Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Here's what you need to know about trash pickup, school, mail delivery and other government services around Hillsborough County for the Memorial Day holiday.
Monday, May 27, 2013 is Memorial Day, a federal holiday. Here's a look at what's open and what's closed around Hillsborough County in observance of the holiday: The majority of Hillsborough County offices and facilities will be closed on Monday. Closed facilities include the administrative offices of county government, neighborhood service centers, all libraries, all county-operated Head Start/Early Head Start Centers, recreation centers, senior centers and nutrition sites. There will be no school for Hillsborough County public school students Monday. For residents who live in the unincorporated Hillsborough County Service Area, there will be no solid waste collection (including garbage, recyclables and yard waste) Monday. Customers whose …
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Both the Hillsborough County Commission and School Board have races next November.
Election Day 2014 is still a long ways away, but that doesn’t mean competition for local seats isn’t starting to develop. With three seats up for grabs on both the Hillsborough County Commission and Hillsborough School Board, Westchase area residents can anticipate some changes in those boards following the 2014 elections. Here’s a look at who’s filed for what races to date, according to the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office: County Commission District 4 This district represents south and eastern Hillsborough Counties. The seat is currently held by Al Higginbotham. He’s running for an at-large seat in 2014. Here’s the lineup to date: Neither candidate has reported fundraising activities as of yet. No Democrats have filed …
Friday, May 17, 2013
As news about possible abuses of power on the federal level continues to break, we’d like to get your take about what’s been going on Tampa Bay.
Tampa Bay residents who keep up with the headlines coming out of Washington, D.C., have likely found themselves scratching their heads more than a few times this past week. Allegations of wrongdoing seem to be coming at the speed of light as the Obama Administration fends off bad press about inappropriate targeting of Tea Party organizations by the Internal Revenue Service and possible wrongdoing in the handling of a national security leak. The IRS’ targeting of Tea Party groups centers around hassles these groups report experiencing while trying to apply for tax-exempt status prior to the 2012 election. The controversy even hit home as Bay area groups are now reporting that they were targeted, according to The Tampa Tribune. The kerfuffle…
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
The city of Sarasota just enacted a law aimed at getting motorists to turn down the volume. Now, other local governments are following suit. Should they?
Most of us have been in the car when a great tune comes on the radio. The urge to turn up that volume just a little bit is often too strong to resist. But, how loud is too loud? When is cranking it up going too far? When should authorities be able to step in and say enough is enough? Those are questions some local governments in the Tampa Bay area are now wrestling with. Since the Florida Legislature shot down a measure that would have regulated just how loud car stereos can be, some local authorities have decided to take matters into their own hands. The City of Sarasota just put its new ordinance into effect that makes it against the law for car stereos and portable electronic devices to emit sounds at a level that are considered “…
Monday, May 13, 2013
This interactive U.S. voting map shows who the Florida voters were in the 2012 presidential election. You may be surprised by the results.
A slightly greater percerntage of eligible Hispanic voters – 62.2 percent – turned out to cast ballots in the 2012 presidential election in Florida than white, non-Hispanic voters. And more eligible female voters went to the polls than men. The results are among several demographic mesaurements released by the U.S. Census showing the make-up of voters in Florida and across the United States. Just click on Florida on the map above to see the results. Darker green states had a higher percentage of turnout. If you click on an individual state, you will see percentages of eligible U.S. citizens who voted in that state broken down by gender, race and ethnic group. This information was released from from the US Census Bureau on Wednesday, May 8…
Friday, May 10, 2013
The Florida House and Senate recently approved a measure that would make driving slow in the fast lane punishable by a fine. Do you think this is a good idea?
Can’t handle traveling at the Interstate’s 70 mph pace or a local four-lane road’s legal top speed? You might want to get in the practice of moving over. The Florida House and Senate recently approved a measure that makes it illegal to drive more than 10 mph under the speed limit if your vehicle is riding in the fast lane. The proposal will become the law of the land in Florida if Gov. Rick Scott signs on the dotted line. Dubbed the “road rage” bill, according to ABC News, the measure would give law enforcement the right to fine drivers $60 for moving at a snail’s pace in the far left lane of any road that has two or more lanes. That means slow drivers who refuse to move over – often causing other motorists to lose their cool – would be …
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Curious to see what passed and what didn’t during the Florida Legislature’s 2013 session?
Wine in a keg can now be sold in the Westchase area. It’s no longer legal to dye or artificially color an animal. Early voting is going to be extended to prevent those extra-long lines some experienced during the 2012 Presidential Election. Those are just a few of the bills that made it through the House and Senate before the Florida Legislature called it quits on the 2013 session, according to The Miami Herald. Here’s a look at a few of the bills that didn’t quite make the grade: Want to find out more about what passed, what failed and what got vetoed by Gov. Rick Scott? Check out The Miami Herald’s winners and losers list. How do you think state lawmakers did during the 2013 session? Did any laws pass you think are absurd? Did something …
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Drivers who want to appeal a ticket might have to pay up to $250 in additional fees if Gov. Rick Scott signs a new bill into law. Do you think that’s right?
Hate red light cameras? If so, you might hate them even more if Gov. Rick Scott signs a bill recently passed by the Florida Legislature into law. The bill sets a new process for appeals that enables local government bodies – cities and counties – to tack on an additional $250 in court fees for those who try to appeal tickets generated by red light cameras and fail. It also puts the new appeals process into the hands of those very same local governments that would benefit from the additional fees. That means motorists who appeal and lose will no longer be subject to just a $158 penalty – they might have to fork over $408. The new law, according to The Tampa Tribune, was designed to streamline the appeals process and put more control in the …
Monday, May 6, 2013
Hillsborough County is proposing a $150,000 project that some residents say isn’t needed. What do you think?
When Hillsborough County plays host to a public meeting Monday, May 6 on the topic of building sidewalks in the Lake Grace Estates community, officials are likely to hear from more than one resident opposed to the move. “As a resident of Lake Grace Estates, I have spoken to and emailed at least 15 of my neighbors about the proposed sidewalk project,” wrote Kim Hazelton on a previous article about the sidewalk project. “And the general consensus is that the sidewalks are not welcome.” “I enjoy our rural community and propose that the money be better spent slowing down the traffic from Arbor Lakes subdivision,” wrote Patch reader Resident of Lake Grace Estates. “They are cutting through Lake Grace Estates and Farmington Village to reach Gunn…
A law that would have ended permanent alimony in Florida didn’t get Gov. Rick Scott’s stamp of approval. Do you think he was right to nix the legislation?
Divorced men and women across Florida got good news – or bad, depending on perspective – late last week when Gov. Rick Scott shot down a law that would have put an end to permanent alimony in Florida. Scott vetoed the measure with only four hours left on the clock for it to automatically go into law, according to Fox News. Citing concerns about the financial impacts the bill would have on Florida families and a dislike for the fact the measure had a clause that would make it retroactive, Scott told lawmakers he could not support passage. "The retroactive adjustment of alimony could result in unfair, unanticipated results,” Fox quoted Scott as saying. Had the law gone into effect it would have limited the amount of alimony a person could …
Michael D.
1:03 pm on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Happier, There are so many things factually inaccurate about your argument. The majority of US Corporations are recording record profits which really fits the Socialist Argument. Obama the Dictator? I guess that is why the Congress (legislative branch) of our government has created 98% of the legislation in his presidency, and of that 90% of was a Republican Congress. But our Dictator is pushing … more ›