Federal officials are warning immigrants to avoid being ripped off by people offering to help them with immigration paperwork. Carlos Iturregui, chief of policy and strategy for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, is in Tampa today to unveil an anti-fraud campaign offering people tips, phone numbers and Web site addresses so they will know how to identify legitimate service providers, said Ana Santiago, spokeswoman for the agency. ...more

October 17, 2008

Thirty percent of Floridians enrolled in Medicaid reform said they didn't realize it, and more than half didn't know they could opt out, a new report says. ...more

October 14, 2008

With 70 days left in hurricane season, Pasco residents could know which way the winds blow if a new system to send alerts pans out tomorrow. The first test of the pilot system is coming Tuesday, Sept. 23, Pasco emergency officials announced. The test had been postponed from Aug. 19. ...more

September 22, 2008

A new type of garden has taken root at a food bank to aid people struggling with the high cost of food. ...more

September 13, 2008

Highlands County was in danger of losing a $2.5 million state grant to help working families become homeowners. ...more

September 11, 2008

With youngsters settling back into classes after the Labor Day holiday, students might see several changes before the school year is out, courtesy of state lawmakers. ...more

September 6, 2008

The request caught dairy farmer Brian Ziehm off guard: Would he devote an acre of his fields near the Vermont line this fall to grow stinkweed? ...more

September 4, 2008

WellCare Health Plans Inc. and several other health care companies have notified Florida that they will pull out of a pilot program aimed at providing HMO-style health coverage for Medicaid recipients in two Florida counties outside the Tampa Bay area, state officials said Thursday. ...more

August 28, 2008

A state report on district transportation problems and a bus driver shortage identifies issues of the bus driver turnover rate, low driver pay, lack of benefits and incentives. ...more

August 24, 2008

Canine lovers on Davis Islands are known to run their pets down to the dog park on lazy Saturday mornings, after which many then head straight for the business district to grab some coffee or a midmorning snack. ...more

August 20, 2008