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Scott PowersSeptember 14, 2017

Power outages continue to plague just over one quarter of all the homes and businesses in Florida, though the number fell to almost 2.7 million customers Thursday morning. A 6 a.m. update from the Florida Office of Emergency Management showed that those counties hit first and hardest by Hurricane Irma – Monroe, Collier and Lee […]

Scott PowersSeptember 13, 2017

Wednesday hundreds of thousands of Florida power customers got their lights turned back on but almost exactly one third of Florida is still waiting. The latest numbers from the Florida Office of Emergency management show 3.5 million customers still were without power at 3 p.m. Wednesday, representing 33.4 percent of all Florida homes and businesses. […]

Scott PowersSeptember 13, 2017

Electrical power restoration continued to be slow in hard-hit Lee and Collier counties yet most of Florida continued to struggle without electricity as 52 of 67 counties continue to have at least one in five homes and businesses still dark Wednesday morning. The latest electric outage numbers available from the state Office of Emergency Management, […]

Scott PowersSeptember 12, 2017

Duke Energy announced it expects to have restored lost electrical service to the western portions of its service area – Pinellas and Pasco counties – by midnight Friday, and to most of the rest by midnight Sunday, but the hard hit counties of Hardee and Highlands likely will wait longer. Duke’s announcement came Tuesday afternoon […]

Guest AuthorAugust 23, 2017

With a new school year kicking off this month, parents across Florida logically expected that the state is providing the proper environment necessary for children to achieve their greatest potential. That’s why I was outraged to read last week about students in Hillsborough County who are languishing in sweltering classrooms because the school district simply […]

Associated PressAugust 14, 2017

Crews on Monday were removing one Confederate statue in a Florida city and authorities said someone had splashed red paint around a Confederate memorial park in another city. Sounds of a jackhammer echoed in downtown Gainesville as workers tore out the foundation of the statue known as “Old Joe” after local authorities decided to move […]

Jim RosicaAugust 1, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday set the dates for elections to fill House District 58, recently vacated by GOP state Rep. Dan Raulerson, who stepped down for health reasons. Scott signed an executive order setting Oct. 10 for the primary election and Dec. 19 for the general election. Raulerson’s resignation is effective Aug. 15, meaning the […]

Scott PowersJune 27, 2017

Vacation home-rental marketing giant Airbnb said Tuesday its expanding list of tax agreements and its growing business should lead it to equal last year’s total sales and tourist tax payments just in the first six months of 2017. The company announced that its five-month totals in sales and tourist taxes paid to the state and […]

Staff ReportsMarch 14, 2017

A bill to shutter the Hillsborough County Public Transportation Committee continued its rapid pace through the House, quickly passing the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee Tuesday. Transportation and Infrastructure, which oversees taxicabs and limousines, has clashed with municipalities lately over the regulation of ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft. In past years, several members of the […]

Les NeuhausMarch 8, 2017

A bill introduced and passed unanimously in the Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice Wednesday would take away a tool long since considered useful, but increasingly controversial – the power of discretion. The measure – SB 196 — could drastically limit what those in the policing community could do when responding to calls involving […]

Tag: Hillsborough County

Power outages down to 2.7 million homes, businesses

Nearly half-million customers get power; one-third of Florida waits

Power update: Southwest Florida still without

Duke hopes to have Pinellas, Pasco power up by midnight Friday

Janet Cruz: Hillsborough school AC issues part of much bigger problem

1 Florida Confederate memorial removed, another vandalized

Election dates set for Dan Raulerson’s House seat

Airbnb says county agreements should lead it to equal 2016 tax payments in first six months

House committee pushes through local bill abolishing Hillsborough PTC

Appropriations Committee approves bill removing police ‘discretion tool’ in first-time cases with juveniles