Latest news with #McCulloughAcademy
Chicago Tribune
14-04-2025
- Climate
- Chicago Tribune
Gov. Braun declares state of disaster for Lake County
Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has declared a state of disaster emergency for 18 counties, including Lake County. 'It is my hope that this step enables residents, businesses and local government to access needed resources and assistance as they assess and recover from these devastating weather events,' Braun said in a Friday news release. Braun declared the emergency after flooding, storm and tornado damage. Affected counties include Bartholomew, Brown, Clark, Crawford, Dearborn, Delaware, Gibson, Hamilton, Harrison, Lake, Madison, Marshall, Martin, Owen, Perry, Posey, Spencer and Warrick. The state of disaster emergency is effective for 30 days and allows the Indiana Department of Homeland Security to start providing financial assistance to communities with expenses under the State Disaster Relief Fund program, according to a news release. On March 19, multiple tornadoes touched down in Lake County, including three in Gary and one in Highland. Three EF-0 tornadoes passed through, two in Gary and one in Highland. Gary also had an EF-1 tornado pass through its west side. Local officials said Gary's Emerson community, 21st Avenue and Clark Street and Black Oak areas received significant damage. A 21st Avenue corridor between Whitcomb and Hendricks streets was severely impacted, according to a city news release. Mayor Eddie Melton declared a local disaster emergency in a March 20 executive order. Melton's declaration expired after one week. The Gary Common Council, on April 1, unanimously approved a resolution to continue the executive order, which one city official said was needed to apply for aid. 'For instance, we've been having regular calls … with state agencies to talk about how the city can get reimbursed for our labor costs, our machinery fuel costs, other things that have been associated with public works, the fire department and their ongoing response,' Melton said at the council meeting. The city of Gary did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday about Braun's declaration. The March 19 tornadoes produced strong winds, heavy rains that caused flooding, downed trees, downed power lines and property damage, according to Melton's executive order. High winds peeled the roof off the gym at Gary's McCullough Academy, 2757 W. 21st Ave. Students returned to the school April 8. The school's affected area is safely cordoned off, allowing classes to resume, according to Post-Tribune archives. 'Our primary focus is the safety and recovery of our community,' Melton said in a previous news release. 'We are committed to working tirelessly alongside emergency responders and city officials to restore normalcy and support those impacted by this severe weather event.'
Chicago Tribune
01-04-2025
- Climate
- Chicago Tribune
McCullough students regroup, relocate at new Gary school
About 500 McCullough Academy students settled into their new classrooms Monday at the spacious Gary Area Career Center as repair plans were being developed at their west side school after a March 19 tornado ripped its roof off. The kids had breakfast in the school cafeteria and ate bag lunches in their classrooms as they navigated the new building and lined up for restroom breaks. 'It feels different. It's new and I have to be more quiet,' said Sebastian Williams, 12. 'My teacher says we're in a high school.' Some of the younger students spent the day in the career center's multi-purpose room where several classes were held. Students in grades 3-5 were in smaller classrooms as teachers reviewed material for the upcoming ILEARN exam. Sebastian lives on West 21st Avenue, just down the street from McCullough, an elementary for grades K-5 at 3757 W. 21st Ave. He was home with his family when the EF-1 tornado bore down on Gary. 'I was kind of scared, the back of our shed door flew off and some shingles fell from the roof.' Sebastian and his family also got an early glimpse of the damage at McCullough where he's in 5th grade. The tornado tore the roof off the school gym. His family moved to a motel after the storm because their neighborhood lost power. Fifth grade teacher Desirae Hardy said there was some initial uncertainty about how classes would be divided up and for students to figure out where the bathrooms are. 'By day two, I think we'll have a better idea of how we'll operate,' she said. Kimora Johnson, 12, said being in a new school was 'a little weird.' She said her parents were surprised at the move to a new school, but she thinks it will all work out. When the storm came suddenly, McCullough students had already left for the day. Students at track practice, however, had just left the building when the tornado hit. No one was injured at the school. McCullough Principal Sharmayne McKinney said she got a phone call after the storm moved through and went back to the school to see water shooting out of the roof. 'Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that,' she said. Superintendent Yvonne Stokes checked out the classrooms at the Career Center and said repairs at McCullough likely won't be completed until mid-summer. 'We've got a wonderful space here that we're utilizing, but we do plan on getting our students back as soon as we can,' said Stokes on the return to McCullough. She didn't rule out returning students to the school this spring if the impacted areas can be safely walled off from students, while repairs are being done. She hoped they wouldn't be away from their school too long but it's too early to say. 'We just know that we want to make sure everything's safe,' said Stokes, citing the working condition of sprinkler systems and other equipment impacted by the tornado. Stokes said students will likely begin ILEARN testing April 14. She said it's still unclear if the students will be at the Career Center or back at McCullough when testing begins. In case they're at the Career Center, students in grade 3-5 are being housed in classrooms much like their old ones at McCullough so they can become familiar with their surroundings at testing time. 'We will be prepared, but what I will say is that disruptions like this can have an impact,' said Stokes. 'We're hoping and planning for it to be a positive impact for us.' McKinney praised her teachers for acclimating students to their new surroundings and keeping them focused as they prepare for the ILEARN. 'It's going to be fine. We're going to do the best that we can and our teachers are going to teach to get them prepared for the test,' she said. McKinney, in her sixth year as McCullough principal, said parents have been receptive to the school change and some even dropped their children off even though the Career Center is several miles from McCullough. The district provided buses to pick children up at McCullough. Parents are asked to drop their children off at McCullough between 7:15 and 7:30 a.m. Pickup is at 2:30 p.m. Stokes thanked the students and staff members for their cooperation and our parents and our community 'for just pivoting with us.'
Chicago Tribune
21-03-2025
- Climate
- Chicago Tribune
Multiple tornadoes touch down in Gary, Highland, NWS confirms; communities still cleaning up
A storm that passed through Northwest Indiana Wednesday night led to four tornado touchdowns, according to the National Weather Service. Three EF-0 tornadoes passed through, two in Gary and one in Highland. Gary also had an EF-1 tornado pass through its west side, specifically on 21st Avenue. Mayor Eddie Melton issued an executive order Thursday, following the EF-1 tornado. Melton declared a local disaster emergency within the city. The tornado produced strong winds, heavy rains that caused flooding, downed trees, downed power lines and property damage throughout the city, according to Melton's executive order. 'Our primary focus is the safety and recovery of our community,' Melton said in a Thursday news release. 'We are committed to working tirelessly alongside emergency responders and city officials to restore normalcy and support those impacted by this severe weather event.' The local disaster emergency declaration will remain in effect until it's determined that the public is no longer at risk, according to the news release. The declaration will expire after one week. City departments will work to address danger, including reduce flooding, clear roads and neighborhoods of debris, and remove storm-damaged structures, according to the executive order. As of about 11:30 a.m. Friday, 576 Gary residents were still without power, according to NIPSCO's power outage map. The city saw no serious injuries or deaths. High winds peeled the roof off the gym at McCullough Academy, 2757 W. 21st Ave. Chelsea Whittington, chief of public and community relations for Gary School Corp., said a couple classrooms adjacent to the gym were impacted by the tornado. Whittington told the Post-Tribune Friday that school officials were still completing conferences with parents, and the district will not have an update on McCullough Academy until next week, which is the district's spring break. Classes were canceled at McCullough Academy for Thursday and Friday. In Highland, crews were still working to repair storm damage Friday, said Director of Public Works Mark Knesek. All the town's roads had been opened, and the department was working on cleaning fallen trees. 'There's branches down everywhere in front of houses, which will take a while to clean up,' Knesek said, 'but all the main stuff is basically done. We're working on getting the big stumps out today from those 100-foot trees.' Knesek had previously told the Post-Tribune that crews had all roads passable by 10 p.m. Wednesday and tree-cutting services were clearing fallen trees on Forrest Drive. Highland's crews also cleared trees on Saric and Martha drives, and Street, as well as pine trees around the Sharp Police Memorial, according to Post-Tribune archives.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Cleanup underway after 3 tornadoes strike Gary, causing widespread damage, power outages
The Brief Three tornadoes hit Gary, Indiana, Wednesday night, causing significant damage, including torn roofs and power outages, with over 13,000 outages at peak. McCullough Academy's gymnasium roof was torn off, and the city remains under a local disaster emergency declaration as cleanup efforts continue. Power restoration efforts have reduced outages to roughly 900, while a shelter has been set up for displaced residents. GARY, Ind. - Cleanup efforts are in full swing after severe storms swept through the Chicagoland area, causing widespread damage and power outages. The National Weather Service confirmed that three tornadoes swept through Gary, Indiana, tearing roofs off homes and a school while leaving thousands without power. What we know The tornadoes hit Wednesday night, causing significant damage throughout Gary: EF-0 in southwestern Gary near 29th Avenue and Burr Street. EF-1 in southwestern Gary near McCullough Academy and the neighborhood east of Wallace Street at 21st Avenue. EF-0 near the Gary business district. "We have dozens of families that have been displaced…roofs have been torn off," said Gary Mayor Eddie Melton. One of the hardest-hit areas was 21st Street, where power lines and poles fell across multiple homes. Crews have been working all day to remove downed lines and restore electricity. "Probably wasn't a good two minutes – came and went," said one resident. At its peak, the storm caused about 13,000 outages across northwest Indiana. As of now, utility company NIPSCO has reduced that number to roughly 900. "Every other like 30-20 seconds, it sounded different to me….like real loud rumbling. You could hear things being tossed," said Jimeeka, who lives nearby. One of the most visible signs of the storm's impact is at McCullough Academy, where the roof over the gymnasium was torn off. The school, located at 21st and Wallace, is closed for the rest of the week. Despite the extensive damage, Gary officials confirmed that everyone was accounted for after the storm. One woman was rescued after her home's roof collapsed, trapping her inside. She was taken to the hospital in stable condition. What's next Gary Mayor Eddie Melton says the damage is widespread, with dozens of families displaced and businesses affected by wind damage, flooding, and fallen trees. A shelter is open for affected residents at the Monroe Center, located at 4101 Washington Street. In response to the tornadoes and aftermath, the mayor issued an executive order Thursday evening. The local disaster emergency declaration will remain in place until the situation is stabilized and public safety is no longer at risk. Power restoration efforts continue, and cleanup crews are clearing debris across the city. The Source FOX 32's Elizabeth Matthews reported on this story.
