To say that David Miesch of Brooksville was upset when he received his property tax notice in the mail Tuesday is an understatement. ...more

August 21, 2008

New format prompts some confusion ...more

August 21, 2008

Dear Abby: I'm afraid my best friend's daughter, "Kami," may have Munchausen syndrome. People with this condition consciously fake the symptoms of a physical disorder. ...more

August 17, 2008

Starting Monday, the Hillsborough County Property Appraiser's Office will begin mailing out 506,000 property tax notices. ...more

August 15, 2008

In the Aug. 13 edition of Highlands Today, there was a serious error made in the reporting of the story concerning Sun 'n Lake, both in the article and its editorial. Mention was made about how our taxes would be higher if Highlands County took over the governing of Sun 'n Lake; nothing could be further from the truth. Property owners in Sun 'n Lake pay property taxes to the county, just like any property within the county. In fact, property taxes paid within Sun 'n Lake are much higher than much of the county due to property values being assessed on the high end. In addition, each property owner pays an additional Sun 'n Lake assessment of approximately $600 per year, over and above the county property taxes. ...more

August 14, 2008

I had to laugh at one part of Darrel Johnston's letter to the editor in Saturday's paper (Aug 2.) He said that the deputies he knows applaud Sheriff Benton's performance during her term in office. I know quite a number of deputies myself and that surely is not what I hear. While they are glad to have some upgraded equipment, they are aware that most of these upgrades have been given to deputies who are on the road. As parents of school children, they wish some of the money would be spent on those deputies and services which most closely affect the lives, safety and welfare of their children. They would like to see more neighborhood patrols, especially since many of them work at night and have to leave sleeping families to do so. It only takes a few trips down U.S. 27 to see where the law enforcement effort is concentrated. Speed is not the only problem we have in Highlands County. ...more

August 6, 2008

Woman pleads guilty and gets 10 year in prison for beating a kid in 2006 ...more

August 4, 2008

Andreas Wacker of Hudson says people should not worship the false god of money. ...more

July 30, 2008

In recent days, considerable attention has been given to the licensing of mortgage brokers in the state of Florida. This was prompted by an article appearing in the Miami Herald which implied that the Office of Financial Regulation has been lax in its issuance of mortgage brokers' licenses. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our office takes licensing very seriously. In fact, nearly 30 percent of all mortgage broker applications are not approved. Our office has procedures in place that allow for checks and balances which require each application to undergo a thorough review, insuring that all state requirements are adhered to in the issuance of the license. ...more

July 29, 2008

For me, the late '70s and early '80s were a period of major musical discoveries. With little more than Creem magazine and a couple of like-minded friends to guide me, it seemed that every week or two would bring a new, life-altering band into my life. ...more

July 25, 2008