The first winning Olympians of ancient Greece were awarded only a crown made of laurel leaves. The honor of victory was considered the real prize, unlike the contemporary attitude of "Show me the money!" These ancient athletes were, however, showered with gifts upon returning to their city-states. Those gifts have long been considered the first sports trophies.

At first glance, the room of teacher Patti Schumacher resembles your everyday classroom.

News of the apparently unplanned pregnancy of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s 17-year-old daughter will give parents across the country the chance to talk with their own children about sex, but adults should be careful not to use this opportunity to give a lecture, a Springfield pediatrician says.

This week, travel reporter Adam Maser discusses the importance of having a good plan before taking that family trip.

About 12 cases of chicharros, 22 pounds each, arrive at the Medeiros Fish Market in Fall River every Wednesday.

This week, gardener Ruth Foster, of mothersgarden.net, provides tips on taking care of bonsai tree.

With a little effort, you can extend the growing season through the cold-weather months.

Josh Ruchotzke's day begins with a click, a click, two stomps. The sounds reverberate through the Hanna City living room. Josh stands, still sleep dazed but steady, and trudges to the stairs.

SlimBeans consists of ground Arabica coffee blended with citrus aurantium (extract from a citrus tree which is purported to increase metabolism), chromium (which encourages the proper functioning of insulin) and guarana seed extract (a stimulant believed to suppress appetite). The combination, Loughran said, facilitates weight loss by increasing metabolism and decreasing appetite.

If I ever get sick, I would probably go downhill quickly from not being able to take the caps off the bottles of medicine.

This week, chef Mitzi Stinson shows how to put a spin on the classic pizza.

Dr. Jean Joseph from the University of Rochester Medical Center talks about the importance of healthy living and getting regular checkups as men age.

Joseph Nagyvary says he’s found a way to make contemporary violins sound like a Stradivarius.

Josh and Tyler Fagan are former local football stars, teachers, coaches and workout fanatics. They’re ready to try their hand at becoming Internet entrepreneurs. The brothers, both of whom were all-NIC-9 performers at Boylan in the 1990s, have launched a group of Web site products designed to market their knowledge of strength training to everyone from beginning exercisers to serious athletes.