Pasco County's code enforcement division long has relied on residents to police their neighborhoods and call attention to abandoned cars, errant signs and other unauthorized activity. ...more

January 11, 2008

Residents soon may get the chance to tell the county commission just how they want their tax dollars spent. ...more

January 5, 2008

SEBRING — Often, kids who enter the Highlands County Courthouse are more afraid of the front lobby than they are of actually going inside a courtroom. With this in mind, bailiffs at the courthouse have been celebrating the holidays by handing out stuffed animals to kids. After going through the building's metal detector and letting their items pass through an X-ray machine, children are allowed to choose a toy amongst a group of stuffed animals sitting underneath a Christmas tree. "It's been pretty successful," said bailiff William Dilling. "We had a little girl come in a few days ago who was afraid to go through the metal detector, but we were able to convince her that she'd get a (stuffed animal) out of it." ...more

December 24, 2007

SEBRING — Highlands County Clerk of Courts Luke Brooker announced Friday morning that he would not seek re-election in 2008. According to Highlands County Courthouse Director of Court Services Bob Germaine, Brooker made the announcement during an employee of the year meeting, saying that he wants to focus on his family after his term expires in January 2009. "Luke's been here for a long time, and he's been an excellent boss," said Germaine. "I think it came down to wanting to be able to spend more time with his family. He wants to focus on his grandchildren and his health." Brooker, who has been elected to serve for four terms, could not be reached for comment Friday. Brooker originally took office in January 1993. He ran unopposed in 1996 and had opposition in 2000 and 2004. ...more

December 22, 2007

Two nights after Hillsborough County sheriff's Sgt. Ron Harrison was shot to death earlier this year, several of his co-workers decided to turn their grief into action. ...more

December 22, 2007

A Brandon teen turned himself in Friday to face one count of second-degree felony vehicular homicide in the Nov. 16 death of a Riverview man, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. ...more

December 21, 2007

Sunup to sundown. It's an expression Brooksville city council member Lara Bradburn has used often in recent weeks to describe the holiday events planned for downtown this Saturday. ...more

December 5, 2007

WAUCHULA — Trucker Jean Claude Meus' fight to have his 15-year prison sentence overturned or reduced received a big boost Wednesday afternoon. In a written opinion, Judge Douglas A. Wallace, of the Florida Second District Court of Appeals, suggested that Meus received ineffective counsel during his postconviction trial in 2005 at the Hardee County Courthouse. "(The opinion) was written very precisely," said defense attorney John H. Trevena, of Largo, who represents Meus. "Given its wording, I believe that it will give Mr. Meus an opportunity for a new trial." Meus is currently sitting in a state prison after being convicted of vehicular homicide in 2003 for the much publicized death of Nona Moore, 40, and her 8-year-old daughter Lindsey. The accident happened in 2001. During Meus' criminal trial, prosecutors said that he fell asleep at the wheel of his tractor-trailer, driving through a stop sign and eventually overturning his vehicle onto Moore's van at Seven Mile Point, just outside of Wauchula. Prosecutors maintained that Meus fell asleep shortly before the accident, but Meus maintained throughout his trial that a vehicle had cut him off, forcing him to swerve into Moore's van. ...more

November 30, 2007

Expensive home repairs can take a large chunk from people's budgets, especially those struggling to make ends meet. ...more

November 29, 2007

The Highlands County School District, Highlands County Courthouse, city government offices and facilities will be closed Thursday, Nov. 22, and Friday, Nov. 23, in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Also closed will be the U.S. post office and other federal and state offices. ...more

November 20, 2007