State-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has won approval to raise rates by an average of 5.4 percent for homeowner coverage that includes hurricane damage, except in high-risk coastal areas where premiums will be revised later. ...more

October 31, 2009

The severe thunderstorm warning for central Hillsborough County has been canceled. The storm has weakened but will continue to produce strong, gusty winds, heavy rain and small hail. ...more

July 19, 2009

Miles from shore in the open Caribbean Sea, cruise ships are dumping ground-up glass, rags and cardboard packaging. But vessels in other waters such as the Baltic and North seas are prohibited from throwing any solid waste overboard other than food scraps. ...more

February 28, 2009

A program to restore 4,000 square feet of damaged seagrass beds in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary near the Seven Mile Bridge began on Tuesday. ...more

October 7, 2008

How do you measure loss? How do you deal with it? ...more

September 19, 2008

Florida's seafood lovers and angling enthusiasts may not realize it, but change is under way that promises to brighten the future of the struggling multibillion dollar commercial and sport fishing industries. While destructive overfishing and ineffective regulations have long been the norm offshore, a new management model is demonstrating that the bleak economic and environmental performance of fisheries can be quickly turned around. And recently, the U.S. Congress mandated change that provides an opportunity to speed progress and make the Gulf Coast a leader in modern and prosperous fishing. ...more

September 18, 2008

With complaints of rocketing gas prices burying the state's price-gouging hot line, Attorney General Bill McCollum on Sunday issued subpoenas to four fuel companies that raised prices dramatically in recent days. ...more

September 15, 2008

The Obama camp teases McCain about his federal tax relief on gasoline during the summer vacation period. Somewhat later, Obama suggested we check our tire pressure. The McCain clan belittled his idea as too little and too late. Individually or together, both made sense to the "little people" who scrimp and save throughout the year for a break at the beach or a picnic in the mountains. ...more

August 17, 2008

I read recently about local government's decisions to allow several large tracts in Hardee County to be developed in major fashion. This brought sadness to my heart. Pastoral views from my truck window may soon be replaced with construction cranes and vegetation destruction. ...more

July 9, 2008

I would bet that there are very few who would complain about the nightly rain we have been receiving the past week. I have just finished checking the water level and found that Lake Grassy has risen almost eight inches in the past week. At this rate of eight inches of rain every day for a week, we need at least five solid weeks of everyday downpours to fill Lake Grassy, which is still about 40 inches low. ...more

July 3, 2008