October 22, 2007

Robert Dammers' Carrollwood home is one of more than 98,000 inspected as part of the My Safe Florida Home program. It was also re-inspected during a quality-assurance review. There were 123 discrepancies between the two inspections, which are supposed to gauge how well a home would fare in a hurricane. 'I'm outraged,' he said. 'What is either of the reports worth? Which one do we believe?' ...more

October 14, 2007

For millions of Americans, it seemed as if the sky was falling. As the Soviet Union unleashed the power of an intercontinental ballistic missile, the United States suddenly felt vulnerable to a nuclear attack. Sputnik put Russian technology in orbit and altered the political momentum between two superpowers. Its most lasting legacy, however, may be how it energized America by forcing it to look up and reach out. ...more

October 1, 2007

Lewis F. Symmes III inherited Big Cockroach Mound from his father, who had inherited it from his father. Originally, the senior Symmes planned to use the shells from the mound to make roads. Asphalt foiled that plan. But the island, along with its shrub-shrouded artifacts and tall tales, has stayed in the family. ...more

September 16, 2007