clothes, spare cash, extra set of car keys, and a few days of medication packed. If a storm or any emergency hits, sometimes you only have seconds or a couple of minutes to react, if you have a well-thought out safety plan, it can make a difference between panicking and staying calm, or life and death. Make a plan and get ready for the season.