Juneteenth Celebration June 17th Save the Date of June 17th for this year's Juneteenth Freedom Festival. The Saturday event is from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. at the Dean and Barbara White Community Center at 6600 Broadway. Performing this year will be DJ T. Black, who will provide music and serve as the MC for... Continue Reading →

It’s Election Day in Indiana today. The municipal elections, or positions for Cities and Towns. City Mayors, City and Town Council seats, Clerk-Treasurers, and Judges are all elected today. It is a busy day for our county election office and a long day for those on the ballot.Most, like me (and I am unopposed!), lay... Continue Reading →

Everyone seems to enjoy our Candidates sponsored BINGO night at The Chateau in Merrillville. The last game had a BANG with a $500 cash prize to the lucky winner who filled their entire Bingo card with the numbers drawn. The 'cover all' as it is called allowed for some intensive fun as players waited to... Continue Reading →

Survivors of the March 31 EF-1 tornado and severe storms have another resource to assist them through the recovery process.A Disaster Recovery Center has opened at 791 83rd Ave. in Merrillville. The facility is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, April 28, as well as May 8 and 9. It’s also open from... Continue Reading →

The town of Merrillville’s inaugural Black History Celebration Dinner combined inspiration, entertainment, and a commitment to the future. As the historic event concluded Thursday, it was announced that Merrillville leadership and the town’s special event committee are establishing a student scholarship program that will assist Merrillville and Andrean high school seniors with college or trade school... Continue Reading →

I am looking forward to serving all of the residents in Ward 5 for another 4-year term in office. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I will not have opposition in the May 2, 2023, Primary Election. There is also no Republican opponent in the primary. I promise to continue to keep open and... Continue Reading →

During that dreadful time after March 2020, many office employees began working from home. As more and more offices closed to keep as many people safe as possible from COVID-19, working from home became more and more prevalent and created an at-home atmosphere where workers who would normally spend time each day commuting found themselves... Continue Reading →

Press Release There has been an outpouring of support for the town of Merrillville’s inaugural Black History Celebration Dinner. More than 350 people are expected to attend the sold-out event taking place on February 23 at the Mike Anderson Chevrolet Event Center at the Dean and Barbara White Community Center, 6600 Broadway.“I am amazed at... Continue Reading →

I am excited to share the details of the February 23rd Inaugural Black History Celebration Dinner. I put together the short slideshow below with details. I hope to see you there. -Rick Bellahttps://rickbellaward5.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/BHDinnerDigitalMktg-copy.mp4#t=1