SEBRING — It came in the mail last week, although it's dated Jan. 15, a collection notice from FEMA. "I have no idea why they sent this," said Gail Fotheringham, 57, a grandmother who lived in a FEMA mobile home for 18 months with her daughter and three grandchildren. "You have not paid the amount you owe the Federal Emergency Management Agency for Mobile Home Rental," said the letter, which seeks a balance due of $1,357.58. Mary Hudak, a spokeswoman in Atlanta, said FEMA, on an ongoing basis, is collecting money owed to the federal agency for a variety of reasons. After the hurricanes of 2004, which ravaged Central Florida, FEMA provided $1.184 billion in assistance to individuals and households in Florida, and hundreds of mobile homes to families in Highlands and Hardee counties. "If people needed money, FEMA advanced it to them," Hudak said. But they were expected to pay back the federal government. ...more

February 16, 2008

WAUCHULA — Years ago, this two-story building at North Florida and Alabama Avenue was Rogers meat market. It sat empty for two decades, collecting old mattresses, clothing and other junk that should have been thrown away. But when Sherry White saw it, she realized it could be the new home Lydia's House, a medium-term home for women who have no other place to go. That was more than a year ago, and now the building is nearly ready for its first occupants. "It was hard work," White said. The building was in terrible condition. ...more

October 8, 2007