With the recent tragic event at Fort Hood, I wonder if anyone will stop and consider the operational tempo our men and women in today's military are faced with. I am retired from the USAF. I have a son in the USAF who just returned from a six-month deployment to Afghanistan. Many of the young men and women at places like Fort Hood have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan four and five times for six to 18 months at a time, facing conditions and dangers that most of us can't even imagine. I hear lots of political rhetoric about how great they are and what a wonderful job they are doing. We now debate a plus-up of the number of troops we have in place. ...more

November 9, 2009

Hillsborough County commissioners agreed Nov. 4 to award the first phase of the Bruce B. Downs Boulevard widening project to a company that submitted a bid $31 million less than the county's estimated cost. ...more

November 9, 2009

Don't have any extra cash but want to participate in the 29 Gifts giving campaign? A reader on www.29Gifts.org offered these eight ideas. ...more

November 7, 2009

Former Florida House Speaker Ray Sansom wants lawmakers to delay his ethics case until criminal charges against him are resolved. ...more

November 5, 2009

Roy Williams remains the Dallas Cowboys' No. 1 receiver, at least in his mind. ...more

November 5, 2009

For the first time in history, Congress will not allow an increase in the Social Security COLA (cost of living adjustment.) ...more

November 4, 2009

The county's embattled former fleet department manager, Jack Stepongzi, received a scathing job performance review on his last evaluation in June and was warned of termination if he didn't improve. ...more

November 4, 2009

These aren't the best of times. Maybe you lost your job or you're facing foreclosure. But they say there's a silver lining in every cloud. If something good has come out of your bad circumstances, or if you've found a renewed purpose after being forced to make an unexpected transition, we'd love to hear from you. Send an e-mail to mbearden@tampatrib.com, and put Thankful in the subject line. Or you can write: Michelle Bearden, Tampa Tribune, 200 S. Parker St., Tampa, FL 33606. ...more

October 31, 2009

Add another candidate to the growing number of Republicans seeking to dethrone Democrat Rose Rocco from her District 2 county commission seat. ...more

October 31, 2009

Want to minimize the sugar damage from trick or treating? Heidi Skolnik, a nutrition consultant for the Florida Department of Citrus, offers the following: ...more

October 31, 2009