The board of fire commissioners elected a new chairwoman Wednesday. They decided they didn't want to wait until December to switch chairs - although the former chairman didn't want to relinquish his seat quietly. ...more

November 13, 2009

As spring cleaning comes around this year, many people are looking to clear out their closets and make a few dollars in the process. ...more

February 27, 2009

Inspiration doesn't come easily or often to me, but when it arrives, it's a lollapalooza. ...more

February 25, 2009

Joining any other team after spending his entire professional career in the Philadelphia Phillies organization would have been a bit strange for Pat Burrell. But the fact that the locker room he now calls home is filled mostly with players he helped beat in the World Series last fall adds a bit of a twist to the whole situation. ...more

February 16, 2009

8:52 p.m. The room is starting to fill up as invited guests pull up chairs in front of two big-screen TVs. ...more

November 4, 2008

8:41 p.m.: The doors are open at the Tampa Waterside Marriott for those who volunteered for Barack Obama's campaign in Florida. ...more

November 4, 2008

7:05 a.m.: Jose Lleras, a 59-year-old registered Republican, said he votes with his heart regardless of party, and his heart told him today to vote for Barack Obama. "I think Barack was more open for what he wanted to do for the country versus badmouthing the opponent," said Lleras, who works for a communications company. ...more

November 4, 2008

6:02 a.m.: An hour before the polls opened, 19 people waited in line at the FishHawk Ranch voting precinct. ...more

November 4, 2008

A body was found in the clubhouse pool of Suncoast Villa Apartments on Barclay Avenue this morning, according to a witness. ...more

July 25, 2008

As I ride along U.S. 27, I look out on Lake Jackson. As I look past the weeds, where there is sand, I notice people out there with chairs, coolers and some of them who can get their boats afloat, boats. Where there is sand and water people tend to go to the beach, have fun, swim, relax and just have a good time. I further notice that none of them choose to sit in the weeds. It's still unimaginable that we spent over $70,000 to remove some of the weeds from the dry lake bed, and maintain the so called "native" weeds. Weeds are unsightly. Weeds are weeds. A weed by any other name is still a weed. We pick them from our lawns and flower beds. We poison them to get rid of them. But then along comes someone with a grant to grow them. Who decides that we should have weeds growing where there will again someday be a lake? We don't need to cultivate weeds where there should, and eventually will be, water. Something for boat props to get tangled in. Now I've noticed that we are maintaining the weeds. We are mowing weeds in a lake bed. I wonder how much that is costing and who is paying that bill? ...more

July 3, 2008