Portage Mayor Sue Lynch

Plans for a new subdivision can move forward in Portage. The city council voted four-to-two last week to rezone almost 34 acres of land from low-density to multi-family residential development. That will allow Olthof Homes to build 90 paired cottage homes and 40 town homes south of Lute Road, between the Breckenridge Apartments and Roswell Drive.

Former Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas easily secured the Republican nomination to get his old job back. He defeated Art Elwood by a margin of 83-to-17 percent.

U.S. Representative Frank Mrvan (D-Highland) joined Portage officials Wednesday to celebrate a pair of federally-funded infrastructure projects.

Portage Mayor Sue Lynch says she's proud of the work her team has accomplished, since she took office in 2020.

Portage officials say they're getting the city's finances back on track with the 2023 budget. The budget adopted by the city council last week totals just over $66.1 million dollars, including a general fund of $24 million.

Portage officials are downplaying environmental concerns about a proposed lead casting business.

Portage Mayor Sue Lynch welcomed residents to the newly-renovated City Hall Tuesday.

The Portage Park and Recreation Department is running out of money. Last year, the city council put more than a million dollars in the park department's 2022 operating budget, only for the state to cut it down to $609,000. Park Board President Paul Ciesielski told council members Tuesday that's less than what it was in 1995 and not enough to run the city's current park system.

The Portage City Council is narrowing the list of projects to receive American Rescue Plan funding. The city has already spent more than $364,000 dollars and allocated another $800,000. On Tuesday, Council Member Scott Williams presented a plan for the other $7.2 million Portage expects to get.

A few Portage city government departments have new leaders. Mayor Sue Lynch told the city council last week that the sanitary plant superintendent, building commissioner, and chief deputy clerk-treasurer are all retiring this month.