It may be a blessing that the eroding economy claimed Gov. Charlie Crist's ambitious plan to buy 180,000 acres for Everglades' restoration. ...more

April 13, 2009

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is cutting back his celebrated $1.34 billion deal to buy land from U.S. Sugar Corp. to help restore the Everglades. ...more

April 1, 2009

The longtime pastor of the city's largest church has announced his retirement. The Rev. Ron Churchill will deliver his last sermon at First Baptist Church of Plant City on Easter. ...more

March 4, 2009

The school district will hold on to 80 acres of land in Ridge Manor that could be the site of a new school. ...more

March 4, 2009

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio is right to target a 160-acre Tampa Bay tract for public acquisition. City and county officials should seize this opportunity to save a rare slice of undeveloped city waterfront. ...more

March 3, 2009

WHAT YOU WILL VOTE ON Hillsborough County voters will be asked on Nov. 4 to extend the Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program to allow for the purchase of more acreage for conservation. The amount taxpayers pay in property tax would remain the same as authorized in the existing program, which is set to expire, of up to 25 cents for every $1,000 of assessed property value. That's about $44 a year for a $225,000 house with homestead exemption. ...more

October 18, 2008

Dock Green Silverhawk hopes to see 2,000 friends this weekend. Last year, about 1,800 people attended his annual Silverhawk Native American Flute Gathering, an event that started in his Plant City backyard five years ago. Although Silverhawk, who is part Creek and part Cherokee, has enough land for horses to graze on, the event soon became too popular for his limited acreage. ...more

October 11, 2008

Conflicts Of Interest Regarding "Crisis In Leadership Threatens Support For Lowry Park Zoo" (Our Opinion, Sept. 18): ...more

September 27, 2008

Two names have been suggested for a new high school under construction near Interstate 4 and McIntosh Road. ...more

September 25, 2008

Lowry Park Zoo President Lex Salisbury said he regrets the controversy that ensued after offering land at his private Polk County exotic-animal park for boarding zoo animals. ...more

September 12, 2008