Hillsborough County residents who think they will have trouble paying their 2009 property taxes can make partial payments starting in November. ...more

August 4, 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

A bill aimed at undercutting acceptance of evolution in Florida science classes, which kicked up a fuss but didn't pass in the Florida Legislature last year, apparently is going nowhere this year. ...more

March 28, 2009

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

March 28, 2009

Cigarettes have been a relatively inexpensive addiction for smokers in Florida, even as a pack has neared $4 for most brands. ...more

March 27, 2009

Dade City will see a 50 percent increase in freight train traffic even if the state's commuter rail deal with CSX falls apart, a rail executive told city commissioners. ...more

March 26, 2009

Children no longer would be arrested for such minor violations of zero tolerance polices as bringing plastic butter knives to school, drawing pictures of guns or throwing an eraser under measures moving through the Florida Legislature. ...more

March 25, 2009

The federal excise tax increase on tobacco won't go into effect until next week. But throughout much of March, employees at Fred Hoyland's chain of 16 local Tobacco Depot stores scrambled to post new prices for some brands of cigars, cigarettes and tobaccos. ...more

March 25, 2009

The federal excise tax increase on tobacco won't go into effect until next week. But throughout much of March, employees at Fred Hoyland's chain of 16 local Tobacco Depot stores scrambled to post new prices for some brands of cigars, cigarettes and tobaccos. ...more

March 24, 2009

A Florida law that would make it more expensive for travel agents to book trips to Cuba interferes with existing federal regulation of travel to the communist island, according to a report by the U.S. Justice Department. ...more

March 23, 2009