Life in the Spotlight

Heather Augustyn – author, writing teacher, correspondent for the Times of Northwest Indiana, wife, mother. There are many words one might use to describe Augustyn, but choosing just one wouldn't suffice. Born and raised in Northwest Indiana,...

Born and raised in Tipton County, Rita Jackson has always been a creative person. Throughout her life, Jackson has always enjoyed making things and has always known that she would one day make art her career. At the young age of four, Jackson began...

Originally from Iowa, Tricia Catlin relocated to Northwest Indiana nearly twenty years ago when she accepted her first post-college job in Portage. With the help of her husband of eighteen years, Catlin takes care of her two children, while still...

When Merrillville High School Principal Mike Krutz was named Indiana’s principal of the year last year, he credits the “whole Pirate family working together.” “It was a school-wide reward because principals certainly do not do it by...

Lake Michigan draws innumerable tourists to Northwest Indiana every year; but in Brad Bumgardner, it attracted a permanent resident. Bumgardner is the interpretive naturalist at Indiana Dunes State Park along the Porter County shoreline. He's a...

Born in Baton Rouge, Lousiana and raised in Cabrini Green, Toni Williams has always been grateful to the youth center and church she belonged to as a child. Early on she realized how important it is to make positive, healthy decisions – that every...

Born and raised in Valparaiso, Andrew Koch has always been invested in being a part of the community around him, whether at home or at school. Currently, Koch is a student at Indiana University Northwest studying Psychology, doing research on...

When Earl Ward first heard about growing food in a mostly-closed aquatic system by using fish waste for nutrients, "aquaponics" wasn't even a word. In fact even as I wrote this, a squiggly red line indicated that as far as Microsoft Word is...

Success comes in different packages for DJ who lot 130 pounds Mike Bonaventura does what most people spend their lives striving for. He works at a job he loves. "Everything has been just so much fun for me," said Bonaventura, a Crown Point resident...

As the sub-zero temperatures shifted back to the arctic where they belong, I sat down with Lora Larkin, owner of Pay One Price Photography, and a 100-lb Mastiff named Max who hasn't figured out he isn't a lap dog yet. Besides the puppy, Larkin's...