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.
The hit TV show “Chopped” and its sister kid friendly version “Chopped Junior” are two Region favorites, probably in part because 11--year-old Portage native Justice Irving has taken “Chopped Junior” by storm. Appearing on Season 9,...
Editor's note: James Kirk is in the middle in this feature photo “You always got to keep dreaming bigger!” This is what James Kirk had to say about reaching goals and elevating his aspirations to new heights. An engineering and technology teacher...
When Tommy Vardaman graduated from Portage High School, his thoughts were mainly on getting out of the city. He did, for a while, attending college first at Indiana Wesleyan and then on to a ministry school in Alabama. It took a few more years,...
Kelly Sheets has spent just about all of her adult life helping people in need and building a stronger community. A lot of that comes through her career helping the injured, but also through her service at organizations such as the Portage YMCA....
Hard work is something that pays off, and in Portage, Brent Wright is a perfect example of this, having built a name for himself both literally and figuratively. Wright has spent the last nine years as a real estate agent in Northwest Indiana. He...
The old saying always is, there is no place like home, and it definitely holds true for Tori Bliss, a paraprofessional for Portage High School. Bliss is Portage proud, born and raised. The only time she spent away from the city was a brief stint at...
Protecting and serving the community is one of the most important things a public servant can do. Fire captain Randy Wilkening serves his community with a smile and seemingly endless hours of hard work. Coming to Portage in 1990 from Merrillville,...
Through more than 20 years of experience in Portage Schools, Vanessa Ellis has learned a lot about what it means to be a substitute teacher. Sure, they step in and cover for the usual teachers and help carry on lessons in their absence, but that’s...
Brianna Manning has had a passion for positively influencing youth for most of her life. As the sports and aquatics director at the Portage Township YMCA, she’s able to help kids and students throughout the community in a number of different ways,...
Portage High School sophomore Macintyre Aldrich keeps two goals in mind as she heads to school each day: “Be positive and try to make other people happy as much as I can,” Aldrich said. “The people in Portage make me feel accepted and...