Florida's population growth was slower in 2006 than for any year this decade, and for the first time since 2000, the state's population grew by fewer than 200,000 people, according to figures released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. ...more

December 27, 2007

Retirees used to view Florida as the land of sun, golf and the good life. But these days, Florida sometimes gets a different reaction. ...more

December 20, 2007

LAKE PLACID – There are more homes on the market than just the conventional variety. Sun Ovation Homes has opened a manufactured homes sales center in Lake Placid at 1450 U.S. N., which is next to American Legion Post 25. The sales center is open from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday by appointment. There are seven models on the site. They range from two-bedroom, two bath to four-bedroom, three-bath homes, according to Valerie Kersey, who is the manager of the Lake Placid location. The models in Lake Placid come from Homes of Merit in Bartow and Skyline in Ocala. ...more

December 9, 2007

LAKE PLACID — Local builder Chuck Oakes is poised to capitalize on the steady graying of county residents. On Tuesday, Oakes threw open the doors during a grand opening of a $6.5 million, 50,000 square foot, assisted living facility, located just north of town on U.S. 27. Oakes said he expected to open immediately after gaining state approval within 15 to 30 days for the Southern Lifestyle Assisted Living Facility. Oakes is not alone in an effort to capitalize locally on demographics that point to a large senior population in the county. Statistics provided by the U.S. Census Bureau show that 35 percent of Highlands County's residents are 65 and older, with a state average of 16.8 percent. George Hougthon, Inc., broke ground this year on Windsor Lakeside Village, a 70,000 square foot retirement community, with 129 independent living suites and 26 townhomes. Windsor Lakeside Village is located on County Road 621, on the shores of Lake Huntley. Sandy Foster, executive director of NU-HOPE, cited a large number of area seniors who should keep the new centers busy. ...more

December 2, 2007

The average resident of India knows much more about America than the typical U.S. citizen knows about India. ...more

November 23, 2007

Drive down U.S. 27 and look at the restaurants. The question is, why are there so many buffets? And some of them are huge. ...more

November 18, 2007

Garcia and Rodriguez - are among the top 10 most common in the nation, and Martinez nearly edged out Wilson for 10th place. ...more

November 17, 2007

The city council has approved the site plan for 120 affordable housing apartments along Davis Road. ...more

November 14, 2007

The tools were children's playthings, but the job couldn't have been more grown-up: Mapping out how Pasco County can absorb more than 400,000 new residents between now and midcentury. ...more

November 2, 2007

Health insurers trying to boost individual policy sales are making a new push into an older market - the roughly 7 million uninsured Americans age 50 to 64. ...more

November 1, 2007