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

The Hernando County School Board has some big decisions to make about transportation for children who live within two miles of school. ...more

January 26, 2008

The St. Petersburg City Council voted Thursday to crack down on panhandlers by expanding the downtown zone where begging is outlawed to include certain tourist attractions and areas around them. ...more

January 10, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - The city council voted today to crack down on panhandlers by expanding the downtown zone where begging is outlawed to include certain tourist attractions and areas around them. ...more

January 10, 2008

Resident safety is the reason behind proposed sidewalks at two locations in Carrollwood and one in Town 'N Country. ...more

October 15, 2007

Nearly eight weeks into the school year, a pilot program in south Hillsborough designed to eliminate late school buses and become more efficient has flopped in both regards. ...more

October 4, 2007

TAMPA - Nearly eight weeks into the school year, a pilot program in south Hillsborough designed to eliminate late school buses and become more efficient has flopped in both regards. ...more

October 3, 2007

The waist-high posts stand in front of homes and businesses along West Shore Boulevard like markers in a 10-mile slalom course from Port Tampa to Drew Park. ...more

September 29, 2007

Florida's landmark victory over the forces of Big Tobacco, secured by the vigorous efforts of Gov. Lawton Chiles and former Attorney General Bob Butterworth 10 years ago this month, has left an enduring legacy that has proudly protected a generation of our children from the lethal lure of cigarette smoking. ...more

September 25, 2007