A middle of the night conference call brought a flood of emotions for a Bay area family waiting nearly 5 1/2 years to hear the voice of a loved one held captive in the jungles of Colombia. ...more

July 3, 2008

The walk the school district has suggested children take down Cain Road to the bus stop is long, narrow and flanked by drainage ditches. Neighbors in the Woodmont community off Gunn Highway are fighting the proposal, which is part of a broader plan the district has to reduce the number of bus stops countywide. The Hillsborough County school district is starting the second year of sweeping transportation changes designed to make the busing system more efficient. Officials introduced new bus routes and bus stops last year to southern Hillsborough. This year, they are looking at south and central Tampa and northwestern Hillsborough. John Franklin, general director of transportation, said the district has too many stops. The district wants eventually to have "universal" bus stops, where the bus goes to one location for elementary, middle, high school or school choice pickups. More than 90,000 children ride district buses daily. Franklin met with parents at Sickles, Chamberlain and Farnell recently to give an overview of the plan and let them find out if their children's stops would change. Barbara Boler, who has a son in middle school, didn't expect any surprises but learned her neighborhood would lose its four elementary and three middle and high school stops for one new stop at the corner of Gunn Highway and Cain Road. Her discovery wound up mobilizing neighbors who are afraid the new stop will endanger their children. They invited Franklin to come to see for himself, and he met with about a dozen parents in Woodmont Wednesday morning. ...more

June 4, 2008

Once, she was a basketball star, the all-time leading scorer in her county, a player so smooth and efficient that she earned a nickname - "The Dream." ...more

June 1, 2008

A sharply divided county panel handed the developers of a controversial Blanton Road subdivision a setback Thursday in the face of stiff opposition from neighboring residents. ...more

May 30, 2008

Parts I, II, and III of this story were published April 20, 27 and May 4. They are also available on www.highlandstoday.com. Gemma knocked on my door at nine the next morning. I barely recognized her. Her hair was shiny clean and curled softly around her face. She wore only a little makeup and a modest black dress with a white lace collar. Lisa stood beside her in a pretty pink dress, white socks, and black patent leather Mary-Janes that looked brand new. Her hair was combed and pinned back with pink bows, revealing two small hearing aids. "We have to look our best," Gemma announced, "so the lawyer will know I'm a good mother. My ex wants to take Lisa and send her to live with his mother, the old cow, on some farm in Virginia." She squeezed Lisa's hand. "He's bloody well not gonna get her." All the way to the base, Gemma kept up a steady stream of chatter. "My ex will be there, ya know. We ain't seen him in three months." She winked at me. "That was the last time he came sniffin' around. O' course, like a fool, I let him in. Even slept with the bastard, and now I think I'm preggers again." ...more

May 11, 2008

Karen Mateson recently approached the Career Central vehicle parked at Pasco-Hernando Community College with cautious curiosity. ...more

May 4, 2008

It took a slow real estate market to put a thrift store benefiting the Hope Children's Home in a highly desirable location on Fowler Avenue. ...more

May 3, 2008

Microsoft Corp.'s $41 billion takeover bid appears to have backed Yahoo Inc. into a corner, leaving the struggling Internet pioneer with the unpleasant choice of selling to a detested rival or pursuing other agonizing alternatives likely to require the help of an even fiercer foe, Google Inc. ...more

February 5, 2008

Jesuit used its strong defense to roll to the Class 5A-District 10 boys soccer championship Saturday afternoon. The Tigers defeated Plant 5-0 at Leto. ...more

January 27, 2008

AVON PARK — Water has been gushing out of a faulty water valve at the site of the old Walker Memorial Hospital for at least a month, creating a small, steady stream down U.S. 27's southbound curb near the Polk County line. Avon Park's Public Works Department, which supplies water to that area, has been aware of it for that long. But if it wasn't for the yellow tape surrounding what now resembles a small spring off the side of the highway, there would be no visible sign suggesting that they knew about the problem. ...more

January 16, 2008