SEBRING — One big question was raised Tuesday as Highlands County commissioners began discussions on a proposal to provide financial aid to the county's military personnel serving in combat zones in the war on terrorism. That question: Should this proposed county grant — up to a maximum $900 per year — be awarded only to homesteaded home owners, or to all service personnel from the county in harm's way overseas? Two of the five commissioners, Don Bates and Edgar Stokes, supported making the grant available to all men and women from the county serving in combat zones, whether they own or rent. "Their exposure to harm really doesn't depend on whether or not they own property," Bates said. He added, "Who serves right now? Mostly it's the young people, 21- 22-, 23-years old, who are the ones out on the front line." Few people at that age own a home, he said. If the intent is to support troops fighting the war on terrorism, he said, the aid should not depend on a person's status as a homeowner or renter. "They're both taking the same chances when they're out there," Bates said. ...more

November 14, 2007

When Bill Stoeltzing came to town in 1949, he was just 23 years old and trying to advance in the portrait-photography business. ...more

November 8, 2007

TAMPA - The Tampa office of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is without permanent leadership after the agent in charge stepped down and his next in command was placed on administrative leave. Agents in charge of other FDLE offices across the state will fill in on a rotating basis until a new leader is designated, agency spokeswoman Kristen Perezluha said. ...more

October 30, 2007

One person was killed and two others injured in a single-car wreck early Sunday morning on Interstate 4 about a half-mile west of the Hillsborough-Polk county line. ...more

October 21, 2007

All week, the New England Patriots insisted this was just another game. Well, it wasn't. ...more

October 15, 2007

Erin Flatley was 23 years old, a pretty, blue-eyed blonde attending graduate school at the University of South Florida. She wanted to be a teacher. But in 2002, Flatley went to the hospital for a minor outpatient surgical procedure. Six days later, she was dead. ...more

September 14, 2007