In a recent Tribune article concerning the "restriction" of the river's crew art, Riverwalk development manager Lee Hoffman, whose distaste for the display is apparent, asks how we want to present our city to the public. He misses the mark if he believes that a sterile, run-of-the-mill riverfront will charm the masses. In the end, it is the human element that breathes life into a city. ...more

October 22, 2009

Bans on using state dollars for university embryonic stem cell research and student trips to Cuba and other terrorist-linked countries will not be in Florida's budget. ...more

May 3, 2009

Once a week lawn watering will continue through June 30. ...more

February 25, 2009

Private pilots will not be getting a sneak peek over the Super Bowl. Local and federal authorities today announced a strict no-fly zone above and around Raymond James Stadium on Sunday. ...more

January 28, 2009

Our condominium documents clearly state that no pickup trucks or motorcycles are allowed. Our board recently changed the rules, saying that pickup trucks and motorcycles are allowed. ...more

December 21, 2008

TAMPA -- Water regulators today loosened restrictions on replacing lawns, allowing people to water grass plugs or new sod daily for the first 15 days and three days a week for the following 15. The decision by the Southwest Florida Water Management District's governing board relaxes a restriction imposed in October that banned residents in Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties from replacing their lawns. ...more

December 16, 2008

New rules imposed Tuesday that essentially bar homeowners from replacing sod on their lawns come at the best time of year to put in new sod, when the grass would require less water than in the summer. ...more

November 19, 2008

Despite tight budgets, county commissioners recently decided to pay $198,000 to extend a program another year to help mentally ill people who might otherwise wind up in jails. ...more

November 9, 2008

Selecting judges is no easy task. The candidates are often unfamiliar to voters and judicial canons prevent them from addressing specific issues. The restriction is frustrating, though appropriate. Judges must execute the law without bias or agenda. The bench is no place for political grandstanding. ...more

August 4, 2008

No one likes them. And no one wants to be accused of defending them. But state Sen. Dave Aronberg figured that even the most vilified members of society shouldn't be living under bridges, as a group of Miami sex offenders was doing last year because strict local laws eliminated almost all housing options for them. ...more

May 12, 2008