TALLAHASSEE Scheduling problems have slowed down talks between state officials and the Seminole Tribe about its gambling compact, a lawyer for the Seminoles says. Attorney Barry Richard of Tallahassee, who represents the tribe, told the Orlando Sentinel last month that he expected formal discussions between his client, Gov. Charlie Crist and lawmakers to take place after Thanksgiving. On Thursday, Richard said that absences and scheduling conflicts for key players have made it impossible so far to arrange those meetings right away. ...more

December 5, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - While the stock market has performed like Busch Gardens' SheiKra roller coaster, Pasco County's investment portfolio has offered all the thrills of a kiddie ride. ...more

November 30, 2008

State officials return to the Florida Environmental Regulation Commission next week to argue that Florida should adopt California's tough emission standards for cars and light trucks. ...more

November 29, 2008

The ambitious proposal for Florida to buy U.S. Sugar land could finally ensure the survival of the Everglades, the hydrological heart of South Florida. So the importance of the proposal can hardly be overstated. ...more

November 28, 2008

Math can be hard enough, but imagine the difficulty when a teacher is just one chapter ahead of the students. ...more

November 26, 2008

Pasco County will put $9 million into buying and rehabilitating homes in areas hard-hit by the banking and foreclosure crisis during the next four years. Another $6.5 million will go toward down payment help. ...more

November 26, 2008

U.S. Sugar Corp., the nation's largest producer of cane sugar, has agreed to sell its nearly 300 square miles of farmland to the state of Florida for Everglades restoration. ...more

November 25, 2008

State officials are taking steps to revoke the license of a nursing home here, maintaining it does not meet various standards of care. The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration has not issued a deadline for Long Term Care of St. Petersburg to close. But the agency has ordered the nursing home to begin evaluating patients at the facility, at 3479 54th Ave. N., to determine types of facilities suitable for their placement. ...more

November 25, 2008

Raytheon Corp. has begun cleaning groundwater pollution under its closed defense plant in St. Petersburg. ...more

November 21, 2008

Lawmakers are poised to close a loophole that led to troubled teens being abandoned at Nebraska hospitals, but they aren't stopping there. Instead, they're vowing to make sure families can get help in a crisis. ...more

November 21, 2008