Northern Indiana is full of people working hard every day to make their communities a better place. Since 2011, GreatNews.Life has been putting the spotlight on the people spreading this positivity in the Region with our Life in the Spotlight series. New articles are published every Wednesday, so be sure to check back often to learn more about the stories of great people doing great things in Northern Indiana.
Change in the community can start with one determined and aspirational person. For Portage Councilman Brian Gulley, his dream is to see the city of Portage truly prosper. Gulley grew up in Griffith and attended Griffith...
Becoming a state senator was not a path Karen Tallian ever thought she would embark on, but 15 years later, Tallian continues to proudly lead Indiana’s 4th district. Originally from Streator, Illinois, Tallian moved to Ogden Dunes,...
As a self-proclaimed “jack of all trades, master of none,” Tim Flatz, CTA has tried many things most people only dream of. From scuba diving to taekwondo to flying, Flatz has seemingly tried it all. Born in Valpo, raised in...
To Jake Spottiswood, a social studies teacher at Portage High School (PHS), nothing is more important than family. “I was the first one out of my immediate family to go to college and it was all because of the backing and support from my family,”...
As an only child, it would have been safe for Deborah Gannon to assume she would grow up with fewer connections to other children than her peers who had siblings. However this assumption is far from the reality of Gannon’s childhood, because her...
Susan Ibitz hacked my face. But let me explain. It’s not every day that a complete stranger looks at you and suddenly begins telling you details about your personality from just a moment’s glance. But that’s exactly what Ibitz does. ...
Teaching our youth important life lessons through the lens of the past is important. This perfectly describes Jeannette Barich, 8th grade U.S. history teacher at Willowcreek Middle School in Portage, IN. Teaching from the...
Kristen Wring, a kindergarten teacher from Portage, has always been a supporter of education. “I love education. I loved school from when I was a student in elementary all the way to college. I’ve always loved learning and finding new, exciting...
Richard and Leslee Kretz are not only the dynamic duo of Portage High School, but they are the definition of what it means to be a great teacher. Whether it’s giving back to the community or making learning from home bearable for their...
For Jon Evers, Principal of Myers Elementary in Portage, the desire to make an impact in education was almost hereditary as he comes from a family with a strong presence in the classroom. “I have many family members that are either currently, or...
