0:00 → 0:54(54s)
Lakeshore Chamber board chair (unnamed in transcript) opened the event, welcomed attendees at the Hammond Sportsplex, and introduced Kelly Talon, president and CEO of the Lakeshore Chamber. The chair listed major sponsors including Digital Crossroads and Old National Bank and handed the program to Kelly Talon.
Mayor Tom M. McDermott Jr. delivered the Lakeshore Chamber’s State of the City at the Hammond Sportsplex, highlighting Hammond’s pursuit of major economic development (including interest from the Chicago Bears), roughly $70 million in local projects, upgrades to the Sportsplex and downtown, the College Bound scholarship program, utility concerns related to data centers and NIPSCO, quiet-zone and South Shore Line updates, and a brief audience Q&A.
