Good morning, Portage.

Portage resident Sandra Matthews, 74, found her Deep Forest Court home damaged by falling trees during severe weather on Thursday night—trees that crushed her back patio and hot tub and worsened repairs from a May tornado.

The Portage Public Schools board has narrowed its list to two finalists for superintendent—Johnny Edwards, the district’s assistant superintendent since 2021, and Matt Olson, who has worked with Northwest Education Services in Traverse City since 2000.

They will be interviewed on May 25 at Portage Central High School’s Community Room with a public meet and greet from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., and a new superintendent will be in place by July 1 as current superintendent Mark Bielang retires at the end of the school year.

Portage is including storm debris from May 15 storms in its brush pickup program with pickups in Zone 3 the week of May 19 and in Zone 4 the week of May 26, and extra pickups for Zones 1 and 2 are planned for early June with drop-off available at the Oakland Drive Compost Facility on May 31 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.—residents must prepare debris by cutting branches into pieces no longer than six feet and trimming tree trunks to manageable sizes.

Gull Lake girls soccer won the SMAC championship with a 3-0 win over Mattawan on Wednesday as rising sophomore Tessa Cothron returned after missing Monday's match due to illness and scored a key goal to boost the No. 3 team.

The team will host district quarterfinals next Wednesday at 6 p.m. against Wayland and Cothron was voted top underclassmen athlete for the spring season.

David Vander Horst, a former state champion at Kalamazoo Christian, was named Portage Central’s new varsity boys basketball coach last week after Casey Higgason resigned.

He led the junior varsity team to a 67-13 record (strong performance) and plans to build on recent titles while emphasizing teamwork (from his home in Mattawan).

Portage Northern hired former WMU linebacker Chris Prom as the new boys basketball coach this week — replacing Kevin White after last season — and he will guide the team to work hard.

Prom, who has taught physics and coached at the school for six years, said he plans to hold players accountable as they build a strong team.