A development in Dyer will be the first of its kind to take advantage of the Transit Development District financing, meant to create developments around South Shore Line stations. The City of Dyer committed $23 million to this 70-acre project, titled the Central Park Commons. The plan is for the large-scale development to cover the southeast, southwest and northeast corners of the Calumet and Central Park Blvd intersection - with plans for a grocery store, fitness club, hotel, shops and restaurants to fill the space alongside residential townhomes and senior housing. This development will add around 1.2 million sq. ft. of residential and commercial space to the town.

The controversial Kenmara Technology Park in Munster will be reevaluated thanks to an amendment that came following additional community pressure. Residents of Munster have feared that the proposed development will bring with it an under-the-table data center deal, pushing the developer and Plan Commission to reconsider their agreements on the technology park. Saxon Development’s amendment to the initial agreement has requested a complete prohibition on data centers in the technology park, alongside other stipulations. It will be ruled in the coming weeks after a scheduled Plan Commission meeting was delayed by the August 11th derecho.

Michigan City City Council seems to be moving forward with a data center moratorium with broad support, but core details are still in the air. After a first reading of the proposed moratorium was read earlier this week at the City Council meeting, it was then referred to committees for further consideration. The next City Council meeting will feature a more robust version of this ordinance, hopefully providing a clear picture of the city’s plans to resist data center construction inside the municipality.

Challenger Learning Center of Northwest Indiana announced this week that all student programming and field trips were cancelled ahead of a planned dissolution of operations entirely. Funding for the organization and center was unable to be secured, so the board of directors have made the unfortunate decision to close the Learning Center fully by December 31st. The center provided hands-on education to schools and students through it’s STEM focused programming and featured two on-site space simulators - one of two Challenger Centers in the world to have such access.

Gary City Controller Chenika Beck said at a Common Council meeting on Tuesday that the total costs of storm cleanup after the August 11th derecho could total about $8 million, fluctuating by $1 million once its all tallied up. FEMA will reimburse the city, but that process could take anywhere from three to five years based on the timeline from other recent disasters such as the recent California wildfires.

UnitedHealthcare has donated $80,000 to various charities across Indiana to held aid in disaster recovery, including the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana and the Catholic Charities Diocese of Gary. The funding will help to provide emergency food and shelter assistance, supplies and direct financial support whose recovery from the August 11th derecho is prolonged and long-term. The American Red Cross Indiana Region, Heart of Indiana United Way, The Indianapolis Foundation, The Salvation Army Indiana Division, Matthew:25 Ministries and other community foundations were some of the other organizations who saw donations from the health insurance company.

Coffee Creek Preserve in Chesterton will remain closed for atleast another month following the back-to-back storms of August 7th and 11th. The 157-acre nature preserve suffered profound damage from those storms and will require extensive cleanup and and repairs before being open to the public once again.

Region natives who traversed Dunes Highway anytime in the 60s through the 80s may recall a 21-foot Frankenstein statue dotting the airways along their travels. The once-hopping Frank-N-Stein drive-in restaurant serviced the region and provided the looming presence of their mascot to watch over the locals as they acquired frosty root beers and fresh hot dogs from the comfort of their cars, but those days are long gone. The restaurant closed down long ago, giving way to a dentist office that has also since closed, and the monument to the Drive-in’s legacy mysteriously disappeared even before that. Luckily for those who remember Frankie’s watchful eye, he will be returning to his original home thanks to the work of Noblesville native Dave Distler. A frequent partner with the American Giants Museum in Atlanta, Ill., Distler has spent the last two years of his life recreating the iconic statue to return it to its rightful place, if only temporarily. On September 13th , Distler will display the statue from noon until 3pm at 4629 Melton Rd in Gary, hoping to find a buyer who will want to display it somewhere in the Calumet Region. You never know what interesting stuff could be going on in your backyard and this is certainly one of the more interesting ones!

U.S. Steel is donating $250,000 to disaster relief in NWI following the August 11th derecho. $150,000 of the donation will be going to the Legacy Foundation and the other $100,000 will go to the Porter County Community Foundation to help aid recovery efforts across the area.

The Crossroads YMCA, Boys & Girls Club of Greater Northwest Indiana and Methodist Hospitals have joined forces to turn the former Tolleston High School and Middle School sites into a revamped community center - known as the Tolleston Opportunity Campus. The campus will house a new YMCA building in Gary attached to the existing Boys & Girls Club and a Methodist CareFirst Clinic. The new YMCA has released open membership registration and plans to open its doors in late September.

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Hard Rock Cafe & Council Oak Bar Schedule (Free performances at Hard Rock Casino)

Hard Rock Casino Upcoming Performances

Horseshoe Casino Upcoming Performances

Hobart Art Theater Upcoming Performances

Gabis Arboretum Acorn Concert Series

Caught on Cline @ Shoreline Brewery (September 6th)

The Fortunate Sons @ Theatre at the Center (September 11th)

Popcorn Festival Kick-Off Concert w/ Small Town @ Central Park Plaza (September 10th)210

After Popcorn Fest Afterparty (Dueling Pianos @ Porter County Expo Center) on September 12th, 6-10pm

Chester Brown @ Shoreline Brewery (September 13th)

Crown Point Farmer’s Market

Cedar Lake Farmer’s Market

Miller Beach Farmers Market

The Sunday Vibe Market

Coffee Creek Farmers Market

Griffith Central Market

Farmed and Forged Market

The Edge of Liberty Craft Fair

Chesterton European Market

Valparaiso Farmers Market

Market on the Square

Hobart Summer Market on the Lake

Summer Market on Main

The Market on the Plaza

Demotte Market in The Park

Tuesday is Trivia day at White Rhino in Dyer. Find out more about this weekly event at the link here. Wednesday at White Rhino is Bingo night, starting at 6:30pm.

18th Street Brewery has its weekly Music Trivia and Karaoke night every Wednesday. Doors open at 4pm, with trivia starting at 6pm. Find out more here. On Thursday nights, they also host a weekly Line Dancing night with host Mizz Coco. Find out more here.

Shady Creek Winery hosts a weekly live music event each and every Sunday. Find a schedule of upcoming artists at the link here.

Anderson’s Winery in Valpo hosts weekly live music each and every weekend. Find a schedule of upcoming performances at the link right here.

Find out info about the classes and everything the Chesterton Art Center has going on here. The Center constantly has events for beginners, young artists, and apprentices alike, so anyone looking to build their skills and learn new ones should keep tabs on what the Chesterton Art Center has going on.

Off Square Brewing in Crown Point hosts a weekly Bingo Night on Thursdays, running from 7-9 pm each and every week. One lucky number can make you the big winner of the night! Find further info here. They also host a weekly Trivia Night on Wednesdays from 7pm.

Up Your Alley in Schererville has regular specials all week, perfect for families and groups of friends. Monday is a bowling special, Tuesday is Laser Tag, Wednesday is Dark Rides, and Thursday is the Arcade. Find more info and the specific deals available each week right here.

Every Monday, from 7-9 pm, Journeyman Distillery in Valpo hosts a Trivia Night. Three rounds of trivia keep the night alive, with teams of up to six people fight to win the grand prize every week. Find more info right here.

The Golden Leaf in Chesterton hosts a recurrent, one-of-a-kind experience that shows you the art of cigar making from start to finish. “The Cigar Maker Experience at The Golden Leaf” is a walk through cigar history that puts you into the tradition and culture of a long-standing trade. They host this event often, but dates tend to sell out ahead of time!

Lighthouse Restaurant in Cedar Lake has a weekly wine special running through dinner service. Happy hour specials and heavily discounted bottles every single Wednesday!

Every second Saturday each month, Beale Pottery in Westville hosts a “Make Cool Stuff Club”. This is a group that meets to, well, make cool stuff in the form of pottery! Find more info about the spot and their events right here.

On the last Tuesday of every month, Downtown Highland hosts a restaurant crawl. This community event always features a bunch of the local spots offering specials and deals, so its a great way to spend an evening hopping from meal to meal. Find more info right here.

Tiny’s Coffee Bar in Miller Beach has recurrent events every single week. Check out their page to find the full slate of events.

Marina Shores Yacht Club in Portage has Live Music Thursdays every 3rd Thursday of the Month! Find more info right here about lineups and performances.

Sip Coffee House in Highland has a Wednesday Game Night every single week from 6-9pm. In partnership with the Northwest Indiana Board Game Association.

Valparaiso Pathways Committee holds Free community rides once a month during the warmer months. Click here to look at their schedule of group rides across the city.

Conway Observatory in Lowell hosts open houses once a month for all ages to come in and take a look into the deep stretches of space. Totally free and with different focuses at each open house, you can learn about a host of cool space topics across the year. Find their schedule at the link right here.

Getting into photography or a seasoned vet looking to get out there and shoot more? Lake County Parks Photo Club has regular meetings every 2nd Wednesday at Turkey Creek Golf Course, with regular field trips out in the NWI expanse. Find more info and the full schedule at the link right here.

Gibson Woods Nature Preserve in Hammond holds a weekly Hike through nature every Wednesday. Find their full schedule right here. Pre-registration is required.

Miller Beach Arts and Creative District holds a free community yoga session every Sunday, beginning at 10am at the District building. Find info and other event listings here.

For all the fellow writers out there, Tiny’s Coffee Bar in Miller Beach holds a weekly writing group each and every Saturday, starting at 10:15am. Sometimes all it takes to spark inspiration is being around fellow creatives. Find more info about the group right here

The Dig the Dunes Beer Run & Wine Walk will be starting up on April 23rd, running once a month through the summer and early fall. A new spot in the Dunes area will be selected each month, with a 2-3 mile walk/run taking place before the group kicks back to enjoy a drink along the lakeshore. Find full information at the link right here and find the schedule right below.

Starting on April 25th, and running every Saturday through August, Indiana Dunes National Park’s 1966 Hiking Challenge begins! 19 hikes that cover 66 miles of the Dunes Park trails, celebrating the foundation of the park in 1966. Every Saturday at 8:00 am, hokes will take place in different areas of the park ranging from 1-7 miles. Complete them all and you earn a free 1966 Hiking Challenge sticker to show off to the world. For more details and specifics, click here.

Whiting Cruise Night runs every month on the 3rd Wednesday, starting on May 20th and running through the summer. Find more information about the event right here.