A 57-year-old St. Petersburg woman is accused of binding an 8-year-old boy's hands and legs with duct tape, and flogging him, an arrest report states. ...more

February 17, 2008

University of Minnesota's Extension Service developed the course "Who Gets Grandma's Yellow Pie Plate?" It's a guide for meaningfully passing on personal belongings. Becky Rousch teaches it locally to members of Lifetime Learners Institute at SFCC. All sorts of information on the subject can also be obtained at http://www.yellowpieplate.umn.edu. The Web site and the course improve the decision-making process of who gets what. Practical advice is given on how to begin communication with family members to help ascertain what "things" they may be interested in acquiring when an elder passes. Knowing which items are of interest to individual family members and why they mean something to them can help when distributing personal property, thus, making the transfer of ownership more meaningful for all concerned. ...more

February 15, 2008

SEBRING — In the living room, there's a couch, but no chairs, no coffee table, not even a painting on the wall. Visitors sit at the kitchen table. In the bedrooms, there are two bunk bed mattresses, but no bed frame. And nothing else. Paul isn't a minimalist, he was homeless last week. Until two weeks ago, Paul, who didn't want to give his last name, was living in a domestic violence shelter with his children, and was one of 15 Highlands County residents given a place to live by the Agency for Community Treatment Services Inc. "We need a homeless shelter in Highlands County, bad," said Terri McClelland, the local ACTS housing case manager, who helps the homeless. ...more

February 7, 2008

His back resting comfortably against her chest, Hector nestles his massive canine head into Leslie Nuccio's shoulder, high-fiving pit bull paws against human hands. ...more

February 3, 2008

Here are some of Candice Olson's favorite design tips. •Terrified of making a color blunder? Try painting test patches of color on your walls or pinning fabric samples onto your existing furniture. Spending some time with these "tests" will help you decide if you're on the right decorating track. ...more

January 26, 2008

Before she lets them shoot her little pink stun gun, Dana Shafman ushers her new friends to the living room sofa for a serious chat about the fears she believes they all share. ...more

January 8, 2008

Looking for some last-minute literary gifts for the pet lover in your life? Or maybe the pet? ...more

December 15, 2007

A man described as a "classic drug dealer" was sentenced to 20 years in prison during court proceedings Thursday. ...more

December 7, 2007

I have an HDTV with a CableCard slot. Can I use that with FiOS TV, or do I need to rent Verizon's tuner? ...more

December 3, 2007