Since 1998, Highlands County's population has grown from 80,500 to around 99,000. ...more

October 26, 2008

Who is Ron Grimming? That was the question Highlands County residents asked, 10 months ago, when they learned that a man who had moved to Lake Placid in 2005 was running for sheriff. ...more

October 17, 2008

When Hillsborough County Sheriff's Deputy Rob Thornton asked how many in his audience had been a victim of a crime, at least five out of about 50 people raised their hands. ...more

October 15, 2008

John Armao doesn't carry a gun to work anymore, but that's fine with him. ...more

August 21, 2008

John Armao doesn't carry a gun to work anymore, but that's fine with him. ...more

August 20, 2008

TAMPA The city's crime statistics are still being finalized, but an early look shows that crime reported within the city limits appears to have dropped for the fifth consecutive year, police and Mayor Pam Iorio said Wednesday. ...more

January 16, 2008

The police union is upset with Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee because he won't go along with its contract proposal. But you won't see anything about its demand for raises of up to 10 percent in the union's brochures or ads attacking the sheriff. ...more

December 6, 2007

The crime in Southeast Seminole Heights is still old-fashioned. The methods are conventional. ...more

November 25, 2007

"Be careful who you pretend to be because you are who you pretend to be." Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., "Mother Night". TAMPA - Just what is Tampa pretending to be? If you believe the latest accolade bestowed on this town, Tampa is party central. Maxim magazine this week dubbed Tampa sixth on the Top 10 list of party cities, based on a formula that awards points for the number of strip joints, bars, divorcees and even condom sales. And if Tampa teetotalers object, look no further than Saturday night's Guavaween, the annual drunk fest costume party in Ybor City that runs a close second to Gasparilla in inebriation. ...more

October 26, 2007

SEBRING — To stay on course, Highlands County Sheriff Susan Benton held a four-hour strategic planning session Friday at the jury assembly room in the courthouse. The idea was to review the sheriff's existing three year strategic plan for 2006 to 2009, and to extend it out one more year to 2010. Benton's theme is: "Vision without action is only a dream, (but) vision with action can change the world." Crime statistics for most major crimes have been dropping, not just in Highlands County, but as a national trend, Benton said. ...more

September 23, 2007