Ken Rosek

"Even though this is a challenging time, even though we're negotiating big contracts, I'm encouraged because it seems like our property taxes are picking up, our assessed value's picking up, and that's a healthy thing for our economy," Mayor Tom McDermott Jr. told council members.

During last month's Mayor's Night Out event, Mayor Tom McDermott Jr. said overdoses are Hammond's leading cause of death.

"It is completely unacceptable within the United States of America or anywhere else for that matter that kids would have to climb over or under a rail car in order to be able to get to school," Buttigieg told reporters during his visit to Gary on Wednesday.

The Hammond Sanitary District says it isn't to blame for flooded basements during the July 5 storms. The city had 74 confirmed basement backups, according to Mayor Tom McDermott Jr.

The safety risks posed by stopped trains in Hammond are drawing national attention, but the idea of building an overpass continues to divide the community.