Even before former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee spoke at Bell Shoals Baptist Church on Sunday morning, people were singing and dancing in the sanctuary. ...more

December 8, 2008

I see the solution to the auto industry problem, and it would fix strained finances for all allied businesses up and down the line. People who build cars should cut their own wages by 25 percent. ...more

December 3, 2008

Christopher Gamble, who told a judge he thought he deserved to spend the rest of his life in prison, will have his life sentence reduced to less than 16 years behind bars. ...more

November 24, 2008

Through the opening 15 games of the season, the Lightning are a product of false advertising. ...more

November 13, 2008

A little bit of understanding goes a long way in properly treating and approaching dogs. This was the advice Howard Useman and Melissa Fiorito shared with about 25 students Thursday during an after-school-program at Woodlawn Elementary School. The canine education and therapy team introduced Duke, a 5-year-old golden retriever, and Flash, a 9-year-old basset hound. The program teaches kids to respect and not fear dogs. Through Duke and Flash, students learned the proper way to approach a dog, how to recognize an unhappy dog and when not to go near one. "We help them to appreciate animals -- whether dogs or cats," said Fiorito. "We show them how to care for dogs, how to approach dogs and other life-long lessons." ...more

November 3, 2008

The father of a 21-year-old woman who authorities say was raped by Raymond Marston, the inmate who escaped from a county jail, today thanked law enforcement and two homeless brothers whose tip led to Marston's capture. Marston, 50, had been in jail since May 27 on charges including sexual battery, kidnapping, robbery and aggravated battery. He escaped from Falkenburg Road Jail on Sunday night as he was being escorted to a medical clinic, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said. ...more

October 31, 2008

A federal appeals court gave a last-minute reprieve Friday to a Georgia man set to be executed for the 1989 killing of an off-duty police officer even though several witnesses have changed their accounts of the crime. ...more

October 25, 2008

The coming years will, perhaps, be the most difficult in Highlands County government history. Major cuts loom for next year's budget, if projections are accurate, and we believe they are. Deciding where those cuts come from and how to protect essential services vital to the county will require strong leadership, good judgment and an inherent understanding of the direction our county needs to go. ...more

October 10, 2008

Thieves have raided a cemetery, making off with 115 vases valued at about $42,000 in the last two weeks. ...more

October 4, 2008

Police say the prep football star killed in South Florida hours after his team's homecoming game was likely an innocent victim of gang violence. ...more

September 28, 2008