SEBRING – Highlands County could hire a new tourism director in February 2008 if the interview process moves along without a hitch, according to county Administrator Carl Cool. Cool presented the job description for the position and talked in general about the hiring process during Thursday's Highlands County Tourist Development Council meeting. The county will be seeking a replacement for Jim Brantley, who resigned as director earlier this year. Brantley is continuing to work for the county as a consultant. Cool told the council there was a difference of opinion between the county's Human Resources department and Brantley regarding the minimum amount of education for the position. The county staff wants the individual to have a four-year college degree, while Brantley doesn't believe it should be required. ...more

December 9, 2007

SEBRING –– The Highlands County Tourist Development Council favors retaining the operation of the tourism program as it is and asking the county to advertise for a director to replace Jim Brantley. The council spent about two hours Thursday discussing options and receiving input from the public concerning the future of the county's tourism program. Since the council is an advisory board to the Highlands County Commission, it can only make recommendations. The county commission will make the final decision. The recommendation is expected to come before the board in December. County Administrator Carl Cool, who attended the workshop, said the tourist council wants to review a proposed job description for the director at its next meeting, which is scheduled for Dec. 6. If the council approves the description, the item could be on the Dec. 11 commission agenda. ...more

November 2, 2007

The Highlands County Tourist Development Council will hold a workshop – perhaps the most important session in two years – today in Sebring. ...more

November 1, 2007

SEBRING – The Highlands County Tourist Development Council will consider three options in deciding how to replace former Tourism Director Jim Brantley during a workshop on Nov. 1. The workshop will begin at 8:15 a.m. in Room 3 at the Highlands County Agri-Civic Center, located at the corner of U.S. 27 and George Boulevard, in Sebring. Brantley left the position in September, but is continuing to work as a consultant for the county. The council will make a recommendation to the Highlands County Commission. The commission will make the final decision on how the council will be run. Before he departed, Brantley and Highlands County Administrator Carl Cool talked about the situation and came up with a suggestion. However, it was not presented as a recommendation from either Brantley or Cool. ...more

October 28, 2007

For about five minutes, it looked like the Pasco County Tourist Development Council might get to vote on a proposal for a multipurpose sports complex. ...more

October 23, 2007

After nearly a year in the interim position, Eric Keaton has been named Pasco County's public communications manager. ...more

October 20, 2007

Long before he became a county commissioner, Michael Cox supported the idea of a multipurpose sports complex to serve Pasco County residents and community groups. ...more

October 16, 2007

Now that the Canadian dollar has reached parity with the U.S. dollar for the first time in 31 years - it opened Wednesday at 1.0195 U.S. - Pinellas County can expect more visitors from Canada this winter, a consultant for Visit St. Petersburg Clearwater said Wednesday. ...more

October 11, 2007

Michael Cox has the blessing of his fellow Pasco County commissioners to make a new pitch for a multipurpose sports complex. ...more

September 26, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY - Michael Cox has the blessing of his fellow Pasco County commissioners to make a new pitch for a multipurpose sports complex. Now he's winding up to lobby the Tourist Development Council. County commissioners Tuesday morning agreed to revisit the sports complex plan and to look into the possibility of bonding tourist tax dollars to help pay for the project, which Cox estimates at about $15 million. ...more

September 25, 2007