The roster of songs battling to represent Florida faces new competition, after a lawmaker from the Panhandle filed a bill Tuesday to designate a new tune as the official state anthem. ...more

January 9, 2008

For homeowners in trouble, a short sale can be a good alterative to foreclosure. It doesn't help them keep the home, but it can keep the black mark of foreclosure off their credit report. ...more

January 8, 2008

TAMPA - Just Sing, Florida! organizers are counting about 6,800 Internet votes cast so far for the would-be new state song. ...more

January 7, 2008

Japan's prime minister apologized Tuesday to four people who contracted hepatitis C from tainted blood products and promised to enact legislation to compensate them. ...more

December 26, 2007

Congress has dropped legislation that would have expanded laws against hate crimes to include attacks on gay people after it became clear the measure would not pass the House, aides said Thursday. ...more

December 7, 2007

SEBRING — As more students use Florida Virtual School, school districts face the reality of funding losses. The Highlands County School District is proposing a way to receive funding for some students who are taking online courses. If a student takes an online class during the school day, that takes a tremendous amount of funding away from the school district, School Board Chairman J. Ned Hancock said. But those virtual classes may be the only opportunity for the district's students to take certain courses. ...more

December 3, 2007

Just as the holiday shopping rush begins, the three major credit bureaus have decided they will provide consumers with a powerful tool to protect themselves from identity theft. ...more

November 25, 2007

SEBRING — Two more grow houses, numbers 56 and 57, were raided by the Highlands County Drug Task Force this week. The first was in Venus and was obvious it was inactive for some time, according to Sheriff's Capt. Randy LaBelle, who didn't have the exact address in front of him late Wednesday afternoon. ...more

November 24, 2007

The state's Sinkhole Neutral Evaluator Program is now up and running. The recently inaugurated program is intended to make it easier and less costly than going to court to resolve disputes about whether a sinkhole is the cause of damage to a residence or other structure, David Fisher explained. ...more

November 21, 2007

With home foreclosures skyrocketing, the House on Thursday voted to crack down on mortgage lenders by forcing them to get licenses, making them responsible for discovering whether borrowers can really repay and fining them for steering people toward risky subprime loans. ...more

November 16, 2007