In November, you elected me to be your clerk of circuit court and county comptroller. This office was created by Andrew Jackson and solidified in the constitution of the state of Florida in 1938 to protect the interests of each citizen by safeguarding your court, official and financial records. This separation of powers ensures the integrity of our court system without the risk of conflicts of interest. And, like all our cherished rights and protections, if we are not careful to preserve the public interest, we may lose ground to other pressing initiatives. ...more

March 8, 2009

Florida's judges and popularly elected clerks of the circuit courts. ...more

March 5, 2009

A convicted sex offender remained in Highlands County Jail in lieu of $15,000 bond Wednesday, after sheriff's investigators say he moved from his last known Avon Park address without notifying authorities. ...more

March 5, 2009

If a closed-door meeting today is any indication, the police department and the city's convenience store owners are at loggerheads over which safety measures the stores should install to ward off robbers. ...more

February 3, 2009

The two undercover detectives were driving by when they noticed three teens on bicycles acting oddly outside a gas station Monday evening. ...more

January 28, 2009

Deputy Jim Powers circled the house, banging on windows and doors. He was trying to determine if anyone was home after a neighbor called authorities to say the homeowner hadn't picked up his paper from the driveway recently. ...more

January 22, 2009

Those of you who have been reading my column for a while know that I've called the Land O' Lakes area home for quite some time. When we moved to central Pasco County, McDonald's was the only fast-food place going, we had one grocery store and schools weren't overcrowded. My parents selected this area because of its small-town appeal. While I wasn't necessarily in love with it at the time, it grew on me through the years and has truly become my home. ...more

January 7, 2009

Fingerprints found after a violent convenience store robbery in Gulfport may help police. ...more

December 24, 2008

Three young boys witnessed the shooting Monday of two clerks – one their father and the other their uncle – during a convenience-store robbery in Gulfport, police said. ...more

December 23, 2008

Two clerks have been shot at a Gulfport convenience store. The shooting happened this evening at the Joy Foodsmart on 49th Street South. Police responded first to a silent panic alarm, then a hang-up 911 call just after 8:30 p.m. ...more

December 22, 2008