SEBRING — Although funding will not be available for expansion of the Highlands County Jail in the next 10 years, a block of downtown Sebring could eventually by usurped by a detention facility. City Council members had their first look at the jail's plans for expansion at the Jan. 15 meeting during a discussion about the Sebring Parkway, but they had a hard time focusing on that topic and instead discussed the jail. The Board of County Commissioners has been handling the jail expansion process because administration of the sheriff's office is part of the county's responsibilities. City Council members said because the jail is in the heart of the downtown, they want to be involved in the process as well. "I think the city needs to be part of these discussions about the location and the expansion of the jail," said City Council member Jeff Carlson, who added that the jail is in the middle of the community redevelopment zone. ...more

January 22, 2008

Alan Crotzer is working at a landscaping company, hoping one day to be compensated for the 24 years he spent in prison for a rape he didn't commit. ...more

January 20, 2008

For the past few years, banks that issue credit cards have aggressively wooed affluent customers with lavish perks and fat credit lines. Now, that high-end strategy is coming back to bite the banks: There are growing signs some of those consumers are having a hard time paying their bills. ...more

January 15, 2008

AVON PARK — The Booker girls basketball team showed Avon Park a different face on Friday. One of defense and speed — a cat-like quickness and reflexes that blew past the host Red Devils in a 53-40 win that could be a precursor to the Class 4A-District 10 tournament. Booker's 2-3 defense battered the Avon Park guards around as if they were in a storm, forcing 32 turnovers during the game, which led to countless easy baskets for the Tornadoes. ...more

January 13, 2008

Jesuit senior Jake Seymour stood at the free-throw line with 9.1 seconds remaining in the game, accompanied by the deafening sound of hundreds of Tampa Catholic fans screaming at the top of their lungs trying to rattle the standout guard. ...more

January 5, 2008

Bucs Defense vs. Panthers QB Matt Moore Bucs defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin can make life miserable for a young quarterback. He'll throw looks at them that they've never seen before and change them up just before the snap. Then, on top of that, he trots players such as Derrick Brooks, Ronde Barber and Greg White out there play after play. Even veteran QBs have a hard time moving the ball against this defense, so Moore would seem to have a long day ahead of him. He's a smart quarterback who doesn't make a lot of bad decisions or throws, but he lacks experience and mobility and that's where he loses any edge he might have had in this matchup. Advantage: Bucs. ...more

December 30, 2007

TAMPA - Police charged a 23-year-old Tampa man with felony sexual battery Friday, saying he raped an intoxicated woman in Ybor City. ...more

December 14, 2007

The winter can be a hard time for staffing at small businesses: It's not just the holidays that thin employee ranks, it's also colds and the flu. Owners can cope by making it easier for staffers to telecommute and by having a pool of workers who can fill in. ...more

December 6, 2007

LAND O' LAKES - Just by watching Pasco wrestling coach Mark DeAugustino and Sunlake coach Rick Carlson without knowing the results of Saturday's Beef O'Brady's Swamp Challenge, one would've had a hard time knowing which team made it to the final and which team finished third. ...more

December 3, 2007

We're talking offense here. That game last week against Washington would have been over in the first quarter had the Bucs finished their scoring drives properly. Instead, the Skins were allowed to hang around, and the Bucs had to rely on their defense to save the day - again. Yes, this has been a problem all season for the Bucs. They come into this game ranked 24th in the league in red-zone offense, having scored 13 touchdowns in 29 red-zone opportunities, so finishing drives with field goals instead of touchdowns is not a new problem. The Bucs won't keep winning if this trend continues, so the offense has to do a better job of maximizing its scoring chances no matter how they're created. The defense will greatly appreciate it. ...more

December 1, 2007