š± Portland student earns high honors at Kettering University.
Greetings Portland! Your go-to source for what's happening in town is here. Stay in the loop and read on. āļø
In today's newsletter:
- Portland student earns high honors at Kettering University.
- How did Portlandās softball bats come alive against DeWitt?
- Portland community remembers the life of Susan Kaye Wernette Rice
Also on today's calendar: Ionia Girls Varsity Soccer @ Portland and 5 more events.
Today's riddle: What did the inventor of the knock-knock joke win? š¤ (Answer below!)
- Friday: Partly sunny and warmer, with a high of 76 and low of 52 degrees.
- Saturday: Thunderstorms, some severe, temps: high: 62, low: 32.
- Sunday: Mostly sunny and windy, with a high of 46 and low of 27 degrees.
š° News we're reading
ā¢ Joshua Rutkowski Named to Kettering University's Winter 2026 Dean's List (theportlandbeacon.com) ā Portland resident Joshua Rutkowski has earned a spot on Kettering Universityās Winter 2026 Deanās List, reflecting a term GPA of at least 3.5 with no grades below B. The recognition highlights his strong performance in mechanical engineering within Ketteringās rigorous co-op based programs. 
Ā Ā Ā 
ā¢ Portland Softball 1-2 after facing Holt and DeWitt (theportlandbeacon.com) ā Portland Raider softball opened the 2026 season 1-2, splitting a doubleheader at DeWitt after an earlier home loss to Holt and a non-complete nightcap win. Local standouts like Lilly Thelen, Rylee Miller, and Bella Spitzley powered strong offensive showings, while a weather postponement has delayed their CAAC White matchup with Lansing Catholic. Ā Ā Ā
ā¢ Susan Kaye Rice (leesburg-news.com) ā Longtime Portland resident Susan Kaye Wernette Rice, who spent her early years in Portland before a career helping children as a physical therapist assistant, has passed away after a five-year battle with frontotemporal dementia. Her family will host a celebration of life on Blue Lake in Mecosta on June 7, and they invite memorial contributions to several health-related organizations in her honor. Ā Ā Ā
šø Around Portland
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
š
Upcoming Events in
Portland
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
ā Featured events ā
-
Charlotte Varsity Baseball @ Portland
Portland High School, 1100 Ionia Rd, Portland
4:00 pm
Tuesday April 21
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
-
City Council Meeting
Portland, MI Calendar , City Hall 259 Kent St , Portland
7:00 pm -
Ionia Girls Varsity Soccer @ Portland
Portland High School , 1100 Ionia Rd , Portland
5:30 pm -
Budget Workshop
Portland, MI Calendar , 259 Kent St , Portland
5:00 pm -
Council Advancement Meeting
Michigan Crossroads Council, Boy Scouts of America , 14258 Michigan St , Eagle
6:30 pm -
Williamston Varsity Baseball @ Portland
Portland High School , 1100 Ionia Rd , Portland
4:00 pm -
Alice in Wonderland Tea Party
Monkey Llama Games, LLC , 154 Kent St , Portland
12:00 pm -
Lakewood Varsity Softball @ Portland
Portland High School , 1100 Ionia Rd , Portland
4:00 pm
Monday April 20
Tuesday April 21
Wednesday April 22
Thursday April 23
Sunday April 26
Tuesday April 28
š£ Portland Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
š Events Nearby
-
Baby Stories & Play
Grand Ledge Area District Library , 131 E Jefferson St , Grand Ledge
10:30 am -
West Catholic Varsity Softball @ Pewamo-Westphalia
Pewamo-Westphalia Community Schools , 5101 Clintonia Rd , Westphalia
1:30 pm -
Salamander Plot Setup Day
Lincoln Brick Park , 13991 Tallman Rd , Grand Ledge
2:00 pm -
Forest Hills Central at Grand Ledge
820 Spring St , Grand Ledge
5:30 pm
Saturday April 18
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
š¬ Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Wendy's posted a job opening for Crew Member in Portland. Apply here.
- Domino's Pizza posted a job opening for Customer Service Rep(01194) - 327 S Bridge St in Grand Ledge. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Portland here.
š Nearby News
Grand Ledge
- Grand Ledge residents weigh $22.5M bond proposal for fire stations (fox47news.com)
- Damaging winds predicted with thunderstorms to hit Barry and Eaton counties Tuesday ā gusts may reach 60 mph (mlive.com)
- Laverne 'Verne' Marvin Dubay (thebattlecreekshopper.com)
Ionia
- Ionia County launches new alert system (wilx.com)
- āSwatting' call reports shootout, hostage situation in Ionia County (mlive.com)
- Ionia County, fairgrounds will see floods this weekend (wkar.org)
Ok Portland! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: The NO-BELL prize (Thank you Gina M. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!
š Help make Patch AM better
- Help us grow by suggesting local news sources.
- Shape this newsletter with your feedback.
- List items for sale or services offered
We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you whatās happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.