AVON PARK — The sales office for Water's Edge at Lake Anoka was heavily damaged early Sunday, and the State Fire Marshall declared it the second arson in three days for the Avon Park area. The fire at 1200 S. Florida Avenue comes two days after a Friday morning blaze that struck the New Life Ministries at 25 S. Verona Ave. ...more

December 30, 2007

The reaction was swift from those who read to the end of last Sunday's column on the profound change in health care, as seen through the deaths of two dads. ...more

December 30, 2007

After 20 minutes, Jim Trent decided it was time to go in after his wife. ...more

December 18, 2007

His legs were cramping. For the first time this season, he couldn't go. He struggled from the field in New Orleans late in last Sunday's game. He was in the locker room getting an IV as the Bucs went for it on a crucial fourth-and-1. ...more

December 9, 2007

All you need to know about Florida State's 95-55 thumping of Maine on Saturday night is this: FSU junior walk-on Brian Hoff scored 15 consecutive points for the Seminoles late in the game. ...more

December 9, 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

SEBRING — When you live in Florida and love the water, swimming in competitive events is never out of season. The Highlands Hurricanes winter swim team made quite a splash in last Saturday's St. Petersburg Aquatics Morning at the Races event. Former Sebring High swimmer Sean Spiegel won the 50-yard freestyle event with a time of 20.91 seconds to qualify for the 2007 USA Short Course National Championships, which will be held next Wednesday at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Ga. "That's quite an accomplishment for Sean," said Hurricanes coach Marvin Wolfe. "His goal is to qualify for the Olympic Trials next June and he is working hard toward that goal." ...more

November 23, 2007

Tomorrow morning, Greg White no doubt will attend some meetings with his defensive teammates and maybe run though some final preparations for Sunday's game between the Bucs and Washington Redskins. It's just part of the weekly ritual this time of year in the National Football League. ...more

November 21, 2007

SEBRING — Yeah, yeah, yeah. Spring forward, fall back. We all get an extra hour of sleep. But some folks, like Richard Duvigneaud, would be more pleased if the federal government would just quit fooling around with the time. "Since you asked, I detest Daylight-Savings Time," said Duvigneaud, of Sebring. "It adds more time to peoples' evenings in summer, where it should stay. "The extension to daylight-savings time is ridiculous," he said. Starting in 2007, the federal Energy Policy Act extended DST a month, beginning on the second Sunday in March and ending on the first Sunday in November, instead of the last Sunday in October. ...more

November 3, 2007

Earlier this year, Martin Truex Jr. got his first NASCAR Nextel Cup win. Now he has his first pole, too. ...more

November 3, 2007