Top Bears pick Long has school to wrap up

LAKE FOREST | The Bears' draft picks have plenty of obstacles to overcome in the next few months while trying to fit onto the roster.

Lingmerth in the lead as storms disrupt Sawgrass

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. | A rift between Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia attracted all the attention on a stormy day at Sawgrass. Swedish rookie David Lingmerth quietly went about his business and wound up atop the leaderboard Saturday in The Players Championship.

SNOWBIRDS in Florida, Where Everyday's a New Day

Well, like, kinda-sorta. We’re at Village on the Isle visiting my 89-year-old mother in Venice, Florida. “Everyday’s a new day” is their motto.

SNOWBIRDS in Florida, Frequently Asked Questions

Knowing that a lot of us are in the same boat, I asked some experts from my mother's facility the same kind of questions a lot of us are asking care providers.

SNOWBIRDS in Florida: THE BASICS ABOUT RETIRING TO FLORIDA

http://www.bestguide-retirementcommunities.com/

Crusaders take a day to relax after clinching NCAA tournament berth

VALPARAISO | The lights were out, doors were locked and all was quiet at the Athletics-Recreation Center on Wednesday afternoon.

Scouting combine shows NFL's global progress

INDIANAPOLIS | Ezekiel "Ziggy" Ansah knew nothing about the NFL when he was growing up. Now, he could be a first-round pick in April's draft.

EDITORIAL: Drug testing for welfare doesn't add up

Testing welfare recipients for drug use is a popular cause, but the dollars and cents don't add up.

GUEST COMMENTARY: Expand Medicaid to insure more Hoosiers

This week, state leaders euthanized the biggest, boldest Hoosier jobs proposal of the 2013 session of the Indiana General Assembly.

House approves drug testing for some welfare recipients

INDIANAPOLIS | The Republican-controlled Indiana House voted 78-17 Monday to spend $2.7 million next year on a drug testing program for some welfare recipients that may save the state $1.5 million in denied benefits.

Small-school guys get their shot at NFL combine

INDIANAPOLIS | Armonty Bryant gets those awkward looks every time he tells someone he attends college at ECU.

Indiana stays No. 1 in AP Top 25, Gonzaga No. 2

Indiana is No. 1 in The Associated Press' Top 25 for the fourth straight week, while Gonzaga moved to No. 2 for the first time in school history.

OFFBEAT: CNN snags rights to 'Blackfish' doc about local Sea World trainer

Phil Potempa's daily entertainment news column.

Danica Patrick wins pole for NASCAR's Daytona 500

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. | Danica Patrick has made history before — as a woman and a racer, in Indianapolis and Japan.

Florida celebrates its Spanish heritage in 2013

When Juan Ponce de Leon searched for riches in Florida, he unknowingly helped turn the Sunshine State into the first travel destination in the United States.

Murray's 5 TDs lift Georgia by Nebraska in Cap One

ORLANDO, Fla. | Aaron Murray wanted nothing more this week than to send Georgia's senior class out with a game to remember.

No. 21 Northwestern ends drought in Gator Bowl

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. | The stuffed monkey spent the last year in storage, out of sight but still in everyone's mind.

Florida is a vacation paradise for dogs

With miles of sandy beaches, endless winter sunshine and a laid-back vibe, there's no reason to leave your four-legged friend behind when you vacation in Florida.

Crafters send mittens with a message to Newtown

"Chester Raccoon stood at the edge of the forest and cried. 'I don't want to go to school,' he told his mother. 'I want to stay home with you. I want to play with my friends. And play with my toys. And read my books. And swing on my swing. Please may I stay home with you?'" — "The Kissing Ha…

After Newtown, indulgences from grateful parents

There's snow on the ground in Londonderry, N.H., nearly 200 miles to the north of the still-raw slaughter at a Connecticut elementary school, and dad Eric Heenan found himself in a routine fuss with his 9-year-old son over boots.