Most residents of the Whispering Oaks Mobile Home Park would be homeless if not for this place. ...more

June 13, 2008

Republican presidential candidate John McCain visited the Everglades last week to highlight his commitment to Florida's natural treasures and promptly stepped into political muck. ...more

June 10, 2008

AVON PARK - If you've been putting off your water bill, you'll literally pay for the delay after the city council voted 3-2 to start charging late fees. Water customers who do not pay by 2 p.m. on the bill's due date will have to pay five percent of the overdue amount, or $1, whichever is greater. ...more

June 9, 2008

Walking my wife's puppy upward of 50 miles a week affords me a unique view of several nearby neighborhoods. ...more

May 21, 2008

Walking my wife's puppy upward of 50 miles a week affords me a unique view of several nearby neighborhoods. ...more

May 21, 2008

A Brooksville restaurant is the first to sign up. ...more

May 17, 2008

Just because the smoke has cleared here in Highlands County doesn't mean that competitive barbecuing has come to an end in the area. In fact there is one going on in Wauchula today. And last week by far the largest Florida state contest was held up in Lakeland. At our 12 Hours of BBQ contest there were a total of 42 teams. In Lakeland they had almost 60 professional teams, 80 backyard teams and around 20 kiddie teams. That's a lot of smokin' going on, and a lot of barbecue enthusiasts. And, of course, during this time of our political cycle where there's a crowd of more than three people there is a candidate trying to garner just one more vote. Last Saturday in Lakeland was no exception. Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee siezed the opportunity to shake a few hands. Through the sea of people attending the cook-off I saw some TV cameras and boom mikes and went to see what was going on. It was Huckabee who was the focus of their attention. Since there weren't any more than maybe 20 non-media people around him I elbowed my way to the front of the group. I got to shake his hand and exchange a few pleasantries. What I didn't share with him however was the fact that I had already taken advantage of Joe Campbell's convenient offer to beat the rush and voted early at the county building. ...more

February 2, 2008

The inconvenience of a county work project in the front yards of residents on Lake Magdalene Drive has ranged from "minor" to "completely inconvenient," homeowners say. ...more

January 26, 2008

The inconvenience of a county work project in the front yards of residents on Lake Magdalene Drive has ranged from "minor" to "completely inconvenient," homeowners say. ...more

January 26, 2008

PICAYUNE STRAND - It all comes back to the water. Water is at the heart of the plan to save and restore the Everglades. How it flows, where it goes and what it contains. From north of Lake Okeechobee to the Picayune Strand State Forest in southwest Collier County, the Everglades restoration plan hinges on a complex system of engineering and environmental projects meant to reverse damage to the fragile ecosystem that defines Florida. For the past seven years, however, the biggest question about the Everglades hasn't been water. It has been money. ...more

November 25, 2007