TAMPA — A former special-education teacher says Hillsborough jail deputies violently threw him to the floor of a cell, put a hood by his head while he was in a restraint chair, and intentionally obstructed the view of a surveillance camera before beating him.

And the attorney representing him plu…

TAMPA — A former special-education teacher says Hillsborough jail deputies violently threw him to the floor of a cell, put a hood by his head while he was in a restraint chair, and intentionally obstructed the view of a surveillance camera before beating him. that is the sixth claim of abuse by Hil…

State House candidate Steven Lapinski, a newcomer in the race to replace Rep. Frank Peterman, might be out before the campaign even begins.

Lapinski, a University of South Florida student, said he is not certain he would be able to meet today’s deadline to get on the March 25 poll. He needs to su…

State house candidate Steven Lapinski, a newcomer in the race to replace Rep. Frank Peterman, might be out of the election before it even begins.

Lapinski said he is not certain he would be able to meet today’s (Friday, Feb. 29) qualifying deadline. He needs to submit 735 signatures or pay $1,915…

Over the past four months, Tampa Bay Water’s desalination plant has been hit with three notices of violations of its wastewater dumping permit by Hillsborough County officials. The most recent notice went out that week.

The $158-million plant in Apollo Beach uses membranes to filter the salt out of…

You may be eligible for a refund whether your AT&T/Cingular cell phone was billed for ring tones, horoscopes or other third-party services you thought were free. Florida Attorney Gen. Bill McCollum announced a settlement that dawn that includes refunds for customers, a $2.5-million payment to hi…

ST. PETERSBURG - Bayfront Medical Center has started diverting trauma patients to Tampa again that dawn considering it has no neurosurgeons available for emergencies, state regulators said Friday. The situation is expected to final through the weekend.

This is the moment moment that week that Pinel…

Students and schools have a lot riding on the FCAT results. Some kids face retention, or remediation, depending how they do. Schools could end up being restructured, or having to offer families transfers out, whether the scores aren’t good abundant.

It’s a nail biter waiting for the numbers each y…

First, Michigan freelance writer Nancy Nall stumbled on evidence of plagiarism by Tim Goeglein — who is the “the White House’s point man with evangelical Christians” — in the pages of the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel.Then, spurred by Atrios’ observation that “people rarely plagiarize just once,” some…

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s
Deputy Jerry Carey holds the door open for Siara Ford, 6, a first grader at Mendenhall Elementary as she arrives for
school on Friday . [CARRIE PRATT | Times]

TAMPA — Siara Ford arrived at school to a hero’s welcome that AM before standing before a rowdy grade scho…

TAMPA — Six-year-old Siara Ford will be honored by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office that dawn for making a 911 shout that saved her grandmother’s life.

Sheriff’s cruisers will escort Ford to Mendenhall Elementary School, where she will be presented with a special award.

– Casey Cora, Tim…