More than a quarter of Pasco County's insured homeowners will have to find a new insurer after State Farm's announcement this week that it plans to stop insuring residential property in the state. ...more

January 29, 2009

City Zoning Supervisor Gary Lower said Monday he has tendered his resignation because he wanted to retire at age 62 and that will happen before Christmas. ...more

December 2, 2008

Leon Atkinson can keep his chickens after all. In a 90-minute debate Tuesday, Atkinson convinced county commissioners that his 55 fowl are not a threat to neighbors. They don't smell and they don't make noise, he said. ...more

October 22, 2008

Public speaks up for fowl. ...more

October 22, 2008

Mark Caskie has a word of warning for candidates who disregard the county's ordinance on campaign sign placement. ...more

July 11, 2008

FINES RANGE FROM $100 TO $5,000 ...more

July 10, 2008

As they say, a little courtesy goes a long way, especially in community policing. These days, Avon Park police officers are doing routine business and residential property checks, and leaving behind "courtesy cards" that provide residents important phone numbers and tips for making their properties safer. It's part of the new police chief's initiative to "have a more active role in the community as well as more awareness of criminal activity." ...more

June 29, 2008

LAKE PLACID — State Representative Denise Grimsley's condo used more water than any other piece of residential property in Lake Placid through all of 2007 and the first three months of 2008, the town's water usage records indicate. The condo at 19 Sunset Lane had used more than 50,000 gallons a month from January 2007––the earliest records obtained in a countywide request of all municipal and county water usage records––to March 17, 2008. Her usage cut down to 11,000 gallons per month from March through May 16. Lake Placid utilities director Gary Freeman said the typical Lake Placid resident consumes 2,000 to 3,000 gallons of water per month. ...more

June 9, 2008

TAMPA - The Tampa City Council on Thursday will discuss the possibility of creating residential parking permits for portions of SoHo and West Tampa. ...more

May 21, 2008

It's great that our county commissioners will be discussing ways to stimulate the local economy. As I look around my neighborhood and as I drive around Sebring, I see many "For Sale" signs in front of residential properties. Many of these signs are turning into "For Rent" signs as builders, Realtors and private sellers know very well that residential property is not selling. The idea of suspending impact fees and building permit fees seems absurd in today's market. Construction trades are experiencing a longer period of inactivity because builders of spec homes chose to continue building long after it was clear to those of us without crystal balls that sales and prices were dropping. How about discussing ways to attract industry to this area or to rebuild infrastructure where needed? About the last thing we need is building more residential property to further drive prices down when they don't sell. ...more

February 24, 2008