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Her sister's hospitalization for depression sent Virginia Gonzales Torres on a mission to reform her country's mental health system. Some 25 years later, she's founded a series of group homes and set the standard for how developing countries can treat the mentally ill. NPR's Joanne Silberner reports.

Istalif, an hour's drive north of Kabul, sits in the heart of Shomali Plain, once the breadbasket of Afghanistan. The Taliban forced hundreds of thousands of people from the region and destroyed their farms, shops and homes. Now the villagers are starting to return. On Morning Edition, Renee Montagne reports on their efforts in the debut of a series on rebuilding Afghanistan.

The late architect Samuel Mockbee chose Hale County, Alabama, as a place to teach his students how to "provide a decent community for all citizens." Hale County is one of the poorest counties in the United States, but thanks to the Rural Studio students and teachers carrying on Mockbee's legacy, it's home to some of the most innovative buildings in the nation. View a photo gallery of some of the Rural Studio's work.

An area called the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve in the south is home to migrating birds, dolphins and endangered species. Russian forces sparked fires large enough to be seen from space there.

Hurricane Wilma hit southwest Florida at dawn as a Category 3 storm, packing winds of 125 mph that damaged homes, downed power lines and brought flooding as far south as Key West. The storm has since moved over the Atlantic Ocean.

Commentator Daniel Pinkwater has a new guest in his backyard: a red-tailed hawk. It has chased other birds away, and presides over the backyard like an airborne warlord. Pinkwater feels privileged the hawk chose his domain for his new home.

From the beginning, race has been part of the story of Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans' recovery has also become an issue of black and white. In this majority African American city, some people believe there is a hidden agenda to discourage some of them from returning home.

Singer Beyonce Knowles wins five awards at the 46th annual Grammys Sunday for her first solo CD, Dangerously in Love. Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, from hip-hop duo OutKast, wins album of the year, while Coldplay takes home the record of the year award. Hear NPR's Mandalit del Barco.

The Sundance Film festival wraps up Sunday in Park City, Utah. Although sales are slow, commercial activity isn't. Marketing highlights included an eco-luxury home called Project GreenHouse and exclusive tests of Timberland eco-conscious footwear.

Six months after Sept. 11, National Guard Lt. Victor Rojas is 700 miles from home, guarding a Utah depot that holds weapons for the war in Afghanistan. NPR's Renee Montagne talks to Rojas, his family and his fellow Guard members about how 9/11 has changed their lives.