WASHINGTON (AP) - Hurricane Ike's winds and massive waves destroyed oil platforms, tossed storage tanks and punctured pipelines. The environmental damage only now is becoming apparent: At least a half million gallons of crude oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico and the marshes, bayous and bays of Louisiana and Texas, according to an analysis of federal data by The Associated Press. ...more

October 6, 2008

Noteworthy items from the Sept. 22 Plant City Commission meeting included: •Commissioners approved separate contracts to construct and illuminate two basketball courts at Mike Sansone Park. ...more

October 1, 2008

When it comes to the Bush administration's ethical lapses in the name of fighting terrorism, how will history view their motives? Have Bush and his crew been doing the wrong things for the right reasons? Have they resorted to unethical behavior only because they were inflamed by their passion to protect America? ...more

September 14, 2008

Beachgoers will be told more about whether it is safe to go in the water under a court settlement between environmentalists and the EPA. ...more

September 11, 2008

Gasoline-powered lawnmowers that are a big cause of summertime air pollution will have to be dramatically cleaner under rules issued Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency. ...more

September 5, 2008

Republican incumbent Hillsborough County Commissioners Ken Hagan and Brian Blair ran away with their primary races, and newcomer Kevin Beckner prevailed over two other Democrats to face Blair in November. ...more

August 27, 2008

The Florida Department of Health has begun testing indoor air quality in homes surrounding the Raytheon defense plant in St. Petersburg. ...more

August 27, 2008

The Florida Department of Health has begun testing indoor air quality in homes surrounding the Raytheon defense plant in St. Petersburg. ...more

August 26, 2008

In a normal year, the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt wouldn't be any different than the 2008 model, save for a few minor cosmetic changes. But this is far from a normal year. ...more

August 26, 2008

Immigrants seeking asylum in the United States have been disproportionately rejected by judges whom the Bush administration chose using a conservative political litmus test, according to an analysis of Justice Department data. ...more

August 24, 2008