Mary Ellen Gottlieb spent five years mired in frustration, dealing on a daily basis with the lasting effects of a stroke she suffered in 2003. Until recently, the Brandon woman, 50, was resigned to the notion that she might never fully recover or work again. But one day in November, she pressed the "play" button on a YouTube video, and serendipity came to call. ...more

January 6, 2009 |

A man shot himself in the chest and lied about it to law enforcement so he could claim disability benefits, North Port police say. ...more

September 9, 2008 |

Q Friends who used to live here moved out of state to be with family because neither could work and had little income for two years. Their doctor is recommending they return here for health reasons. ...more

September 2, 2008 |

Hundreds of thousands of tractor-trailer and bus drivers in the United States carry commercial driver's licenses despite also having health issues that qualify for full disability payments, according to a federal report to be released Thursday. ...more

July 22, 2008 |

Let's see if we can figure out who this man is and how he got there. ...more

June 18, 2008 |

TAMPA - Federal judges this week sentenced two people to prison for either stealing from or defrauding the Department of Veterans Affairs. The cases of Frank M. Persicano, of St. Petersburg, and Catherine Rodriguez, of Tampa, are unrelated, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. ...more

June 12, 2008 |

The Greens owed $580 to the homeowners association, so it foreclosed and the family lost its home. It's an increasingly common story. ...more

June 2, 2008 |

Increasing numbers of U.S. troops have exited the military with damaged bodies and minds, an ever-larger pool of disabled veterans that will cost the nation billions for decades to come - even as the total population of America's veterans shrinks. ...more

May 13, 2008 |

WASHINGTON - Increasing numbers of U.S. troops have left the military with damaged bodies and minds, an ever-larger pool of disabled veterans that will cost the nation billions for decades to come - even as the total population of America's vets shrinks. ...more

May 11, 2008 |

I like your question-and-answer column in the Hernando Today section of The Tampa Tribune and wonder if you can answer a question for me. ...more

February 25, 2008 |