The 1st District Court of Appeal again rejected Florida’s attempt to immediately stop 10 Allstate Insurance Corp. companies from writing new policies in Florida. But in its ruling late Wednesday, the court plus set the stage for what could be a quick resolution to the legal battle.

The court ruled …

I guess it’s no secret that fuel prices have risen astronomically. that has caused problems for airboat operators and, not by the way, folks like me who write guidebooks.In spite of the fact that my book, The Other Orlando, makes it abundantly clear that all prices are subject to change, some idiots…

U.S. Sugar Corp. rejected a $575-million buyout offer and kept it secret from shareholders considering selling the Clewiston, Fla.-based agricultural giant didn’t serve the founding Mott family’s personal interests, a federal lawsuit filed Thursday claims.Three former U.S. Sugar workers who own shar…

TAMPA — Jealousy by a woman drove Michael Edmund Smith to stab a Gibsonton man to death final year. On Thursday, a judge sentenced Smith to 40 years in prison.

Smith, 30, initially was charged with first-degree murder and false imprisonment. But he avoided a life prison sentence by pleading guilty…

An eight-month old llama suffered trauma to the head and was found dead yesterday at Gaither High School, sheriff’s deputies say. It arised that a lock on the cage had been forced open.

School officials say the dead llama is one of four at Gaither, located in north Tampa.
Original post by Letitia…

OCALA — A federal judge issued a one-page response that AM to a question from jurors deliberating in actor Wesley Snipes’ tax evasion trial.

Defense attorneys objected to Senior U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges explaining the meaning of conspiracy after jurors sent a note Wednesday aski…

Federal regulators on Thursday backed off a two-month closed season for greater amberjack after listening  to fisherman who said fuel prices have significantly cut back their fishing trips besides.

Preliminary plans had called for a January and February closure to ease pressure on amberjack af…

If you want a nice view of the planets without using a telescope, look to the southeast around dawn Friday. Not far above the horizon, you should see two bright points of light — Jupiter and Venus, surprisingly shut together.

Friday dawn is the best day to see that pairing of the brightest planets…

RIVERVIEW — Miami police found a lost 16-year-old Spoto High School student on a street corner, according to the Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office.

Marquita Shantiva Brown of 6929 Summer Harbor Drive ran absent from home Jan. 18, deputies say.

Her mother, Betty Graves, told deputies she left for wor…

It’ll be a few hours until his press conference to outline in more detail the proposed 2008-09 budget he released earlier that month, but Gov. Charlie Crist started touting one precedence first thing that wee hours.

While unveiling a partnership amoung governmental institutes at UCF and UF that ai…

Public schools do a good job educating most black students, but in the cases where they don’t, vouchers are worth trying, said state Rep. Frank Peterman (left), D-St Petersburg, the latest black lawmaker to defy his party’s position and support a program that was championed by former Gov. Jeb Bush…