Perhaps you held off buying that new refrigerator, or didn't buy a new home altogether. Either way, that meant a bit less garbage on the way to the landfill. Multiply that frugality across several million people in the Tampa Bay area, and the down economy is having a direct impact on the flow of garbage to government dumps. ...more

March 19, 2009

The state of Florida wants to know why Pinellas County failed to alert state engineers about a construction mishap involving a bridge under construction. ...more

March 18, 2009

The state of Florida wants to know why Pinellas County failed to alert state engineers about a construction mishap involving a new bridge under construction. ...more

March 17, 2009

Pinellas County public works engineers expect a preliminary report soon on why 2,700 pounds of concrete chunks rained down from the new Belleair Causeway Bridge during a construction mishap February 6. ...more

March 16, 2009

A little more moisture will creep into the area through today as winds shift before a front arrives with a small rain chance later in the week, forecasters say. That moisture tonight will create some sea fog over the Gulf waters that could drift over coastal areas, mainly from Pinellas County north. ...more

March 15, 2009

Talk about locks of love. Evolutions Hair Design in Spring Hill will host a "Hair-a-thon" from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday to raise money for Joe Cascio, an assistant fire chief at the Hernando Beach Volunteer Fire Department who was injured in a car accident last month. ...more

March 14, 2009

The Legislature has another major headache beside a revenue shortfall on its hands during its 2009 regular session. Lawmakers are coming to more fully understand the enormity of the financial hole they and Gov. Charlie Crist have been digging for Florida taxpayers as they have tried to "protect" them from rate increases from "greedy" insurance companies. ...more

March 14, 2009

Local fire officials are sounding an alarm and warning residents about firms looking to dupe them into purchasing costly fire suppression systems they do not need. Palm Harbor Fire Rescue has recently been contacted by several people who have been talked into purchasing expensive hard-wired fire alarm systems, said Liz Monforti, spokeswoman for the community fire department. That is much more protection than a residence would require, she said. ...more

March 14, 2009

A Lakeland man accused of trying to kidnap his estranged wife at gunpoint this week was arrested today in Pinellas County, authorities say. ...more

March 12, 2009