Hillsborough County and Tampa could face a combined $85 million hit if voters in January approve a constitutional amendment designed to lower property taxes. ...more

November 14, 2007

The small sign with the Lakota prayer greets visitors who come to Gram's Place and wait patiently outside the red door. ...more

November 7, 2007

AVON PARK — With both major precincts counted, an unofficial count had Mayor Sharon Schuler almost 100 votes ahead of the next-highest candidate for mayor, while Avon Park Middle School teacher Al Hinson held a sizable lead in the council election Tuesday night. Schuler, with 329 votes, will likely remain mayor for another three years as she holds an insurmountable lead over former Gordon Marshall in the mayoral race. Marshall, with 223 votes, is a distant second, while Ed Dickerson had 159 votes and Gonzalo Lezama 47. Schuler said she wasn't expecting it. Truly. "Everyone has an opportunity to win," she said as she came to the supervisor of election's office to see the vote counting. "I'm very happy." Hinson, meanwhile, has 250 votes, holding a solid lead over Paul Miller's 202 backers, Michael Shirey's 177 and James Rahenkamp's 140. Hinson, reached by phone Tuesday evening, was cautiously optimistic that he would hold on to the lead. "I thought it would be close," he said. "I feel good... I guess the people went out and voted. Hopefully it's official but I am happy." ...more

November 6, 2007

Scott Miller is headed back north. New Port Richey's city manager has reportedly accepted a job as administrator of Leavenworth, Kan., a city of about 35,000 on the banks of the Missouri River, Mayor Dan Tipton said. ...more

November 6, 2007

Once, they were dream homes, with views of the golf course, a marble-floored music room, servants' quarters and a taste of the good life behind the gates of some of Tampa's most posh communities. ...more

November 3, 2007

The giant posters of two local television meteorologists have come down. On Monday, the city ruled that WTVT, Channel 13, now is in compliance with the sign code, said Curtis Lane, director of code enforcement. ...more

October 30, 2007

TAMPA - A woman in a green Honda Civic was taken to Tampa General Hospital after it crashed into a building this morning. ...more

October 22, 2007

There's no doubt that Avon Park's city elections next month are crucial to the town. All the more reason for voters to scrutinize the candidates –– even though there are quite a bushful of them –– and come out and vote. A proposed ordinance that would have fined businesses and landlords who catered to illegal immigrants may have set the tone for some candidates to seek office, but growth remains the overarching issue for the city. Voters should look for candidates who can help Avon Park navigate some of these growth problems, at a time when the rest of the county seems to be growing at a faster rate and tougher challenges coming from Tallahassee lie ahead. ...more

October 15, 2007

BRADENTON - All Patricia Thomas wanted was to run a business in the Village of the Arts. But when police started putting parking tickets on her diesel trucks -- saying they were too large to be parked on a city street -- Thomas got mad. And then she got even. ...more

October 4, 2007

A federal judge ruled in favor of Treasure Island today in a fair housing lawsuit stemming from the operation of substance abuse treatment programs in residential areas. ...more

October 3, 2007