State Sen Steve Wise, R-Jacksonville has quietly filed legislation that would change the way Florida schools teach Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. And though it has yet to have its first hearing, the bill has the science community is up in arms. ...more

March 27, 2009

Kristin Sluder wore rubber gloves and a serious look as she measured the nitrates in a water sample dipped from a drainage ditch along the northern edge of Werner Boyce Salt Springs State Park. ...more

January 28, 2009

The Highlands County Habitat for Humanity affiliate has filled a brand new position, hiring John Hawthorne as chief operating officer to oversee its finances, home construction and ReStore operations. ...more

December 12, 2008

Cheyenne Moore was looking forward to her mom Tracy's meeting her friends. ...more

October 8, 2008

In Hernando County schools, students learn about their bodies and the basics of reproduction in science class. ...more

September 14, 2008

Chris Steiglen was in science class when his cell phone went off. He quickly answered, but it was too late. His teacher confiscated the phone and his parents had to come to collect it. ...more

July 17, 2008

Chris Steiglen was in science class at Farnell Middle School last year when his cell phone went off. He quickly answered it, but it was too late. The phone was confiscated by the teacher and Steiglen's parents had to come after school to collect the phone. ...more

July 16, 2008

TOWN 'N COUNTRY - The scene: The lobby outside the Berkeley Preparatory School auditorium. Crime scene tape forms a square around an empty picture frame, toppled wineglasses, footprints and a mysterious telephone number. ...more

July 5, 2008

John F. Kennedy spoke these powerful words of wisdom that are enshrined in my home, "We have the power to make this the best generation in the history of mankind, or to make it the last." The United States of America now stands on the precipice of its most perilous predicament since the Great Depression. There are new dangers and numerous frightening parallels in contemporary America with those of the late 1920s. Unemployment is increasing at an alarming rate. The stock market is growing weaker. Banks and lending institutions are struggling to survive. The unhealthy speculation in the oil market by huge pension funds (and others) is similar to the more generalized speculation euphoria of the 1920s, which led to such a calamitous scenario. The dollar is weak against most of the major currencies of world. The cost of a protracted and unnecessary war in Iraq has directly resulted in an unconscionably huge national debt –– a debt of such obscene size that it will place an economic noose around the necks of American children and grandchildren. The unwillingness of our national leaders to aggressively pursue the development of alternative energy sources to replace the rapidly depleting supply of oil throughout the world places us further behind in our quest to become energy efficient and independent. (No, there is not enough oil in untapped oil fields in Alaska to supply our needs for 200 years. Anyone who truly believes such nonsense, in an environment of worldwide gas guzzling demand, needs to a revisit high school science class and college Economics 101.) ...more

June 12, 2008

TAMPA PALMS - Most area schools had a majority of their students pass this year's FCAT writing test, with eighth-graders bringing in some of the highest scores. The state Department of Education recently released 2008 Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test writing scores. Hillsborough County eighth-graders averaged the highest score in the state. The district earned a 4.6 combined score out of a possible 6. The state average was 4.2. In the Northeast area, the USF Charter School was the only school at which more than half of its students didn't earn a passing score on the test. But the school did see improvement this year, going from 41 percent of students passing in 2007 to 45 percent of students passing in 2008. ...more

May 8, 2008