In the News

U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan, D-Highland, spent a couple hours in St. John Monday night, answering voter questions about the war with Iran, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and the upcoming election.

During the community conversation, Mrvan explained why it’s important for him to meet with constituents.

“I do my very best to absorb it and move forward,” Mrvan said. “Never give up hope that our government isn’t about engagement and civil activity, meaning being involved. Never, ever give up hope on that.”

Congressman Frank J. Mrvan is hosting two town hall-style events next week to listen to the needs of Northwest Indiana residents and update them on what he's accomplished on their behalf in the U.S. House.

The Highland Democrat is set to participate in community forums Monday in Porter and Lake counties.

"I look forward to providing an update on the 119th Congress and hearing directly from constituents about any pressing issues of concern," Mrvan said.

The times and locations for the March 9 Community Conversations are:

The city of Gary is kicking off its third annual "Blight Blitz."

Demolition crews were busy Monday morning clearing what the city calls unsafe homes.

City leaders say by tearing down the dilapidated homes, they're creating safer neighborhoods and sparking room for growth.

Nearly 60 homes are scheduled for demolition over the course of the current blitz.

Volunteer contractors are heading up the operation in five neighborhoods: Downtown, Emerson, Glen Park, Midtown and Westside.

This year's city "blight blitz" kicked off Monday near Cathedral of the Holy Angels with demolition of an abandoned home on Harrison Street, the first of an anticipated 60 demolitions across the city in coming weeks, the third year of a project that began in the Aetna neighborhood.

An excavator bucket bit into the home on the corner of Harrison and Seventh Avenue shortly after elected officials and the contractors donating services to the project gathered for a press conference in the old Holy Angels school gym.

Within the next two weeks, a platoon of contractors will knock down 60 homes across Gary in its third demolition blitz.

The action began Monday as an excavator shovel plunged into a rundown, crumbling two-story house at 674 Harrison St.

This time, instead of one neighborhood, homes will come down across five neighborhoods – downtown, Emerson, Glen Park, Midtown and the west side.

“Welcome to a new Gary,” said Mayor Eddie Melton at Monday’s news conference launching the blitz.

In Gary, the city says Mayor Eddie Melton has mobilized a massive public-private coalition to launch the 3rd Annual Demolition Blitz, a citywide campaign to eradicate blight and pave the way for neighborhood revitalization. The effort officially got underway with a news conference in the 600 block of Harrison Street Monday February 23, 2026.

Across Northwest Indiana, families are opening their heating bills with anger and disbelief. As the Representative for Indiana’s First Congressional District, I hear it at the grocery store, at community meetings, and from small business owners trying to keep their doors open. The cost of keeping the heat on this winter has become an unnecessary financial strain for far too many individuals and households.

 The city of Michigan City is one of five communities in Indiana selected to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal grant money to improve the safety of its roadways.

On Friday, Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Ind., announced federal grant awards for Burns Harbor, Gary, Hobart, Michigan City and Munster under the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant program.