Thanks to the donation by Home Depot, families that can't afford a Christmas tree can pick one up free at the Highlands County Family YMCA. ...more

December 20, 2008

I read your article today regarding Christmas gifts on a budget and I thought you had some good ideas on how people could save during the holiday season. I also think people should consider shopping at the area flea markets. ...more

December 10, 2008

With payroll costs steadily rising and property and sales tax revenue declining, the city is facing a projected deficit of more than $35 million in next year's budget. ...more

December 10, 2008

Five years ago, schools needed to keep teachers like Lourene Weiss. Families poured into Florida and overwhelmed public schools at a time when voters demanded limits on how big class sizes could get. This left the state in need of tens of thousands of teachers, and Weiss was planning to retire. ...more

December 7, 2008

Concerning the Capitol Visitor Center that opened Tuesday, three years and $360 million over budget, with a 186-foot marble wall holding display cases that document the nation's milestones and key decisions in Congress: ...more

December 7, 2008

A big ... no, wait ... a HUGE trend this winter is the minimalist look. When I first saw all the unadorned straight lines and conservative opaque colors coming down the runway, I couldn't help but think of a resurgence of Andy Warhol- and Edie Sedgwick-ish style. Everyone walking around (insert pretentious voice) very seriously with no real purpose. ...more

November 30, 2008

By mid-December, Hillsborough County school leaders will have to cut from the budget $26 million that they already expected to lose. ...more

November 26, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - Pasco County School Board members are preparing for more spending cuts after learning last week that the school district faces a potential shortfall of $15 million to $16 million. ...more

November 23, 2008

As anyone who has lived in West Pasco a long time knows, when it comes to making U.S. 19 less of a pain to drive on, nothing is ever easy. That appears to be the case again as the Florida Department of Transportation looks to ease traffic flow along the congested six-lane section of the highway in West Pasco by adding a pair of right-turn-only lanes to it. ...more

November 19, 2008

Two months after having to evict one of its own, the Tampa Housing Authority is set to have a full board again. Mayor Pam Iorio has chosen Hersey Jackson to fill the vacant resident board seat formerly held by Karen Peoples, the longtime public housing resident who sat in the chair for 10 years. ...more

November 18, 2008