James Adkins and John Druzbick did a lot of listening, note-taking and question-asking at Thursday's orientation meeting designed to give the incoming commissioners a quick overview of every department in county government. ...more

November 14, 2008

It's a crime that police officers in a small eastern Arizona community can hardly fathom yet have to deal with: an 8-year-old charged in the fatal shootings of his father and another man. ...more

November 8, 2008

The fire district's two highest-ranking officers are getting raises during a salary freeze. ...more

October 24, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - Djuke vom Vilstaler Land, 117 pounds of toned muscle, is getting over the jet lag of a weekend flight to Buenos Aires, where he raked in the top three prizes in a contest that drew 300 Rottweilers from around the world. ...more

October 24, 2008

A state ethics investigation has cleared Pinellas Property Appraiser Jim Smith and other county officials of wrongdoing in a controversial land deal between Smith and the county. The report by the Florida Ethics Commission, released Wednesday, also cleared former Pinellas County Attorney Susan Churuti and County Commissioner Ronnie Duncan. ...more

October 23, 2008

County commissioners carved out time at their Tuesday meeting to inform people of the ordinance they crafted spelling out what would happen should the district become independent. ...more

October 23, 2008

Garth will stay on as county attorney for at least another year. County commissioners on Tuesday refused to take any action to settle the impasse over the attorney's contract, preferring instead to wait until after the election and the board has a better grasp on the ongoing government restructuring. ...more

October 22, 2008

Will still get $300 car allowance. ...more

October 22, 2008

County attorney Garth Coller's counterproposal to a contract offer has been rejected, prompting the county commission to schedule time at its Tuesday meeting to try to break the impasse. ...more

October 16, 2008

I was sent a letter posted on the Sun 'n Lake commentary Web site written by a Joe Eck. It was a plea for Guy Maxcy's re-election to the county commission, repeating Maxcy's campaign theme of "Please, just four more years." I wonder how many readers know why another term is so necessary for Maxcy? Maybe Eck and others know that if Maxcy gets 20 years in he becomes eligible for a retirement benefit? In other words, he gets paid for not working and we the taxpayers have to fork over monthly public funds to him. ...more

October 15, 2008