AVON PARK — The Avon Park City Council hired an attorney that will begin acting as the city's code enforcement magistrate by March. Avon Park Fire Department Chief Terry Feickert said that the code enforcement office already has 10 cases lined up for C. Parke Sutherland, a Bartow-based attorney who became the special magistrate. The new magistrate could dole out daily fines to people with dilapidated homes and other major offenders, an action the city previously couldn't do by taking offending property owners to court. "It just gives us a little more teeth," Feickert said. ...more

January 30, 2008

A former University of South Florida student from Morocco pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a federal weapons charge levied after FBI agents found a picture of him posing with a gun. ...more

January 23, 2008

Upset they're not getting their raises and their contract talks are at a standstill, about 125 firefighters, their friends and their families picketed Friday outside City Hall. ...more

January 19, 2008

Lawyer John Fitzgibbons no longer has to represent Ahmed Mohamed, a U.S. magistrate ruled Monday. ...more

January 14, 2008

TAMPA - Lawyer John Fitzgibbons no longer has to represent Ahmed Mohamed, a U.S. magistrate ruled Monday. ...more

January 14, 2008

Two companies have been ordered to make restitution for trees taken out without proper permits at Learning Gate Community School and the house next door. ...more

December 27, 2007

Two companies have been ordered to make restitution for trees taken out without proper permits at Learning Gate Community School and at the house next door. ...more

December 22, 2007

A federal judge appeared reluctant Friday to investigate the destruction of CIA interrogation videotapes, saying the Justice Department is conducting its own inquiry. ...more

December 22, 2007

A man accused of trying to secure business deals using a phony $100 million Federal Reserve note pleaded guilty today in federal court to a charge of attempting to broker a false document. ...more

December 21, 2007

TAMPA - A man accused of trying to secure business deals using a phony $100 million Federal Reserve note pleaded guilty today in federal court to a charge of attempting to broker a false document. ...more

December 20, 2007