Community Corner
🌱 Patch AM: What a Gary woman admitted in a deadly 2024 shooting case
Coming up on the Gary Patch calendar: Gary Truck Driving Recruiting Event at Schneider
Morning Gary! We've got the scoop on the latest happenings in town. Read on to get looped in. ☀️
In today's newsletter:
- What a Gary woman admitted in a deadly 2024 shooting case
- How could 2026 airport changes affect flights and fees in Gary?
- How did Gary cut shootings and homicides so sharply this year?
Also on today's calendar: The Disco Circus at Hard Rock Cafe and 1 more event.
Find out what's happening in Garyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Today's riddle: My brother swallowed a box of firecrackers. - Is he all right now? 🤔 (Answer below!)
Find out what's happening in Garyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Thursday: Windy with periods of rain, with a high of 49 and low of 15 degrees. ⛄️ Brr!
- Friday: Partly sunny; breezy, colder, temps: high: 30, low: 26.
- Saturday: Breezy with periods of sun, with a high of 45 and low of 22 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. Court news: Gary woman pleads guilty, but mentally ill to killing child's father (chicagotribune.com) — A Gary woman has pleaded guilty but mentally ill in the fatal 2024 shooting of her child’s father in a Gary apartment, with sentencing set for Jan. 12. The same court roundup details a former Gary officer’s fraud case dismissal and a Gary man’s upheld sentence in a Cedar Lake robbery, along with a major regional check-cashing scheme. 
2. Collins spells out his 2026 future for Gary airport (chicagotribune.com) — Gary’s airport chief is pushing hard in 2026 to restore commercial passenger flights and grow business at Gary/Chicago International Airport, even as tenants protest rising fees. Planned rate hikes for key operators and new leadership appointments could shape how competitive and convenient the airport becomes for the city and region.
3. Gary police department reports significant drop in violent crime rates (wishtv.com) — Residents in Gary are seeing a major safety milestone, with police reporting nearly a 23% drop in non-fatal shootings and a 37% decline in homicides so far this year. Local, federal, and county partners credit aggressive targeting of violent offenders and a big jump in illegal gun seizures, while stressing there’s still more work ahead to keep neighborhoods safer.
4. Gary man avoids prison after Chicago 5-year-old fatally shot himself (chicagotribune.com) — A Gary man received community corrections and probation instead of prison after a 5-year-old Chicago boy fatally shot himself with a gun left out in a Gary home. The emotional Lake County courtroom hearing highlighted the family’s grief, the judge’s reasoning, and how Gary police reconstructed what happened that morning.
5. How a real estate investor expanded to 26 units using a 'slow BRRRR strategy' (businessinsider.com subscription) — A real estate investor now owns 26 rental units, with most of them located in Gary using what he calls a “slow BRRRR” strategy. By relying on longer-term private loans and rehabbing at a more flexible pace, he aims to steadily build wealth while keeping properties cash-flow positive, a model that’s increasingly shaping investment activity in Gary’s housing market.
📸 Around Gary
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🗓 Upcoming Events in Gary
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
★ Featured events ★
- Gary Truck Driving Recruiting Event at Schneider
Schneider National Gary, IN, Gary
5:00 pm
Tuesday December 23
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
- The Disco Circus at Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock Cafe , 5400 W 29th Ave , Gary
9:00 pm - The Disco Circus
Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana , 5400 W 29th Ave , Gary
9:00 pm - THE DISCO CIRCUS at the Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana in Gary, IN!
Hard Rock Cafe , 5400 W 29th Ave , Gary
9:00 pm
Friday December 26
📣 Gary Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
🗓 Events Nearby
- Mother Goose on the Loose: Ages Birth - 23 Months
Lake Station-New Chicago Branch of the Lake County Public Library , 2007 Central Ave , Lake Station
10:30 am - Storytime: Ages 2-3
Children's Program Room Hobart -
11:00 am - Reading Hour
Lake Station-New Chicago Branch of the Lake County Public Library , 2007 Central Ave , Lake Station
2:00 pm - Truancy Court
Virgil I Bailey Elementary School , 3304 Parkside Avenue , Lake Station
6:00 pm - Mahjong Meet Up
Lake Station-New Chicago Branch of the Lake County Public Library , 2007 Central Ave , Lake Station
1:00 pm - Teen and Tween Meet the Cube: Ages 7-15
Hobart - Children's Program Room
3:30 pm - HSH Booth at Merry Market
Great Oaks Banquets & Events , 13109 Wicker Ave , Cedar Lake
4:00 pm - Knitting & Crochet Club
Lake Station-New Chicago Branch of the Lake County Public Library , 2007 Central Ave , Lake Station
10:00 am
Thursday December 18
Friday December 19
Saturday December 20
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
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💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- A Bright Light Shining Through the Ages
Today is Beethoven's birthday. The music that he wrote is still played and still provides inspiration. For a few moments last night, a ship near… (Nextdoor Miller Beach) - Warmin' Up
With today's temperatures suppose to be in the low 40's, the shelf ice is returning to its liquid state. Right now, though, it looks pretty cool. … (Nextdoor Miller Beach)
- Indiana Public Schools posted a job opening for Elementary Teacher in Gary. Apply here.
- GEO Academies posted a job opening for Middle School Teacher 6th-8th Grades in Gary. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Gary here.
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: I don’t know. I haven’t heard the last report.
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