The centerpiece of a project dreamed up eight years ago opens to the public today. Town 'N Country Commons, an $11 million complex, includes a sprawling library, a senior center and a Head Start center. It's a big change from the old site, which housed Head Start in portables and the old West Gate Regional Library. The West Gate library, at 14,000 square feet, was torn down in May 2007 and temporarily moved to an office park on West Waters Avenue. The library closed in October to prepare for its permanent move. ...more

December 3, 2008

Lawmakers learned Monday how many tickets they'll get for Barack Obama's presidential inauguration Jan. 20: ...more

November 18, 2008

It's a rare day in Washington when a lawmaker voluntarily relinquishes power to his party's faithful. But that is what Bartow congressman Adam Putnam has done. He has given up his third-ranking position as conference chairman, a post that gave him national exposure and raised his stature as a voice for the future of the party and conservatism. ...more

November 16, 2008

Just when you thought the counting was done. Nearly 850 previously uncounted absentee ballots were pulled Wednesday from inside a vault at the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections office, four days after the county submitted unofficial results from the problem-plagued Nov. 4 election to the state. ...more

November 13, 2008

Deanne Roberts, founder of Tampa-based Roberts Communications and a well-known leader in civic activities, has renamed the firm ChappellRoberts and has promoted business partner Colleen Chappell to president. ...more

November 12, 2008

The senator overseeing Barack Obama's swearing-in ceremony said Monday she's writing to Internet sites such as eBay asking them not to sell scalped inauguration tickets. ...more

November 12, 2008

Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson and U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor are among Florida members of Congress being inundated with requests for tickets to Barack Obama's inauguration in Washington on Jan. 20. ...more

November 10, 2008

In an interview this morning, ousted Hillsborough County elections supervisor Buddy Johnson insists human error played no part in the delayed count of Tuesday's voting results. Rather, he said, the fault lies with Premier Elections Solutions, the Texas company Johnson handpicked to provide voting machines. ...more

November 7, 2008

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis coasted to victory and a second term Tuesday, defeating Democratic challenger Bill Mitchell, a 61-year-old employment lawyer from Carrollwood. ...more

November 5, 2008

Waiting until polls closed Tuesday to announce results, nearly 70 percent of Hillsborough County schoolchildren voted to elect Democrat Barack Obama president in last week's mock election. ...more

November 5, 2008