Lee Constantine

Well, it certainly sounds official: Oil drilling is dead — at least for now. That's straight from the mouth of drilling's most power advocate: Speaker-designate Dean Cannon. “I don't see anything happening for the next two or three years,&#...

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer leads Orlando Magazine's most powerful list this year, riding the success of landing rail for Central Florida, while term-limited County Mayor Rich Crotty drops five spots to No. 6 on the annual rankings. The other top politicos...

The Public Service Commission Nominating Council voted Thursday to send eight names to Gov. Charlie Crist for two vacancies on the five-member board. The council interviewed 28 candiates and, according to an Associated Press report, settled on the...

Friday's column looked at Tallahassee's too-cozy relationship between utility regulators and the utility execs they are allegedly regulating. In the past few months, legislators have booted off two potential watchdogs who had vowed to side with average...

Time for another round of plugs for upcoming nonprofit and charitable affairs. As always, if you have more, please post the info for your own events below. * There's an online auction going on right for New Hope for Kids – a great organization...

The proposed SunRail commuter train through Central Florida, wrecked twice in the state Senate, might be regenerating some significant steam. Supporters point to a series of seemingly unrelated developments that — taken together — appear to...

Seminole teachers are on Spring Break next week, but some plan to dedicate part of one day off to protest a teacher merit pay plan that has rocketed through the Legislature this month. Teachers plan to rally Monday, April 5 at 10 a.m. outside Sen. Lee...

Big public rallies by teachers and their supporters in opposition to controversial merit-pay legislation are planned across the state Thursday and beyond, but the pressure on lawmakers is also coming by phone, e-mail and online as well....

More than 50 teachers on Spring Break and their supporters rallied near downtown Orlando Thursday in opposition to merit-pay bills making their way through the Legislature. Holding hand-painted signs with slogans such as “A child is more than a test...

By Keith Laing     The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Increased inspection requirements for septic tanks near Florida springs remained above water in the Florida Senate Tuesday after clearing a final committee, setting up a...

Toll-road operators are making a U-turn after a month of fending off accusations that they punish drivers unfairly. The two main agencies in Greater Orlando on Thursday conceded that the penalties are too harsh for motorists who occasionally or...

76% of Orange County fatalities in 2006 involved sport bikes. Only 1 in 10 of the riders who died was older than 45. In Orange County, most who died were on sport bikes, uninsured, younger than 45 and the only vehicle involved. In Volusia County,...