The mother of Joshua Lee Altersberger described to jurors a family history of abuse and drugs, as the defense presented testimony in day two of the defendant's penalty trial. Altersberger pleaded guilty March 13 to shooting and killing Florida Highway Patrol trooper Nicholas Sottile during a Jan. 12, 2007 traffic stop in Highlands County. A jury was selected last week to hear testimony to help them make a sentencing recommendation. ...more

March 31, 2009

Get some useful information about diabetes from someone living with it everyday. ...more

March 25, 2009

Val Perry loves writing, and she loves a good book. Most of all, though, she is motivated to help other people discover their own stories and to learn how to write them. ...more

March 18, 2009

Society generally has not been kind to those with mental illnesses or quirky personalities. Embarrassed by such relatives, their families of decades past often sent them to institutions and never talked about them again. ...more

January 25, 2009

Anyone with a connection to Alzheimer's disease knows all too well its devastating impact. ...more

September 20, 2008

George G. Morgan remembers his introduction to family history. It was 1962 and he was 10. His grandmother, Minnie Morgan, 89, was determined to teach him about his ancestors, two of whom fought in the Revolutionary War. ...more

September 10, 2008

"Undiscovered Country," by Lin Enger (Little, Brown and Co., $24) ...more

August 31, 2008

Shawn Woods has already made lemonade out of the lemon he was tossed when he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. ...more

August 30, 2008

As genealogy researchers, we want our reports to be factual, but not stiff and boring. A family narrative should show some feeling for the experiences of an ancestor. ...more

August 24, 2008

When an ancestor was a Civil War veteran, your search for information can lead to genealogical gold. The Civil War produced substantial records, starting with military service files and applications for pensions, both of benefit to family historians. ...more

August 3, 2008