In October of 1966, Michael Chiarodo enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. By January of 1967, he was stationed in Vietnam to serve America in the Vietnam War. “The Marine Corps was the only branch of service that I thought to...
Elena Giorgi
A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Deborah ‘Deb’ Butterfield
Deborah “Deb” Butterfield’s family are Cherokee Indians, with a great grandparent having traveled on the Trail of Tears before settling in Oklahoma. Butterfield’s parents moved from Oklahoma to Indiana for work, and they began their lives in...
A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Dena Whaling
Dena Whaling, born and raised in Valparaiso, has spent a large majority of her life giving back to the community in one way or another. Alongside her Valparaiso High School sweetheart, Matt, she has become a pillar of light and hope for friends and...
Survivor Series: Colleen McQuillan
Colleen McQuillan, a resident of Highland, has religiously received mammograms since she turned 40. When she couldn’t secure an appointment at her doctor’s office in Illinois in 2020 for a mammogram, she made an appointment in Indiana instead....
AJ Portable Buildings offers structures for every need
AJ Portable Buildings has been servicing the Midwest’s custom-design building needs since 1983, offering storage sheds, garages and more. With custom craftsmanship and generous warranties, AJ’s invites customers from the Region, eastern Illinois,...
A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Rick Clements
Rick Clements is what some may call a jack-of-all-trades. Student. Professor. Dad. Author. Speaker. Clements grew up in Indianapolis, graduating from Perry Meridian High School before attending Indiana University, where he received a...
Veteran Spotlight: Joe Scida
The son of a United States Navy man, Joe Scida grew up all over the country in varying cities and states based on his dad, John’s, station. With most of his upbringing in Hawaii, Scida graduated from high school in upstate New York. In September of...
A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Loren Huff and Breanna Webb
When two women with a love for baking happened to discuss their passion during a work shift at Starbucks, the pop-up bakery The Baking Beans was born. Loren Huff and Breanna Webb opened their local baking business just two months after that...
Bartholomew Funeral Home spotlight on its lesser-known services
Bartholomew Funeral Home works to serve and support families through the entire grief process. The process of planning and hosting a loved one’s funeral or memorial service can be daunting and confusing, and there are some aspects that an...
A Valpo Life in the Spotlight: Phyllis Schroeder
The Region is known for hosting folks for what they think will be a season of their life, but they wind up staying a lifetime. The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Valparaiso University, the steel mill industry, and large public education systems...