Iraq's parliament Monday approved quotas guaranteeing minorities a handful of seats on the governing bodies of Iraqi provinces, an action that helps pave the way to regional elections but also angers Christians who had demanded greater representation. ...more

November 4, 2008

I am writing in answer to the publication by Wes Leigh on Oct. 17. Mr. Leigh didn't want to talk about gay marriage; instead he used a smokescreen, attempting to scare senior citizens into thinking that their benefits will be taken away if Amendment Two is passed, which is not true. The small bundle of rights the Domestic Partners Registries have will all be available by signing a Durable Power of Attorney. ...more

October 23, 2008

Tiger Woods, Olympian? Golf's major governing bodies stepped up its campaign to get the sport added to the Olympic program in 2016, naming former LPGA commissioner Ty Votaw to lead the effort. Votaw, now an executive vice president of the PGA Tour, will be loaned out from that post during the next 15 months to represent seven of the bigger hitters in the game: both the American and European tours, Royal & Ancient, LPGA, U.S. Golf Association, PGA of America and Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters. ...more

July 20, 2008

Normally there is a little pomp when you win a medal in the Olympics, but it wasn't that way with Calvin Smith - not in this circumstance. They told him to go to this table under the stadium in Seoul. They handed him a bronze medal for the men's 100-meter dash. ...more

June 29, 2008

A few years ago, when Harbour Island Inc. and assorted builders gradually turned over most of the community to its residents to govern, one thing was certain. ...more

June 25, 2008

We've all heard the phrase "no one is irreplaceable," and it's true. It's also true that some people carry so much institutional knowledge of an operation that while they may be replaceable, it's going to hurt. Sometimes the pain subsides quickly, and sometimes it lasts a long time, but either way, it hurts. When Sebring City Manager Bob Hoffman and Highlands County Administrator Carl Cool call it a career in a few weeks, we're losing important resources for one of our cities and county. The good news is that they are being replaced by extremely capable people, but the loss still is there. Hoffman and Cool have been on the job a long time around here. It's unusual for people in their professions to last so long in one place. Industry wide, city managers and county administrators often make enough enemies over the course of five years or so that they move on. The decisions they have to make ruffle feathers, no matter how well they do their jobs. It says a lot that they held their positions for so long. ...more

May 10, 2008

Don't Change Rules Now Regarding "Seat Half Of Democratic Delegates According To How Florida Voted" (Our Opinion, Feb. 17): ...more

February 23, 2008

Little shock value is left when professional or Olympic athletes are busted for using performance-enhancing drugs. That's too bad, because it should outrage us. More importantly, it should move professional sports to require more rigorous testing, and then put the money into the programs so drugs of all kinds can be detected. ...more

October 10, 2007

A developer's attorney has asked a special magistrate to clarify an order that directs the county commission to reconsider the Coyote Crossings project northwest of Coyote Road and Kitten Trail. ...more

October 1, 2007

A special magistrate has recommended that Pasco County commissioners reconsider a developer's request to build 14 houses northwest of Coyote Road and Kitten Trail. ...more

September 25, 2007