Ask just about anyone with an interest in shopping in Highlands County what store they would most want to see open here. The answer, most likely, would be Target. That dream might become a reality, according to a few real estate professionals who have talked to the company. But no deal has been made and it could take years before anything is actually built – if it happens at all. ...more

January 4, 2008

When Palmetto High School sophomore Richard Reyna is running, his past fades away. ...more

December 28, 2007

Florida's population growth was slower in 2006 than for any year this decade, and for the first time since 2000, the state's population grew by fewer than 200,000 people, according to figures released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. ...more

December 27, 2007

Diana Bloom of Tampa was a newlywed when she lost 40 pounds through Weight Watchers International a decade ago. Now, the mother of preschool-aged twins teaches the strategies that helped her to others who want to shed body baggage. ...more

December 27, 2007

There doesn't ever seem to be a middle ground for the Pasco High football coach. It's either way up or way down. ...more

December 25, 2007

A decade after the city came aboard to help revitalize Union Station, officials see light at the end of the tunnel for the ...more

December 22, 2007

Government auditors said they found nearly $90 million in potentially questionable payments from the Medicare program to contractors helping enact the prescription drug benefit for the elderly and disabled. ...more

December 21, 2007

A few days ago, I re-watched one of my all-time favorite movies, "Pretty Woman." Though I've seen it umpteen times it still makes me laugh and cry and feel good all over. For me, it is the ultimate chick-flick. But "Pretty Woman" isn't just another love story. Yes, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere are magic together, and the story is laugh-out-loud funny, but there's much more to it than that. This movie has stayed popular for more than a decade because it's a story of how love transforms the people who share it. Vivian, a streetwalker with no future, meets Edward, a lonely, heartless business tycoon. To keep from getting hurt, both of them have closed their hearts to the people around them. When they fall in love, they learn that love is worth it, even if you get hurt. Vivian finds that in being loved, and returning that love, she feels validated as a person. She's suddenly aware that she is worthy of respect, including self-respect. ...more

December 9, 2007