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| | | What’s Going on in Gary? | More than half of Gary, Indiana, residents remained without power Monday morning — nearly two weeks after severe storms hit. Meanwhile, Illinois recovered quickly from similarly high winds. | | What happened? | | On Aug. 11, Chicagoland and Northwestern Indiana both saw severe storms. Perhaps you remember the tornado warning blaring on your phone? | - In Gary: A derecho hit, bringing heavy rain and nearly 100 mph wind. (A derecho is a long stretch of multiple, intense thunderstorms.)
- Across Indiana: At least seven people died.
| | The fallout in Gary: With trees and power lines downed, 375,000 Northern Indiana Public Service Co. customers were left without power on Aug. 11. As of Aug. 24, more than 10,000 were still without service. The mayor called the situation “unacceptable.” | - See photos: One resident said she’s worried about paying for tree branch removal. Meanwhile, her refrigerator is leaking.
- A projection: NIPSCO said power in Gary and nearby Portage could be fully restored today.
- More help? Gov. Mike Braun requested expedited help from the federal government, as property damage now exceeds $5 billion.
- Well? Although an Emergency Disaster Declaration was previously granted, there’s been no comment from President Donald Trump.
| | Coping without power: Some residents are using generators to get by — though not everyone can afford one, and some have been stolen. Mostly, though, neighbors are stepping up to help one another. | - Meanwhile: Schools remain closed, and the elderly are being evacuated.
- Locals speak out: “We don’t pay, we get cut off. But when disaster happens, they want to charge us. They have billions of dollars, we’re working day-to-day,” one woman said.
- Said another: “We’re the Blackest city out here, so they don’t want to check on us.”
| | | Could this happen here? Although the same storm also hit Chicago's south suburbs, Commonwealth Edison restored service to 99% of customers who lost power by Aug. 15. | - Back in 2011, ComEd faced outrage when it took six days to restore power after a deadly derecho. After a lengthy court battle, 35,000 customers then became eligible for monetary damages.
- Around that time, ComEd also installed smart meters, which the utility says have improved outage performance. (The process also involved rate hikes, bribery, and sparked a firestorm for former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.)
- NIPSCO says Illinois recovered faster because it has fewer trees and different infrastructure.
| | A class-action lawsuit: Thousands of affected Gary residents have joined a class action lawsuit against NIPSCO, claiming it neglected “foreseeable and preventable” issues. |
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| | | For one week this September, Chicago Exhibition Week turns the city into one a map of over 60 galleries and museums, plus the restaurants, wine shops, and design stores in between. Our curated routes do the wayfinding, curated by the people who have brought you spots like All Together Now, SVRN and Feld. Pick a route, follow your curiosity, and see how the city connects. The full map is live now. |
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| What Chicago's Talking About |
| | Homeowners Foot Property Tax Hikes. Again. | Residential owners are bearing about 80% of property tax increases in suburban Cook County, according to a report from the treasurer’s office. Chicago homeowners are also seeing larger tax hikes than commercial properties. [WTTW] | | What Happened to CPS’ Black Student Success Plan? | The Black Student Success Plan promised to reduce suspensions, improve graduation rates, and bring more Black male teachers into schools. When the Trump administration withheld nearly $6 million in funding over the plan, officials promised to keep it anyway. A year in though, little has been done. [Block Club] | | | | Daily Herald Workers Attempt to Unionize After Tribune Takeover | Tribune Publishing acquired the Daily Herald in June — now its editorial staff seek to form a union. The move comes amid a decade of falling wages, buyouts, and layoffs. Earlier this month, 12 mostly senior staffers were fired. [Crain’s 🎁] | |
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| | | Suicide touches far too many lives. In Illinois, it's the 3rd leading cause of death for ages 15-34, and 4th for ages 35-54. But there is HOPE, and together, we can save lives. | Join us at the Out of the Darkness Chicagoland Walk on October 3 at Montrose Harbor. Walk in honor of someone loved, in memory of someone lost, or in support of your own mental health. | Learn more, register, or donate at afsp.org/Chicago. |
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