This August, my family and I attended our ninth Joni and Friends Family Retreat. ...more

November 5, 2009

So you want to be a star? Now's your chance. The organizers of the ninth annual Brandon Idol fundraiser will be on the lookout for the community's most talented residents as they host an audition for contestants at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Hi-Life Bar & Grill, 1602 E. Brandon Blvd. ...more

April 1, 2009

As families and advocates ask Gov. Charlie Crist to veto budget cuts affecting the developmentally disabled, lawmakers are trying to find a way to restore at least some of those dollars. ...more

January 24, 2009

An advocacy group has sued the state over funding cuts to programs for people with mental retardation, cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities. ...more

January 14, 2009

Former boarding home operator Daphne Jones said she considers taking care of the downtrodden a "ministry" and wants to clear her reputation. ...more

January 9, 2009

The former operator of boarding home who faced 18 felony counts of adult abuse will not go to jail. Daphne Jones, under a plea agreement with prosecutors, pleaded guilty this morning to one reduced count of culpable negligence, a second-degree misdemeanor. Prosecutors dropped the remaining 17 charges. ...more

January 8, 2009

Trish Mills remembers Christmases past when her young son never got a present from his dad. The parent was in prison at the time, unable to shop. It wasn't until years later Mills, now 57, learned about Angel Tree, a Prison Fellowship program that provides a way for incarcerated parents to have gifts delivered to their children. Her husband, now her ex-husband, could have participated, but never did. ...more

December 24, 2008

On Tuesday morning, little Cheyenne Leslie entered the Ocean Medical Center and ran purposefully into the arms of her physical therapist, to the smiles and cheers of staff workers, the girl seemingly unhindered by her arm and leg brace. It was a dress rehearsal of sorts. ...more

December 23, 2008

Dear Abby: I work for a small, family-owned business. The owner has strong political views and insists on listening to a political talk show during the afternoon, with the volume turned up quite loud. ...more

November 2, 2008

An upcoming event that will benefit people with physical disabilities simply asks its participants to hop on a bike. ...more

October 8, 2008