Sep 8, 2010 6:01 pm
ENGLEWOOD — The Lemon Bay Conservancy announced Wednesday it has purchased the former Wildflower Golf Course, ending speculation about the future of the 80-acre parcel on Placida Road in Cape Haze. read more. . .
Sep 8, 2010 11:39 am
A key witness in a Charlotte County homicide spent the night in Sarasota County jail this weekend and walked away without being questioned, despite the fact the prosecutors have been trying to find him for weeks. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 10:42 pm
The leader of a small Florida church that espouses anti-Islam philosophy said Wednesday he was determined to burn copies of the Quran on Sept. 11, despite pressure from the White House, religious leaders and others to call it off. read more. . .
Sep 8, 2010 11:09 am
Tropical Storm Igor is growing a bit stronger in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa near the Cape Verde Islands. Forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center say winds for the ninth named storm of the season were at about 45 mph Wednesday afternoon. read more. . .
Sep 8, 2010 4:56 pm
An armed robbery at a Fort Myers McDonald's left a suspect and a police dog dead. Police say a drive-thru customer called 911 Tuesday evening after seeing two men holding up the store. read more. . .
Sep 8, 2010 2:45 pm
Former Punta Gorda City Councilman Hugh C. “Sandy MacGibbon was found dead in his home Tuesday afternoon from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot, police reported. read more. . .
Sep 8, 2010 3:15 pm
Calling her "a Lindsay Lohan wannabe," a judge has fined "Jersey Shore" star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi $500 and ordered her to perform community service after she pleaded guilty to disturbing others on a New Jersey beach in July. read more. . .
Sep 8, 2010 11:01 am
The FBI on Wednesday was trying to determine whether a passenger staged a bomb hoax that prompted a search of a Thai Airways jetliner at Los Angeles International Airport. read more. . .
Sep 8, 2010 6:01 am
Investigators do not suspect foul play in the death of a 71-year-old Port Charlotte man who was found in his home Tuesday evening. Charlotte County sheriff's detectives have identified the man as Edward G. Lalumiere. read more. . .
Sep 8, 2010 1:00 pm
Wind-whipped flames swept through at least three Detroit neighborhoods, destroying dozens of homes, including many that were vacant, officials said. A thick odor of smoke filled the air Wednesday after the roaring fires, fanned by winds of up to 50 mph, jumped from house to house Tuesday night. No injuries were reported. read more. . .
Sep 8, 2010 12:08 pm
Charlotte County inmates removed about 11,000 pounds of trash from four abandoned homeless camps during the weekend, According to the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, the camps were in the same area off U.S. 41 in northeast Port Charlotte where inmates cleared 25,000 pounds of garbage from five separate camps last month. read more. . .
Sep 8, 2010 10:24 am
An Orlando mother was arrested after disembarking from a cruise ship, mistaken for a suspected prostitute wanted in central Florida. read more. . .
Sep 8, 2010 10:53 am
Most of the country will see a colder-than-usual winter while summer and spring will be relatively cool and dry, according to the time-honored, complex calculations of the "Old Farmer's Almanac." read more. . .
Sep 8, 2010 8:33 am
In an internal report released Wednesday, BP blames itself, other companies' workers and a complex series of failures for the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill and the drilling rig explosion that preceded it. read more. . .
Sep 8, 2010 10:20 am
Thursday's op-ed piece by Cynthia Tucker serves to show that religious bigotry is alive and well. At least locally, the Herald-Tribune chose to headline her column with "Beck's religion card." In her own paper (the Atlanta Journal-Constitution), it read: "Southern Baptists say Beck is no Christian, either." read more. . .
Sep 8, 2010 10:18 am
In the recent article "A Show of Faith ...," I was upset to read about plans by a Gainesville pastor, Terry Jones, to burn Qurans on 9/11. Does this mean he agrees with China's treatment of Christians and burning of Bibles in that country? Stay home, Terry, and study the "word." You don't want to teach others the way to hell. read more. . .
Sep 8, 2010 10:17 am
I read the article in Monday's newspaper, about the long-forgotten housing cases, with a sense of almost disbelief. I am the person delegated in my deed-restricted community of 500-plus homeowners to try to enforce those restrictions for the past two years, and I have seen too many homes deserted and becoming more and more neglected as the months... read more. . .
Sep 8, 2010 10:16 am
It's a great accomplishment that Mr. Mikel Hollaway is now the chief of police for the city of Sarasota Police Department. This is a historic moment for the city. As your article mentioned, Hollaway is the first African-American to hold this position in the history of the Sarasota Police Department. This is great for the city and is great for all... read more. . .
Sep 8, 2010 10:15 am
While voters slept, Bradenton Mayor Wayne Poston and the City Council members elected themselves to another year in office, allegedly to save election costs by moving city elections to even-numbered years. I suggest that Poston and the City Council members be given lifetime appointments and thus we can do away with costly elections... read more. . .
Sep 8, 2010 6:43 am
A lawsuit challenging the Legislature's proposed state constitutional amendment to loosen class size limits is getting its day in court. A judge was going to hear the case Wednesday in Tallahassee. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 6:21 pm
NASA says two small asteroids discovered just days ago will zip harmlessly past Earth today, a double flyby that should be visible through a telescope. read more. . .
Sep 8, 2010 6:35 am
A massive toilet flush is set to take place at the new arena of the NBA's Orlando Magic. The event Wednesday will test the Amway Center's sewer flows, water consumption and pressure. About 443 toilets will be flushed simultaneously. read more. . .
Sep 8, 2010 6:32 am
Authorities blew up a stuffed pony — determined to be a "suspicious device" — after it was found outside a central Florida school. The Orange County Sheriff's Office reports that the toy was found near the Waterbridge Elementary School Tuesday morning. read more. . .
Sep 8, 2010 5:44 am
Police have identified a woman found dead in a home on Dixie Avenue over the weekend. The decomposing body of Melinda Joyce Judkins, 35, was discovered by Sarasota police officers on Sunday. Neighbors called for help about an odor that came from the vacant home. Judkins' was found in a bedroom. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 11:26 pm
Robbery suspect Harry Bell was shot following a car chase that started in South County and ended on Clark Road in Sarasota. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 11:46 pm
Authorities on Tuesday were looking for a man who robbed a bank on the U.S. 41 bypass at about 4 p.m. The robber hit the Wachovia Bank at 1301 U.S. 41 Bypass S., then hopped a fence behind the building and ran away, according to a Sheriff's Office report. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 11:39 pm
Sarasota will be at the heart of Florida politics Saturday -- at least for Republicans. Senate candidate Marco Rubio, gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott and Scott's new running mate, state Rep. Jennifer Carroll, R-Jacksonville, lead a GOP unity rally and barbecue at Robarts Arena at the Sarasota County Fairgrounds. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 9:35 pm
Clyde Butcher, a barrel of a man with a great white beard, earned a big reputation in nature photography by using large-format cameras to create panoramic images of the Everglades. Now he is going small. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 11:20 pm
Gov. Charlie Crist, visiting Moffitt Cancer Center Tuesday, renewed his support for embryonic stem cell research, even though he declined to act on the issue as governor. Crist, running as an independent candidate for U.S. Senate, also sought to highlight the benefits of the federal economic stimulus package during the visit. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 11:18 pm
JACKSONVILLE Shopkeeper said to have shot man A Jacksonville shopkeeper is alleged to have chased down and shot a customer he wrongly believed stole a DVD. David Nathaniel Hamilton Jr. was arrested on aggravated assault charges after the Sunday night shooting. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 11:12 pm
The Manatee County School District is on track to grow by more than 400 students, according to school counts made Friday. District planners estimate enrollment at the district will rise to 42,700, up from 42,283 last year. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 11:02 pm
Tropical Storm Hermine began to lose its punch as it pushed north Tuesday, after causing landslides in northeast Mexico and leaving one Texas town almost entirely without power. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 11:01 pm
Less than a couple months after Nick Curtin opened a pharmacy in suburban Tulsa in 2008, the store was burglarized twice in one week. And just last year, a masked man robbed him at gunpoint, making off with 1,800 pills. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 10:59 pm
David Myers knew it was time to leave when he looked out into the forest and spotted bright red flames towering skyward. Then came a blinding cloud of smoke and a deafening roar as the fire ripped through the wilderness. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 10:38 pm
The midterm elections are being closely watched to determine whether Republicans will have a majority in Congress for the next two years. But it is the outcome of a lower-profile battle over state legislatures that could strengthen the Republican Party for a decade. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 10:31 pm
The Tampa Bay Rays hit five home runs to support David Price’s strong six-inning performance and beat the Boston Red Sox 14-5 on Tuesday night to gain a game in the AL East race. The Rays broke a three-game losing streak and cut the Yankees’ division lead to 11/2 games. New York lost 6-2 to Baltimore. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 10:29 pm
President Barack Obama today will rule out any compromise that would extend the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy beyond this year, officials said, adding a populist twist to an election-season economic package that is otherwise designed to entice support from big businesses and their Republican allies. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 10:20 pm
MARAUDERS 5, STONE CRABS 0 GAME SUMMARY: BRADENTON -- Bradenton broke open a scoreless game with four runs in the seventh inning to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-3 Florida State League South Division playoffs in front of 681 fans Tuesday night at McKechnie Field. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 10:16 pm
The Venice High volleyball team tuned up for tonight's big match with a 25-14, 25-12, 25-18 victory over Fort Myers Riverdale (2-1) on Tuesday at the Indians gym. Payton Herschberger led with 14 kills. Autumn Duyn added 12 kills. Kelly McManus chipped in with 16 digs. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 10:08 pm
Using a machine kept colder than space, scientists at the world's most ambitious international research facility are puzzling out the questions of the universe, working to re-create the cosmic soup served up by the Big Bang. But the famous institute is also facing a far more earthly conundrum: how to pay the bills. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 10:01 pm
Government scientists studying the BP disaster are reporting good news: Microbes are consuming the oil in the Gulf of Mexico without depleting oxygen in the water and creating dead zones where fish cannot survive. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 10:01 pm
A federal judge Tuesday denied a motion to lift an injunction he issued two weeks ago barring the government from funding research involving human embryonic stem cells. U.S. Chief District Judge Royce Lamberth rejected a request by the Obama administration to lift the temporary injunction he had issued pending an appeal of the decision. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 10:01 pm
Venus Williams is back in a Grand Slam semifinal. The year will end without an American man being able to make the same claim. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 9:58 pm
Not so long ago, teenagers in trouble got grounded. They lost their evenings out, maybe the keys to the family car. But lately, the art of family discipline has begun to reflect our digital age. Now parents seize cell phones, shut down Facebook pages, pull the plug on PlayStation. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 9:49 pm
There are problems within the Venice Police Department. Let's admit it and address them. The latest revelation that something is wrong came last week when officer Demitri Serianni filed a complaint in federal court asking for more than $75,000 in damages, attorney fees and interest. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 9:49 pm
Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, who has presided over the nation's third-largest city for 21 years, said Tuesday he will not run for a seventh term, saying the time "just feels right." Daley, 68, said he had been thinking about not running for several months and became comfortable with his decision over the last several weeks. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 9:46 pm
Robert de Warren, who was the head of the Sarasota Ballet for 13 years, has teamed with the Sarasota Opera and a principal dancer for the American Ballet Theater to form a new festival for promising young dancers. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 9:43 pm
An Iraqi soldier fired a barrage of bullets at U.S. troops protecting one of their commanders during a visit to an Iraqi army base Tuesday and killed two of them, the first U.S. servicemen to die since President Barack Obama declared an end to combat operations in the country last week. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 9:43 pm
The United Nations on Tuesday reported more than 500 systematic rapes were committed by armed combatants in eastern Congo since late July -- more than double the number previously reported. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 9:43 pm
Tiger Woods was a no-brainer as a captain's pick for the Ryder Cup. Rickie Fowler? That required a little more than deep thought. "It just came down to feelings," captain Corey Pavin said. "I had a gut feeling about Rickie." read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 9:43 pm
The European Union on Tuesday condemned the stoning to death sentence passed against an Iranian woman convicted for adultery, saying it was "barbaric." In his first State of the Union address to the European parliament in Strasbourg, France, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said he was "appalled" by the news of the... read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 9:24 pm
Despite advertising a potential 29 percent property tax rate increase for the 2010-11 budget, the City Council voted Tuesday to keep the rate flat. The decision marks a continuation of a decade-long streak of either lowering or maintaining the tax rate. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 9:17 pm
James Baldwin's passionate hope for a better America, a United States that he can believe in and that believes in a brilliant black person, comes through in each piece of this disparate collection. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 9:17 pm
Yahoo! Sports reported Tuesday that 2005 Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush is expected to be stripped of the award by the end of the month The former Southern Cal running back would become the first player in the 75-year history of the award to have the Heisman Trophy taken away. The report also said the award would be left vacant for '05. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 9:17 pm
Reason to watch "Hellcats": Teenage sensation Alyson "Aly" Michalka What it's about: Marti Perkins (Michalka) is a student at fictional Lancer University in Memphis, when she loses her scholarship and is forced to try out for the cheerleading squad to earn a new scholarship. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 9:11 pm
T.J. Houshmandzadeh is embracing his change of scenery with the Baltimore Ravens after officially signing his one-year, $855,000 contract Tuesday. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 9:10 pm
This is the home of the Dolphin Expressway, the Dolphin Mall, the Dolphin Bar & Lounge, Dolphin Termite Services, Dolphin Used Auto Parts and Dolphin Bail Bonds. That's the way it has been in Miami for decades: Dolphins, Dolphins, Dolphins. No more. Now it's LeBron, LeBron, LeBron. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 9:06 pm
Josh Freeman's thumb apparently passed the first hurdle to start Sunday's season opener. He was able to take a quarterback-center exchange Tuesday in his first practice since he broke a bone in his thumb in a preseason game on Aug. 21 against the Kansas City Chiefs. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 8:54 pm
A three-judge panel that reversed a first-degree murder conviction on Tuesday asked state Supreme Court justices to take another look at non-premeditated killings that result from a single act of child abuse. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 8:50 pm
A lawyer for a Christian convert who ran away from her parents says the now-18-year-old woman has gained permanent U.S. residency after living in Ohio as an illegal immigrant. A lawyer for Rifqa Bary said Tuesday the Sri Lanka native can now start applying for a driver's license, Medicaid coverage and college scholarships. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 8:22 pm
The Federal Aviation Administration has dismissed an airport operator's two-year complaint against the city for denying it permits to build new hangars. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 8:18 pm
It's such a badly kept secret that it's not even a secret anymore. The Indy Racing League envisions crowning its 2011 champion at Las Vegas. And when the schedule comes out Friday, IndyCar drivers expect to see those plans become reality. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 7:51 pm
Jim Tressel shuns the past -- even when it involves perhaps the greatest night of his coaching career. Presented with a question on Tuesday about Ohio State's thrilling victory over Miami in the 2002 national championship game, Tressel sounded about as excited as a man shuffling off to dental surgery. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 7:51 pm
Compiled by staff writers Dennis Maffezzoli and Jody Royce and correspondents Jim Brockman, Chris Dell and Donnie Wilkie. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 7:46 pm
Carlson Studio Architecture of Sarasota won first place in the LEED for Homes category at the U.S. Green Building Council-South Florida chapter's GALA Verde competition last month in Fort Lauderdale. President Michael Carlson accepted the award for the firm's 2009 HGTV Green Home, in Port St. Lucie. The four-bedroom, three-bath home features... read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 7:44 pm Casey's General Stores Inc. -- The convenience store operator, which is fending off a hostile takeover bid, said its fiscal first-quarter profit fell 16 percent on fees related to evaluating the takeover offer and higher operating expenses. Its revenue rose 14 percent. Casey's reported net income of $37.3 million, or 73 cents per share, for... read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 7:30 pm
The financial fear in this country is palatable. I know I feel it. When someone asks me, "How are you doing?" my answer is typically, "I have a job." read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 7:24 pm
Renewed worries over Europe's banking system sent investors into Treasurys on Tuesday, helping the government nab a record low interest rate in its sale of three-year notes. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 7:06 pm
WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is trying to jump-start its sputtering attempts to tackle the foreclosure crisis with an effort to help homeowners who owe more on their properties than they are worth. The Federal Housing Administration will permit lenders to give these borrowers refinanced loans backed by the government. The lenders will be... read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 6:58 pm
A fascination for Kenyan wildlife was Kathleen Evans' original motive to visit Africa, but volunteerism became the reason she went and why she continues to help the country from home. Evans and her husband, Gordy, will host an Eat So They Can Taste of Africa Dinner from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 17 at the Southgate Community Center. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 6:50 pm
Because of Amber Young's retail sales job on a schedule she described as "crazy hours," the single mother of three depends on after-school care for her children. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 5:18 pm
For all the contemporary rhetoric about respecting the Constitution, a majority of Florida's Legislature disrespected the state constitution by proposing three flawed amendments. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 4:52 pm
Let us begin a national Labor Day vacation of one week for workers of all organizations (business, federal, state, municipal and nonprofits) to be spent throughout the year. This will sop up persistent unemployment and could be expanded a week at a time to coincide with other great holidays. James G. Murphy Venice read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 4:50 pm
These days women get more bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees than men do. And yet many women don't feel up to the task of educating their own children. Never mind that we live in a country where women are brain surgeons, rocket scientists, CEOs and presidential candidates. Schooling is best left to professional educators, moms have been... read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 3:58 pm
Last Wednesday, a man named James Lee entered the headquarters of the Discovery Channel with explosives strapped to his body, took three hostages at gunpoint, and waited for his demands to be met. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 3:58 pm
A mistake has been made in the Oval Office makeover that goes beyond the beige. President Barack Obama's new presidential rug seemed beyond reproach, with quotations from Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. woven along its curved edge. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 11:03 am
Is there anything a BLT can't inspire? I've turned it into a pasta dish. I've made it into a jam. I've done it as a salad. Even as a soup. And now... I give you the BLT frittata. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 10:51 am
Located at the back end of the Brickyard Plaza on U.S. Bypass South in Venice, the Lazy Greek Café combines a market with a small area for serving food. As its name suggests, the plaza forms a kind of brick patio surrounded by businesses. read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 10:50 am
I open new cookbooks touting healthy, non-fattening recipes with a bit of skepticism. Sometimes they call for unfamiliar ingredients that are not readily available or must be purchased in larger quantities than is practical for a one-time use. And even though they claim to be for the health-conscious or dieting reader, they fail to provide... read more. . .
Sep 7, 2010 10:44 am
The 2010 harvest in California has barely begun with the picking of a few grapes to make sparkling wine, and already winemakers are in panic mode. So what's new? read more. . .
Sep 2, 2010 3:44 pm
Dear Annie: Many years ago, I was engaged to "Roy," a great guy. I called off the wedding two weeks before because I had a terrible case of cold feet. Roy and I remained friends for three years, but when I began dating someone else and miscarried his child, Roy stopped speaking to me. Since then, I have moved around and dated others, but they... read more. . .
77° CLEAR,