SEBRING — Here are six things you probably don't know about Carl Cool, who is retiring from his post as Highlands County administrator after decades of service. ONE: Late-Night Lonely At about 1 a.m., Christy Reed, the director of Highlands County's recycling program, was in the loneliest, saddest place she could be. She was standing in a deserted hospital hallway and had just received the news from a nurse that her father had passed away. Reed said in the minutes after she learned that her father's long battle with illness had ended with his death, she felt more lonely than she thought a person could feel. "Suddenly," Reed said, "I turned and saw two people there, standing, waiting for me. One was Carl Cool, and the other was Claude Howerton (then a county commissioner)." Reed said both men gave her a hug and helped tremendously in easing the pain of that night. Howerton and Cool had driven to the hospital separately after getting phone calls reporting that Reed's father was close to passing away. Both men drove to the hospital and waited to see if they could give any comfort or help to Reed if her father did pass away. ...more

May 31, 2008

What's the difference between a spring practice and a spring game? ...more

May 29, 2008

The city has decided to close down its struggling bus system. City Manager David Sollenberger said he is terminating Strawberry Express at the end of next month at an annual savings of $182,500. ...more

May 28, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - Normally a first-year program has to endure the struggle of bringing along green athletes without the benefit of leadership. ...more

May 28, 2008

Between Monday and Thursday, an Orlando man at the Tampa Airport Marriott racked up room charges, honor bar fees, a bar tab at the hotel lounge, movie charges, phone bills and more. ...more

May 24, 2008

TAMPA - Between Monday and Thursday, an Orlando man at the Tampa Airport Marriott racked up room charges, honor bar fees, a bar tab at the hotel lounge, movies charges, phone bills and more. The problem was he wasn't a hotel guest, according to airport police. Raymond Theodore Terry Jr., 39, was arrested Thursday and charged with 10 counts of felony petty theft, four counts of defrauding an innkeeper, fraudulent use of personal information and forgery. ...more

May 23, 2008

Mayor Pam Iorio and other officials this morning visited Tampa Fire Rescue Station 14, at Neptune Street and Church Avenue in South Tampa, to tout the firehouse's new "Florida-friendly" landscaping. ...more

May 21, 2008

More than a third of the 22 people killed by a tornado that smashed parts of Oklahoma and Missouri over the weekend died in cars, troubling experts who say vehicles are one of the worst places to be during a twister. ...more

May 13, 2008