Big Shoulders president and CEO Josh Hale called it the largest single investment in preK-12 Catholic education in history.

Wednesday’s announcement at the White family-owned Lighthouse Restaurant in Cedar Lake drew an A-list of GOP leaders including Gov. Eric Holcomb, Speaker of the House Todd Huston, and Secretary of Education Katie Jenner.

Diocese of Gary Bishop Robert J. McClory praised the gift from the White Foundation and announced the establishment of a $50 million endowment from the diocese’s foundation aimed at boosting teacher and staff salaries.

“Today is a joy-filled day…” said McClory. “Lives will be changed and transformed. The Investment reflects an enormous vote of confidence in Catholic education.”

Beth White, chairman of White Lodging and wife of the late Bruce White and daughter-in-law of Dean and Barbara White, called Wednesday’s announcement just a beginning.

“The true success will be the academic progress everyone makes who walks through the Big Shoulders’ door. We believe in the promise that each of you hold.”

She said the White family and her own downstate Illinois family know the impact of an education.

“My late husband, Bruce, and I share the belief that education is an equalizer that is paramount to making the world a better place. With Big Shoulders, we have been working together to make a meaningful impact in Chicago and Northwest Indiana.”

The diocese has 20 schools, about 400 teachers, and about 6,000 students in Lake, Porter, LaPorte and Starke counties. Diocese Superintendent Colleen Brewer said enrollment is up about 19% in the past three years.

The increase coincides with state lawmakers expanding a Choice Scholarship, or voucher program, making nearly every family in the state eligible for state funding to send their children to private schools.

The program has provided millions to Diocese of Gary schools including $3.7 million for Bishop Noll High School in Hammond and $2.4 million for Andrean High School in Merrillville last year.

Brewer said about 80% of students rely on vouchers in the program championed by Republicans who control both chambers in the statehouse.

“It’s difficult to think back over the last 7-1/2 half years of a moment I’ve been more proud of,” said Holcomb. “It took innovative minds, it took courage. Now you’re in the spotlight.”

Huston called the announcement “my favorite event ever” because of its future impact.

“This event changes generations, changes outcomes…We’ll see improving metrics but we’ll never fully appreciate the generational changes in these kids’ lives.”

Officials said there’s no specific plan in place yet to divvy up the $150 million in funding.

Hale said the plan will focus on serving students and communities with the greatest economic and educational need in Northwest Indiana.

Hale left the door open for the Diocese of Gary to reopen a school since they’ve all been closed for years. He said they would examine reopening a shuttered school in Gary.

The most likely one could be Holy Angels, across from the cathedral on 6th Avenue.

Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

Dorian Patel, who has had a career in radiology, and Cynthia Hoess, who has been a physician for 30 years and currently works as a pediatrician for Methodist Hospitals, both said they would like to serve the board to ensure its transparency with the public.

“I am very interested in finding out how the health board operates, what they’re goals are,” Patel said. “We’re here to find out more about how the health board operates.”

The board wasn’t expecting to conduct interviews at the meeting as the opening had not been posted or advertised. But Hobart resident Barbara Koteles told the board she spoke with Lake County Commissioner Michael Repay who informed her about the citizen appointment to the health board. Koteles said she told Patel and Hoess about the opening.

When the council was considering $4.87 million in state funding for the health department last year, Patel and Koteles spoke out against it, expressing concern that the money would be used for vaccine and mask mandates.

Lake County Council President Christine Cid said three people sent in resumes or letters of interest for the position, but only Patel and Hoess attended Tuesday’s meeting. The council agreed to accept resumes for the position through June 28 and to conduct further interviews at its July 9 meeting.

The health board meets four times a year, Cid said, and when asked both women said they could be available for the meetings.

Koteles said she and others are curious who has oversight over the health board, who evaluates the board members and who checks the political backgrounds of each board member.

“Past performance is a predictor of future performance,” Koteles said. “We want to see how they operate and what they were doing.”

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb advocated strongly for the Health First Indiana initiative, which was created in 2023 by the Indiana legislature through Senate Enrolled Act 4 to improve overall health of Hoosiers, a metric where the state consistently ranks among the worst in the nation.

As part of its spending plan, the Lake County Health Department plans to open a maternal and child health center in both the north and south sides of the county.

As a physician, Hoess said she’s worked in a tuberculosis clinic, an HIV clinic and in a clinic that provided home visits to asthmatic patients in Gary to help them with their medications so they can avoid hospitalization, among other things.

“There really isn’t much that I have not seen,” Hoess said. “I have a passion for what I do.”

Hoess said she’d like to see the health department work toward decreasing the number of patients with diabetes, hypertension and obesity, which have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. The department should also find ways to support people with mental health issues, which have also increased since the pandemic, she said.

“I’m a team player. I’m active. I want the best health for everybody,” Hoess said. “I’m interested in being part of the Lake County Board of Health so that we can … get back and make up for time that we lost from COVID.”

The board must follow guidelines established by the CDC, Cid said, so she asked both candidates if they are aware of that. Patel said, “yes that was brought to our attention,” and Hoess said, “right.”

In her work, Hoess said she follows guidelines and best practices set by various government health departments.

“We pretty much have to follow it,” Hoess said.

Councilman Ted Bliski said he knows people were upset about the mask and vaccine mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused some people to become more involved in local politics.

Bilski said he wouldn’t want to appoint someone with a specific political agenda to the health board.

“I hope people aren’t taking this job to move forward a political agenda but for the public health of Lake County,” Bilski said.

akukulka@chicagotribune.com

He was “mumbling” and “moaning.” A young woman with him ran when the shooting started.

“I didn’t know what to do,” Mathews said. “I was trying to help him.”

Virgil “Reese” King, 23, of Gary, is on trial this week. He is charged with murder in Walker’s Jan. 25, 2023 death. He is also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, and two counts of unlawful carrying of a handgun. He has pleaded not guilty.

Co-defendant Micah “Mike” Sanders, 25, took a plea deal Friday on murder. He is facing a 45-year term if Judge Gina Jones accepts the agreement.

His sentencing is scheduled for June 28.

In opening statements on Monday, Deputy Prosecutor Keith Anderson said there was no video footage showing the shooting. However, there was a video showing two men running up the street afterward.

Cops also followed footsteps in the snow with a K-9 to the 2500 block of Waverly Drive where the pair were arrested.

Defense lawyer Adam Tavitas said in opening statements the state didn’t have the evidence to prove the case. There were no witnesses who saw the shooting. There was “little evidence” that King knew Walker, the lawyer said.

The handgun cops found in a bedroom closet where they were arrested had Sander’s DNA, not King’s, he said.

Gary Police Detective Daryl Gordon was called at 8:17 a.m. on Jan. 25, 2023, to the 500 block of Chase Street where Walker was lying lifeless on his back near the home’s front stoop, according to court records.

Police found several 9-millimeter bullet casings nearby.

A witness told police Walker was walking back from a gas station around 6 a.m. when gunshots rang out, according to court records.

Police discovered a dog had been shot dead on the 500 block of Taney Street not long after Walker’s slaying. It was the same bullet type, the affidavit alleges.

A K-9 dog tracked a scent from the crime scene to the same house on the 500 block of Taney, then stopped at a house on the 2500 block of Waverly Drive, five blocks away from the murder scene, charges state.

Officers surrounded the home. A man appeared to try crawling out a back window with possibly a gun in his pocket before closing it shut. Officers arrested King and Sanders, according to the affidavit. A woman and several kids were inside.

A witness told police King and Sanders knocked on the door asking to come inside and he knew them “through our (relative).”

The men were inside for 10 minutes before police came, according to court documents.

mcolias@post-trib.com

Patterson, 30, of Gary, later said he shot the dog because it was biting him as he ran from the cop.

He is on trial this week for felony counts of attempted murder, battery by means of a deadly weapon, resisting law enforcement, striking a law enforcement animal and misdemeanor resisting law enforcement. He has pleaded not guilty.

The dog was shot five times, an expert testified earlier. Lozano testified he was a U.S. Army Iraq combat veteran and had trained the K-9 dog from when it was a 9-month-old pup.

Around 1:45 p.m. July 13, 2023, police said a Ford Fusion belonging to Patterson crossed the intersection of Ridge Road and Grant Street in Gary, where a license plate reader determined that Patterson had multiple active felony warrants pending against him out of Gary, including charges of aggravated battery and criminal recklessness.

Lozano and his K-9 partner, Falco, proceeded to the area of the 1000 block of East 35th Place to search for Patterson. At first, he ordered Patterson, who was “fidgety,” to put his hands on the car. He gave the officer a fake name. As Lozano tried to handcuff him, Patterson took off.

They engaged in a foot pursuit in an area with knee-high overgrown grass, according to the probable cause affidavit. A witness told police that Patterson jumped over a fence and Falco followed him, hopping over the fence as well. Lozano couldn’t climb the fence, so he ran along its east side when he heard a few shots go off, records state.

Falco was shot during the short chase and he died from his wounds in the back of the residence. The animal was lying on the ground and had “shallow breathing,” Lozano told jurors. The dog served eight years with the Gary Police Department, with more than 1,000 deployments, apprehending suspects and seizing numerous drugs, according to Gary Police Chief Anthony Titus.

In the backyard, Lozano noticed Falco was down but couldn’t initially locate Patterson, court records state. He told investigators that as he approached the west side of the residence, Patterson fired at him and he fired back at Patterson. At that point, Patterson gave up and was taken into custody, the affidavit states.

At some point, Lozano called for backup. Two other officers arrived.

Richard Cooper, a contractor, testified Tuesday he was working on a home on E. 35th Place when an armed man appeared outside in a blue shirt. He heard two shots, a police dog “fall back,” then three more shots.

He went toward the front to avoid the shooting and directed an officer to the back fence gate. Cooper said he was an ex-U.S. Marine and could tell that different guns were fired. In total, he heard a handful of shots, then a shotgun blast.

“I’m done, I’m done. I give up,” he heard the armed man say.

The whole incident lasted under a minute. How did the suspect look, Deputy Prosecutor Michelle Jatkiewicz asked.

“Actually, he looked pretty good,” Cooper said. “Police showed great restraint.”

The trial is before Judge Salvador Vasquez. Defense lawyer John Cantrell is representing Patterson. Deputy Prosecutor Adam Martin is assisting Jatkiewicz.

mcolias@post-trib.com

Post-Tribune archives contributed.

For nearly 45 minutes, Stokes shared a detailed look into her goals and priorities during a reception Tuesday that drew Gary Community School Corp. staff members, residents, and parents.

On Monday, the state Distressed Unit Appeal Board, which has governed the district since 2017, will hold a 5 p.m. public hearing and a vote on the termination of Gary’s status as a distressed school district.

Gary’s appointed school board and Superintendent Stokes are expected to gain governing authority on July 1. The vote will bring an end to seven years of sometimes turbulent state control that reduced the workforce and shuttered schools, but also turned a hefty budget deficit into a surplus.

“It’s been bumpy, but we’re going to land the plane,” said Mike Raisor, the fourth emergency manager to run the district under MGT Consulting, the Florida-based firm hired by the state in 2017.

On Tuesday, though, Stokes offered insight into how the district will function under her leadership.

She arrives in Gary after her first superintendent’s position in the Hamilton Southeastern Schools ended abruptly last year after the election of a new conservative school board.

Before that role, she served as assistant superintendent from 2017 to 2021 in the School Town of Munster.

“I don’t believe just a few should be able to sit at the table… We need to hear from all of you,” Stokes told the crowd.

She outlined a K-12 academic vision of coordinated systemic learning at each grade level with no gaps.

At the top is literacy. “We have to make sure our children can read and yes, we’re putting supports in place at the high school. Our focus has to be on literacy first.”

Gary third graders rank at the bottom of the state in its reading assessment exam with just 47% percent passing last year compared to the state average of 82%.

Along with literacy, attendance is a big priority.

“Students have to be here. We need to make sure our kids show up,” she said.

One of the biggest complaints during the MGT era was a perceived snub of engaging with the community.

Stokes said she’s going to initiate a seven-month program for parents to learn about the inner workings of the school district and how it must align with state and federal laws.

She said sessions could cover topics like food service, transportation, and board governance. “When you learn how we operate, you become ambassadors,” Stokes said.

DeJuan Eskew, dean of students at the Glen Park Academy, said he was impressed with Stokes’ vision.

“I like her focus on early literacy,” he said. “It seems like she’s full of ideas. She’s strong-willed, but open to suggestions.”

Tomeka Pope, a Project Lead the Way K-5 teacher at Williams Elementary, also liked Stokes’ emphasis on literacy.

“I’m excited and very hopeful we do the right thing,” she said.

“I’m glad we have local control back,” said Marcus Steele, who has three family members in the district. “She seems like she’ll be someone who is there for the kids,” he said of Stokes.

Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

In November 2006, I visited his holiday getaway estate named Firefly in Jamaica, also the tropical seaside site of his final resting place following his death at age 73 in 1973.

I think Coward would be pleased to know his stage works, including “Blithe Spirit,” first unveiled in London in 1941, are still earning audience ovations.

Dunes Summer Theatre and Artist Director Steve Scott have kicked off its 2024 season with “Blithe Spirit,” which concludes three weekends of performances this weekend on June 16 in Michigan City.

“Blithe Spirit” centers on a sophisticated British novelist named Charles haunted by the ghost of his mischievous former wife, who appears after a séance congers her spirit.

I caught a performance of the stage comedy last weekend, and director Michael Lasswell, who is also Dunes’ resident set and scenic designer, has hit a home run, especially with all of the clever special effects included to tell the story.

The cast members for “Blithe Spirit’ are mostly new to the Dunes stage, and also new to working with each other, led by Sean Kelly as novelist Charles Condomine opposite Danielle Bilderback as his second wife Ruth Condomine, both tormented by Danielle Kerr as the now ghostly first spouse Elvira. Mary Jayne Britton plays the family maid Edith and Dean Johanson is Dr. Bradman, with Stacy Nelson as his bickering wife Mrs. Bradman and Madeline Pell as Madame Arcati.

All the cast members are incredible in their character roles, but Pell as the spirit medium ranks as the levitating favorite for this production launching Dunes Summer Theatre’s 73rd Season.

For the last Broadway revival, the great Angela Lansbury was cast as kooky Madame Arcati, resulting in the 2009 performance run for Lansbury to win her fifth Tony Award for the “Blithe Spirit” role. She reprised the role again in 2015 at age 89, before she died in 2022.

It was Margaret Rutherford, who died at age 80 in 1972, who originated the role of Madame Arcati and also portrayed her in the 1945 film version with Rex Harrison as frazzled Charles. For the 1987 revival, Richard Chamberlain played Charles opposite actresses Judith Ivey and Blythe Danner as his rival wives, and the great Geraldine Page was under the turban of Madame Arcati.

Page, who received a Tony Award nomination for her portrayal, died of a heart attack at age 62 during the 104-performance run.

The old-school stage gimmicks and trickery work wonderfully for the special effects throughout the show, especially during the finale scene.

Tickets for “Blithe Spirit” are $35 and available by calling 219-879-7509 or at dunesARTS.org with performances at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and a final show at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 16, on Father’s Day. Dunes Summer Theatre is nestled in the woods along the Lake Michigan shoreline at 288 Shady Oak Drive in Michigan City.

The rest of the Dunes Summer Theatre season includes “Talley’s Folly” June 28-July 14; “The Bridges of Madison County” July 26-Aug. 11; and “The 4th Annual Dunes Broadway Cabaret Romantic Journeys” Aug. 15-17.

The Dunes Arts Foundation, which operates Dunes Arts Summer Theatre and Education Programs, became incorporated in 1951 and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Philip Potempa is a journalist, published author and the director of marketing at Theatre at the Center. He can be reached at pmpotempa@comhs.org.

Even earlier this season, after multiyear starter Matt Santana had graduated, it wasn’t clear that Arnold would get most of the innings at the position.

But when the Indians play Mooresville in the Class 4A state championship game at Victory Field on Saturday night, there’s no doubt who will be behind the plate.

“I’ve been able to take off with it,” Arnold said.

Perhaps it’s no coincidence that Lake Central (24-9) has been able to take off, too, advancing to the state finals for the first time since 2012.

Mooresville (32-3) has a formidable pitching staff with Cincinnati recruit Brendin Oliver, Alabama commit Hudson DeVaughan and Indiana recruit Hogan Denny, who is the state’s Gatorade player of the year and has logged the team’s second-most innings when he’s not catching.

But Arnold wouldn’t trade Lake Central’s stellar staff for anyone’s, and the DePauw recruit has earned the respect of that talented group, which includes Indiana recruit Griffin Tobias, Maryville recruit Blake Sivak and Cincinnati commit Josh Flores.

“We have the greatest pitching staff in the state right now, and getting to handle Tobias and Sivak and Flores on a day-to-day basis is a great experience,” Arnold said. “We put a lot of work into it day to day. … Every day has built on top of each other to get to where we are now on the mound and in general.

“Helping handle our pitching staff on a day-to-day basis and trying to call the right pitches at all times has definitely contributed to our success.”

Arnold will get no argument from Tobias.

“He’s gotten way better since the start of the year,” Tobias said. “We have that connection as a pitcher-catcher. Every time I have a pitch in my hand that I want to throw, he just ends up calling it, and I’m like, ‘There we go.’ We have that little connection going, which is fantastic to have. He’s great behind the plate.”

When Sivak threw a complete-game gem in Lake Central’s win against Homestead in the semistate finals, the connection between him and Arnold was especially evident.

“On Saturday, when he caught me, I didn’t shake him off one time,” Sivak said. “He knew exactly what to call in the right situation. That led to a great outing and great success and got us the win. We’ve just worked really well together.”

This really is Arnold’s first season as the primary starter at any level of the program. He split time at catcher on the freshman team and again as a sophomore on the junior varsity team. He played sparingly last season, serving mostly as the bullpen catcher.

As this season opened, there still was some gray area.

“We go into the season, I always like to keep three catchers,” eighth-year Lake Central coach Mike Swartzentruber said. “It’s probably not ideal for the three catchers because it’s hard to feed three mouths behind the plate to get them enough playing time. I would’ve liked to have played them all more than I did, and I’m sure they all wanted to play more than they did. But two of them are juniors, and I know they’ll be back next year, and Drew was always the guy going into the season I was going to give first crack at the job to.

“At the very beginning of the season, his heart and mind were in the right place, but he was pressing a little bit as far as behind the plate and at the plate as well. So we were shuffling catchers around. Finally, the Munster game, he had a really big game, and he took hold of the job as the regular guy.”

Arnold went 3-for-3 with two doubles and four RBIs during that game against rival Munster on April 26. Overall, he’s hitting .231 with 11 RBIs, but his defensive role is paramount.

“To have a guy back there you can trust, he’s a smart kid, he’s very conscientious of the game of baseball, he has a good baseball IQ,” Swartzentruber said. “He’s not shy as far as being able to communicate, which is a must as a catcher, as far as communicating with the infield and communicating with the pitchers. He’s been great. You can see his confidence level growing and growing each game. Right now, he’s a very confident catcher and even hitter, for that matter. He’s done a really good job for us.”

Swartzentruber, who led North Posey to consecutive Class 2A titles in 2005 and 2006, also praised Arnold’s persistence and ability to stay focused.

“That’s one of the things we try to teach all the kids here,” Swartzentruber said. “If you were playing somewhere else, you’d probably be a varsity starter right now. But here you have to bide your time. I tell them patience is a great quality to have. … You come here every day and you practice against other really good players, it’s going to make you better. I would want to be challenged and pushed like that. Here, there’s a guy either right above you that you’re trying to catch, or a guy right below you that’s nipping at your heels trying to catch you as far as playing time.

“So those catchers get along really well. That’s another quality of this team. They’re there for each other. They support each other. There’s no pettiness. There’s no individualism. And Drew’s a big part of that. When Drew was splitting three ways, when the playing time was divided up three ways, he didn’t say anything. He kept a great attitude, kept plugging, kept working, and he eventually took over the job.”

Arnold viewed that outcome as a reward for his diligence.

“Looking at last year, I knew I didn’t really have much of a chance to play,” he said. “But going into this year, I knew I was the guy and it was my chance to take it from there. I’ve put everything I have into it to make sure I’d be able to hold down that spot.

“I worked with my staff all throughout the offseason to make sure that when it came around and it was time to play, I was going to be their guy behind the plate. Extra hours before and after practice, on weekends, making sure I’d be able to catch them.”

Arnold hopes to be celebrating with those pitchers and the rest of his teammates on Saturday night.

“We are one jelled group together,” he said. “There is no single individual in the dugout, on or off the field. It’s just a group of guys who try to do whatever it takes to win.

“It means a lot to be able to be here. But at the end of the day, the job’s not finished, and we have to go get the right color ring.”

The Indiana General Assembly passed a bill this year that would allow Hammond to place a 1% tax on prepared food and beverages, said Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott. The tax would be added on to the state’s 7% sales tax, he said.

Gov. Eric Holcomb signed the bill into law stating the tax can go into effect July 1, McDermott said, though it will take 120 days after the council gives final approval for the Indiana Department of Revenue to prepare for the tax.

The city can utilize the tax for 20 years, and it cannot increase beyond 1%, McDermott said. The tax would not be added to a grocery bill, McDermott said.

The state has directed that the funds collected through the tax can go toward three projects: expansion of the Hammond Sportsplex, construction of a downtown South Shore train station on the West Lake Corridor, and expanding the Pavilion at Wolf Lake, McDermott said.

It is estimated that the tax will generate $2 million a year for 20 years, McDermott said. Given the cost, McDermott said the city would only allocate money for the sportsplex and the train station.

Each project will likely cost more than $10 million, he said, not including financing costs.

“We feel pretty confident there’s not going to be much money left for the pavilion expansion, which, I love that idea. But I think that’s a much bigger discussion. We’re not going to be able to finance that on our own in Hammond,” McDermott said.

Ahead of the vote, Councilman Dave Woerpel emphasized that the tax, under state law, could not be increased over 1%, would sunset after 20 years, could only be spent in three areas and would not apply to groceries.

The council voted 9-0 on first and second reading of the ordinance. The council also scheduled a public hearing of the ordinance for 5 p.m. June 24 at Hammond City Hall, 5925 Calumet Avenue.

akukulka@chicagotribune.com

The suspected fuel leak at the Pilot Travel Center, 243 Melton Road, was reported to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management May 2, according to a report filed to IDEM June 6.

The area around the gas station is flat land with Interstate 94, car dealerships, a campground and undeveloped land, according to the report.

The report states that an unknown amount of fuel was lost when the satellite line between diesel dispenser 20 and satellite diesel dispenser 20 was found to be damaged, according to the report.

Crews removed the concrete between diesel dispenser 20 and satellite diesel dispenser 20 and replaced the line. A small leak was found on the old pipe, according to the report.

During the repair, crews cleaned diesel fuel found under the dispenser containment for diesel dispenser 20 and satellite diesel dispenser 20. After the repairs, a nitrogen leak test was performed on the new line and it passed, according to the report.

Crews noted petroleum odor in the soil beneath the repairs, which resulted in updated reports to be filed, according to the report.

An IDEM spokesman said Tuesday the agency has issued a request letter that requires the company to sample soil and groundwater to determine whether petroleum is present in the subsurface.

The company has 60 days to submit its findings to IDEM, he said, and the agency will determine next steps after that.

A pair of ironworkers fell about nine stories to the ground Thursday shortly after 12:15 p.m. during high winds. Jeffrey Spyrka, 36, was taken just a few steps from the site to UChicago Medicine with injuries his attorneys called “catastrophic and serious.” David O’Donnell, 27, died in the fall, leaving his family reeling. 

The lawsuit, filed Monday in Cook County Circuit Court, alleges that general contractor Turner Construction Co. failed to take proper safety measures to ensure that the scaffolding was “safely and properly erected.” It accuses the contractor of putting workers in danger by allowing scaffolding work outside during high winds. 

It also says Adjustable Forms Inc., a concrete contractor, didn’t properly build the scaffolding, leading to corner sections separating in the wind. 

Attorneys representing Spyrka and O’Donnell at GWC Injury Lawyers said in a news release that O’Donnell was the last worker to access the scaffold. He talked with Spyrka and another ironworker near the southwest corner, and a few minutes later, a gust of wind caused the corner to separate. A scaffold section then “swung violently away from the wall,” throwing the two workers to the ground. 

A lawsuit on behalf of O’Donnell, who was raised in Oak Forest, is expected to be filed later this week, according to the release. 

“Neither of these families should have to go through this. These workers should have never been working on what turned out to be an unsafe, dangerous scaffold perched over 100 feet in the air,” attorney Louis Cairo said in the statement. 

“This was an absolutely callous acts of negligence and misconduct by major construction companies who viewed progress on the job as their priority rather than the safety of the workers on the job,” Cairo continued. “The evidence will prove that this was a totally preventable catastrophe.” 

Cairo said it’s a miracle Spyrka survived the fall but that he has a long recovery ahead. Spyrka has been married to his wife, Ashley, for eight years, and they have three children under 6 years old, the release said. 

“Ashley has not left the hospital since her loving husband’s tragic fall,” Cairo said. “Her and her young children’s futures are certainly going to be difficult, but Ashley’s focus is to ultimately bring Jeff home in whatever condition God has planned for him, where she and their children will love him and take care of him as long as possible.”

Friends of Spyrka created a GoFundMe Monday to help pay for medical bills and other expenses. The page, which calls Spyrka “tough and resilient” as well as a devoted husband and father, has raised nearly $30,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.

O’Donnell is survived by his parents and three brothers. One of his brothers described him as “wicked smart” and “immensely funny,” saying he enjoyed golf, camping, the White Sox and the Chicago skyline. He was trained as a technical engineer. 

A representative for Turner Construction said they are aware of the filing and will “continue to support investigations into this incident.” The company said last week that it halted work at the Hyde Park site and planned to offer employees grief counseling. 

Eric Lindquist, president of Adjustable Concrete, said in a statement that the company is aware of the filing and “deeply saddened to learn of this accident.” He said they’re partnering with Turner Construction to “support a full investigation into this matter.” 

“We offer our sincerest condolences to the loved ones of those affected,” Lindquist said. “Safety is integral to what we do.” 

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration opened an investigation into New Horizon Steel, where Spyrka was employed, last Thursday. The administration is also probing Turner Construction, Adjustable Concrete Construction and O’Donnell’s employer High-Tech Stake-Out Inc. The investigations will take up to six months.