Columbine changed everything. During a seminar for school administrators today at Crews Lake Middle School, Pasco County Sheriff's Lt. Brian Prescott emphasized how everything from law-enforcement response to the ways schools handle crisis situations was altered by the 1999 massacre in Littleton, Colo. The presentation was attended by about 20 administrators from around the school district. "We used to set up a perimeter" if there was a shooter inside a school, said Prescott, who supervises the school district's school resource officers for the sheriff's office. "Now, it's entirely different. If there's a shooter in here, we'll be coming in, charging in." ...more

March 24, 2009

With federal stimulus dollars on their way to Florida - but possibly not quickly enough - Gov. Charlie Crist announced he is holding back 15 percent from state spending in the remaining fiscal quarter. ...more

March 20, 2009

Pasco County Animals Services has long accepted the help of volunteers to assist staff in the mission to care for creatures and protect public health. Until recently, however, the agency kept its efforts pretty low key. ...more

February 11, 2009