Swine flu exposure The article "Swine flu challenges airlines" (front page, Nov. 10) shows how center stage the issue of swine flu is in this country. In this case a passenger was asked to leave the plane after getting sick in the lavatory and asking for a sickness bag. She claims she was humiliated. This was a simple case of the airline personnel exercising extreme caution over swine flu exposure. ...more

November 13, 2009

After the brutal attack and a dramatic rescue in a Hillsborough County jail last week, a lot of people are questioning the wisdom of putting a lone deputy in a jail pod with dozens of inmates. ...more

November 11, 2009

Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee submitted a $370 million budget request for the 2010 fiscal year in a letter today to county commissioners. ...more

April 29, 2009

Chris Doty's brief investigation revealed that 19 Sebring Middle School students had been drinking on campus during one day. ...more

March 28, 2009

Work crews have plugged most of the sinkholes that closed six area roads. ...more

March 25, 2009

Last Friday, Pasco Sheriff Bob White dropped a surprise on the Pasco County Public Safety Coordinating Council, which brings together officials of county government, the court system, law enforcement, probation and mental health to work out issues related to the county's two jails. White said he is disbanding the Sheriff's Office unit that oversees criminal defendants whom judges have released from jail on their own recognizance. With the Pasco public sector strapped for cash, the Sheriff's Office wants to shift the money it has been spending on supervised ROR to other areas of its operations. The sheriff, however, should approach spending this savings with caution. ...more

March 25, 2009

Sheriff Bob White announced today he will phase out a unit that tracks court defendants before trials and reassign the unit's four deputies to patrol duty. ...more

March 20, 2009

"Police Chief Behind Bars, Needs Help Making Bail." Now that's the kind of banner headline reporters dream of. ...more

March 11, 2009

"POLICE CHIEF BEHIND BARS; NEEDS HELP MAKING BAIL." Now that's the kind of banner headline reporters dream of. Now that's the kind of banner headline reporters dream of. While tempting, and even technically accurate, the real story isn't quite that sensational, though it is something that warrants public attention. Port Richey Police Chief David Brown and dozens of other local residents will be doing time - from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Wednesday, March 11. ...more

March 7, 2009

A five-month investigation has led to the arrest of 21 suspects and the dismantling of a theft ring that targeted six central Florida counties, including Highlands County, and was responsible for the theft of thousands of cans of powdered baby formula. ...more

March 6, 2009