Amanda Smith is a freelance journalist and writer. She reports on culture, society, human interest and technology. Her stories hold a mirror to society, reflecting both its malaise and its beauty.

11Alive is dedicated to finding solutions to make your life better. One initiative it is focused on is helping Atlantans advance their careers to increase their salaries and financial security in the ...

Thomas Van Hoose had been here before. Nearing the end of his third stint in an Oregon correctional facility on drug charges, he was thinking about what life on the outside would be like yet again.