David Ortiz, DH (Red Sox) - Ortiz is making great strides in his recovery, and he is expected to be activated and inserted into the Red Sox lineup for their series against the Yankees starting July 25. Ortiz will play in at least six rehab games for Double-A Portland and Triple-A Pawtucket to get his timing back. You should give Big Papi at least a full week before putting him back into your lineup. He won't approach 50 home runs, but he is a good bet to smack 10 or 15 more home runs and maintain a .290 average the rest of the year. ...more

July 18, 2008

Editor's note: This is a corrected version of a story printed in the July 16 Highlands Today. By 2010, if Seth Ellis gets his way, Venus will become known as a live-fire training center for the military, homeland security, local police, even foreign governments. ...more

July 16, 2008

For the third time this postseason local Dixie Youth League baseball heavyweights - South Lake and Spring Hill American - tangled late Monday night in the third round of the winner's bracket of the AAA Majors (ages 11-12) State Championship Tournament at muggy Ridge Manor Community Park. ...more

July 16, 2008

A man running from a traffic stop led police and state troopers on a chase through three counties that lasted nearly an hour today before he was found at an apartment complex in Clermont. ...more

July 14, 2008

SIG: DIXIE YOUTH LEAGUE AAA MAJORS BASEBALL Down 4-1, Spring Hill American rallies behind South Lake pitcher's wildness (11 walks, 3 wild pitches, 2 hit batters, 1 passed ball) for an ugly 8-5 winner's bracket win. LAFERTY'S CLUTCH RELIEF TREVERTON'S HOMER, KEY TURNAROUND ...more

July 14, 2008

DIXIE YOUTH LEAGUE BASEBALL AAA MAJORS Lake County squad rips SH American for second time in two days to claim District 6 title. ...more

June 29, 2008

HAINES CITY - Thanks in part to some attentive citizens, Haines City police say they've arrested an Orlando man responsible for up to 10 bank robberies across Central Florida. For now, Christopher Eugene Floyd, 29, has been charged in one Haines City robbery and two Lake County robberies. But he's a suspect in 10 robberies, stretching from Melbourne to Lakeland, starting in late March. ...more

May 29, 2008

It was midnight and the nation was still awaiting results from the Indiana primary, one of the biggest remaining prizes of the epic Democratic presidential battle between Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois. ...more

May 8, 2008

The cold fronts, which the weather reporters keep showing, never seem to get much farther south than Orlando. We may not see any freezing temperatures this year. And the chance of getting any appreciable rain also will not happen. I am supposing that we must have gotten at least one good freeze because I see that most of the citrus groves fruits are ready for harvesting. But if this climate warming continues will the growers, who depend upon the freezing climate and rain, be able to continue? Watering restrictions will include not only homeowners but the growers also? ...more

February 14, 2008

It wasn't like the 49-year-old McDonald's manager to be away so long while making the morning bank deposit. ...more

December 7, 2007