If there were armed guards aboard the Maersk Alabama on April 8, Mike Perry, a chief engineer for the ship who lives in Riverview, says pirates would never have boarded and his captain would never have been taken hostage. ...more

November 19, 2009

Former top executives at Blackwater Worldwide say the U.S. security contractor sent about $1 million to its Iraq office with the intention of paying off officials in the country who were angry about the fatal shootings of 17 civilians by Blackwater employees, The New York Times reported Tuesday. ...more

November 10, 2009

The fast-moving Conficker computer worm, a scourge of the Internet that has infected at least 3 million PCs, is set to spring to life in a new way on Wednesday - April Fools' Day. ...more

March 28, 2009

The sheriff's office is considering the partial privatization of security at the Hernando County courthouse and government center. ...more

March 19, 2009

Here's a shovel-ready stimulus project guaranteed to give the sluggish economy a swift kick in the pants: my own federally subsidized hot tub. ...more

March 1, 2009

A Gibsonton woman accused of stealing her 7-year-old daughter's identity to open a credit card account pleaded not guilty in Hillsborough County district court today. ...more

January 6, 2009

There's a new way to report organized animal fighting, and it could lead to a reward of up to $5,000. Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum announced the creation of a new tip line today. Tipsters can call 1-877-TIP-HSUS (1-877-847-4787) to report cruelty to animals. ...more

December 29, 2008

Two Tampa men pretended to be law enforcement agents in recent days, police and deputies say. ...more

October 6, 2008

A gun-control activist who, from Sarasota, championed the cause for more than a decade and served on the boards of two anti-violence organizations is suspected of working as a paid spy for the National Rifle Association. Now, those organizations are expelling her and sweeping their offices for bugs. ...more

August 7, 2008

Federal agents raided Blackwater Worldwide this week as part of an investigation into whether the private security company sidestepped federal laws prohibiting the private purchase of automatic assault rifles, the company said Thursday. ...more

June 27, 2008