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United Steelworkers Local 1010 Safety Chair Jayson Culp was clearing scrap out of the way with a forklift on the floor of an electrical furnace at the Cleveland-Cliffs Indiana Harbor steel mill in 2019.

He had to jolt some of the stuck scrap free "with a few spirited collisions" from the forklift and it fell into the furnace. What he didn't know is there was electrical carbon behind the scrap metal, resulting in an immediate and huge chemical reaction.

U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, joined majorities in the U.S. House Saturday to approve separate aid packages for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, along with a set of policies aimed at limiting the influence of China, Iran and Russia.

The two-term lawmaker serving Lake, Porter and northwest LaPorte counties in Congress said he viewed the legislation as vitally important to the American worker, the strength of the United States, and its role as a world leader working to defend democracy.

 President Joe Biden promised cheering unionized steelworkers on Wednesday that his administration would block the acquisition of U.S. Steel by a Japanese company and he called for a tripling of tariffs on Chinese steel, seeking to use trade policy to win over working-class votes in Pennsylvania, an election-year battleground.

Biden said during a visit to the headquarters of the United Steelworkers union that U.S. Steel “has been an iconic American company for more than a century and it should remain totally American.”

U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland, wants to ensure the children of military service members killed in action can access the superior educational benefits currently available only to post-9/11 veterans.

The two-term congressman representing Lake, Porter and northwest LaPorte counties recently filed the Gold Star Family Education Parity Act in the U.S. House seeking to increase federal support for the post-secondary education of children from families where a service member was killed or went missing during wartime.

As the federal Representative for Indiana’s First Congressional District, I believe Northwest Indiana is well positioned to continue to make transformational investments and connect our regional economy to Chicago and Michigan. We have recently witnessed population growth, and with our skilled workforce, strong organized labor, and collaboration with all levels of government, non-profit organizations, private sector, and academic institutions, I know we can continue to leverage our assets of today for the benefit of current and future generations.

Work begins next week on an $8 million modernization project at Portage’s wastewater treatment plant following Tuesday’s ceremonial groundbreaking.

The project includes replacing four 43-year-old clarifiers and adding a solar field to reduce the plant’s NIPSCO bills by 30%.

The plant could become a model for other communities, Councilman Collin Czilli, D-5, said.

It may have been raining, but John McClure found a ray of sunshine in a municipal groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday.

A 21-year employee of the city’s Utilities Department, McClure watched as government and business officials broke ground on a $12 million wastewater solar screen and clarifier improvement project.

“We need the improvements,” McClure said. “The city has taken on a lot with new homes and industries. We’re running out of capacity. This project updates some old equipment and can save us money.”

Being recognized by a U.S. Congressman on the floor of the House of Representatives is a significant honor that is of practical importance to the individual. Congressional proceedings are documented and archived, so being recognized on the floor of the House becomes part of the historical record. This acknowledgment can be referenced and remembered for years to come, contributing to the individual’s legacy.