Republicans are up in arms about Gov. Crist's support of the stimulus package. Many are also surprised that the governor is contemplating a Senate run rather than standing for re-election. A possible reason for both relates to something I have pondered for some time: Florida should raise the sales tax by one cent, at least temporarily. The stimulus package, manna for our charmed governor, will likely enable Florida to balance its budget this year. But unless the economy improves significantly, next year we will be back to where we are now, cutting into the marrow of our already bare bones state programs. Perhaps the governor sees raising taxes in the near future as the only logical way to maintain the modest quality of life the state provides to its citizens, while understanding that, as a Republican, raising taxes would likely end his political career. The smart thing is to let someone else do it. ...more

February 14, 2009

Two of the top three land deals in Highlands County last year were groves sold to Premier Citrus, a company that has addresses in Vero Beach and Lake Placid. ...more

February 2, 2009

At this stage, lots of details are unknown about Spring Lake Improvement District's idea to buy the 36-hole Spring Lake Golf Resort. ...more

January 28, 2009

Can you see the similarity between President Obama's announcement to close Gitmo in one year and JFK's goal of having a man on the moon by the end of the decade? In both cases, neither could specifically say how it would be accomplished. They just had a sense that once they set an important goal and put the best in minds on achieving it, it would get done. Of course, they had preliminary discussions and studies and understood the main issues and possible solutions, but what they did, as executives, was set a goal, and expectation – a reasonable timetable. The Bush years will soon be viewed as an anomaly by the rest of the world, a brief period in our long history where we fell into the wrong hands, were overcome by fear, lost our moral compass and became decidedly un-American. ...more

January 27, 2009

The improvement district which operates Spring Lake is considering buying the 36-hole golf course. ...more

January 26, 2009

The following people were booked Friday, Jan. 16 through Monday, Jan. 19 into the Highlands County Jail: ...more

January 21, 2009

This letter is to Abie, the person who was disgusted with conservatives. I understand the frustration. Conservatives were extremely slow to realize that the Bush Administration was bad for America. In November, the majority finally opened their eyes, but why did it take so long? Because the GOP's leader Karl Rove knew he could "manipulate" conservatives with a constant stream of "fear" about gays, terrorists, immigration, environmentalists, Roe-Wade, religion and taxes. These extremists knew they could create enough smoke to keep the average conservative distracted from what was really going on in Washington. Conservatives failed to see the dismantling of the Bill of Rights, the industrial war machine's take over of our military and the almost daily immoral or illegal activities of their own party members. Yet, about 11 percent of the conservatives are still so extreme in their views that they never will see the truth. So Abie, don't fear the conservative, fear the extreme 11 percent who say "my party right or wrong." They are not good for America. Let's hope that the future proves "we the people" have learned our lesson. ...more

January 20, 2009

The following people were booked Friday, Jan. 9 through Sunday, Jan. 11 into the Highlands County Jail: ...more

January 14, 2009

A local man charged with battery and animal cruelty in reference to the beating of a Sebring woman and her pet pig was sentenced to 30 months in state prison on Monday. ...more

January 14, 2009

A local man charged with battery and animal cruelty in reference to the beating of a Sebring woman and her pet pig was sentenced to 30 months in state prison on Monday ...more

January 13, 2009