Portage County became a place of refuge for some Hurricane Katrina evacuees. While some families have decided to return to the Gulf Coast, one family has decided to make a new life for themselves here.

Kevin Cheatham and his family, who arrived here Sept. 8 from New Orleans as part of the Noel Group's Jobs for Katrina Evacuees, have found an apartment in Plover, and they're calling Portage County home.

"We're not looking to go back right now," Cheatham said Tuesday. "Don't get me wrong, I miss New Orleans like crazy, but it'll be at least two years before they get back to normal."

Cheatham is adapting here as well, he said. A chef in New Orleans, he was hired last week as full-time line cook at The Restaurant and Pagliacci Taverna.

"We're just thrilled to have him join the staff," said Mary Weller, director of communications for Sentry Insurance, which owns both restaurants. "He really hit it off well with our executive chef and the rest of the staff."

His specialty is Cajun and Creole style entrees, a venue the restaurants are looking to increase their offerings in, Weller said. "We think our customers will really enjoy his cooking and style," she said.

Another family that came to Portage County following the hurricane, Colleen Daigrepont of Slidell, La., and her two children, returned to the Gulf Coast recently, according to their host family. Daigrepont and the children stayed in the town of Alban with Mary Danninger and her husband, Tim Dally.

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