Florida State Sen. Victor Crist's concern that judges are not in the courtroom 40 hours per week and calling for an efficiency audit of the courthouse brings back memories of when I had the same job Crist has in Tallahassee. ...more

May 2, 2008

MacDill Air Force Base has long been a tremendous community asset and key component of the national defense, yet local leaders dare not take its presence for granted. ...more

February 17, 2008

SEBRING — Highlands County commissioners are not pleased with plans to hire three new top administrators at an extra cost of about $300,000 per year. At their meeting today, the five commissioners, three of whom must run for re-election this year, will consider hiring the first division director in the county's history. On Monday, at the county's annual "visioning session," Commissioners Don Bates, Guy Maxcy and Barbara Stewart said they were less than happy with the prospect of what Bates called "adding another layer of administration" to county government. The price tag to do that — adding three employees with the title of "division director" — will be between $190,000 at the low end, to $360,000 per year at the top end of the salary schedules. The county commission had created the new positions last year to increase efficiency. Three new people will be hired, while the fourth position has already gone to Rick Helms, who went from "assistant county administrator" to the new position of "assistant county administrator/director of the division of administrative services." ...more

February 5, 2008

Had any good choreplay lately? ...more

January 31, 2008

SEBRING — Having two incompatible computer systems was ultimately why the Sun 'n Lake of Sebring Board of Supervisors voted 3-0 Tuesday night to drop the services of Charles L. Bryan, tax collector for Highlands County, in 2008-2009. Up until the end of fiscal 2006 the district had been collecting its own assessments. Letting the tax collector collect the district's assessments turned out to not be such a good idea, to hear General Manager Al Grieshaber tell it. "The intent was good when they entered into the agreement," Grieshaber said, explaining he came aboard on Jan 11 and the board passed its first resolution to do so on Jan. 12. ...more

January 14, 2008

The county's code of conduct explicitly states that employees will not discredit Hernando County government, its public officials or fellow workers. ...more

January 9, 2008

To the Avon Park Police Department, we wish to take the time to thank you for all that you do, especially on the morning of Thanksgiving. Our business office was broken into and the officers caught the burglar within minutes after he had broken in and fled. ...more

December 31, 2007

TAMPA Bucs QB Jeff Garcia said he has felt for some time now that the Bucs would be a playoff team. He fears, though, that the Bucs won't be a playoff team for long if they don't clean up their red-zone play. ...more

December 14, 2007

Senior QB Kyle Wright did not practice on Tuesday due to a high ankle sprain he suffered against Florida State on Saturday. ...more

October 23, 2007

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office will host a town hall meeting Tuesday at Sickles High School, 7950 Gunn Highway. ...more

September 29, 2007