On July 17-19, the members of both the Cesare Battisti Lodge and the Italian American Women’s Club of Lake County made major fundraising strides at Festa Italiana in Schererville. The event was full of fun and flavor.

“I definitely like the Grape-stomping contest and the Spaghetti-eating contest. I have not been able to participate in either of those, because I’m working the Festa, but they’re really fun and engage the Festa-goers. The kids really enjoy getting into the pasta-eating, so then they can win,” Italian American Women’s Club member Gina Geiss said.

For volunteers, one of the most exciting parts of the Festa is meeting old and new acquaintances alike.

“My favorite activities of the Festa are probably getting involved with booths – any kind of booth, whether it’s selling cookies or merchandise. That’s because you get to see so many people and talk to them; they talk to you and everyone gets to know one another in the community,” Italian American Women’s Club member Rose Giovane said.

Planning an event like this can come with hurdles from all angles. Sometimes, these event planners need to run through their checklist several times before they are ready to go.

“I am predominantly a food distributor. That’s what Applewood Farms is: logistics, handling product and making sure you’re crossing off your ‘t’s or dotting your ‘i’s. On that end, balancing everything is demanding for a festival,” Applewood Farms Vendor Quinn Mulligan said. “I can tell you that no matter how many times I ran through my checklist, there were a couple things I forgot; that’s a pretty common thing for how much goes into these events from a vendor basis.”

Plenty of time goes into the planning process, along with consideration of many external factors.

“We have 48-hour fermented sourdough, so it takes a couple days to make the dough. We have to make sure that we have enough dough ready to go, because you can’t just make the pizzas and they’re ready,” Battista’s Artisan Pizzeria Vendor Joe Gaal said. “It takes time. There’s a cold fermentation process and a real science behind it all.”

Italian-American pride is the main focus and goal of the Festa.

“I’m a quarter Calabrese, so that means my family is from Calabria in Italy,” Mulligan said. “My family had been members of the Villa Cesare Hall, when they were in the harbor in East Chicago. I’ve always met some people over there. Supporting the community first and foremost and then the heritage along with it can’t be beaten.”

What’s coming up?

Walking towards acceptance, Logan’s Love, a non-profit organization, plans their annual Autism Walk for August 23. It will take place in Dyer and support special needs children, as well as their families.

“It is a gathering of everybody for one purpose. Everyone’s there to honor Logan and to support Autism awareness. People have mentioned this numerous times, thanking us for it. They feel like they’re being heard and seen without being judged,” Chairperson Georgianne Glavas said.

The walk has a common structure from year to year and serves to honor Logan Ruiz, an Autistic boy who passed away on August 27, 2022. Nicole Reveliotis, his mother, serves as the founder of Logan’s Love.

“They do have me out there for a speech, and then after the speech is done, as well as while the speech is going on, we pass out balloons. After the speech, we let them out unitedly, into the air. Usually, we play a song dedicated to my son. That’s the start of the walk and we’ll lead the walk, but before that we have the foam blast going on,” Reveliotis said.

There are many activities for children and families to participate in together.

“We have a foam blast, because Logan loved foam. It’s this jumbo cannon that spits out bubbles, so it will cover a big area,” Glavas said. “It’s with Autistic children and other special needs children. Sometimes it’s sensory. With the bubbles, it’s like you are having a bubble bath without dealing with the water, even though the water is making the bubbles.”

The main purpose of the event is to simultaneously provide education about neurodivergence and connect people from different backgrounds.

“It shows unity and teaches people empathy. We interview people and it’s a place where they get to feel comfortable, safe and understood. I think our work is giving that to the families alongside something that’s theirs, because every other event in the county is geared toward every other neurotypical kid,” Reveliotis said.

Neurodivergence is represented and supported in a plethora of mediums.

“I have a chairperson for our resource tables, who reaches out to the various resources to help special needs families on issues they have in order to educate them and let them know what’s out there in terms of help, whether it’s ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapy, an ID card from the Sheriff’s Department or a variety of different tables,” Glavas said.

Such an event brings people together from both a wide range of different locations and standalone experiences.

“It’s not just Dyer; it’s people from all over the county and outside of the county who come and it brings people together for one amazing cause: to see the children smile while there. Some of their mannerisms or the stims they do remind me of Logan, so I feel Logan there,” Reveliotis said. “I love bringing the community together and having other people who are not involved in the special needs community to come too.”

Community member spotlight

Jesse Hernandez is the director of the Tri-Town Safety Village in Schererville. He also runs another non-profit organization, the Region Basketball Club, that is based in Cedar Lake and has events around Northwest Indiana.

“We do outdoor camps, indoor camps and leagues, as well as benefits for kids who have passed. We try to teach kids how to communicate with one another, with exercises at our events where we’ll teach kids how to talk to each other, introduce things, shake hands and work on body language. Once we work on the introduction, then we do a mock job interview,” Hernandez said.

As he works with children of all ages, he is able to see their long-term growth.

“Some of these kids who I first met five years ago are now in college. Some of the life skills that they worked out for us have actually helped them get a job. One of the players who played for us applied for the Eli Lilly Scholarship. He won, and said that one of the reasons why he won is because when they interviewed him, he looked back on what he learned in our interview sessions at our basketball program,” Hernandez said.

His other main non-profit work is at the Tri-Town Safety Village and involves helping all ages learn how to be safe from multiple potential dangers.

“We do events in the summer. For example, we brought in the FBI and it gave classes for the elderly to teach them how not to get scammed,” Hernandez said. “We also do classes for the elderly for fall prevention. We bring a firefighter in to teach them how not to fall and to be safe.”

There are many popular topics for discussion in regards to the program’s main goal: safety.

“We’re able to reach kids at a young age and teach them the importance of all the safety issues: fire safety, police safety, urban safety. We get daily calls about people wanting to visit and bring their families, which is a huge priority to build communities,” Hernandez said. “We have ideas to improve our education for older kids, like teenagers. I want to work on drug safety, alongside teaching kids how to socially interact, which I think is huge in a public setting.”

The post GreatNews.Life Student Voices: Lake Central feels safety, community and culture in numbers appeared first on GreatNews.Life.

For over eight years, Bruszewski has worked as a certified holistic health practitioner, health coach, and facial analyst, guiding clients through personalized wellness plans rooted in nutrition, lifestyle and education.

Her path into holistic health began with her own search for answers.

“I had issues with sleep and energy for many years,” Bruszewski said. “A friend introduced me to some herbs, and I found a lot of healing with that. I dug deeper into my health and realized I had a passion for it. I really felt like God placed it on my heart to help people.”

As friends and family began noticing positive changes in her own health, Bruszewski continued expanding her education, eventually turning that passion into a career.

Many clients come to Bruszewski after exhausting other options and still searching for answers.

“Typically, people come in because they’re having energy or digestive issues, or they’re just not getting answers,” Bruszewski said. “I’m always going to look at nutrition first, but I’m also looking at movement, stress, lifestyle and supplementation to fill the gaps where food can’t. Healing is a process.”

While she specializes in hormonal health, Bruszewski tailors every wellness plan to the individual through comprehensive consultations that may include nutrition assessments, pH testing, muscle response testing and hormone evaluations.

Sometimes, the biggest obstacles aren’t always the physical ones.

“People come in looking for weight loss, but the emotional aspect is what they’re holding onto,” Bruszewski said. “Until we’re able to let go of some of those things, our bodies are going to hold on.”

Seeing so many people neglect their own health inspired Bruszewski to find another way to serve her community.

Wanting to help those who may not have the financial resources or time to prioritize themselves, she created the Care Project.

The program allows community members to nominate themselves or someone they know to receive a complimentary wellness experience each quarter. The selected recipient spends about 90 minutes with Bruszewski receiving therapies such as a BEMER mat session, InLight Therapy, a Qi machine treatment and wellness products to take home.

“I see so many people putting themselves on the back burner because they’re taking care of everyone else,” Bruszewski said. “I wanted to create something that would allow people to pour into themselves because a lot of times, they just don’t.”

Bruszewski’s passion for helping others is rooted in her own medical journey. Born with congenital heart disease, she underwent four heart surgeries before the age of 2, and another open-heart surgery in 2013. Those experiences shaped both her appreciation for health and her desire to help others.

“I always felt like I wanted to work in the medical field, but I knew I didn’t want to work with needles,” Bruszewski said. “I always felt like I had a bigger calling. I think God has me in the right spot, because I get people who have experienced loss, trauma, or major life struggles; I feel like I’m able to walk alongside them.”

Her experiences as a mother reinforced that calling. Both of her daughters were born prematurely, with significant medical complications during infancy.

“My first daughter was born two months early,” Bruszewski said. “My second daughter was born a month early after my uterus ruptured, and we both almost didn’t make it. By the grace of God, she’s okay. Those experiences with my children really helped drive my career and my faith.”

Despite running a successful business, Bruszewski is intentional about maintaining balance.

“My first job is being a mom,” Bruszewski said. “When my girls get off the bus, work shuts down, and I’m present with them. I do evening appointments if needed, but making sure I’m there for games and practices is my priority.”

Outside of her practice, Bruszewski stays active in the community through her church, where she recently volunteered with vacation Bible school, and serves as an ambassador for the Crossroads Regional Chamber of Commerce, welcoming new members and helping them become involved.

She believes strong communities are built through meaningful, in-person connections.

“I think connection with people is very important,” Bruszewski said. “Whether it’s church, the chamber, or just gathering together, we’re getting off social media and bringing back those interactions; that’s who we are as humans.”

When she’s not working, Bruszewski enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, working out, traveling and discovering new places and restaurants. She also values making time to rest and recharge.

Whether she’s guiding clients through their wellness journeys, volunteering in the community or spending time with her family, Bruszewski hopes everyone who walks through her doors leaves feeling encouraged.

“When people walk through my door, I want them to feel safe, heard, and know there’s hope,” Bruszewski said.

The post A Northwest Indiana Life in the Spotlight: Angela Bruszewski appeared first on GreatNews.Life.

“The Portage Township YMCA is a significant asset to the Portage community,” said Jones. “In my role, I get to witness how the Portage Township YMCA bridges a gap for the community. I love my job and I love working with the children.”

Jones and her family are members of the Portage Township YMCA, too. She and her husband Steven have two children who participate in the organization’s programming. Between the other children who participate in the YMCA’s programming and her own two children, Jones is a mother figure to many.

“I always say I have two biological children, but lots of others as well,” said Jones.

The Portage Township YMCA really is a bridge in the community. Through its activities and offerings, it facilitates a place for families and friends, men, women, and children to workout, learn, socialize, and recharge.

“I’m so proud to be a part of something that’s making a difference on so many levels for so many people,” said Jones. “Creating, running, and rolling out programming for our little members is very energizing for me. The children I work with are so enthusiastic and range in age from two to about  seven years old.”

Jones was born and raised in Portage and attended Portage Township Schools growing up. While they were several years apart, both Jones and her husband Steven attended Portage High School.

“We met after high school,” she said. “I was working at a local restaurant and he came in on his lunch shift. After talking for a while, he asked for my number. The rest is history.”

The Jones’ two children attend Portage Township Schools. As parents and alumni of the district, Jones said it’s been fun to witness.

“Even though I’ve always loved and appreciated the community, I always thought I’d leave Portage at some point,” said Jones. “Obviously that’s not the case, and now we’ve all attended PortageTownship Schools.”

Jones enjoys traveling sometimes, but she mainly loves staying local. She loves being outdoors and spending time with family.

“I’m really a homebody,” she said. “I’m very content being home with my family. I love them very much.”

Many of Jones’ extended family still live in the area.

“Portage is a great place to raise a family,” said Jones. “It’s a wonderful, tight-knit community and I’m proud to call it home.”

Jones’ contribution to the children’s programming at Portage Township YMCA is a labor of love for the community she loves.

Jones impacts the future Portage generations, and her own children. Jones’ dedication, passion, and appreciation for her job at the YMCA, for the local Portage community, for her family, and even for her hobbies are all commendable.

The post A Portage Life in the Spotlight: Amber Jones appeared first on GreatNews.Life.

“I used to hand-make cornhold boards out of wood,” Searing said. “Unfortunately, my shoulders got worn out from all of my career factory work and I could no longer do big woodworking projects anymore. Instead of giving up, I decided to do smaller projects like planters, plaques, and small statues in addition to laser cutting signs.”

His career in the factory setting spanned 20 years during which he was in injection molding. He also spent five years in private corrections.

Unfortunately, he suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which impacts the lungs and makes it hard to breathe. As a result, walking and virtually any type of cardio can be tough for Searing. Additionally, Searing has had both of his shoulders replaced.

“I don’t have a lot of strength, and technically I’m not supposed to lift anything over 7 pounds,” he said. “That’s basically impossible. We all know our limits.”

Searing’s wife Cinda was, and still is despite her passing, the love of his life. The two met in high school and were married for almost 50 years before Cinda passed in 2021 of complications, ultimately related to radiation damage from attempts to treat her colon cancer.

“Technically, she asked me out,” Searing said. “I was too bashful. She came with her friends to my door one evening and asked if I wanted to go Christmas caroling, and the rest was basically history.”

As teenagers, the two used to meet at the old post office between their homes and sit on the steps for hours. They were inseparable soulmates from the start.

“My wife was incredible, and probably one of the kindest souls you’ll ever meet,” Searing said. “She was very involved in our church. Anytime there was a vacation bible school, meals to be made for funerals or for meetings – Cinda was there to help.”

As he promised her, after Cinda passed, Searing found her old quilting group from 15 years prior and donated all of her quilting materials. He has a wall in his home dedicated to Cinda to help him cope with her death.

“When I’m feeling sad and I miss her, I just look at the wall which I call ‘Cinda’s Tribute Wall.’ I see all of these pictures of her and it makes me feel better,” said Searing. “I can pretty much tell you all of the history behind the photos – where we were and why it was taken.”

After Cinda passed, Searing purchased a Pomeranian named Annie, who keeps him company.

The couple has two sons named Jason and Brian. Both live in La Porte County, and Jason lives in the Searing’s childhood home. Searing has seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren as well.

When he has some free time, Searing enjoys checking out some of the restaurants that La Porte County has to offer.

“I love Christo’s,” Searing said. “I also love Royale with Cheese; they have the best burgers in town.”

Throughout his life and to this day, Searing’s love for his family, his friends, his work, and his community is unwavering. He is a testament to the value of hard work and dedication.

The post A La Porte County Life in the Spotlight: Gary Searing appeared first on GreatNews.Life.

Bicknell was born and raised in Elkhart County and his love for the community grows with calendar years. Bicknell’s flagship marketing company, Spark41, is all about uplifting small businesses, workers, and members of the Elkhart community. In his eyes, growth comes from the bottom up.

The rejection of the status quo is what led Bicknell to starting Spark41. It came from reading between the lines, not in a classroom or a boardroom, but on a martial arts mat. This is how he first learned the self-discipline that would go on to shape both his career success into adulthood and continue to fuel his holistic approach to business.

“I joined martial arts when I was 7 years old, thinking I was just going to do a couple of fancy kicks and be done. When my dad signed me up for a 30-day trial at a Black Belt Academy, I fell in love with it,” Bicknell said. “It was weird because I enjoyed learning what discipline, confidence, and respect felt like, and that’s just not a normal thing to enjoy. From a really young age, I learned that when you do hard things, the hard things become easier.”

Bicknell went on to run the academy himself for the better part of a decade. The program grew to 550 active students between kids and their families. Success soon followed as he was recruited into sales in the RV industry, a major artery fueling the livelihood of many in the Elkhart area. Upon contemplation of the job offer that boasted more money and potentially more opportunity, he found himself morally conflicted, being asked to sell products he did not use in an industry he did not identify with.

He built confidence, taking up a purchasing position and climbing the company ladder from the ground up. Eight years later, he found himself in high level roles, reporting and presenting to executive staffers.

What he learned from brushing shoulders with those at the top wasn’t a taste for the corner office; it was an honest assessment of who actually keeps a company running.

“All of the things I saw that were being done in order to protect the company seemed a little hypocritical over time,” he said. “Protecting the company meant making sure that the executive staff and senior directors were paid, and then everyone else.”

Bicknell’s moral compass is airtight, with his instinctual need to protect the people holding up the ladder, not just the ones at the top of it. This shapes everything Bicknell does today – from his seat on the Community Foundation of Elkhart County’s Kids and Families committee to his involvement with roughly 20 nonprofit boards and action teams across the county.

Take the capitalist playbook, gut it, and flip it on its head — that’s Bicknell’s anti-profit model; that is Spark41, and it’s the throughline he injects into the ethos of every company he collaborates with and oversees.

 “What’s beautiful is, as a marketing company, we don’t advertise,” he said. “The website isn’t polished, and the social media accounts sit mostly empty and all by design. We don’t spend any time on marketing ourselves at all. We only exist to serve the people that we serve.”

At Forgive the Mess, his commercial cleaning and grounds-keeping company, the entry-level cleaning and grounds work starts at a guaranteed $18.50 an hour, with raises tied to skills and certifications as employees grow. Only after wages, taxes, expenses, and investors are covered does profit-sharing kick in — for the team, not just those holding the reins at the top.

“If I ever get paid out of that business, I’ll be the last one,” Bicknell said. It’s a model people don’t believe until they see it in action, getting people to believe it is the hardest part. I have more than I need — a roof over my head, a modest home, reliable transportation, healthy friends and family. I don’t live paycheck to paycheck. What more do I need?”

Spark41 has remained deeply connected to Elkhart while still reaching beyond it — about 60% of its business comes from Elkhart County, where nonprofit clients pay significantly subsidized rates. However, the client list stretches as far as Santa Catarina, Brazil. Founded in October of 2024, with Bicknell’s business partner Amber, Spark41 currently employs six people directly, with a plan to reach 35 employees by the end of the year.

Spark41 and Forgive the Mess are just two pieces of a larger portfolio that includes Cloud Nine, a commercial space, an athletic apparel company, an event center, and several more ventures on the horizon — each one, Bicknell insists, are built around the same core company ethos.

“Our mission is truly to build Elkhart one team at a time, and build Elkhart one organization at a time,” he said.

It’s not a slogan so much as an operating principle: every business he starts is meant to create jobs and sustainable programming for the community-facing organizations already doing good work in the county, rather than simply generating more personal wealth. His hometown pride has only deepened with time. His commitment to the community is the source of inspiration and the driving force behind the company.

Bicknell’s path was never to look typical, and he’s made peace with that. Where conventional business models say maximize margins, Bicknell minimizes his for his workers expense. While other marketing companies sell themselves tired, Spark41 has a unique approach to connecting with the community.

The post A Michiana Life in the Spotlight: Alex Bicknell appeared first on GreatNews.Life.

For Biggs, being of service to his fellow residents is in his blood. The Biggs family traces their Northwest Indiana roots back to 1835, two years before Porter County was officially established.

From the very beginning, members of the family have been leaders and public servants, and very few over these almost 200 years have even moved outside of the area.

“I’m the only one involved in politics,” Biggs said. “Actually, I got into politics by accident. I had been a Medicaid fraud investigator for the Indiana Attorney General’s office back in the ’80s and early ’90s, and I was investigating a complaint in Valparaiso. Then I met Karen and Chuck Conover, who were very involved with the Porter County Republican Party. Chuck was Center Township trustee at the time, and they’re the ones that convinced me to run for county commissioner.”

Prior to his role in government, Biggs had served as a police officer, graduating from the University of Houston’s Law Enforcement Academy in Texas, where he had briefly moved to pursue a career in law enforcement.

“I was a police officer down there for about two and a half years,” Biggs said. “Just long enough to know that I wasn’t going to do that for the rest of my life.”

The Biggs family has several family members who have formerly or are currently serving in law enforcement, most in or immediately around Porter County. Nine members of the family have graduated from the police academy in Indiana.

“I moved back home after being offered a job here with the Attorney General’s office,” Biggs said. “That was my introduction into elected office, working alongside people there.”

The Biggs family history dates back to the Zane Settlement, The Zane Settlement was the first pioneer community established in Liberty Township, Porter County, Indiana founded near the center of the township in early 1835 by Asa Zane and Ira Biggs, Jim Biggs’ great, great grandfather. It served as an early local hub and housed the township’s very first subscription school. “My great grandfather was elected township trustee in 1904, in Liberty Township. I was elected to the Porter County Board of Commissioners in 1991.”

Biggs himself has seven brothers and one sister, and though he’s the only one in politics, most of the others have still entered roles of public service. Most of his family members – aunts, uncles, cousins – have also had many children, and Biggs sometimes finds it hard to keep track of everyone and all the ways they’re serving the public.

“If you’ve ever heard of ‘Six degrees of Kevin Bacon,’ that’s kind of what we have going on in Porter County. Everyone is six degrees from a member of the Biggs family,” Biggs said. “When a family is as large as mine is, and has been living in the same county for 191 years, it’s easy to understand why.”

Biggs has sadly gone through the loss of three of his siblings, including a sister and two brothers who were both police officers. Another of his siblings recently retired from a lifetime of serving with Indiana’s toll road. Biggs’s brothers’ police work ranged through multiple towns and counties, including his brother, Gary, who retired from the La Porte County sheriff’s department only to now serve as a school resource officer for South Central schools. His brother Billy retired as a police officer from the Northern Indiana Commutor Transportation District, his brother Tim served as a sergeant on the town of Porter police department for 20 years, and his brother Larry retired from the Laporte County Sheriff’s. He also has nephews that retired from the Porter County Sheriffs department, and South Bend Police Department. And if that weren’t enough, he has three nephews who are currently employed as police officers in the cities of Valparaiso and Portage.

“It’s interesting,” Biggs said. “When you get to be my age and you’re born and raised in one area, being in public service, you see a lot of change. It’s a natural progression in any place over time, and I’ve seen so much change in Porter County in 60 or so years. Some of it is good, some of it not so good – but it’s changing. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. If someone offered me a free house in Hawaii or Florida or someplace like that, I wouldn’t take it. That’s not where my family is.

During his time in government, Biggs has learned a lot about how processes work, and it has taught him to know how to communicate with people in the area who come to his office with questions or concerns. He doesn’t want to be yet another politician pushing people off onto someone else when they have something to talk about. He listens, offers solutions when he can, and guides them to the right resources when he can’t.

“It isn’t always easy, and it especially wasn’t easy at the beginning,” Biggs said. “Over the years, I’ve learned a lot. I’ve grown an appreciation for ethics and integrity, and I know that at the end of the day, that’s what anyone wants out of their leaders. Small government isn’t about ignoring people and getting together in a room with other politicians to do whatever we want. It’s about meeting the needs of the people in the community and it’s residents.

It’s important to Biggs to be the kind of leader who earns the trust of those who rely on him, whether it’s the residents in the county or the people working in the commissioner’s office with him. He knows the importance of establishing relationships and being easy to reach, and he hopes that as he leaves public office, this is the legacy that remains in his place.

“This is a community largely comprised of blue collar workers and farmers, people who work with their hands,” Biggs said. “They don’t want someone lording over them from an office they can’t even get a hold of. They want to trust us and know that their needs are being heard. They deserve to know that we are a county of officials who care. We want to help them because we are right here with them as their neighbors.”

The Biggs family, regardless of their specific role in public service, has always lived as a family that helps where they see a need. Whether serving in public office, protecting the streets, or any other position, they continue to have a strong presence in the community that stands for the values of hard work, reliability, and building connections.

The post A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Biggs family history appeared first on GreatNews.Life.

Back to school season is officially underway, so the last wave of summer special events have arrived. This weekend still provides plenty of opportunities to celebrate in electric fashion with your closest friends and family members.

Take a look at our list of 10 Fun Things To Do in Northern Indiana this weekend and be sure to add some to your calendar!

Connect with community members at Havyn Homes Stud Signing Event 

Join Havyn Homes and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital for a Stud Signing event on Thursday, August 13. Running from 3-5 p.m., you can stop by to make a donation and leave your mark by signing a piece of framing that becomes part of the finished St. Jude Dream Home Showplace. Every signature helps build hope for kids and families at St. Jude, so lend your hand to support this cause! Learn more here.

Fire up the night with South Bend Cubs NITRO Circus 

Nitro Circus, a global sports entertainment leader, is coming back to South Bend this weekend. The show was hosted at Four Winds Field, home of the South Bend Cubs. Nitro Circus works with not only athletes, but also daredevils. Come watch as people backflip and dive through fire at impressive heights! Learn more here.

Celebrate the Crown Point Community Foundation Headquarters groundbreaking

The Crown Point Community Foundation is planning a new 4,600-square-foot headquarters on a 6.2-acre property located at 12410 Marshall Street, with design and construction facilitated by Chester Inc. A groundbreaking ceremony will take place this weekend for the new facility. Swing by the event to check out what’s in store for this new headquarters building! Learn more here.

Putt for a Purpose at Paladin’s day of golfing

In the middle of the summer, not too many things compare to playing a round of golf with your friends or family members. Paladin Inc. is bringing a day of golfing to the green this weekend with its Putt for a Purpose event. Support this organization as it continues to bring services to people with developmental disabilities, and enjoy a warm golf outing in the process! Learn more here.

Enjoy a drink at Brewski Fest in downtown Valparaiso

Get ready to sip on some ice-cold brewskis and enjoy a day filled with beer, live music, and high energy. Central Park Plaza will host a festival filled with tributes to classic beers, a retro 1970s car show, games, and more.  Don’t miss out on this special opportunity to have fun on the weekend! Learn more here.

Watch dueling pianos at Howl2Go: The Howl at the Moon Experience

This weekend, the Memorial Opera House is putting together Howl2Go – an interactive, dueling piano show. Straight from the Howl at the Moon venues, this one-of-a-kind show features plenty of entertainers, singing, dancing, and more. Regardless of what age group you are, Howl2Go will have an unforgettable experience for people of all ages! Learn more here.

Admire artistic creations at 44th annual Lubeznik Arts Festival

The 44th Lubeznik Arts Festival is bringing its annual art appreciation event back for another edition in Northwest Indiana this weekend. Taking place on Lubeznik Center for the Arts grounds, this event connects attendees to the dynamic programming and exhibitions. Come check out the work of more than 80 artists, analyze the indoor exhibits, and sit in on live demos! Learn more here.

Turn back the clock with Memorial Opera House Music Match: 80s Edition

A day of power ballads, big hair, and unforgettable rock anthems is making its way to the Memorial Opera House for a Music Match: 80s Edition event. This event will rewind to a special period of time, with a chance to win prizes. Bring your friends to this competitive event and support the Penguin Project! Learn more here.

Join Indiana University South Bend for “Oh Freedom” Recital

Come sit in on a 50-minute recital this weekend for a story of hope, struggle, and a string of powerful sequences all into one. This story is about those who are grappling in hardship and seeking self-acceptance. Check out this emotional tale of resilience and resistance! Learn more here.

Tackle the fight with Ohio Valley Wrestling event

The La Porte County Civic Auditorium will be hosting the Ohio Valley Wrestling event for a night of epic, high-flying action. The next generation of professional wrestling superstars will be coming to the Northwest Indiana ring. Purchase your tickets early to ensure you and your friends get a great view at the wrestling matches! Learn more here.

The post 10 Fun Things To Do in Northern Indiana this weekend, August 13 – August 16 appeared first on GreatNews.Life.

On August 4, many Munster residents gathered at the community pool to kick off the 31st annual National Night Out Against Crime (NNO). The fun-filled evening focused on safety, education, and community connection. This event is part of a nationwide effort to build impactful and positive relationships between community members and law enforcement.

Munster’s NNO has become one of the largest community traditions. Last year, the town’s celebration was ranked first in the United States within its population category. This year, the town’s event featured over 130 booths, which was made possible by the community’s endless engagement and support.

Additionally, as the new school year approaches, the Munster High School Link Crew worked hard over the summer to put together a helpful and fun freshman orientation. 

On August 4, incoming freshmen were able to see the school, meet new peers, and know what to expect during their first year. The student led orientation helped set the stage for freshmen to have a successful first-year experience.

What’s Coming Up?

With the new school year just around the corner, Munster students will return to the classroom on August 12. This year will also bring new leadership to the high school, as past Assistant Principal Robert Snyder embarks on his first year as the principal of Munster High School. All School Town of Munster employees have been working diligently to get ready for an educational and opportunity-filled year.

In addition to the new school year back on the calendar, it’s time to add another important date: the chicken barbeque. This year, the Munster High School Speech and Debate team will be putting on the 58th annual homecoming chicken dinner. This event has become a staple in the Munster community, bringing together great food and community support.

Tickets for the chicken barbeque are $15 and can be purchased at munsterchicken.com. All proceeds from the dinner will go to expenses for the speech and debate team’s tournament and travel expenses. 

Community members are encouraged to come out and enjoy the dinner on September 18, before the homecoming football game.

Community Member Spotlight:

Kristen Smith is a jack-of-all-trades. She is a fourth year Munster school board member, the board’s Munster park representative, a fitness instructor, and mother of four (or six, if you count her two dogs.) Beyond her titles, Smith is someone dedicated to serving the community she calls home.

Smith’s community involvement began after she adopted her eldest daughter, Zuzu. Given that Smith attended Catholic school, she naturally thought her children would follow a similar path. However, after seeing all the School Town of Munster had to offer, she decided that Munster public schooling would be the best choice for her growing family.

When Zuzu began kindergarten at Elliot Elementary, Smith and her husband vowed to get involved in any way possible.

“I volunteered for anything and everything I could at the school just so that I could be part of her day,” Smith said.

What started as a mother’s desire to stay connected to her daughter quickly spiraled into something much greater. After attending her first Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) meeting, Smith realized she wanted to do more. From there, she served on the Elliot PTO, Wilbur Wright PTO, Munster Education Foundation, Booster Club, and eventually the Munster School Board– a role she was initially hesitant to pursue, but ultimately embraced.

Despite holding many important positions, Smith believes her most meaningful role will always be as a parent.

“Being a parent is definitely my proudest role,” she said. “It’s also the hardest, but every day I hope I can do better and be the best mother I can be.”

This same mindset guides her work as a community leader. Smith identifies her main focus as always putting children first. She hopes to inspire younger generations to get involved in their community– the same way that previous Munster generations inspired her. Smith credits role models such as Trisha Shelton, Lori O’Day, Becky McKeever, Ingrid Schwartz-Wolf, and many others for encouraging her to be involved in the same ways they were. Now, Smith hopes to pay that same honor forward by inspiring others with her commitment to community. She believes everyone has something valuable to contribute.

“I would tell young people to find something they are interested in and just go and volunteer,” she said. “There are so many different roles to play in a community.”

For Smith, community is rooted in people, not positions. On top of her roles as a parent, volunteer, and school board member, she continues to show up for Munster in all ways possible. As she looks forward, Smith remains committed to giving back to the community that shaped her family, while encouraging others to find their own way to make a difference.

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As the 2026-27 school year approaches, preparations are taking place across the La Lumiere (La Lu) campus. The past few weeks have been filled with planning, athletic practices, and student dedication to ensure the upcoming academic year starts off strong.

La Lu’s restructured prefect program has been stepped up over the summer to contribute to the planning. Under the new leadership model, six head prefects have moved into their roles, with each guiding a board of three prefects and their assistant prefects.

Rather than waiting for the first day of classes to begin their work, these students have already been actively involved over the summer. They have spent their vacation crafting comprehensive six week plans for the start of the semester, organizing orientation week, and designing fun and engaging activities to welcome everyone back to campus.

La Lu’s student athletes have been putting in the work over summer as well. Teams across multiple sports like volleyball, soccer, and girls’ basketball have maintained strong summer practice schedules. This commitment during the off season ensures they hit the ground running the second school starts, which is especially important since games start the same week school does.

Additionally, official updates and key details regarding opening day have already been circulating to families and students. Set for August 16, the countdown to the new school year is quickly approaching. Orientation week is sure to be a blast for new and returning students for the first few days, until school officially starts on August 19.

What’s coming up?

Before the full student body returns, the preparation work comes into full swing on Friday, August 14. The day is set aside to allow prefects to gather and finalize materials to set up all of the necessary logistics for the first official day of orientation on August 16.

Orientation week itself functions as a massive welcome party designed to welcome both new and returning students into the community. The schedule is packed with fun games and community-building activities.

On the first day, parents are invited to campus for tours, the opportunity to walk through their student’s daily schedule, and meet the teachers, helping make everyone feel prepared for the year ahead.

During orientation week practices are on double time. Each sport team practices twice a day for the first three days of the school year in order to prepare for vast approaching games. Although the schedule can be demanding, double practices are a great way for students to bond during orientation.

A central highlight of orientation is the kickoff of Head’s Cup. This beloved school tradition divides the entire student body into four teams that compete throughout the academic year. The challenges range from tug-of-war to volleyball matches. During orientation, new students are officially sorted into their Head’s Cup teams, which gives them an active role from day one.

While orientation focuses on fun and getting comfortable on campus, the shift to academic life occurs on Wednesday, August 19. That is when students officially begin following their class schedules and start regular after school activities.

Community member spotlight:

Having grown up on campus over the past 16 years, Anna Balhoff has witnessed firsthand La Lu’s tight knit community. As a child, her summers were spent exploring the outdoors with other campus kids. They would ride bikes, play in the woods, and share popsicles, all while receiving warm greetings from the student body. The connection among everyone at La Lu proved how special the environment really is.

Now an incoming senior, Balhoff contributes to campus life in countless ways. She serves as the Arts Prefect where she is dedicated to increasing student participation and representation surrounding the arts. Beyond her leadership role, she is a member of both the girls’ soccer and tennis teams, acts in school theater productions, and plays the flute. She has played for six years and performs at masses, concerts, fine arts events, and Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) competitions.

Her summer was equally full. Balhoff balanced work at Bubbles Ice Cream Parlor, volunteering at the hospital, college tours, soccer practices, and music lessons. Despite her busy schedule during the summer, her favorite La Lu tradition is orientation week. The week that marks the beginning of the next school year is filled with fun traditions, like the annual scavenger hunt that welcomes new faces to campus.

Reflecting on what La Lu means to her, Balhoff highlights a favorite quote by Edna O’Brien, “Friends are the family we choose for ourselves.”

For Balhoff, that sentiment captures the heart of La Lu and what it means to be a part of a community where students actively choose to support and uplift one another which creates a genuine family atmosphere that can last a lifetime and create lasting memories.

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