My 9-year-old daughter looks older than she is. Always has. Kids and - worse - grownups who should know better comment on it all the time. ...more

March 22, 2009

What can parents, especially those of girls, do to temper culture's pressure to grow up way too fast? ...more

March 19, 2009

what they should do and how they should cope - are everywhere. ...more

March 5, 2009

Coaching has been broken down to a science of sorts. ...more

February 20, 2009

"Compulsion" by Jonathan Kellerman begins with a description of a grisly murder. Somehow, detective Milo Sturgis and psychologist Alex Delaware find a minor connection between murders whose only link is that the killer uses luxury vehicles to travel in. There seems to be no motive in the murders but Milo and Alex feel they were committed by the same person, even though it seems hard to believe that the brutal murderer is somehow connected with both the wealthy center of Los Angeles and New York City. The known murders cover a period of at least 10 years and Alex is sure that the same person is responsible. In the absence of any connecting motives, Alex concludes that the perpetrator is obviously a very clever madman who is killing because he can. When Alex and Milo track down the devious character, they also provide some closure for the grieving parents who had been wondering what happened to their teenage son, missing for the past 10 years. The answer is an unhappy one but knowing what happened makes the couple grateful that they will be able to find their son's body and have a memorial service. And Milo is happy to be able to take at least one "cold case" from his files. ...more

February 18, 2009

When the Highlands County School District made its budget projections in July 2008, it was estimating to receive nearly $950,000 from the Florida Lottery revenue for this school year. ...more

February 17, 2009

Even in the Sunshine State, the winter season and its shorter daylight hours can be depressing. ...more

February 14, 2009

It was Dr. David Ortiz, noted Boston psychologist and Red Sox wall banger, who made the first diagnosis. ...more

October 12, 2008

Dennis George Roache, charged with first-degree murder in the 2002 killing and decapitation of his ex-girlfriend's lover, was found guilty by a jury of his peers today. ...more

October 3, 2008

When Carlos Bello takes his medication, no one questions his mental competence. ...more

September 27, 2008