You might see more of the chilly weather the next two months if this winter follows the trend forecasters expect. ...more

December 3, 2008

Use Food As Oil Weapon OK, gas is costing the better part of $4 a gallon. We Americans are disturbed by this, but continue to pay what is necessary to get to where we need to go. We pay it because we either have to work, go to the store, visit sick or dying friends and relatives or have a relaxing day out of the house. ...more

July 2, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - Superintendent Heather Fiorentino hopes to deal with an anticipated $16 million shortfall in the school district's 2008-09 budget with hiring freezes and other cost-saving efforts. ...more

May 19, 2008

Farmers rushed to protect their crops and South Florida sunbathers got in a last tan on New Year's Day as Florida braced for plunging temperatures and the coldest weather of the winter so far. ...more

January 2, 2008

Money dominated the headlines in Pasco in 2007. Whether it was the sheriff wrangling with county commissioners, city councils imposing hiring and travel freezes, or the school district delaying contract negotiations, budget negotiations monopolized the news. ...more

December 30, 2007

Chances are you just finished dropping a boatload of money on holiday gifts. You probably paid for the bulk of your purchases with a debit or credit card, particularly if you did any of your shopping online. But what did you do to protect yourself against identity theft? ...more

December 30, 2007

As Cargill shuts down its juice plants in Avon Park and Frostproof, it's a reminder that Highlands County is changing. Fewer and fewer citrus farms exist. Farms that are more valuable as housing developments or shopping malls than they can possibly produce in orange juice. Slowly, the citrus groves along U.S. 27 are disappearing. So are the groves on U.S. 98, between U.S. 27 and Spring Lake. They will remain along our country roads. Cargill Juice North America is laying off an additional 20 to 25 workers at Avon Park and Frostproof by Jan. 31. The company is getting out of the citrus processing business in Florida. Imagine saying that in the days of Ben Hill Griffin Jr., when oranges were king. ...more

December 23, 2007

Amid growing concern about identity theft, Experian has joined the nation's two other major credit bureaus in allowing consumers to freeze access to their credit files. ...more

October 5, 2007