Parade Safety Needed I am very pleased to have a parade and enjoy it every year but just concerned. While hearing about a child in Tampa being killed at a parade, I am thankful the Brooksville parade turned out safe. ...more

December 25, 2007

AVON PARK — Jeremy Machia's labor of love is a few tons of manicured dirt. And he likes nothing more than watching folks make a mess of it. The track director at Highlands BMX got hooked on bicycle racing at a young age, and more than 25 years later, Machia enjoys playing in the dirt more than ever. "Normally, we're out two or three times a week, hand-shaping jumps," he said. "We're not using heavy equipment, so it's a lot of fine-tuning." Much of that meticulous work is done to ready the track for weekly races that draw riders from Highlands County and beyond. And while most tracks are closed around the Christmas holiday, Machia's welcoming racers from across the state this weekend to grab some last minute points in order to qualify for the upcoming Sunshine State BMX's Florida state championships. He never knows how many riders will show up until race day, but Machia said up to 100 racers of all skill levels cold descend on the Avon Park track, which is known around the state as the fastest in Florida. ...more

December 21, 2007

TOWN 'N COUNTRY - The eighth annual Bay Crest Park holiday boat parade is on tap from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, with participants from all across the Tampa Bay area encouraged to participate. ...more

December 14, 2007

TOWN 'N COUNTRY - The eighth annual Bay Crest Park Holiday Boat Parade is will be held Saturday, and everyone is welcome. ...more

December 12, 2007

TOWN 'N COUNTRY - The eighth annual Bay Crest Park Holiday Boat Parade is will be held Saturday, and everyone is welcome. ...more

December 12, 2007

Even in their darkest hour, family members of a 9-year-old boy killed by a church float in the Plant City Christmas Parade recalled that their "little comedian" loved nothing more than making people laugh. ...more

December 11, 2007

PLANT CITY - Even in their darkest hour, family members of a 9-year-old boy killed by a church float in the Plant City Christmas Parade recalled that their "little comedian" loved nothing more than making people laugh. ...more

December 10, 2007

When a 9-year-old boy fell under the wheels of a float Friday night in the Plant City Christmas Parade, onlookers rushed to help him. ...more

December 9, 2007

PLANT CITY - When a 9-year-old boy fell under the wheels of a float Friday night in the Plant City Christmas Parade, onlookers rushed to help him. Johnny Knotts, who had been watching the parade from the west side of South Collins Street, was among the first to kneel beside the injured child. His Knotts hardware store stands across the street, just south of Laura Street. "The float in front of me suddenly stopped," Knotts said. "People on the east side of the street were screaming. It was obvious that something horrible had happened. I ran to the other side of the float and saw the boy lying under the trailer." ...more

December 8, 2007

Tampa's James Blake held off feisty Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3) Friday night to give the United States a 2-0 lead over Russia in the Davis Cup final. ...more

December 1, 2007