If you recall, I mentioned in one of my columns a while back that our family was involved in a volunteer group called "A Soldier's Wish List." Members on their own initative send packages to individual troops in Iraq. As a result of our involvement we have become rather friendly with a medic in Bagdad – Sgt. Michael Bone. He considers himself the adopted brother of our daughter. When he can, Mike, who is from North Carolina, will drop us a line either by e-mail or letter. I would like to share with you the following excerpt from his latest letter. "The area we are patrolling and maintaining is getting better. We are doing good things with the people in the area. The battalion that we are in have been doing a lot of med caps which is an event where we go out and set up a sick call for the people of Iraq and help the Iraqi doctors take care of the people. We are also going around and trying to redo a lot of the schools for the children here in Iraq. So what you see on TV is the bad stuff, just know we do good things as well." ...more

November 10, 2007

LAND O'LAKES - More than $20,000 has disappeared from the coffers of the Land O'Lakes volunteer fire department, and the department's treasurer has been arrested. The Pasco County sheriff's office charged Alicia Long Puertas, 32, of Lutz, with felony grand theft of more than $20,000. On Saturday, Puertas was in the Land O'Lakes jail on $10,000 bond. ...more

November 3, 2007

LAND O' LAKES - An unsafe situation in which student walkers and bicycle riders at Charles S. Rushe Middle School cross a four-lane road has drawn the attention of the Pasco County School Board. ...more

October 21, 2007

Despite plans to revitalize the University Area Partnership, the collaborative canceled its first full general membership meeting in almost two years. ...more

October 18, 2007

Three people came to an August meeting to voice opinions on a plan to revitalize the community's businesses. ...more

October 4, 2007