TOWN 'N COUNTRY - Those responsible for a large dirt pile on a lot along Sheldon Road want to discuss their $500-a-day fines and seek more time to get the dirt moved, a county official says. ...more

May 31, 2008

TOWN 'N COUNTRY Those responsible for a large dirt pile on a lot along Sheldon Road want to discuss their $500-a-day fines and seek more time to get the dirt moved, a county official says. The parties will attend a code enforcement special magistrate hearing at 9 a.m. Monday on the second floor of the County Center, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd. On Wednesday an inspector went by the 3-acre lot at Sheldon Road and Cluster Avenue and reported that more than 50 percent of the dirt was gone, said Christa Hull, environmental supervisor for the county. The pile once stood eight stories tall. ...more

May 30, 2008

Russia tried to block Kosovo's independence during a closed-door emergency session of the U.N. Security Council on Sunday, saying it is deeply concerned about the safety of Serbs living in the territory. ...more

February 18, 2008

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission this week has an opportunity to ensure the revival of the state's badly depleted red snapper population. ...more

February 5, 2008

Federal regulators on Thursday approved the first cybersecurity standards for the nation's electric industry, following growing concerns about the power grid's vulnerabilities. ...more

January 18, 2008

Early voting for the Florida primary starts today. This election has important issues not just for registered Democrats and Republicans but also Independents. For partisan voters, from today until Jan. 29, is the opportunity to decide the party nominee for president. While registered Independents in Florida bypass that option, this year, they will have the chance –– like other voters –– to cast their ballot on whether the state should adopt property tax changes to address runaway ad valorem taxes. The property tax referendum seeks to double existing $25,000 homestead exemption for homes valued at more than $50,000 but only for non-school taxes. It also would let homeowners take their Save Our Homes benefits along with they move. Other provisions would give businesses a break on taxes they pay on equipment and other personal property, and put a 10 percent cap on annual assessment increases for non-homestead properties. The ballot provision is more far-reaching than just the doubling of the homestead exemption for some voters. If passed, homeowners will be able to use their existing 3 percent cap on the appraised value of their home, on a new house they might buy. There are also benefits for businesses along with a 10 percent cap on annual assessment increases for non-homestead properties, although average increases in taxable value of such homes have been less than 10 percent. ...more

January 14, 2008

The Second Amendment's provisions protecting the right to keep and bear arms apply only to the federal government, not the 50 states and the District of Columbia, lawyers for the nation's capital argued Friday in a written brief to the U.S. Supreme Court. ...more

January 5, 2008

Jan. 2: Gov. Charlie Crist announces Open Government initiative during inaugural address. ...more

November 24, 2007

With home foreclosures skyrocketing, the House on Thursday voted to crack down on mortgage lenders by forcing them to get licenses, making them responsible for discovering whether borrowers can really repay and fining them for steering people toward risky subprime loans. ...more

November 16, 2007

The state's new plan to cut property taxes offers a pittance of the savings homeowners would have realized under the original proposal. ...more

October 12, 2007