As Xuan-Nuong Lam Tran pulled her Mercedes ML 350 into a parking spot at a post office, another customer flung open her own car door, causing minor damage. ...more

November 8, 2009

In this town, people must pay to pee. A 20-year drought has caused a critical water shortage. To control its consumption residents are forced to do their restroom activities in public facilities with a fee. ...more

April 1, 2009

We're in a drought, and it's not just a water shortage. Many Bay area families have seen the money for entertaining their children during spring break dry up as well. With that in mind, we have uncovered some free and cheap alternatives to a week at an all-inclusive luxury resort that might just please the progeny population. ...more

March 31, 2009

Greenline Company owner wants larger tree canopy in Hernando County. ...more

March 23, 2009

Let Medicare Negotiate I keep my Medicare policy, plus my supplementary insurance policy, because I know that if I get cancer or another major disease, Medicare will not call me in the middle of the treatment to tell me my benefits have expired. HMOs are for-profit businesses whose main concern is profit, which means spending as little money as possible for clients. ...more

March 23, 2009

Enough is enough. Stop blaming the lack of rain or the people of Hillsborough County for our water shortage. Let's put the blame where it belongs: on incompetent government officials. ...more

March 22, 2009

As Tampa takes the hose by the nozzle by banning lawn watering with sprinklers, other municipalities are holding off adopting similarly severe restrictions, at least for now. ...more

March 20, 2009

With the region's monster reservoir reduced to a puddle, the drought is hitting home, especially for many who have collected watering citations. ...more

March 19, 2009

Support Local Shoppers Regarding "Give The Mouse A Furlough And Shop Closer To Home" (Our Opinion, March 15): ...more

March 17, 2009

Bidding for Beach Rights Here we go again ... more of the same! Our illustrious County Commissioners discovering yet another way to put their hands in the cookie jar groveling around for those last crumbs in the bottom. Pine Island has been a complete, workable, beautiful little paradise for our area for 18 years, so now it's been discussed to open the bids for a new operator. Parks Director Pat Fagan quotes in one paragraph "it needs to be looked at with economic conditions to see if we can get more money," then admits "sometimes it's not always about the money" in reference to Willie Kochounian being a top-notch vendor and having no public complaints. So which is it County Commissioners? Have you just discovered another way to make more money from us common folk for the "county coffers" you refer to? Or does 18 years of good rapport and service speak for itself? ...more

March 12, 2009