NASA scrubbed space shuttle Endeavour's Saturday evening launch after lightning struck at least 11 times near the seaside launch pad. ...more

July 12, 2009

The city of Tarpon Springs' recent attempt to solicit proposals from firms interested in installing a security lighting system at Cycadia Cemetery met with disappointing results. Interim City Manager Mark LeCouris said the city received a letter of interest from only one firm. It suggested a lighting system costing approximately $162,000. It would have ringed the cemetery's perimeter and would not have been controlled by sensors. ...more

January 24, 2009

10 to 30 Number of main tunnel shafts thought to run under the Gaza-Egyptian border at any one time ...more

January 12, 2009

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is lulling coastal residents into a fatally false sense of security. That's because the scale's five single-digit categories distort the danger of an approaching tropical weather system. ...more

September 25, 2008

Hillsborough County Fire Rescue is responding to the area of Williams Park in Riverview after several residents complained of an odor that made them ill. ...more

August 10, 2008

TAMPA - It doesn't take much to ground the world's most sophisticated flying machine. ...more

December 9, 2007

Referring to the dozens of traffic lights in Sebring-Avon Park U.S. 27 area and north on U.S. 27, the use of sensors to prevent the running of red lights will create other problems: mainly motorists like myself will either continually slam on brakes on yellow to avoid a possible ticket or alternately drive at 20 mph in order to stop within the three seconds allowed on yellow before the red light. Almost all U.S. 27 lights change to yellow when I approach within 140 yards of them and three seconds is not enough time to make it through the red. As a retiree on a fixed pension, I cannot just work overtime to pay any traffic fine. A traffic ticket to seniors means no food for weeks to pay any fines or the loss of the car, and so no means to get food in. My solution is to drive very slow, in order to stop within three seconds, but unfortunately I must drive in the fast outside lanes to avoid transport trucks (most of them cannot stop and do not stop for these red lights) from crashing into my car at the rear, and most trucks travel the inside lanes. ...more

December 2, 2007

The man approached the wall and began to spray paint with abandon. ...more

November 22, 2007

A sign of the times came into a barber shop the other day. As I was getting my hair cut, the barber had read my column about how we are being overcome with non-English speaking immigrants, related to me about a happening a few days ago. This orange picker walked into the shop and knew just enough English to query how much for a haircut. He was told with sign language and 10 fingers it would be $10. He then held up five fingers and the barber shook his head no. The man then pointed to a sign that had the number 5:00 and looked for an answer. The sign was one that indicated the hours of operation 8:30-5:00. ...more

October 25, 2007