The issue: Spring Hill Fire Rescue board votes to transfer emergency dispatching to county. Our opinion: Fire commissioners deserve praise for long overdue decision. ...more

March 1, 2009

It had to be done. For the sake of cutting costs and keeping with the future of fire and rescue response, eliminating the communications center in Spring Hill and reaching an interlocal agreement with the county was the best course of action, according to the majority of those on the fire board. ...more

February 27, 2009

The city's fire department plans to hire three dozen new firefighters after being approved for a $4 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. ...more

January 29, 2009

The city's fire department will be able to boost its ranks, thanks to a $4 million federal grant. The money will come from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's SAFER grants, or Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response. ...more

January 28, 2009

Overtime pay for the many Highlands County employees who did, or still are doing, extra duty to deal with Tropical Storm Fay will be by far the biggest cost to the county. ...more

August 21, 2008

The Manatee County Emergency Operations Center has gone from a Level 1 activation to Level 2 - meaning the county is scaling back its emergency response. Emergency officials made that announcement at a briefing just moments ago. ...more

August 19, 2008

"I think Sean might be dead," the girlfriend said. Mike and Deb Gilbert were teaching a class at Grace Family Church in Lutz when they got the phone call in late July a year ago. Sean was their youngest child, 18 years old, beautiful and troubled. ...more

August 16, 2008

As the new fiscal year draws near, Plant City commissioners continue to ponder cuts and new fees to help make ends meet as a result of tax reform. ...more

August 6, 2008

TAMPA - The corporation that owns an ammonia pipeline that ruptured last year in Riverview didn't respond properly to the situation and should pay nearly $400,000 in fines, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. The corporation has filed an appeal and has until about Aug. 1 to get into compliance, its manager said. ...more

July 8, 2008

Consider that some 10.5 million of America's "tweeners" - children between the ages of eight and 12 - were estimated to have a cell phone by the end of 2006. ...more

June 27, 2008