The wife of Vice President Joe Biden is in Miami to discuss higher education. ...more

March 6, 2009

Facing steep budget cuts and rising enrollment, many of Florida's community colleges are rallying behind an amendment on Tuesday's ballot that would allow counties to propose a sales tax increase to help the colleges raise funds. ...more

October 31, 2008

Facing steep budget cuts and rising enrollment, many of Florida's community colleges are rallying behind an amendment on the Nov. 4 ballot that would allow counties to propose a sales tax increase to help the colleges raise funds. ...more

October 17, 2008

Who is Ron Grimming? That was the question Highlands County residents asked, 10 months ago, when they learned that a man who had moved to Lake Placid in 2005 was running for sheriff. ...more

October 17, 2008

The Federal Aviation Administration is expanding a collegiate training program to meet its needs to train and hire an estimated 17,000 new air traffic controllers in the next 10 years. ...more

October 14, 2008

Two more Florida colleges have been selected to create a pool of prospective air traffic controllers as the Federal Aviation Administration anticipates the need to hire 17,000 new controllers in the next 10 years. ...more

October 13, 2008

Ron Grimming, 63, has three things in common with his opponent: he was a state trooper, he taught at Miami-Dade College, and he's spent 33 years as a career law enforcement officer. Grimming moved to Lake Placid three years ago. ...more

October 12, 2008

In response to Millie Grime's letter (Highlands Today Sept. 11) regarding the contributions to Mr. Grimming's campaign, I wish to share information regarding those contributions. First of all, if you check the records, Mr. Grimming has not received any contributions from Michigan. He has received contributions from Illinois. This is due to family support and the respect he earned from colleagues during his years with the Illinois State Police. During his tenure he rose through the ranks from a patrolman to become deputy director. ...more

September 14, 2008

Melissa Green's mother spoke Spanish, but she never learned - her father forbade it. Today, that's a frequent problem in this city where the English-speaking population is outnumbered. ...more

July 5, 2008

AVON PARK — Norm Stephens knows that in a recessionary economy, voters aren't likely to approve any suggestion of a tax increase. And in November, there will be nine ballot issues to confuse voters, including a one-cent sales tax which that would replace school property taxes. And furthermore, the 10-mill college property tax is No. 8 on the list, after the amendments prohibiting gay marriage and illegal aliens owning land. So its chances of passing may be small. But if voters approve in November, the Legislature would be required to allow the commissioners in Highlands, Hardee and DeSoto counties to hold a election which would generate property taxes to support South Florida Community College. "It's a four-step process," said Stephens, SFCC president. "It has to be approved by 60 percent of the voters in November. That allows the Legislature to develop rules. Then the counties can place it on the ballot, and the voters would have to approve again." ...more

June 8, 2008