Shauna Moffitt will be required to reimburse Sumter County for the time she spent doing her husband's schoolwork, but she will not face any other discipline, Sumter County property appraiser Ronnie Hawkins said. ...more

January 7, 2008

At least for the weekend, Sangria's Spanish Tapas Bar and Restaurant will remain open. ...more

December 8, 2007

At least for the weekend, Sangria's Spanish Tapas Bar and Restaurant will remain open. Hours after landlord Tommy Ortiz packed up the restaurant's belongings in a U-Haul truck Friday morning, Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies demanded he return them to the property, 315 S. Howard Ave. ...more

December 7, 2007

A man described as a "classic drug dealer" was sentenced to 20 years in prison during court proceedings Thursday. ...more

December 7, 2007

Mission Destined To Fail Regarding "Judge Targets Terrorism With Mideast Trip" (Metro, Nov. 29): ...more

December 3, 2007

TAMPA - A circuit court judge has dismissed a temporary restraining order against a Tampa police officer, citing insufficient evidence, court records show. ...more

November 1, 2007

The Florida Legislature was called to special session this past week to deal with several pressing issues. Of immediate concern is the necessity to revisit the language of the proposed Tax Reform Amendment, originally slated to be on the ballot for the Jan. 29, 2008 presidential primary election. A circuit court judge has ruled that the amendment's language is "unconstitutionally vague and confusing." Most voters now concede that the proposed amendment's wording and intention is at best difficult to understand. ...more

October 10, 2007

SEBRING — When it comes to property tax relief, which the Legislature has promised but not fully provided yet, the state's county property appraisers are giving the lawmakers two bits of advice. First, simple is much better than complicated. And second, a universal tax break is better than knocking taxes down for some types of property but not for others. Highlands County Property Appraiser Raymond McIntyre said those two points are the foundation of the proposal which the Property Appraisers Association of Florida is passing on to the Legislature. McIntyre, recently elected president of the appraisers association, said the group is calling for a five percent per year reduction in assessed tax value on all property for the next five years. ...more

October 9, 2007

A buyer of two condominium units in the stalled Trump Tower Tampa may soon get its deposits back - all because the developer failed to respond to its lawsuit. ...more

September 28, 2007

SEBRING — The ruling of a circuit court judge has removed the property tax relief proposal from the Jan. 29 ballot, but the Legislature has time to reverse that action. ...more

September 26, 2007