🌱 Patch AM: Why a Gary mental health call ended in an officer’s gunfire

Hi there, Gary! We've got your morning read ready! Read on to stay connected. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• Why a Gary mental health call ended in an officer’s gunfire
• How Sinatra’s 1945 Gary visit challenged hate during school tensions
• How a Gary charter school helped teens finish full college degrees

Also on today's calendar: The Disco Circus and 1 more event.

📸 Have a great pic of holiday decorations from around Gary? Post it to Gary photos of the day! ☃️ 🟢-🟠-🟣-🔴-🟡-🔵 ☃️

Today's riddle: The doctor told me to drink carrot juice after a hot bath. - Did it help? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Wednesday: Freezing fog in the morning, with a high of 37 and low of 31 degrees.
• Thursday: Breezy with periods of rain, temps: high: 49, low: 16. ⛄️ Brr!
• Friday: Colder; breezy in the morning, with a high of 31 and low of 24 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Man, 20, wounded in Gary Police shooting: officials (chicagotribune.com) — A 20-year-old man was shot and wounded by a Gary police officer Sunday after officers responded to a report of a potentially suicidal person on Tennessee Street and encountered him armed with a knife nearby. He was taken to a Chicago hospital, and the officer is on administrative leave while the Lake County Sheriff’s Department investigates. Gary’s police chief emphasized the difficulty of handling mental health crises safely.
   

2. How Indiana Inspired Frank Sinatra's Music And Message Of Unity (my1053wjlt.com) — Frank Sinatra’s 1945 visit to Gary takes center stage here, highlighting how he spoke and sang to local students during tense school-integration protests, urging them to reject hate. The story traces his broader Indiana ties, from early big-band shows in Indianapolis to later concerts at Deer Creek, showing how the Hoosier State helped shape his message of unity.
   

3. Academy Helping Low-Income Black Students Earn College Degrees Early To Open 4 Cleveland Schools (blackenterprise.com) — Students at 21st Century Charter School in Gary are earning free college credits—and even bachelor’s degrees—while still in high school through GEO Academies’ unique model. The nonprofit, which already runs schools in Gary and Indianapolis, is now using an $8.2 million grant to expand into Cleveland. Its approach focuses on low-income Black students, offering tuition-free K-12, college classes, and trades training.
   

4. Six men charged with robbery in September jail attack (chicagotribune.com) — Several Lake County Jail inmates, including three men from Gary, are charged in a September attack on another inmate who refused to hand over commissary money. Prosecutors say the group coordinated an early-morning beating, threats, and theft, leaving the victim with eye, head, and neck injuries. The case highlights serious allegations involving Gary residents inside the county jail.
   

5. Chesterton Fire Department returns to its remodeled headquarters (chicagotribune.com) — Chesterton’s fire department has moved back into its newly remodeled headquarters, but there’s a Gary connection: Chief Sean O’Donnell previously served with the Gary Fire Department. The expanded station now offers better training space, modern living quarters, and room for more firefighters, reflecting broader regional investment in public safety that may interest Gary residents and first responders.
   

📸 Around Gary

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Gary

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Tuesday December 23

• Gary Truck Driving Recruiting Event at Schneider
  Schneider National Gary, IN, Gary
  5:00 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Friday December 26

• The Disco Circus
  Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana , 5400 W 29th Ave , Gary
  9:00 pm
• The Disco Circus at Hard Rock Cafe
  Hard Rock Cafe , 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

📣 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

Wednesday December 17

• Teen Gaming
  Lake Station-New Chicago Branch of the Lake County Public Library , 2007 Central Ave , Lake Station
  3:00 pm
• Storytime: Ages 4-5
  Children's Program Room Hobart -
  3:30 pm
• Teen Game Night
  Large Meeting Room Hobart -
  5:00 pm
• LEGO® Night
  Lake Station-New Chicago Branch of the Lake County Public Library , 2007 Central Ave , Lake Station
  6:00 pm
• Arts & Crafts for Adults: Build Your own Bullet Journal
  Lake Station-New Chicago Branch of the Lake County Public Library , 2007 Central Ave , Lake Station
  6:00 pm

Thursday December 18

• HSH Holiday Party
  Humane Society of Hobart Inc , 2054 IN-130 , Hobart
• 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

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)
• A Chilly Start To Hanukkah
  I hope you got to see the sunsetty sky Sunday. The warm hues belied the cold temperatures (#1, 2). Deer are looking for food, so slow down while… (Nextdoor Miller Beach)

• Travel America / Petro - TA Operating, LLC posted a job opening for Taco Bell Cashier I - PT in Gary. Apply here.
• Checkers & Rally's - Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. posted a job opening for Shift Managers 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 can never finish drinking the hot bath!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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