Pinellas County's tourism consultant said Wednesday that he thinks the nation already has entered a recession, although the effect on tourism might not be as bad as others think if the industry takes steps to promote itself aggressively. ...more

January 17, 2008

AVON PARK — The national economic disaster that was 2007 also whacked Highlands County's home building industry. According to figures released by Building Official S.Y. Moseley's office, the value of building permits dropped 30 percent last year. About twice as many single family homes were built two years ago, 1,156 in 2006 versus 563 building permits in 2007. It's affecting contractors and their subcontractors, said County Commissioner Don Bates: "There are a lot of guys who are looking for work, who are ready to go to work, and they're out of work." Because they're skilled tradesmen, some are taking lower wages than they were earning in good times, ...more

January 13, 2008

For the first time in its history Southwest Airlines announced a major seasonal change in schedules beginning May 10 that will add flights in growth markets - including Tampa - and trim flights elsewhere. ...more

January 9, 2008

Seniors and the disabled flocked to the pharmacy counter in 2006 with their new Medicare drug cards, fueling a 6.7 percent increase in health spending, the federal government reported Monday. ...more

January 8, 2008

Life in Florida has changed in ways many residents don't like. ...more

January 1, 2008

The latest mixed bag of news for retailers hails from cyberspace: holiday e-commerce sales were robust but showed their slowest-ever growth, industry analysts projected. ...more

December 31, 2007

Stop executions for a while and perhaps they can be stopped forever. That calculation has been part of the strategy of capital punishment opponents for decades. ...more

October 21, 2007

Economists have long warned that the world economy could not fly forever on the single engine of American demand. A one-engined plane is more likely to crash. ...more

October 10, 2007

Nearly eight weeks into the school year, a pilot program in south Hillsborough designed to eliminate late school buses and become more efficient has flopped in both regards. ...more

October 4, 2007

TAMPA - Nearly eight weeks into the school year, a pilot program in south Hillsborough designed to eliminate late school buses and become more efficient has flopped in both regards. ...more

October 3, 2007