The gifts have been opened, but don't toss out that Christmas tree into the trash, a Pasco County official says. ...more

December 30, 2009

Freedom High senior Joe Gazzillo has a sweet treat bound for troops deployed in Afghanistan. ...more

December 16, 2009

Freedom High senior Joe Gazzillo has a sweet treat bound for troops deployed in Afghanistan. ...more

December 14, 2009

Freedom High senior Joe Gazzillo has a sweet treat bound for troops deployed to Afghanistan. He has collected about 250 pounds of candy since Halloween to send to his cousin and other Marines in the war zone. Bags of snack-sized M&Ms, Almond Joy, Snickers and other assortments of candies poking out of plastic containers and boxes fill the foyer at the Gazzillo's suburban home. ...more

December 13, 2009

The pennies — some shiny, others worn or tarnished, arrived Wednesday by the bucketful, in bottles, jugs, bags and plastic containers — more than 2 million in all. ...more

March 18, 2009

In a rural North Florida town where the water tower bears the motto "Tiny but Proud," residents have a big secret: They give the cold, clear spring water that bubbles up from the aquifer below their soil to the nation's largest bottled-water company - for free. ...more

March 6, 2009

The global economic downturn that has touched so many areas of society now threatens romance. Valentine's Day approaches, the day when Cupid meets commerce, and even the poorest of paramours is expected to come up with a present. ...more

February 11, 2009

Pasco County officials are keeping a close eye on a pilot project by Accurate Waste Systems to expand curbside pickup of recyclable trash. ...more

January 22, 2009

Pasco County officials are keeping a close eye on a pilot project by Accurate Waste Systems to expand curbside pickup of recyclable trash. "I'd like to see all the haulers doing it," Commission Chairman Jack Mariano said about following Accurate Waste Systems' example. ...more

December 31, 2008

What's the secret to flaky pie crusts? Mine always seem to come out tough. With a standard recipe (1/3 cup shortening or lard to 1 cup flour, plus a pinch of salt for flavor), the secret is cold. Have the lard cold. Use just enough ice water to moisten the flour to stick it together, and then handle it as little as possible. If it won't be baked right away, keep it in the refrigerator. You don't want the shortening to melt into the flour at all until the crust is baking. The little balls of shortening covered with flour are flattened when the crust is rolled out, and when they are baked, they make the flakes of a tender, flaky crust. ...more

November 30, 2008