The season's crisp cold weather provides a break from the heat, but increases the fire danger due to the low humidity. ...more

December 29, 2009

Most people enjoyed the presents they opened yesterday, the rest are in exchange lines today. And don't forget that today is the first day of the after Christmas sales. Happy shopping. ...more

December 26, 2009

Janine Gordon hopes to open a bakery some day, so she admits she's a bit jealous of future Land O' Lakes High students who will be able to take full advantage of a culinary arts academy planned for the school. ...more

December 25, 2009

The bad news this Christmas continues to be a job shortage, but there is good reason to believe the worst is over. The economy is once again growing, sales of existing Florida homes were up last month, and most of the stimulus spending in the federal pipeline hasn't yet reached local job markets. ...more

December 24, 2009

LAND O' LAKES - Janine Gordon hopes to open a bakery some day, so she admits she's a bit envious of future Land O' Lakes High students who will be able to take full advantage of a culinary arts academy planned for the school. ...more

December 19, 2009

Gov. Charlie Crist signed Florida's passenger rail bill into law Wednesday in ceremonies in Tampa and three other cities while delivering the message that new rail equals thousands of new jobs. More than 150 Tampa Bay area elected officials, business people and transportation advocates turned out at a vacant lot just south of the intersection of Interstate 275 and Interstate 4, where a high-speed rail station is planned for a proposed Tampa-to-Orlando route. The bill will improve the state's chances at winning federal stimulus money for the high-speed rail line that could be built by 2014. It also will jump-start the $1.2 billion SunRail project planned for Central Florida, create a new statewide rail authority and dedicate additional state money to Tri-Rail, South Florida's faltering commuter line. The high-speed project could provide as many as 15,000 construction jobs beginning in 2011 if the Obama administration approves the state's $2.5 billion high-speed rail bid, state officials said in its federal stimulus application. "Jobs, jobs, jobs is what it's really all about," Crist said. ...more

December 17, 2009

Pasco County officials will seek $4.5 million in federal help this week in hopes of filling nearly three dozen firefighting jobs, the majority of them cut from the county budget Oct. 1. ...more

December 16, 2009

Gov. Charlie Crist is scheduled to sign Florida's rail legislation bill, which won legislative approval last week, at events Wednesday in Tampa, Tallahassee, Orlando and Fort Lauderdale. ...more

December 15, 2009

Trillion-dollar debacle As a federal employee I'm familiar with how the system works. We can choose from various health care companies and plans, and the government pays a portion of the premiums as a benefit. ...more

December 14, 2009

Walls are cracking, a building has sunk 2 inches, and the plumbing is old, but help could be on the way for Richey Elementary. ...more

December 13, 2009