A letter carrier reaching into a New Tampa mailbox was bitten by an eastern diamondback rattlesnake this morning, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. ...more

October 10, 2008

The state Supreme Court has refused to rehear the appeal of a man convicted in the 1998 murder of Vicki Robinson. ...more

September 24, 2008

The state Supreme Court on Thursday denied the appeal of a man convicted in the 1998 murder of Vicki Robinson, a killing in which he was aided by her 15-year-old daughter. ...more

June 6, 2008

TAMPA - The state Supreme Court today denied the appeal of a man convicted in the gruesome 1998 murder of Vicki Robinson, a killing in which he was aided by her daughter, who was 15 at the time. ...more

June 5, 2008

Better Off Under Bush Regarding "A Bad Comparison" (Letters, May 20): One of your readers asked if President Bush still had any credibility. I believe he does. ...more

May 22, 2008

Communities aren't always defined by boundaries. Often, they become known for events that bring together locals and residents from other areas eager to take a break from the routine rigors of life. ...more

May 18, 2008

Hank Kowalski's letter "Live and Let Live" is the most disgusting chain of thought I ever read. A dangerous rattlesnake that large is more important than a child, dog or cat. Yes, cats kill birds, but we should not mess with Mother Nature. If a large, dangerous snake appears anywhere near me, I will do exactly what the two heroes did and sleep well that night. ...more

February 14, 2008

All creatures, big and small share the world around us, trying to live in harmony with each other. Man, being the dominant "creature," at times takes liberty to kill without provocation, thus exerting his power over nature, while exhibiting the worst in man. An example of this dominance was reported recently in this newspaper, when two men used a combination of .22 caliber and .45 caliber guns to kill a rattlesnake found in a backyard. The snake, minding its own business, was probably seeking the warmth of the sun in order to reach "operating temperature." When approached and threatened by the humans, the snake assumed a defensive posture as it coiled and moved its head from side to side; saying in effect, "leave me alone, go away, I do not want to harm you." Unfortunately for the snake, the humans did not wish to admire this creature for its beauty and place in ecology, but wished to destroy this perceived threat to "children, dogs and cats that might be in the area." ...more

February 8, 2008

Jim Epley, who turned 74 last week, watched as his neighbor used a .22-caliber handgun to dispatch the Eastern diamondback. He knew it would take more firepower. He fetched his .44-caliber Magnum. Two shots later, the snake was dead, although it continued to squirm for hours. ...more

January 17, 2008

Paper recycling has come to town, thanks to a group of students at St. Anthony School. ...more

December 30, 2007