Hillsborough County commissioners agreed Wednesday to award the first phase of the Bruce B. Downs Boulevard widening project to a company that submitted a bid $31 million less than the county's estimated cost. By a 4-3 vote, the commission approved a $40.5 million bid by Kamminga & Roodvoets Inc. of Tampa to widen Bruce B. Downs Boulevard from Palm Springs Boulevard to Pebble Creek Drive. The company, which is also known as K&R, submitted the lowest of eight bids for the job. ...more

November 5, 2009

Unmanned donation boxes stationed at regional park entryways, dubbed "Iron Rangers" by county staff, will be replaced Sunday with real rangers assigned to collect entry and boat ramp fees for the first time. ...more

October 31, 2009

In 2006 Hillsborough County commissioners spent $170,000 to terminate a golf range's lease on the Linebaugh Avenue County Northwest Landfill to hasten development of another solid waste transfer station. Today, the golf range remains shuttered, the site is an eyesore, no new transfer station is built and there is no sign of the construction that was to be completed this year. ...more

October 29, 2009

A day after two county commissioners proposed putting a homeless shelter at the former Floriland Mall, residents from nearby neighborhoods began voicing opposition to the idea. ...more

October 22, 2009

At 94 years old, Lillian Webb is still going for the gold. In early August, she hopes to be in San Francisco, competing for the eighth time in the National Senior Games. ...more

March 14, 2009

I read with interest the Tribune's Feb. 22 article regarding closure of the Smithfield Foods facility in Plant City. Like many communities across this great county, Plant City has had to cope with unprecedented challenges to our local, state, national and global economies. Our budgets are stressed by declining depository interest rates and rising operating expenses. We see our neighborhoods negatively impacted by the foreclosure crisis. We feel the pain when layoffs are announced. ...more

February 25, 2009

The county's Ridge Road extension could become a road to nowhere. ...more

February 18, 2009

Pasco County commissioners hope to turn a corner - literally, in this case - after giving the green light to turn-lane additions at the intersection of Little Road and Hudson Avenue. ...more

February 12, 2009

Pasco County staff last week finished placing some 61,200 baits for raccoons to eat to vaccinate them against rabies to reduce the threat of the disease spreading to people and their pets. The county has participated in the annual program for about the past seven years, according to Denise Hilton, Pasco's animal services manager. ...more

February 11, 2009

Pasco County staff have finished placing 61,200 baits pellets used to vaccinate raccoons against rabies. ...more

February 11, 2009