13th September 2016 Inmates break free with music With a pick and some plucks, Wendy Fortner soared above her surroundings, figuratively speaking.She no longer noticed the guards, the barbed wire fences or the khaki jumpsuit stamped with the...
13th September 2016 "They took every penny": Couple fights to be parents after adoption agency closes The door stood shut, harsh and uninviting.Jessica Garner paused outside, wondering if she could — or even should — summon the courage to turn the handle.She knew what waited inside:...
13th September 2016 Man finds inspiration in his abuse The model car lay shattered on the basement floor, its pieces scattered in every direction.For weeks, a young Tod Peavy had tinkered and toiled and thought of nothing but this...
13th September 2016 Going nuclear No one saw the uranium pellets melt into a puddle of nuclear waste.Yet the entire world watched as helicopters buzzed about, testing for radiation. It looked on as children and...
13th September 2016 "We were going to be grandparents:" Mother holds candlelight vigil for murdered pregnant daughter For several seconds, Cathy Staver focused on the flicker cupped in her hands. Then the trance broke, and the Scales Mound resident spoke. "It's too late for my daughter." Mourners honored domestic...
13th September 2016 Firefighter dies in line of duty before his wedding She dreamed of standing at the altar in a white gown. Instead, she sat in the front pew, dressed in black.On Thursday - two months before her scheduled...
13th September 2016 Farm battles flood... again... and again...and five times more after that Joe Riniker's shoes sloshed.Water seeped through his soles, and as the farmer paced, puddles formed."It won't be the last time," he said.While the flood outside flaunted its power, the farmer...
13th September 2016 Grain bin rescue secures hero status Arnie Eben stood atop the sea of golden kernels. He shifted his weight, determining whether the 30,000 bushels of corn would sustain him or suck him into its depths.Grains scattered...
13th September 2016 No miracle in sight for church facing closure Tears pool in Karen Birch's eyes."We need a miracle," she says. "We need a miracle so badly."On Wednesday, Birch turned to her refuge in times of tribulation -- her parish....
13th September 2016 Patriot Guard allows vets to continue active duty His knuckles whitened, gripping the flagpole tighter as the vans approached. The murmur spread, leather-clad bikers whispering the warning: “The uglies are here.”The “uglies,” Westboro Baptist Church protesters, carried signs...
13th September 2016 Fish should swim, not float The stream raced by, intent to join the Missouri River. Unhindered by Evan De Groot's rubber boots, water gushed over his waders and continued on its course.A solitary figure in...
13th September 2016 Survivor of male-on-male sexual abuse fights predatory instincts The scream died on his lips.While pleas formed in his mind, the boy's fear prevented him from producing the appeals that would have alerted the adults in the nearby...
13th September 2016 Selling service: On the road with National Guard recruiters Each road is different.Some weave. Others shoot straight ahead. Many are scarred with potholes, while a few sport fresh pavement.For more than four years, Staff Sgt. Todd Sharkey has navigated...
13th September 2016 The cows that cleaved Warren The town emits a vibe similar to that of many small communities.People greet passersby. Business owners know customers by name, and restaurants serve coffee alongside the conversation that doubles as...
13th September 2016 Redemption comes for rehabilitated mother Lindsey Shubert dialed the numbers.She knew them by heart, yet her fingers trembled as she made the call.Every day, she talked to her daughter, Gracie, who lived with Shubert’s mother,...