Photo: Getty Images
Gary students returned to classrooms Monday (August 24) as thousands of residents remained without power nearly two weeks after severe storms knocked out electricity across Northwest Indiana on August 11.
All Gary Community School Corporation schools except Bethune Child Development Center reopened Monday on a two-hour delay, according to WGN-TV. The district said power has been restored to all other school buildings.
As of 11 a.m. CT Monday, Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) reported 10,712 customers across its service area were without power, with most of the remaining outages concentrated in Gary. According to the United States Power Outage Map, there are currently 9,145 customers without power across Lake County, IN, which encompasses Gary.
NIPSCO estimates restoration work in Gary will be substantially complete by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday (August 25).
As students returned to school Monday, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun called for a state investigation into NIPSCO's handling of the prolonged outages. Braun directed the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor to file a complaint with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission and petition for an investigation into the utility's storm response.
The move came after Braun criticized NIPSCO Sunday (August 23), saying the utility has “ample resources” to restore power but continues to “fail Hoosiers.”
Braun also deployed the Indiana National Guard to help clear the way for utility crews, according to CBS News Chicago.
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton has also pressed NIPSCO over the pace of restoration. “12 days without power is unacceptable,” Melton said Sunday, according to WGN.
Chelsea Whittington, chief of public and community relations for Gary’s school district, said schools are also providing support to families dealing with the ongoing outages.
“We want them to understand that we want to be the safe haven for those who may not have power, who may not have food,” Whittington told the news outlet. “We’re serving breakfast and lunch to our children every single day.”
GEO Academy, a charter school in Gary, is holding classes and providing meals for students as the outage continues, according to Fox 32 Chicago.
The community is also stepping in. Food influencer Keith Lee hosted a relief giveaway Monday at the Roosevelt Pavilion, providing food and supplies to residents affected by the outage, CBS News Chicago reported.
Lee committed $15,000 to relief efforts and Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton matched his donation, bringing their combined contribution to $30,000.
Gary resident Quinton Miller told CBS News Chicago he attended the giveaway to find food and other resources for his family.
“I’ve got two daughters, so I’m still trying to get everything I can as far as food, resources and stuff like that,” Miller said.
The Black Information Network is your source for Black News! Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.