There are few county services more instrumental in saving lives than its EMS force ––and just like a fire department –– every second counts. Understanding how crucial it is to dispatch an ambulance as quickly as possible, and considering how our population balloons in the winter, our EMS officials have made some needed changes to make sure that everyone gets served on time. ...more

December 31, 2007

When Penny Hammock discovered her 71-year-old mother's body four years ago, she said, the murder scene in the South Tampa apartment was like a horror film. The image doesn't go away, and Hammock's life will never be the same. ...more

December 14, 2007

A woman was seriously injured by her pit bull during a family fight Sunday evening, Largo police said. Shasta Smith was taken to Bayfront Medical Center for surgery after being bitten on the face and arm. ...more

November 26, 2007

LAKELAND – Polk County sheriff's deputies busted two marijuana grow houses in north Lakeland Thursday, made three arrests and took more than 600 plants off the street, authorities said. The sheriff's office received information Thursday about the two suspected drug houses, a sheriff's release said. Undercover Polk County detectives and members of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force went to 1425 Hammock Shade Drive off Old Polk City Road and 8423 Tocoi Path off Kathleen Road to check out the tip. ...more

October 12, 2007

I have been wanting to write a letter to the newspaper for some time about an ongoing problem here in the Hammock Road area. After reading the article in Monday's Highlands Today about the terrible accident on the Hammock Road bike path, I felt it was very necessary. ...more

September 7, 2007