Gloria is huddled against a wall at Kennedy Boulevard and Franklin Street on a postcard-perfect Thursday night, gazing up at a building where city lights cast dazzling images of birds of paradise against a stone wall. ...more

March 14, 2009

These are lean times for government in Florida. Government revenue continues to plunge as the recession and real estate bust drag on with no end in sight. So there is a premium these days on getting value for our public dollars. With that in mind, it was interesting to see a list of the salaries of ranking public officials on the Suncoast The Tampa Tribune has compiled. ...more

February 25, 2009

Despite the sagging economy, some area businesses are going good thanks to snowbirds. ...more

February 9, 2009

Almost two years ago, local charities and church groups that help the needy survive, along with the city, formed the Tarpon Alliance For Humanity to coordinate resources. Formation of the group, a few years before the economy faltered, now seems prophetic. The united effort is needed now more than ever. ...more

December 27, 2008

"God bless you, have a wonderful day," Shaina Mock tells the woman leaving Wal-Mart who dropped a donation in one of her red Salvation Army kettles. ...more

December 19, 2008

Fewer Donations Due To Economy ...more

December 18, 2008

Jim Gries had written of the life and times of our poor unappreciated teachers. He described their day thusly: A teacher will have breakfast and prepare for the upcoming day around 6:30 a.m. Arrive at work 7:40 to begin preparing for class. After working through lunch, the day concludes around 3:45 p.m. Before going home they are expected to meet with parents, make copies and enter grades and a few other chores. A dedicated teacher will work from home grading papers and making lesson plans late into the night. ...more

December 5, 2008

The days may be numbered for "scattered, covered and smothered" hash browns at Waffle House. The iconic roadside grill's biggest franchisee has filed for bankruptcy protection. ...more

November 26, 2008

The days may be numbered for "scattered, covered and smothered" hash browns at Waffle House. The iconic roadside grill's biggest franchisee has filed for bankruptcy protection. The action escaped attention locally, but a company called Northlake Foods Inc. of Brandon, which operates 146 Waffle Houses in Florida, Georgia and Virginia, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in mid-September. Chapter 11 allows a company to reorganize its finances while protected from its creditors. ...more

November 25, 2008

I could scarcely believe my eyes while reading Mr. Whiteman's column titled "Bigotry Outnumbered This Election Season." He obviously does not include himself in the group of those overcome. He states "We must pray that this is not the first jihad in the United States." Jihad? The U.S. population electing a Christian man as president of the United States is a jihad? What is this person thinking? Was he thinking the unspoken, that Mr. Obama is really a Muslim and therefore the Jihad connection? How bigoted! And how can your newspaper print such rubbish? His mistaken notion of what the Democratic Party stands for is up to him. But it is more of a statement of how limited his knowledge really is rather than accurate. ...more

November 9, 2008