Plan to close prison re-entry centers angers lawmakers
By Steve Bousquet, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau Friday, March 2, 2012 TALLAHASSEE — Angry legislators are trying to block a cost-saving move by Florida's prison system to close two centers that...
View ArticleEx-Hillsborough Commissioner Kevin White wants more time for friends to speak...
Friday, March 2, 2012 Former Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin White is a popular guy. That's the word from his attorney, Grady Irvin Jr., who filed a motion in federal court this week telling...
View ArticleA life at sea, a WWII hero and a ship
By Patty Ryan, Times Staff Writer Friday, March 2, 2012 TAMPAWilliam Trump loved the sea. He lied about his age at 17 to join the Coast Guard. Three years later, on D-day, he lugged a landing craft's...
View ArticleCan't win in court? Try the Legislature
By Toluse Olorunnipa, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau Friday, March 2, 2012 TALLAHASSEE — Two years ago, a powerful business trade group filed a lawsuit against the state's largest county, Miami-Dade,...
View ArticleBrooksville patrol officer fired after 'gross negligence,' chief says
By John Woodrow Cox and Will Vragovic, Times Staff Writers Friday, March 2, 2012 BROOKSVILLE — On Monday, the Brooksville Police Department initiated an internal affairs investigation into one of its...
View ArticlePinellas sheriff says narcotics division grew to be 'too loose an operation'
By Curtis Krueger, Times Staff Writer Friday, March 2, 2012 Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri says the office's narcotics division became "too loose an operation," which led him to launch internal...
View ArticleWeather system to bring rains late Saturday
Times staff Friday, March 2, 2012 Part of the weather system that brought severe weather and tornadoes to the midwest this week will move through the Tampa Bay area late Saturday night.The system will...
View ArticleLawmakers hold off on plan for charter, public schools to share maintenance...
By Kathleen McGrory, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau Friday, March 2, 2012 TALLAHASSEE — Lawmakers are backing off a contentious proposal to have school districts share millions of dollars in...
View ArticleSt. Pete man accused of trafficking in heroin
By Dan Sullivan, Times Staff Writer Friday, March 2, 2012 ST. PETERSBURG — A man was arrested Friday on charges of trafficking in heroin after what St. Petersburg police described as a lengthy...
View ArticleMan charged with attempted murder in west Tampa shooting
Times staff Friday, March 2, 2012 TAMPA — Police charged a shooting victim with attempted murder Friday night, two days after he was found wounded.German Clausell Martinez, 38, was engaged in a fight...
View ArticleUSF envisions institute to focus on personalized care for heart patients
Bill Varian, Times Staff Writer Friday, March 2, 2012 TAMPA — The University of South Florida is already home to centers for Alzheimer's disease and diabetes research, as well as training in medical...
View ArticleTampa Bay Lightning beats East-leading New York Rangers 4-3 in OT
By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer Friday, March 2, 2012 TAMPA — Ryan Malone sat in the locker room at the Tampa Bay Times Forum, dried blood clotting at the corner of his left eye, the bruise...
View ArticleSeffner Checkers manager charged with sexual battery against employee
By Shelley Rossetter, Times Staff Writer Saturday, March 3, 2012 SEFFNER — Sheriff's deputies charged a Checkers restaurant manager with sexual battery Friday night after they say he attacked an...
View ArticleBrandon Academy seventh-grader wins regional spelling bee
By Kameel Stanley, Times Staff Writer Saturday, March 3, 2012 ST. PETERSBURG — Nikitha Chandran's mastery of spelling is well known at her school.People at Brandon Academy know her as the girl who has...
View ArticleUSF Bulls lose regular-season finale 50-44 at home to West Virginia Mountaineers
By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer Saturday, March 3, 2012 TAMPA — As expected, it was a defensive brawl between two Big East bubble teams, but West Virginia's defense stepped up late, handing USF just...
View ArticleSenate committee keeps school 'parent-trigger' bill alive
By Kathleen McGrory, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau Saturday, March 3, 2012 TALLAHASSEE — One of this year's most hotly debated education bills has become even more contentious.At an unusual Saturday...
View ArticleWhat happened to Florida Democrats?
By Adam C. Smith, Times Political Editor Saturday, March 3, 2012 TALLAHASSEE — The state of Democratic politics in Florida is so incongruous it borders on surreal.On any given week, thousands of...
View ArticleBartow's Jeremy Criscione wins second straight Gasparilla Distance Classic 15K
By Terry Tomalin, Times Outdoors-Fitness Editor Saturday, March 3, 2012 TAMPA — Jeremy Criscione hoped to win his second straight Gasparilla Distance Classic on Saturday and beat last year's time.The...
View ArticleFlorida budget negotiators report agreement on some spending
By Toluse Olorunnipa, Michael Van Sickler and Kathleen McGrory, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau Saturday, March 3, 2012 TALLAHASSEE — State lawmakers made significant headway on the budget Saturday,...
View ArticleTampa detective pushes stricter gun sentencing
By Jessica Vander Velde, Times Staff Writer Saturday, March 3, 2012 TAMPA — Two officers fatally shot in Miami. Three in Tampa. Three more in St. Petersburg.Tampa police union president Greg Stout was...
View Article