With the county's last budget cycle now in the rear view mirror, it's time for the local business community's focus group members to focus on next year, which promises to be a bumpy road. ...more

October 29, 2009

How are you feeding your kids? ...more

June 16, 2009

Tips to decorate in a recession ...more

May 21, 2009

A bill is headed to the governor that would ban local agencies from charging people who cause car accidents for emergency response services. ...more

May 1, 2009

Panera Bread Co. and Sebring High School Art Department have scheduled a free art show from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 2. ...more

April 26, 2009

Days after an announcement by parent company TOUSA to wind down production, Engle Homes, the developer of Live Oak Preserve, is relinquishing some of its authority at the development. Engle Homes Vice President Rick Feather said all Engle employees who serve on the Live Oak I, Live Oak II and The Hammocks' community development district boards are stepping down immediately. "We resigned under the advice of counsel," Feather said. Feather served as a board supervisor on all of the three developer-controlled CDDs. Engle employees Lauren Arcaro, Dennis DeMott and Michael Mulvihill were members of the Live Oak II and The Hammocks boards. ...more

April 1, 2009

In the article "Wetlands Division A Redundancy," Tampa Tribune, March 21, Keith Bricklemyer lays out a case against the Environmental Protection Commission's wetlands protection program, stating there is no documentation of facts showing the program's success. The "absence" of these facts causes Bricklemyer to infer that the longevity of EPC's program is fueled by long-term emotional rhetoric. Our guess is, since the "facts" contained in Bricklemyer's article are, at best, misleading and mostly incorrect, that he himself has been overcome by emotion. ...more

March 31, 2009

Hillsborough County Administrator Pat Bean's announcement Friday that she may have to lay off 1,000 workers drew fire from a county commissioner today who accused Bean of using people's jobs for political purposes. ...more

March 30, 2009

two bills that deal with court funding and are now before the Florida Legislature. ...more

March 28, 2009

With state and local budgets in fiscal free-fall, many of Florida's cities are looking at their revenue and expenses to judge how to improve their fiscal responsibility. But when we look at the long-term picture for cities, one issue in particular leaps out as one that could burden city taxpayers terribly in the years ahead. ...more

March 22, 2009