SEBRING – A merger, a company buying a competitor's office, consolidating offices and Realtors moving to other companies are all part of the local real estate business that is dealing with a difficult housing market. Coldwell Banker Highlands Properties LLC, a Sebring and Lake Placid Coldwell Banker real estate affiliate, has merged with Realty World Act Real Estate that became effective Nov. 1. "Basically this merger has allowed us to double our size because both of our offices were, generally speaking, the same size with the same amount of listings," said Jim Carroll, the former owner of Realty World Act Real Estate, and now the sales manager for Coldwell Banker Highlands Properties. "So now we have potentially brought ourselves into a much stronger market share in this area by doing this merger." "I believe the increased signage and doubling of listings, and its potential sales volume, ...more

November 11, 2007

LAKELAND – Five people were arrested Tuesday night and charged with underage drinking at a house party on Garden Chase Drive, authorities said. ...more

November 7, 2007

PLANT CITY - Executives of a local company that has supplied the city with John Deere equipment since 1996 say an upcoming merger with Ocala-based Highland Tractor Co. will strengthen both businesses. ...more

November 7, 2007

TAMPA - The Sarasota Family YMCA will voluntarily end its contract next summer to run child welfare services in Pinellas and Pasco counties. In exchange for agreeing to step away from those counties, the YMCA will receive a one-year extension of its contract to provide similar services in DeSoto, Manatee and Sarasota counties. ...more

November 6, 2007

In an out-of-nowhere end to Martina Hingis' comeback, the five-time Grand Slam champion revealed Thursday she tested positive for cocaine at Wimbledon and will retire for a second time rather than fight what she called a "horrendous" accusation. ...more

November 2, 2007

TAMPA – Shares in WellCare Health Plans Inc. sank further Friday, falling more than 20 percent, as investors continued to flee the stock in response to Wednesday's raid of company headquarters by federal and state agents. ...more

October 26, 2007

FSU coach Bobby Bowden announced LB Geno Hayes will be demoted to second-team and will not start against Alabama on Saturday as punishment for misdemeanor charges following his arrest outside a local bar last week. ...more

September 26, 2007

FSU coach Bobby Bowden announced LB Geno Hayes will be demoted to second-team and will not start against Alabama on Saturday as punishment for misdemeanor charges following his arrest outside a local bar last week. ...more

September 25, 2007

After 25 years Alexis M. Davis has risen to the top of the Pinellas Sheriff's Office Corrections Bureau. ...more

September 18, 2007

Pinellas County Sheriff Jim Coats has been named to a statewide committee targeting illicit drug sales and serious violent crime. ...more

September 12, 2007