Hernando County has the third-highest unemployment rate in Florida. ...more

January 23, 2009

PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — An Indiana investment adviser is not mentally competent to be tried on charges he deliberately crashed his plane in the Florida Panhandle in a botched plot to fake his death to escape financial ruin, his public defender said Wednesday. ...more

January 21, 2009

Pasco County officials say they will move forward with efforts to preserve environmentally valuable land now in private hands, despite the loss of help from the state's Florida Forever program. ...more

January 17, 2009

An advocacy group has sued the state over funding cuts to programs for people with mental retardation, cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities. ...more

January 14, 2009

Egmont Key is an environmental jewel at the mouth of Tampa Bay. It has immense historic value and is one of the most popular destinations in the region for boaters. ...more

January 13, 2009

While it may be comforting to know that our elected officials in Tallahassee are very concerned regarding the morality of its citizens in regard to gambling, I am at a loss to understand the following: Isn't the Florida Lottery gambling? It is the most easily accessible of all. Every store and gas station, etc. sells them and boy do they sell them! Where is the outrage regarding this? If you seek other forms of gambling most of us have to travel by bus, boat, plane or train out of the state or beyond the three mile limit. Now I certainly have nothing against the Florida Lottery but if the Seminole Casino in Tampa can benefit our state with millions of dollars of needed revenue, why lose it to other states? Of course, we all know that gambling can be abused just like overeating, drinking and buying things we cannot afford, etc. But some things are just plain fun and enjoyed by many, so I say let it be. Also, as you know the Powerball was just introduced to the lottery; I heard no objections to that. ...more

January 10, 2009

An unbiased evaluation of the Hillsborough City-County Planning Commission, contracted for a state agency, praises the board's independence and value. ...more

January 6, 2009

The year 2009 has dawned. In the nation's capital, Barack Obama and Congress will soon begin trying to pull the nation out of a severe recession. We just hope they don't do anything to delay the recovery that would happen on its own, absent major interference from the political sector. In Tallahassee, state lawmakers will soon tackle a $2.3 billion budget shortfall. Here's hoping they don't try to solve that problem with taxes that invariably fail to raise the amounts of revenue their supporters claim. ...more

January 3, 2009

Playing four soccer games in two days, against top-quality opposition at that, is no easy task. But the Durant High Cougars were up to it. ...more

December 31, 2008

The parents of a woman killed during a drug sting gone wrong are suing the city of Tallahassee. ...more

December 30, 2008