Several months ago my wife and I visited Biloxi, Mississippi and I was moved to write an article about what I saw and the people that I talked to concerning the Katrina hurricane and the response of businesses and the people. This week we returned to Biloxi and I continue to be impressed with what has happened and continues to happen there. ...more

June 14, 2008

Forming a committee of 11 people from varying fields is the best way to monitor and consider impact fees for Highlands County. With the right mix of people, from varying fields of expertise, they can de-politicize the debate about the fees. The 11 positions include representatives from retail business, banking, homeowners associates, environmental community, real estate, builders, education, etc. It's a great cross-section of the population and should serve the county well. ...more

February 7, 2008

Andrea Bridges, a 5-foot-3 senior guard at Tampa Bay Tech, endured three losing campaigns before helping the Titans turn things around in this 22-1 breakout season. Bridges, a four-year starter, averages a team-high 14.3 points and 2.3 steals per game. ...more

January 24, 2008

Residents brought their concerns over a wide range of issues, including roads, proposed bridges and snipe signs, to County Commissioner Rose Ferlita at a meeting of the Concerned Citizens of Gibsonton last week. ...more

January 19, 2008

WESTCHASE Anticipating the ire of angry homeowners, the Westchase Community Association postponed sending out letters ordering those with "wall art" on their properties to take it down. ...more

January 11, 2008

Here we go again. Many years ago I naively thought that our regulations and safeguards were sufficient to prevent a spill in the Alafia River. I was wrong. ...more

November 15, 2007

Regarding 'Bracing For Boom, Bridges On Alafia' (Metro, Oct. 8): Fifth-graders know when a council allows zoning changes at the beck and call of developers, infrastructure has to be considered in advance. Simple things like water supply, power, environmental problems and traffic movement must be considered. I know warnings were given repeatedly by the Tribune on all these subjects and were ignored by the 'first-graders' on the commission. ...more

October 12, 2007

By most accounts, Florida's new education commissioner, Eric J. Smith, is an exceptionally smart reformer. His experience in closing the achievement gap in North Carolina and Maryland will serve Florida well, and his focus on aligning the high school curriculum to college-ready standards is what the state needs to reduce the remedial crutch used by far too many students. ...more

October 11, 2007

The next few years promise to be challenging ones for drivers on Interstate 75. The Florida Department of Transportation expects to begin widening the interstate soon between Bruce B. Downs Boulevard in Hillsborough County and the Hernando County line. ...more

October 10, 2007

The Florida Department of Transportation expects to begin widening Interstate 75 soon between Bruce B. Downs Boulevard in northern Hillsborough County and the Hernando County line. ...more

October 9, 2007