The cost of compliance

Industry officials, environmental regulators and activists agree progress has been made in improving the environmental profile of steel mills around the country.

Creating a culture of continuous improvement

Andy Harshaw says steel companies need to promote a culture of continuous improvement. Focusing on the future and being able to foster innovation is critical to the industry’s survival, he believes.

Industry looks to entice younger workers

Randy Hall Jr. never wanted to work in the mill.

Political, industry leaders aim to bolster steel's status in U.S.

The weather forecast in Washington these days is cloudy with a chance of gridlock, based on interviews with steel industry representatives.

Wanted: Manufacturing jobs with higher wages

University of Wyoming energy economics professor Timothy Considine believes all jobs are not created equal.

Unions: Members must stay engaged to remain relevant

It’s not getting any easier to lead a union.

Steel: Forging a future

"We are competitive."

Gary is showing proof of new day for city

The former Sheraton Hotel downtown has been vacant for more than two decades, and Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson has pledged to tear it down by June 30. Developers attempted to re-open the hotel and convert it to senior housing.

Employee seriously injured at Cargill plant in East Chicago

EAST CHICAGO | An employee at Cargill Inc. in East Chicago suffered serious injuries Wednesday night after a bundle of steel plates fell from a crane, trapping his legs underneath, officials said.

Illiana Block & Brick facility

GARY | The state of Indiana helped Illiana Block & Brick receive a low-interest bank loan in 2006 to help build this concrete product manufacturing facility in the city. One of the company's owners said a downturn in construction brought on by the recession helped reduce business activit…

Illiana Block & Brick trailer

GARY | Illiana Block & Brick is operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy nearly seven years after the Indiana Finance Authority signed off on a deal to help the company receive a low-interest bank loan to build a new facility in the city.

Muhammad: Intermodal operation piqued interest of businesses

Consulting-firm owner Adrian Muhammad said he remains interested in working to develop transportation infrastructure in Gary despite his firm's being accused of owing more than $267,000 for a feasibility study of building an intermodal business park on land United States Steel Corp. owns.

Lawsuit pushing intermodal port project off track?

A company led by an adviser to Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson is the target of a civil lawsuit in connection with its effort to spearhead a "city-centered" economic development project.

NWI officials want safety assurances on new oil pipeline

Officials in three counties and an environmental conservation organization support the plan to replace Enbridge Energy Partners LP's aging Line 6B oil pipeline with a new state-of-the-art system.

Local residents pipe up with Enbridge concerns

Bill LaFever doesn't want to fight, but he isn't afraid to, either.

Dock wall collapses under cargo weight at ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor

PORTAGE | An ArcelorMittal dock wall at the Port of Indiana Burns Harbor was crushed under the weight of cargo off-loaded from a ship early Tuesday morning, officials said.

Lee President's Award Narrative for nominee Bowdeya Tweh for Rust Belt Resurgence series

The Times Media Co.'s "Rust Belt Resurgence" was the result of a call for help.

Indiana attorney general investigating BP gas recall

Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller said his office has opened an investigation into the BP gasoline recall to ensure consumers' rights are protected, according to a news release issued Wednesday.

Three injured in BP Whiting Refinery flash fire

WHITING | Officials at the BP Whiting Refinery are leading an investigation to figure out the root cause of a "brief flash fire" that sent three contract workers to the hospital Tuesday night.

THREE YEARS AFTER THE GREAT RECESSION: Manufacturing continuing to boost Indiana economic activity

SCHERERVILLE | From his office window, Joel Chermak can get a visual confirmation of what financial statements for the company tell him on a daily basis.

THREE YEARS AFTER THE GREAT RECESSION: Legacy dims hope to break economic malaise

Things should have been better by now.

Grocers in underserved areas find challenges, opportunities

Melissa Diaz, manager of La Mexicana grocery store, gets ready to work with a customer on March 29. Diaz's family has owned and operated the East Chicago store for more than 20 years in the city and she said the store is able to attract customers from the around the region because of the nic…

Grocers in underserved areas find challenges, opportunities

Customer Carlos Mora, left, of East Chicago, waits at La Mexicana grocery store in East Chicago while butcher Eric Diaz to prepares food for him on March 29.

ArcelorMittal speaks out on Cline Avenue

Steelmaker ArcelorMittal has issued an unequivocal statement calling for INDOT to stick to its original pledge and build new on- and off-ramps for Cline Avenue at Dickey Road.

Portage steel plant construction to begin soon

PORTAGE | Roseville, Minn.-based Ratner Steel Supply Co. plans to invest about $14.3 million to build its first facility in the region and add 30 new jobs there by 2015.

Former U.S. Rep. Katie Hall dead at 73

Katie Beatrice Hall, a former teacher with a four-decade political career who was responsible for sponsoring legislation to recognize Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, died Monday, a family spokesman said. She was 73.

Ronald Ross

Enterepreneur Ronald Ross holds a check Friday he received from the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee. The $60 check was to provide the host committee with samples of napkins ordered from his food, paper, building and janitorial supply business, but he said the timeframe to fill th…

Big projects will revitalize, beautify Gary

The former Sheraton Hotel downtown has been vacant for more than two decades and Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson pledged to tear it down. Developers have attempted to re-open the hotel and convert it to senior housing.

Region downtowns: Gary

The glut of vacant or underutilized properties on Broadway south of 5th Avenue shows the battle the Steel City is fighting to spur economic development. Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson said it's important to build up the storefronts and work with developers to improve the downtown corridor.

Residents share their thoughts on Gary's future

Many region residents who attended Tuesday's City of Promise event shared their experiences and impressions of Gary and their recommendations for improving it:

Attendees pore over Illiana corridor maps

Attendees of the Illiana Corridor Planning Group and Technical Task Force meeting Tuesday in Matteson, Ill., discussed eight potential routes to identify pitfalls and opportunities.

Illiana alternatives map

Leaders of the Illiana Corridor Planning Group and Technical Task Force made large maps available for attendees of a meeting Tuesday in Matteson, Ill.

Rick Ryfa

Rick Ryfa, candidate for Griffith Town Council

Car wreck damages Hammond home

Emergency responders wait for a tow truck to remove a vehicle from the scene of an injury accident Saturday afternoon on 167th Street in Hammond. Witnesses say the vehicle's driver, who was hospitalized, may have been drag racing prior to the accident.

Dyer charging stations

Dyer town officials admit the charging posts outside the town hall haven't gotten much use since they were installed two years ago. At least one station is now used regularly to charge a Think City vehicle the town was able to receive through a grant

Charging station

A charging station for electric cars is shown at Dyer Town Hall. Electric vehicles are as few and far between in Northwest Indiana as the charging stations that power them.

TIMES DIVERSITY JOB FAIR REPORT: Difficult job market facing people with disabilities

Roy Slazyk's life changed in November 2006 after suffering a work-related injury on a job site in Harvey five years ago.

Economost: Don't play games with debt ceiling

Economist and Times columnist Morton Marcus speaks Monday during the Gary Chamber of Commerce meeting. Marcus said a lack of action in Washington over whether to raise the country's debt ceiling and a lack of attention being paid to the need for public spending is threatening to destabilize …

Economist: Don't play games with debt ceiling

Morton Marcus, left, a columnist for The Times and former director of the Indiana Business Research Center, stands as Gary Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Chuck Hughes speaks Monday at the chamber meeting.

Morton Marcus on the debt ceiling, public spending

Indiana economist Morton Marcus comments on the debt ceiling, public spending.

Blizzard shutters many NWI businesses

Many local businesses took the day off Wednesday due to blustery winds, heavy snow and poor road conditions.

Jackson group moves to clear IRS hurdle

Paperwork and legal wrangling continue over a planned Michael Jackson-themed complex in Gary.

Jackson group ties with M'ville nonprofit

The group trying to build a multimillion-dollar Michael Jackson megaplex in Gary now is tied to a nonprofit that has two officers accused of fraud in recent years.

Gary man, 26, fatally shot

GARY | John "J" Hargrove's family Saturday mourned his death at such a young age.

Cracks prompt INDOT to close Gary bridge

GARY | The Indiana Department of Transportation on Wednesday morning announced the indefinite closure of the Martin Luther King Drive bridge over the Borman Expressway in Gary, citing safety concerns.

State: Cline Avenue Bridge won't be rebuilt

The condemned span of the Cline Avenue bridge will not be rebuilt, Indiana Department of Transportation officials said Thursday afternoon.

ArcelorMittal USA CEO blasts 'bring your gun to work' bill, urges veto

The top U.S. executive of steelmaker ArcelorMittal is urging Gov. Mitch Daniels to veto legislation that would outlaw workplace rules preventing employees from keeping firearms and ammunition in their vehicles at work.

Few think recession will end in near term

Robertsdale resident Amy Wilson stuck another one of her "Dear President Obama" letters in a mailbox Thursday.

Steel segment gets boost from increased auto production

CHICAGO | Panelists at a steel conference last week agreed the popular Cash for Clunkers gave a short-term boost to the automobile and steel industries.

Steel industry pros divided on free trade

CHICAGO | Representatives of the North American steel industry turned their attention abroad Tuesday and Wednesday in talks about the differences between free trade and unfairly propping up one good or industry in a global marketplace.