People living in the heart of one of Pasco County's fastest-growing regions will soon know whether they'll need flood insurance. ...more

March 15, 2009

People living in the heart of one of Pasco County's fastest-growing regions will soon know whether or not they'll need flood insurance. ...more

March 12, 2009

A record number of manatees were spotted last week during an annual count, a sign the endangered mammal might be recovering in some parts of Florida. ...more

January 29, 2009

State scientists counted a record number of manatees during an annual survey last week, a sign the endangered mammal might be recovering in some areas of Florida. ...more

January 28, 2009

An overflow crowd jammed the Memorial United Methodist Church Sanctuary last Wednesday to pay respects to Mason Smoak, who died in an airplane crash June 20. There were so many people there that the Lake Placid church had to use its Fellowship Hall to accommodate all of them. According to the Highlands County Sheriff's Office, a 1989 fixed wing, single engine, two-seater Piper Cub was returning to the Placid Lakes Airport and crashed near the south end of the runway. Smoak, who was the pilot of the airplane at the time of crash, and his passenger, Dave Maehr, died at the scene. Smoak and Maehr were conducting aerial surveys of black bears in Highlands County. Maehr was a visiting scientist at Archold Biological Station while on sabbatical from the University of Kentucky. ...more

June 29, 2008

LAKE PLACID — A pilot and passenger died after a fixed wing, single engine Piper Cub airplane crashed near Placid Lakes Airport at about 12:15 p.m., Friday said Capt. Paul Blackman of the Highlands County Sheriff's Office. There were no other passengers in the single plane accident. Word spread like wildfire around the Caladium Capital of the World that citrus grover owner Mason Smoak piloted the plane. Blackman positively identified Smoak as the pilot, and David Maehr's name was release later as the other victim in the crash. He was a scientist at Archbold Biological Center specializing in bear research. ...more

June 20, 2008

LAKE PLACID – A pilot and passenger are dead after a fixed-wing, single-engine Piper airplane crashed near Placid Lakes Airport at about 1:15 p.m. today, said Capt. Paul Blackman of the Highlands County Sheriff's Office. ...more

June 20, 2008

The challenge in finding fish around Tampa Bay is often in finding their habitat, and in water deeper than 5 feet or so, that requires something more than a pair of polarized sunglasses. ...more

October 7, 2007