SEBRING — Creating a smaller budget, due to reduced state funding, should not be done by eliminating teaching positions, School Board of Highlands County members said Tuesday. To provide time for more discussion, the board discussed tabling the reappointment roster – the listing of teachers and administrators who will have jobs with the district in 2008-09. But with the contract year ending June 30 and the next scheduled school board meeting on July 8, that would have left a gap where employees would not have a job. ...more

June 25, 2008

Caroll Spinney's slim but charming book, "The Wisdom of Big Bird (and the Dark Genius of Oscar the Grouch): Lessons from a Life in Feathers," published in 2003, is full of career advice even non-puppeteers can put to work. ...more

June 17, 2008

It's not often that a county clerk becomes the center of attention. ...more

June 15, 2008

NEW YORK - Continental Airlines Inc. said Thursday it is cutting 3,000 jobs and reducing capacity in the fourth quarter by 11 percent, citing record fuel costs and an industry in "crisis." ...more

June 5, 2008

Friday morning, I was in contact with a member of the county legal department to receive clarification on several incorrect items that have been floating around in the public concerning their salaries and benefits. In an article written in the Hernando Today this week, the salaries of the county attorneys, along with their support staff, included benefits. The way the article was written it gave the reader the impression their benefits were in addition to the stated salaries when, in fact, they were already included in the total, per individual. ...more

June 3, 2008

If you are not making a living here in Highlands County, blame your local elected official. My husband works for Cross Country, like about 500 others here in Highlands County. Prior to locating their business here in Highlands County, Cross Country's intentions were to pay more per hour than they are currently paying. Our wonderful local city councilmen at that time negotiated with Cross Country and they nixed the higher pay that Cross Country was going to offer their employees. The reason was the city councilmen were concerned that if Cross Country paid as much as they were intending to pay, local business would not be able to compete and Cross Country would depreciate the local employee pool making the low cost employee unavailable to our local businessmen. Their reasoning was that this would hurt the local businessman. ...more

May 19, 2008

The cost of providing health services is going up, and the Pasco County Health Department plans to raise fees to compensate. ...more

May 10, 2008

The Bucs already are courting several free agents, but Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel is ready to entice Tampa Bay. ...more

February 26, 2008

Just like that, cornerback has become an area of need for the Bucs this offseason. Brian Kelly is the reason. The longtime starting left corner quit on the Bucs on Feb. 15, buying his freedom for a reported $453,000. ...more

February 24, 2008

Increase in the homestead exemption will only help the rich who own $100,000-plus homes. Those who rent will lose. The retirees on low fixed incomes, most of whom live in retirement mobile home parks on rented lots, will lose greatly. They will end up paying double property taxes on their addition rooms, their porches and sheds even though they do not own the land. ...more

February 7, 2008