The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office has awarded a contract to American Traffic Solutions of Scottsdale, Ariz., to install and operate red-light cameras at 10 busy intersections. The contract, approved by a committee of seven sheriff's deputies and officers, pays the company $47,500 to operate the cameras and send out citations with photos of the red-light infractions to the offending cars' registered owners. The company will own the cameras and sensor devices that trigger the photographs, and the county will lease the equipment as part of the deal, Sgt. Rob Rodriguez said. ...more

January 20, 2009

TOWN 'N COUNTRY - The centerpiece of a project dreamed up eight years ago opened to the public on Dec. 3. ...more

January 7, 2009

Nebraska Avenue looks like a garbage dump. Drive the stretch between Sligh and Fowler and count the number of second-hand stores, used tire shops and just plain piles of junk for sale. The stores along Nebraska are allowed to store their items outside 24 hours a day, seven days a week; it is, in essence, a 365-day yard sale. ...more

January 2, 2009

Susan Mays bought a house more than two years ago and made it a homeless shelter for women and children, relying on faith that it would work out. Her faith is being tested as she tries to hold off foreclosure almost five months after losing her job and the income that helped support the Amen Outreach Ministry Shelter for Women and Children. ...more

December 31, 2008

With memories of the razing of the old Gary Adult High School still fresh, another historical landmark could be in jeopardy. ...more

December 19, 2008

With memories of the razing of the old Gary Adult High School still fresh, another historical landmark could be in jeopardy. ...more

December 18, 2008

In a column written by Howard Troxler, appearing Sunday, Dec. 7, in the St. Petersburg Times, it became clear just how much of an intrusion into citizen's private lives has reared its very ugly head. Why not expect this when illegal wiretapping of our people has gone unpunished? Kenneth City in Pinellas County attempted to pass what Troxler referred to as the "Mother of All Code Enforcement Ordinances." "The city would have the power to enter private homes to see that all was neat and tidy. If the homeowner refused entry, then the city could go to court and obtain something called an 'administrative search warrant.'" ...more

December 12, 2008

TOWN 'N COUNTRY - Michael Duncan walked into the children's wing at the new Town 'N Country Regional Library and gazed up and down at the shelves of books. ...more

December 10, 2008

Barbara Stewart, who recently began her second four-year term as a county commissioner and was elected chairman of the commission, will be the guest speaker at today's meeting of the Highlands County Homeowners Association. ...more

December 8, 2008

The centerpiece of a project dreamed up eight years ago opens to the public today. Town 'N Country Commons, an $11 million complex, includes a sprawling library, a senior center and a Head Start center. It's a big change from the old site, which housed Head Start in portables and the old West Gate Regional Library. The West Gate library, at 14,000 square feet, was torn down in May 2007 and temporarily moved to an office park on West Waters Avenue. The library closed in October to prepare for its permanent move. ...more

December 3, 2008