Top 10 Features Stories on LaPorteCountyLife in 2015

Top 10 Features Stories on LaPorteCountyLife in 2015

It's been a great year for positive, heart-warming and inspiring stories from the La Porte County community. From inspiration community members to hard working students, some incredible people and their stories were covered in 2015.

Do you have any positive news related stories to share with us? Don't hesitate to send an email to share@laportecountylife.com and we'll be sure to look into it!

It gives us great pride to share with you the Top 10 Features Stories in Portage for 2015!

ThorThordarson

A La Porte County Life in the Spotlight: Thor Thordarson
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The old adage goes that when you think positive thoughts, and surround yourself with positive people, positive situations manifest themselves more often than not. And for this week’s Life in the Spotlight, IU Health La Porte’s CEO Thor Thordarson, positivity means abiding by four simple rules in life: The Four Fs, as Thordarson calls the mantra.

“Family, fun, fitness, and friends,” said Thordarson. “The people you hang out with can determine a lot of what you do in life. That’s how I got started towards a healthier lifestyle over the past 15 years, I have some very good friends who got me up and started kicking my butt.”

Kevin-Higdon

Active in NWI:Moving Since Birth
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Kevin Higdon is a life-long La Porte County resident. You may know him as the Chief Financial Officer of IU Health La Porte and Starke Hospitals, or you may also know him by his familiar last name. His father is the famous Hal Higdon, runner and writer.

“With my dad being a runner I’ve always been around running,” Kevin said. “When he ran I tagged along. He’d go run the Boston Marathon and we’d know everybody.”

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A La Porte County Life in the Spotlight: Matt Magnuson
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This week’s Life in the Spotlight, Matt Magnuson from La Porte Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM (LPCDJR), bleeds Slicer orange.

A native of La Porte, Magnuson has spent his life dedicating himself to the only community he has ever, and would ever call home.

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La Porte Report: La Porte Aero Club Takes New Heights
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Pancakes with a side of aeronautics were on the breakfast menu for the annual La Porte Aero Club Pancake Breakfast. Pilots roamed around, talking about their adventures, and admiring planes that sat out for loving attention. Friends and family sat together and enjoyed homemade pancakes while socializing and admiring stories, and the zipping by of airplanes overhead, all to support the La Porte Aero CLub. All proceeds went to the Aero Club scholarship, for aspiring pilots.

Neil Straub, the breakfast club chairmen said that the breakfast has “helped raise more and more money for scholarships every year.”

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A La Porte County Life in the Spotlight: James Dworkin
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Since his time at the University of Cincinnati where he did his undergraduate work in economics, Purdue North Central Chancellor Dr. James Dworkin was motivated by three things: teaching, research and service work.

“I always liked teaching,” Chancellor Dworkin said. “That happened at the University of Cincinnati when one of my professors, Al Berry, asked me to be a teaching assistant for an introduction to economics course, and I really enjoyed that. He also asked me if I would work for the U.S. Army Corps. of Engineers in downtown Cincinnati during the summer. I didn’t really know what I was getting into there but basically I was out on the road all summer collecting data for a Ph. D. student’s dissertation. That got me interested in doing empirical research, which I’ve done a lot of over the years, and motivated me towards teaching and service work.”

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Love Makes the Ride Worthwhile
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There are people in this magnificent world who detest love. Maybe they went through a rough breakup. Maybe they lost a loved one. Just know, that behind every broken, bitter heart is just a wounded individual begging for a band-aid.

Loving someone is like offering a healing force to a casualty. If anything, love is all that matters in this world. The phrases, “Love is all you need” and “Love makes the world go around,” fit my lifestyle like a warm pair of gloves on a wintry day. I am the type of person who walks through this world with an open heart, welcoming each new person that enters my life with a gentle smile. My hope for those I encounter is to awaken their senses. I wish for them to take a sneak peek into the world as I see it, complete with a warm embrace. I am the type of person who will stay up later than recommended, heavy eyelids and all, just to hear the ending of a really great story. Conversing with my friends is my favorite part of the day, and late night conversations are worth the foggy mornings.

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#1StudentNWI: Another End to a Great Year at La Porte High School
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On May 9, the LPHS Academic Super Bowl Science Olympiad team won first place at the Indiana Association of School Principals Academic Super Bowl Competition. The Area and State team, consisting of seniors Matt Bartels and Austin Bohlin and junior Jon Ake, competed against six other Indiana Class 1 schools to take the state victory. They won within their class division, but they also had the best score out of all of the divisions.

“We were down by two for the first couple of questions, then we answered seventeen in a row correctly,” Bartels said. “We were happy to end the season with a state championship and were happy to finally bring on back to La Porte for the first time in twenty years.”

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The Carly Report: Music and Fun at Arts in the Park
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Summer is about exploration - it is a time where one can travel through an unfamiliar aspect of life and learn more about it. It is an opportunity to discover new music, while one may also enjoy their favorite musical hits. It is a season where there is nothing more luxurious than sitting outdoors with a bag of popcorn in hand, loved ones nearby and having a tasteful musical number to listen to while drifting into the sunset.

On Wednesday and Thursday evenings, exploration is possible at Fox Park, as part of the Arts in the Park summer series.

JackElia

A La Porte County Life in the Spotlight: Jack Elia
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Behind a person, stands all of their knowledge, principles and accomplishments. The impact a single person has on their community can be tremendous. The impression they leave can be felt by hundreds, if not thousands. Blue Chip Casino’s Assistant General Manager, Jack Elia, has made many life-changing decisions in his past. Fortunately for him, they have all worked in his favor.

Within minutes of meeting Elia, you will feel the warmth of his smile radiate across a room. His strong work ethic and welcoming character creates his dynamic personality, setting him apart from other people.

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A Hobby That Gives Back: How One Man's Hobby Teaches the Community About Black History
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Michigan City resident Allen Williams, a longtime contributor to the community has a past time that brings not only himself joy and satisfaction, but also educates and informs an entire community as well. Williams enjoys educating students and residents by setting up displays during the month of February to commemorate Black History Month.

He and his wife started displaying their collection of black history memorabilia about twelve years ago, first displaying it at the Michigan City Public Library. Since their collection is so extensive, they even had enough for a few mobile displays, too.