Dunedin hopes it has your number when it comes to recycling outdated telephone books. ...more

July 5, 2008

In the late 1980s Pasco County was contemplating what to do with its swelling stream of solid waste. It could create a new landfill, what people once called a garbage dump. There was only one small problem. Actually it was a huge problem. No one wanted the landfill created anywhere near them. That definitely was a problem, because there was hardly any place a landfill might have been created that wasn't near someone. ...more

July 2, 2008

City residents don't have to throw their junk mail in the trash anymore. Now they can chuck it into their recycling bins. ...more

June 19, 2008

SEBRING — The purchase of the old Tampa Electric Co. power plant property is apparently off. "At this point," said Assistant City Manager Scott Noethlich, "nothing is happening." The city was interested in buying the Dinner Lake lot where the stream-driven plant sat until TRC America Inc. tore it down. More than a decade ago, said Andy Albritton, a mechanic there, the steam plant supplied power to the city. TRC America, which buys and demolishes power plants to sell the parts, finished removing the Dinner Lake plant in April. "It fits between the solid waste office and the city's fuel depot," Noethlich said. If the city ever wanted to expand either facility, the lot could have been useful. ...more

June 14, 2008

Care for children, the aged and the environment will get less money next year under a budget proposed Wednesday by Hillsborough County Administrator Pat Bean. ...more

June 5, 2008

TAMPA - Police charged a husband and wife with felony aggravated assault after each pointed a handgun at the other, affidavits state. ...more

June 3, 2008

SEBRING — Ramon Gavarrete, the Highlands County engineer, and Ken Wheeler, the county's director of solid waste, are the two finalists for the new position of director of the division of public works. County Administrator Carol and two citizens panels picked the five finalists for the public works and public safety division director jobs on Thursday, after interviewing more than two dozen candidates. Cool said he could not officially announce the names of the five finalists — three for public safety division director and only two for public works division director — until background checks for all five had been completed satisfactorily. ...more

February 17, 2008

TAMPA - Residents might soon pay more for trash collection as part of a plan to help balance the city's budget. ...more

February 13, 2008

SEBRING — It appears Highlands County will be taking in about $300,000 less than last year, according to calculations provided by Highlands County Budget Manager Tim Mechling. Voters decided Tuesday to cut their own property taxes, which will cost Highlands County an additional $4.7 million. At the school board office, Mike Averyt, director of business and operations, is estimating shortfalls of as high as $4 million. ...more

February 3, 2008

SEBRING — Highlands County is likely to snag nearly one-third of the $10.5 million that Gov. Charlie Crist convinced the Legislature to award in local-government grants for innovative recycling projects this fiscal year. One hundred and forty cities and counties applied for these grants, officially called the "Fiscal Year 2008-09 Innovative Recycling/Waste Reduction Grants." After reviewing all 140 applications, the state Department of Environmental Protection picked the top 33 projects based on merit. The Legislature has appropriated $10.56 million for this grant program for fiscal 2008-09, a reduction from the $12.4 million allocated for this program the year before. ...more

February 2, 2008