Rayonna Burton-Jernigan

Evansville, Gary

Business and Economic Development Reporter at Capital B

Business and Economic Development Reporter @CapitalBNews Cleveland Born&Raised LUM ‘19 💚 UMD ‘21❤️🖤 @nabj member

Articles

Here’s a First Look at Gary’s New YMCA and Boys & Girls Club Design

3 weeks ago | gary.capitalbnews.org | Rayonna Burton-Jernigan

City officials, community leaders, and residents gathered in Gary’s Tolleston neighborhood to mark the start of construction on a $35 million YMCA and Boys & Girls Club campus. The groundbreaking ceremony took place on Wednesday at the site of the former Tolleston Middle School, where the 91,000-square-foot facility will be built.
Gary’s Seniors on Edge as Tariffs Threaten Their Savings

3 weeks ago | gary.capitalbnews.org | Rayonna Burton-Jernigan

On a recent weekday afternoon, the Gary Public Library’s community room was filled with dozens of seniors seeking community, friendship, and a game of bingo. For members of the Senior Citizens Friendship Club, it’s a welcome escape from the stress and uncertainty of daily life. It offers a brief window to laugh, unwind, and connect with others. “Trump ain’t getting this,” one woman said as she walked out the door, waving her bingo winnings envelope.
Gary’s Seniors on Edge as Tariffs Threaten Their Savings

3 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Rayonna Burton-Jernigan

On a recent weekday afternoon, the Gary Public Library’s community room was filled with dozens of seniors seeking community, friendship, and a game of bingo. For members of the Senior Citizens Friendship Club, it’s a welcome escape from the stress and uncertainty of daily life. It offers a brief window to laugh, unwind, and connect with others. “Trump ain’t getting this,” one woman said as she walked out the door, waving her bingo winnings envelope.
‘This Is About More Than Just Food’: Inside a Grassroots Effort Feeding Hundreds in Gary

3 weeks ago | gary.capitalbnews.org | Rayonna Burton-Jernigan

On a windy Sunday morning this month in downtown Gary, families lined up outside the Family Life Community Center. They weren’t there for church, but for nourishment. “Number 1!” “Numbers 25-30!” a volunteer shouted into a bullhorn, his voice cutting through the jazz music that filled the air.
Displaced by a Tornado, Gary Students and Families Navigate a Temporary Home

1 month ago | yahoo.com | Rayonna Burton-Jernigan

The roof is damaged. Classrooms are empty. The building where hundreds of children once learned and laughed now sits silently behind locked doors. But the school day carries on. In the days after a tornado swept through Gary’s Tolleston neighborhood, the students and staff of Frankie Woods McCullough Academy have been adjusting to a new, temporary home. And they’re not alone.
Displaced by a Tornado, Gary Students and Families Navigate a Temporary Home

1 month ago | gary.capitalbnews.org | Rayonna Burton-Jernigan

The roof is damaged. Classrooms are empty. The building where hundreds of children once learned and laughed now sits silently behind locked doors. But the school day carries on. In the days after a tornado swept through Gary’s Tolleston neighborhood, the students and staff of Frankie Woods McCullough Academy have been adjusting to a new, temporary home. And they’re not alone.
From Eyesore to Opportunity: Gary’s Side Lot Program Gives Hope to Homeowners

1 month ago | gary.capitalbnews.org | Rayonna Burton-Jernigan

Gaynette Ford remembers the day she danced in the street. After years of living next to a crumbling drug house, where strangers loitered, and needles littered the ground, she had all but given up on getting it torn down. Then, one afternoon, she came home to a sight she never expected: a demolition crew leveling the eyesore to the ground. “I danced in the streets, just to have the comfort of knowing it was gone,” she recalled.
From Eyesore to Opportunity: Gary’s Side Lot Program Gives Hope to Homeowners

1 month ago | yahoo.com | Rayonna Burton-Jernigan

Gaynette Ford remembers the day she danced in the street. After years of living next to a crumbling drug house, where strangers loitered, and needles littered the ground, she had all but given up on getting it torn down. Then, one afternoon, she came home to a sight she never expected: a demolition crew leveling the eyesore to the ground. “I danced in the streets, just to have the comfort of knowing it was gone,” she recalled.
Possible tornado Tears Through Gary

1 month ago | gary.capitalbnews.org | Javonte Anderson |Calvin Davis |Jenae Barnes |Rayonna Burton-Jernigan

Toppled power lines. Caved-in roofs. Lumbering trees crashed into the Earth. And residents left stunned. These were just a few of the images greeting Gary this morning after a possible tornado whipped through the city Wednesday evening, devastating dozens of homes in the Tolleston neighborhood and leaving thousands of Northwest Indiana residents without power.
Capital B Gary story: Gary Native PeQue Empowers Youth Through Art

2 months ago | indianacitizen.org | Rayonna Burton-Jernigan |Marilyn Odendahl

PeQue speaks to students at Gary Middle school during digital art workshop. (Photo/Javonte Anderson of Capital B)This story was originally published by Capital B Gary. By Rayonna Burton-Jernigan Capital B Gary March 10, 2025As temperatures rise in Gary, so too is residents’ desire to push the city in a brighter direction. To that end, one avenue for change is being honed in our youngest citizens: through art.