For the first time since 1975, Patsy Brooks is no longer on the staff at the Florida Strawberry Festival. ...more

June 14, 2008

An estimated 250 to 260 jobs are being eliminated as part of a reduction in force by the Florida Communications Group, which oversees The Tampa Tribune, WFLA, Channel 8, and other local media properties, group President John Schueler said Wednesday. ...more

June 12, 2008

PLANT CITY Patsy Brooks, the longtime general manager of the Florida Strawberry Festival, retired Monday. ...more

June 6, 2008

PLANT CITY Patsy Brooks, the longtime general manager of the Florida Strawberry Festival, retired Monday. Brooks' festival career began 33 years ago as a secretary - one of only two full-time employees at the time. Two years later, she was promoted to assistant manager, a job she held for 18 years. She occupied the top slot for the past 13 years. ...more

June 6, 2008

Two Supreme Court rulings called for protecting employees who report discrimination ("Court Strengthens Work Bias Rules," Nation/World, May 28). This article said this decision is part of a trend of the court siding with workers this term. But this represents exceptions to this court's rulings. Usually, the court ignores workers' realities. ...more

June 4, 2008

AVON PARK – Wal–Mart has opened a temporary hiring center in Avon Park for the new Supercenter that is scheduled to open in August. The nation's largest retailer plans to employ approximately 350 people in the store, located at the corner of Shop 16 Road and U.S. 27. The hiring location, which opened Monday, is at 998 W. Main St., across from the Masonic Lodge. Its hours are 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 8 a.m. – noon Saturday and 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. ...more

June 3, 2008

I am writing in reference to an article in the Highlands Today, May 30: "The first chop of Highlands County's budget-cutting axe fell Thursday. It fell on the proverbial neck of Highlands County Sports Complex, manger Rocky Ellingsworth." This is an outrage! The Highlands County Commission all but promised citizens that the sports complex would be proactively managed, and that a manager would be responsible for keeping the operational costs of the sports complex to a minimum. Let me remind you that about 50 percent of all operational costs were to be recovered from user fees and recreational concession stand profits. While as a taxpayer, I feel that the sports complex was built with little community support, and with little support from taxpayers, the "powers that be" decided that it was a worthy project and spent the money anyway. Yes, a large grant paid for a majority of the construction project. ...more

June 2, 2008

Delta Air Lines is cutting at least 1,000 more jobs than it previously planned because the number of employees who accepted voluntary severance offers exceeded the company's goal. ...more

May 31, 2008

Growing up as a pastor's son in North Carolina, David Shelor never considered following in his father's footsteps. Instead, Shelor focused his efforts on pursuing a career in math and science. ...more

May 31, 2008

There are no easy solutions for the Rays when it comes to finding IF Willy Aybar a spot on the active roster, so they'll have to make a difficult call when he is activated from the disabled list. ...more

May 28, 2008