NORTH PORT - The used car was a blessing, a gift from her church to help Diane Pearson, a single mother with three children and a long commute to work. And after receiving the 1998 Mercury from her church, Pearson found her drive to Sarasota a bit less stressful.

North Port took Pearson to court this month over fines of more than $27,000 for keeping her old car in the driveway without a license plate. If the city wins its case, Pearson could be facing bankruptcy.

After years of prodding from outside watchdogs, the Internal Revenue Service said Monday that it will require anyone who prepares federal tax returns for pay to register, pass a minimum competency test and be subject to continuing education requirements and ethics rules.

A photo of two Democratic legislators playing solitaire has ignited controversy at the state Capitol and in the blogosphere.

The Associated Press picture has appeared in any number of venues, and it shows two lawmakers sitting in the back row of the historic Hall of the House in Hartford during the lengthy debate over the two-year, $37 billion state budget.

Armed with the knowledge that more than 250,000 tickets for civil motor vehicle infractions were challenged in the state last fiscal year, legislators have voted to charge drivers $25 for such hearings.

Local and state tax collectors have added a new tool to their arsenal to locate tax cheats. The agencies have gone to Facebook and MySpace looking for those who have failed in paying their share of taxes. According to one report the tax collecting agencies are finding it a great tool in locating those who post their profiles and share their location, new job status and how much they are making.