
‘Stronger Than a Speeding Bullet’
by Kari Apted Gabriel Tuggle was a few months shy of graduating from Newton High School in 1991 when he was shot in the head at point-blank range. On track

Resilience Redefined
Gabriel Tuggle was once a multi-sport star with enough talent to perhaps one day choose between professional football or baseball, but a .44-caliber bullet to the head changed everything. Even

The Truth About Roaches
by Kari Apted I wasn’t sure if I would make it through the experience of visiting a feeder bug shop. I pay someone to kill roaches; I don’t go visit

Food for Thought
Kristin Beaucher was an active, chubby-cheeked, blonde-haired toddler when her health suddenly declined. After a lengthy battle with brain cancer, she died at the age of 9. Her parents have

In Sickness and in Health
Nothing has been conventional about marriage for David Perkins and Dianne Jennings, from the unlikely location of their impromptu wedding two years ago to the most unwelcome third party in

Her Own Yellow Brick Road
by Kari Apted could not imagine the life she enjoys now. She was only 9 years old when her mother died, and she was sent to live with her aunt

Heirloom to a Bygone Era
Country stores dawned in America during colonial times, allowing pioneers to stock up on supplies and socialize with distant neighbors. Often replaced by big-box retailers, only a precious few remain.

Shopping in a Sugar Wonderland
by Kari Apted It doesn’t matter what time they arrive: Frankie Moss is already there when Jan and Gary Patrick turn into their store’s parking lot every Dec. 24. If

The County’s Most Interesting Man
Newborn resident Tony Pless looks like your average older biker, clad in black leather and tattooed, with a long, white beard. Like most bikers, he has been places—some good and