Life in the Spotlight

This week’s A Portage Life in the Spotlight is Larry Tharp. Tharp has been a teacher in Portage for 27 years and owns his own lawn care business, Coach's Cut. Tharp is a graduate of Merrillville High School and moved to Portage 27 years ago when he...

Portage resident Jennifer Smolnicky has found a way to own her hobby with the Portage Jazzercise Center, which provides patrons with a unique and effective way to stay fit.  Smolnicky started Jazzercising ten years ago and fell in love with the...

This week’s Portage Life in the Spotlight is Portage Township Trustee Brendan Clancy. Clancy has been involved in the community since moving here in the late 1990’s and has done good work for the community since he set foot in Portage. Brendan...

Longtime educator Phil Misecko experienced a new role this school year, serving as a head principal for the first time at Fegely Middle School.  Misecko has enjoyed his first year in charge at FMS. “It has been a fantastic year,” he said. ...

This week’s A Portage Life in the Spotlight is Kelly Bermes, who was recently named the new Athletic Director at Portage High School. “I am a Portage kid, I graduated from Portage and have lived here all of my life. Then I went away to college...

The Portage High School graduating senior class is filled with outstanding individuals.  However, perhaps one of the most accomplished is Kacie McGuire, who has achieved success in a wide range of areas during her four years at PHS. “I will miss...

This week’s A Portage Life in the Spotlight is Portage Police Officer Greg Coleman who was recently named as the second School Resource Officer for Portage Township Schools. Officer Coleman is an eight year veteran of the Portage Police Department....

Portage High School senior Austin Edwards has truly done a little bit of everything over his four years in high school.  Edwards, who was nominated by a PortageLife reader to be this week’s Portage Life in the Spotlight, has participated in a wide...

This week’s A Portage Life in the Spotlight is a little younger than past subjects but is just as important to our community. Kyle Johnson, a 6th grader at Fegely Middle School, was recently awarded the prestigious honor of being in the top one...

Generations of Portage students have passed through the halls of Portage High School with just one constant over the last three decades.  While many teachers and administrators have come and gone, Andrew Halaschak has been a fixture in Portage...