SEBRING A family of five is safe, but their home was destroyed by fire Saturday afternoon. After the fire department arrived about 1:20 p.m., Sonja Vasquez drove up, crying, holding an infant. Firemen were still inside her home, using long-handled pikes to pull down the ceiling in the kitchen and living room. Sebring Fire Chief Brad Batz said the small, three-bedroom, wood-frame house at the corner or Rainbow and Warfield would likely be a total loss. Clearly, neighbors estimated, Vasquez, her husband and three children wouldn't be able to go inside for hours, maybe not until Sunday morning. The fire started in the kitchen area, but Batz didn't think cooking was the cause. ...more

November 29, 2008

New county boss says budget demands it ...more

November 27, 2008

When he ran for county commissioner, James Adkins loudly proclaimed his stance as a fiscal conservative. ...more

November 27, 2008

A warning was given at the start of Wednesday's fire board meeting. ...more

November 13, 2008

City Council members got sticker shock this week when Fire Chief Keith Williams told them it would cost $1.3 million to repair and renovate the downtown fire station. ...more

November 12, 2008

Ready to meet public Thursday. ...more

November 12, 2008

Incoming County Commissioners James Adkins and John Druzbick say Thursday's three-and-a-half-hour orientation meeting will give them plenty of time to meet department heads and get up to speed on current issues. ...more

November 12, 2008

The very concept of a "crash tax" seemed repugnant a year ago. Then Amendment 1 passed, and city officials watched their tax revenues shrink by $400,000 this year. ...more

November 12, 2008

An early-morning fire in St. Petersburg displaced about 65 people from a three-story apartment building Sunday. ...more

November 10, 2008

About 65 people were displaced from a three-story apartment building in St. Petersburg this morning after a fire erupted in a nearby vacant building, fire officials said. ...more

November 9, 2008