Snouts are already popping up in the waters near Tampa Electric Co.'s Manatee Observation Center as winter approaches. ...more

November 25, 2009

Florida wildlife officials are urging boaters to be on the lookout for manatees that are migrating to warmer waters for the winter. ...more

November 17, 2009

For a creature that might weigh more than a ton, manatees can be surprisingly hard to see. They often travel just below the surface, and the only thing that shows above is the tip of their nose as they raise their head to breathe, a mouse-sized patch of skin and whiskers that's very difficult to spot from a fast-moving powerboat. ...more

December 7, 2008

A series of cold fronts has made for some difficult fishing on Tampa Bay's South Shore flats. Water temperature is now at 65 degrees - the point where snook stop actively feeding, and other species slow down. ...more

December 3, 2008

Florida State assistant coach Jody Allen knew the first time he saw C.J. Spiller during a Union County High practice that this was a player the Seminoles wanted. Spiller was in the 10th grade then. ...more

November 8, 2008

MANATEE COUNTY - Four drivers had speeding tickets thrown out this week after a judge agreed with their lawsuit that said a school zone on State Road 70 in East Manatee was improperly labeled and had become a "speed trap." ...more

September 25, 2008

The strong winds that have plagued anglers for weeks abated in early November. I finally got a chance to put the boat in the water without a small-craft warning in effect. In fact, I was surprised to step outside one morning last week and find it dead flat calm. ...more

November 14, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG - The attorney representing Steve Swindal, the former general partner for the New York Yankees, this afternoon entered a plea of no contest on his behalf to charges that he was driving drunk on the streets of St. Petersburg in February. ...more

November 1, 2007

A task force assembled to discuss a pole-or-troll zone for Cockroach Bay agreed last week to seek state guidance on four options that would give boaters quick access to the area but also might reduce damage to seagrass beds. ...more

October 27, 2007