Thrifty travelers seeking a Florida beach vacation might check out Fort Lauderdale, Sarasota/Bradenton and St. Petersburg/Clearwater if hotel pricing trends from the latest data hold true. ...more

October 8, 2008

Swaths of vacant land dot downtown streets. Some just happen to be the size of condo developers' dried up dreams. ...more

October 8, 2008

Plans to build a Ritz-Carlton hotel and condominium project near the Courtney Campbell Parkway have fallen though, the owner of the project site said today. ...more

September 23, 2008

In San Francisco, I rode the bus back and forth to work every day. In Sacramento, I rode the bus home from work every day. Then I moved out of the city and I haven't ridden a bus since. ...more

June 27, 2008

SEBRING — The first chop of Highlands County's budget-cutting ax fell Thursday. It fell on the proverbial neck of Highlands County Sports Complex manager Rocky Ellingsworth. He will not have a job with the county effective Oct. 1. That's the day that the county's new fiscal year and new budget begin. Ellingsworth's job is proposed to be eliminated in preliminary planning for the 2008-09 fiscal year. Ellingsworth said he does not want to comment publicly yet about this move, which was announced late Thursday afternoon during the second of three successive daylong county commission budget workshops. ...more

May 30, 2008

When I wrote the letter to the editor about milking FEMA it was directed at the people that have been living off the taxpayers since the hurricanes and still are. I do understand that there are many people that have gotten away from FEMA by getting their own homes rebuilt, or finding other homes to raise there families. That's the way it should be and I certainly support the people that have. Yes, FEMA is as well organized as the rest of the government, which is somewhere between ridiculous and totally out of control. It makes it very easy to milk the system, and by doing so take advantage of all the taxpayers of this country. ...more

February 25, 2008

I find it interesting that so many of the people that were helped by FEMA, (a.k.a. taxpayers) feel that they should not have to repay for the housing and other services that were provided them in an emergency situation. There has been a few million dollars in fraud and theft that will never be recovered, and some people are still living in trailers and hotels supplied by us and have just milked the system to the extreme. ...more

February 21, 2008

A friend in Georgia contacted me a few weeks ago, asking me to recommend a lecturer whose program tape she could buy for her local genealogical society meeting. Her plan was to play the tape and have members participate in a discussion on the topic. ...more

February 10, 2008

Taking It To The Streets Ybor City and the Channel District could be the hot party tickets for Super Bowl 2009. Super Bowl's local liaison, Krista Soroka, said she's not sure where events will be. She's canvassing restaurants, social venues such as Ybor City's Cuban Club and hotels to see what's available. The NFL is looking at parking lots where outdoor parties could be. Chuck Jamieson, manager of Green Iguana Bar & Grill in Ybor City, said when the Super Bowl combined with Gasparilla in 2001, it was "awesome for business. It was the best run we ever had." Next year, the Super Bowl will fall between the biggest Gasparilla events: The Children's Parade will be the week before the game; the invasion the week after. ...more

February 3, 2008

Women in Saudi Arabia can now stay in a hotel or a furnished apartment without a male guardian, according to a government decision that comes as the country faces increasing criticism for its severe restrictions on women. ...more

January 22, 2008