In an upshot, if 2009 made us all a little poorer, it also made us all cleaner and more hygiene-oriented. It brought heartaches, joy and astonishment to Highlands County residents. It also brought closure to the family of a Florida Highway Patrol trooper ruthlessly killed while on duty. The economy continued to roil; residents endured not one but three anthrax hoaxes; ordinary residents prodded city hall into action in Venus and Sun 'n Lake, and swine flu got us all a little closer to sanitizers. ...more

January 1, 2010

The number of newly laid-off Americans signing up for unemployment benefits last week and those using this safety net over a longer period both plunged. The government figures released Thursday were clouded by difficulties adjusting for temporary shutdowns at auto plants. ...more

July 17, 2009

Among the alarming numbers from last year's economic downturn are the number of people who now need food stamps to put dinner on the table. ...more

February 6, 2009

General Motors Corp. said Friday that it will temporarily close 20 factories across North America and make sweeping cuts to its vehicle production as it tries to adjust to dramatically weaker automobile demand. ...more

December 13, 2008

General Motors Corp. said Friday it will temporarily close 20 factories across North America and make sweeping cuts to its vehicle production as it tries to adjust to dramatically weaker automobile demand. ...more

December 12, 2008

Some food vendors feel under assault from city zoning rules that are forcing mobile cart shutdowns. ...more

October 8, 2008

Growing up in Dallas, a restaurant hotbed, Ken Boyle always got the same career advice. ...more

August 5, 2008

Ships began crawling up the Mississippi River at New Orleans in a tightly controlled procession Friday, two days after a massive oil spill shut down a stretch of one of the nation's critical commercial arteries. ...more

July 26, 2008

DUNEDIN -- Dunedin, Tarpon Springs and Pinellas County called on residents to drastically limit use of reclaimed water to irrigate lawns so there is enough for everyone until the recent drought is but a memory. ...more

June 11, 2008

TARPON SPRINGS – There will be no reclaimed waste water available for watering lawns in Tarpon Springs until late tonight or even Thursday morning. ...more

June 4, 2008