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Love At First Punch: Still Going Strong After 75 Years
May 18, 2012 Van Harris and his wife, Shirley, grew up in the same Brooklyn neighborhood, about a block from each other. During a visit to StoryCorps, Van recalled the day he first noticed Shirley: "She was about 10 years old, and she was beating up a couple of guys. ... I said, 'Geez, I'd like to meet a girl like that.' "
A Mother And Son, And 'The Good Side Of Things'
May 11, 2012 Born in 1948 with spina bifida, Dennis McLaughlin was missing several vertebrae and unable to use his legs. His mother, Theresa, was a single mom, working in a paper mill near Portland, Maine. He interviewed her to thank her for how she raised him.
Remembering A Grandfather's 'Best Gift'
May 4, 2012 Ricardo Isaias Zavala comes from a long line of cowboys who worked the ranches of South Texas in the 19th and 20th centuries. His grandfather grew up on those ranches — and late in his life, a story from those days took on special meaning for Ricardo.
National Teachers Initiative
More Than A Teacher: 'One Of The Best Feelings'
April 29, 2012 Two teachers on either end of the country have made lasting impressions on their students. They stepped up to mentor and comfort children with difficult home lives — and they're still there for them today.
Brain Injury Gives Man A Second Chance To Be Kind
April 27, 2012 Before Marco Ferreira had an accident that left him in a coma for six weeks, he was known for his sarcasm and quick wit. Kids bugged him. Now, he says, he has a "second chance to be good."
After Marriage Ends, Exes Become 'Best Friends'
April 20, 2012 After the marriage between James Hanson-Brown and Lisa Combest ended, something unusual happened: Their relationship deepened.
Colleagues Recall L.A. Riots Unfolding Like 'A Movie'
April 13, 2012 Two decades after the Los Angeles riots, three former colleagues from the city's KJLH radio station recall watching the violence unfold from their studio window on Crenshaw Boulevard. The music station switched to an all-talk format for several days, as listeners called in to share what they were witnessing across the city.
75 Years Later: The Day The Town School Exploded
April 6, 2012 One of the worst school disasters in American history occurred 75 years ago, when an explosion killed hundreds of students at a school in East Texas. The traumatic event etched itself into the memory of Kenneth Honeycutt, now 83.
As A Life's End Draws Near, A Father And Son Talk
March 30, 2012 In 2010, David Plant was diagnosed with skin cancer. The cancer has since metastasized to other parts of his body, and David is now contemplating the end of his life. So, just before his 81st birthday, he sat down with his stepson to talk about their life together.
National Teachers Initiative
A Teacher's Ultimatum Drives Student's Success
March 25, 2012 In high school, Raul Bravo asked himself whether it was worth getting a diploma. Friends were making fast money drug dealing, and four years seemed like a long time. But then his automotive teacher told him he had a decision to make.
Two Lost Souls Find Each Other In A Hospital
March 23, 2012 Winslow Jackson and Dorothy Biebrich were two singles struggling to deal with multiple sclerosis when they met in 2006. Six years later, the two hope they are good examples of how to live life. Now, if one of their scooters goes down, the other one can pull or push to help.
After Tragedy, An Aunt Plays A New Role: Parent
March 16, 2012 Back in 1995, one violent night reshaped the young lives of Phil and Laura Donney. Their parents were arguing, and their father murdered their mother. Phil was 7; his sister was 4. From then on, the children were raised by their mother's sisters.
A Mom Becomes A Man, And A Family Sticks Together
March 9, 2012 This spring, Les and Scott GrantSmith will mark their 25th wedding anniversary. The couple raised two daughters along the way. But 15 years ago, they hit a crisis that nearly broke the family apart. They solved it by embracing a unique approach — and each other.
'Life Is Really Good,' Says Cancer Survivor, 12
March 2, 2012 When Grant Coursey was a toddler, he was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a cancer often found in young children. A tumor had wrapped itself around his spinal cord and was pushing against his lungs. It took three surgeries, but Grant is cancer-free.
National Teachers Initiative
A Vietnam Vet Teaches More Than The Alphabet
February 26, 2012 Ron Cushman's journey to teaching started when he was severely wounded in the Vietnam War. Having a hook for a hand made him nervous around students until he found a way to make his injury a part of the lesson.
