Life in the Spotlight

This past February, Tracie Marshall was sworn in by the Portage mayor to receive the position of Superintendent for the Portage Utility Service Plants. For Marshall, this step up in her career was both a moment of joy and a moment of...

Randy Reeder starts his day by answering phone calls and solving problems. As the superintendent of the City of Portage Street and Sanitation Department, Reeder finds unique ways to serve the community every day. “We start each day at 7 a.m. sharp...

Gladys Espinosa has worked in a multitude of environments throughout her lifetime. As a pageant winner, public servant, business owner, and HR representative, it seems there's nothing Espinosa can't do. Espinosa is a former Miss Teenage Chicago, Miss...

Gabe Acevedo is a Portage police officer, husband, University of Illinois graduate, and more. In 2017, Acevedo graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He decided that getting his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice...

Stephanie Johnson is a woman with many talents ranging from being a stay-at-home mom to owning HAPPY Popcorn, a gourmet popcorn business in Portage. In 2018, Johnson decided that she wanted to create her own gourmet popcorn business. “Our claim to...

Richard Jones lived his adolescent life in Hobart, Ind. In 1984, Jones graduated from Hobart High School, and a few years later began his career in the heating and cooling industry.  Jones decided to start his career in...

Few people are bold enough to embark on a career in politics, but there does remain one brave man in Portage, Indiana who isn’t afraid to back his community: Patrick Clem, a city councilman over Second District.  Throughout the last five...

Dan Komenda’s road to becoming the Field Forces Superintendent for the City of Portage began in 2009 when he joined the engineering department. “I came here because they wanted me to oversee and run the Stone Avenue project, which was a really,...

Todd Willis was born and raised in Portage, Ind. In 1991, Willis graduated from Portage High School, which was only the beginning of his journey. Willis then continued his education at Indiana University Northwest (IU Northwest) in Gary, Ind. While...

Jake Reeder is known as a father, husband, brother, son, and friend; but he is widely known as the General Manager (GM) of Reeder's Automotive Service Center in Portage, Ind. During adolescence Reeder grew up in the Northwest region and graduated...