14th Annual Black Film Festival to be held at Glen Theatre
The 14th Annual Black Film Festival will feature three events in February at the Glen Theatre, 20 West Ridge Road in Gary. The series of independent films to be screened during the festival will be hosted by Gary native and Hollywood actor William L. Johnson. The three-day event will present the genres of comedy, crime, drama, romance, and thrillers each with a specific Black theme. The festival begins Friday and continues through Sunday. Advance tickets are available from all co-sponsors and at Beautiful Things, 4335
Broadway (219-985-8256, on Eventbrite and at
https://filmfreeway.com/BillJohnsonBlackFilmFestival. For more info visit GLENTHEATER.WIXSITE.COM/BILLHOHNSONFILM or call 219-887-2046.
Ivy Tech offers financial aid workshops, scholarship opportunities
Ivy Tech Community College will host a free workshop to help students apply for financial aid from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Ivy Tech Valparaiso campus, 3100 Ivy Tech Drive, Valparaiso. The workshop will assist Indiana students in filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA form is required for students to be considered for federal and state grants, scholarships, and federal student loans at most colleges, universities, and vocational/technical schools nationwide. The FAFSA must be filed by the state of Indiana priority deadline of April 15 to guarantee state aid for those who qualify. Students who attend College Goal Sunday will be entered to win one of five $1,000 scholarships; students who submit a completed evaluation form will automatically be entered in a drawing for a $1,000 scholarship. The winners will be notified in spring and scholarships will be sent directly to the higher education institution selected by the winning students. For complete information, visit https://www.ivytech.edu/tuition-aid/financial-aid/fafsa-101/college-goal-sunday/.
Save the Dunes seeks young adults for advocacy cohort program
Save the Dunes is looking to host six young adults ages 18-25 living or attending college in Lake County for the Lake County Advocacy Cohort program. The program will begin next month. Made possible through funding from the Legacy Foundation, this nine-month advocacy training program gives students the opportunity to elevate their voice on issues important to them and provides them with practical, real-world experience advocating from the grassroots experience to lobbying Members of Congress. The program is free. To apply or for more information visit https://savedunes.org/advocacycohort/
Crown Point Police initiates emergency hire process
The Crown Point Police Department is now accepting applications for police officers. The application deadline is 3 p.m. Feb. 28. Applications, more information and eligibility requirements can be found at www.crownpoint.in.gov/190/Police-Department.
Merrillville Police launches hiring process for new applicants
The Merrillville Police Department has started a hiring process for new applicants. Applications will be accepted through March 3 at the police department, 7820 Broadway Merrillville. For complete information and applications, visit https://www.merrillville.in.gov/departments/police_department/employment_opportunities.php.
Lucille Smith Scholarship applications now available
Lake County Extension Homemakers Association is accepting now applications for the Lucile Smith Memorial Scholarship. Established to encourage individuals to continue their education, the scholarship is open to both men and women. Eligible candidates must be 21 years of age or older and a Lake County resident for at least six months. Candidates also must prove financial need, demonstrate an ability to complete education or upgrade vocational skills and be a full- or part-time student at an academic, educational or vocational school including internships which are state-licensed or accredited. Application deadline is April 1. The recipient will be notified by mid-April and a check will be awarded at the annual Achievement Day luncheon May 20 at Andorra Banquets in Schererville. More information and applications can be found at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe12TNEYv8TmHj314QA7k92dp-J9aeAIa4VKjIZKh11PFE39Q/viewform. For further information, contact Lisa Moreland at morelend9440@comcast.net.
Franciscan Health hosting free heart screening event
Franciscan Health is hosting a free, educational heart screening event during American Heart Month. The Heart to Heart event will take place from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Innsbrook Country Club, 6701 Taft St., Merrillville. Cardiothoracic Surgeon J. Michael Tuchek, DO, FACS, will share information about the importance of patients knowing their blood pressure readings as well as their cholesterol and blood sugar levels and how they can all impact heart health. Dr. Tuchek will explain the benefits of a heart scan and how individuals can lower their risk of heart disease. Free breakfast and chair massages will be available. The screenings will consist of a finger stick blood test and blood pressure reading with a blood pressure cuff. An 8- to 12-hour fast prior to the screening is recommended for the most accurate results. The event is free, but registration is required as seating is limited. Attendees may register for the breakfast and presentation only or a heart screening followed by breakfast and the presentation. Register at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/cjtd23j.
PNW to host College Goal Sunday
Purdue University Northwest (PNW) will host College Goal Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday on the Hammond and Westville campus. The Hammond campus event will be held in Room 200 of the Student Union and Library Building, 2233 173rd St., Hammond. The Westville campus event will be held in Room 241 of the Library Student Faculty Building, 1401 S. U.S. 421, Westville. Financial aid professionals will be available at both locations to answer questions, help college-bound students and their families apply for financial aid, and provide assistance in filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Hammond location will offer Spanish interpreters. The event is free. Students who attend a College Goal Sunday event and complete the necessary form will be eligible to win one of five $1,000 educational prizes from Indiana College Goal Sunday. Students will need to ask about the educational prize when arriving at the location. More information can be found at pnw.edu/college-goal-sunday.
Schools invited to showcase creativity in rain barrel design contest
The Recycling & Waste Reduction of Porter County announces the 2025 Rain Barrel Design Contest, taking place during the Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, April 12. This opportunity invites all K-12 schools, public or private, across Northwest Indiana, including homeschool cooperatives, to participate. The theme for this year is “Our Power, Our Planet.” Registration for the competition is open and will continue until 35 competitors have registered or by Friday, Feb. 28, whichever comes first. Teachers interested in entering their students’ designs can view the competition rules and register their classrooms by visiting: https://portercountyrecycling.org/earth-day/.
