Parts I, II, and III of this story were published April 20, 27 and May 4. They are also available on www.highlandstoday.com. Gemma knocked on my door at nine the next morning. I barely recognized her. Her hair was shiny clean and curled softly around her face. She wore only a little makeup and a modest black dress with a white lace collar. Lisa stood beside her in a pretty pink dress, white socks, and black patent leather Mary-Janes that looked brand new. Her hair was combed and pinned back with pink bows, revealing two small hearing aids. "We have to look our best," Gemma announced, "so the lawyer will know I'm a good mother. My ex wants to take Lisa and send her to live with his mother, the old cow, on some farm in Virginia." She squeezed Lisa's hand. "He's bloody well not gonna get her." All the way to the base, Gemma kept up a steady stream of chatter. "My ex will be there, ya know. We ain't seen him in three months." She winked at me. "That was the last time he came sniffin' around. O' course, like a fool, I let him in. Even slept with the bastard, and now I think I'm preggers again." ...more

May 11, 2008

The biggest break in Marcos Ambrose's NASCAR career wasn't a win, but a seventh-place finish. ...more

February 10, 2008

The day after Christmas, as Joe Morales, Anthony Mundi and Andrew Purdy prepared to close Don Pablo's restaurant for the night, a phone call set them on a rollercoaster ride to rock bottom with news of sudden unemployment, then to an entrepreneurial high as new business owners - all within 24 hours. ...more

January 30, 2008

A former taxi driver was sentenced to 40 months in prison Monday for fatally beating a man with a metal pipe two years ago. ...more

January 30, 2008

Deputies seized a combined 3 1/2 ounces of marijuana on Monday, including 29 grams from two students at Hernando High School. ...more

January 30, 2008

Jeanine Bethoney didn't have much in the way of possessions. She kept a modest house with her 3-year-old daughter and scraped by on her husband's income as a carpet cleaner. ...more

January 10, 2008

JUMPS: SKIN CARES, Page Exfoliation brings back the glow. ...more

December 31, 2007

TAMPA - Police are investigating the slaying of 36-year-old Claude Lee Kegler, who was found Sunday stabbed to death in the bedroom of his Temple Crest apartment. ...more

December 16, 2007

Restoration work is nearly ready to begin at St. Lawrence Catholic Church, which was damaged by a fire. ...more

December 5, 2007

Restoration work is nearly ready to begin at St. Lawrence Catholic Church, which was damaged by a fire. ...more

December 5, 2007