2020 was the year of the unexpected, the unknown, and the unexplainable. However, at GreatNews.Life, 2020 was the year of videos. We shared hundreds of videos this year, including interviews with local, county, and state leaders; live streams of exciting events like groundbreakings and company reveals; awards ceremonies; sports recaps; socially-distant parades and celebrations; and one of our personal favorites, weekly news updates with Jenny Craig-Brown on the Great News Weekly show and podcast. There has been so much going on throughout Valparaiso and Porter County, and it is safe to say that we have plenty of video coverage to prove that.
In no particular order, here are the top 10 videos from Portage.Life in 2020.
Staying positive with the GreatNews Crew 2020
At GreatNews.Life, teams might have worked remotely for a time but they were more connected than ever through unprecedented times as editors and reporters continued to bring you the best news the Region has to offer.
Aylesworth Elementary Teacher Parade
Members of Aylesworth Elementary School joined together for a parade, giving teachers and staff the opportunity to see a smile on student's faces, and giving the students some much-needed face-to-face interaction with their educators and school leaders who they miss dearly.
Life on the Streets with Portage Mayor Sue Lynch
Get caught up on the latest and greatest in the city of Portage with mayor Sue Lynch and our founder, Chris Mahlmann. They discuss the camaraderie among community members in Portage, give updates on the historic Garyton school project, the Port of Indiana, as well as the partnership between Portage YMCA, Portage Township Schools, Portage Chamber of Commerce, Portage Economic Development, and Portage Fire, Police, and Parks department. Check it out!
GreatNews.Life elevates Region news from good to great
In the 11 years since its founding, the GreatNews.Life team has accomplished some pretty amazing goals. With 500,000 photos and 65,000 stories published, 100 Lifers that have served the team, 100 #1 Student interns, 29,000 Twitter fans, and 76,000 Facebook fans they are the primary source for positive news in the Northwest Indiana region. They are committed to forming positive, online communities centered around the idea that, given the option, users prefer to read about the good things going on in their community instead of the often-negative slant given to traditional media.
2020 Fegely Middle School 8th Grade Celebratory Parade
On May 20, Fegely Middle School hosted a celebratory parade to honor its graduating eighth-grade class.
Members of the #PortageStrong community gathered for a welcoming, inspirational prayer chain. It was a great, socially-distanced way to create a reminder of what makes Portage such a special place to be, and why it's so important to be thinking of others and sticking together.
Region Mayor's Roundtable Spring 2020
GreatNews.Life founder Chris Mahlmann meets on zoom with Crown Point Mayor Dave Uran, La Porte Mayor Tom Dermody, and Portage Mayor Sue Lynch to learn how their cities are pulling together to support citizens, businesses, each other, and the Region as a whole during the pandemic.
Stronger Together showing at the Kyle Elementary School Parade
A parade full of Portage educators trying to bring some positivity to their students' day.
Rhame Elwood & McClure: why individuals should have a local attorney
A solid relationship with a trusted local attorney can relieve the stress that may come from navigating complex legal matters. And the best attorneys are the ones who rely on that personal connection to help clients succeed. Ken Elwood, law firm partner at Rhame Elwood & McClure, sat with GreatNews.Life founder Chris Mahlmann to share candid insights on the best approaches people should take to secure a trusted local advisor. He reviews how firms like his are working non-stop to stay current on complex matters so clients can focus on taking care of themselves and their families in times of need.
A #1StudentNWI Zoom Interview – Tommy Elwood
One minute he was thinking about joining the school paper at Portage High School and the next, Tommy Elwood was a new media journalist for GreatNews.Life covering Valparaiso High School's football state appearance at Lucas Oil Stadium. In between that, he was a #1StudentNWI intern, and we caught up with how his acceleration through the program helped him prepare for an upcoming sports journalism concentration at college, and maybe law school after that.
