SEBRING – The persistence of one man looks like it will pay off in an additional tax break for Highlands County's 1,500 low-income, senior-citizen homeowners. Frank Parker got the proverbial cold shoulder from the Highlands County Commission in November when he asked commissioners to raise the "Save Our Seniors" homesteaded tax exemption from $5,000 to $50,000 for seniors meeting federal household low-income thresholds. ...more

February 13, 2008

Amendment 1, which was approved by a majority of voters in Tuesday's presidential primary, could reduce property taxes across the state by as much as $9.3 billion over the next five years by shrinking the tax base of local governments. ...more

January 31, 2008

Explosive Issues The concerns expressed by C. Melancon in the Jan. 5 Tribune regarding the effects fireworks have on her dogs, the response by the sheriff and the working of the state's fireworks task force ("Treated To Holiday Noise," letters) bears careful watching because, look out, we are about to be pre-empted again by state law! ...more

January 14, 2008

The state Legislature made a mess of the University of South Florida's governance when it granted virtual independence to the St. Petersburg campus. Now USF leaders are about to make the same mistake with the Sarasota-Manatee and Lakeland campuses. ...more

January 11, 2008

Farmers across eastern Hillsborough County can save millions of gallons of water by recycling water flowing from their crops. ...more

January 8, 2008

Now that one of Florida's top politicians is coming here next week to rally residents around a new tax plan, some might want to do a little homework beforehand. ...more

December 14, 2007

Hillsborough County school officials want parents to know their children may soon be turned away as the state's class-size amendment hits its final stage requiring caps on individual class sizes. ...more

December 12, 2007

Florida's "American Idol"-style search for a new state song is a step closer to anointing a winner, now that judges have culled three finalists from 243 entries. ...more

December 9, 2007

It is indeed good that the sheriff's office created the Critical Incident Response Plan. All public schools desperately need such a program. Right here in Highlands County, several students were severely brutalized and traumatized with little follow-up. ...more

November 7, 2007

Florida is joining 18 other public college systems nationwide in a plan aimed at graduating more low-income and minority students from its public universities. ...more

November 1, 2007