Faced with a potential budget deficit of $100 million-plus _ and growing _ Hillsborough County officials confirmed Friday they are considering cutting the county payroll by as many as 1,000 positions over the next two years. ...more

March 27, 2009

Lawn-watering scofflaws will soon feel the effects in their wallets. ...more

March 25, 2009

People who must drive U.S. 19 near the Hudson Wal-Mart hope the highway will take a turn for the better. ...more

March 25, 2009

Pasco County commissioners passed a significant hike in penalties for people caught watering on the wrong day ...more

March 24, 2009

Firefighters have managed to secure an area in eastern Hernando County where a 600-acre brush fire threatened at least 50 homes. ...more

March 22, 2009

A proposal to stimulate construction by dropping county-levied impact fees for the rest of the year has found little traction in the halls of Pasco County government. ...more

March 22, 2009

Three years into a deal with state environmental officials, Pasco County has run into problems trying to upgrade its network of troubled sewage-treatment plants. ...more

March 22, 2009

The issue: Privatization of county government services. Our opinion: In some cases it makes a lot of sense, but officials should examine prospects carefully. ...more

March 22, 2009

Joanne Dickson feels fortunate that her dog Barry is alive. Dickson thinks Barry was attacked by a coyote earlier this week. She had just gotten home about 7:30 a.m. after taking her son to school and noticed Barry was not running around her yard as usual. When she called his name, the dog came out of the garage limping badly. ...more

March 21, 2009

From city fire chiefs to residents grateful for the paramedics who rushed to their aid, hundreds of people began speaking today at a Pinellas County Commission hearing to comment on a plan to cut emergency rescue costs countywide. ...more

March 20, 2009