Mar 11, 2010 11:50 pm
In the latest sign of America's shifting racial and ethnic composition, births to Asian, black and Hispanic women in the United States are on the verge of surpassing births to non-Hispanic whites. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 11:39 pm
When bird watchers like Forest Hayes see an unidentified specimen, fumbling for a field guide could blow the chance to get a good look at the bird before it flies off. The New College of Florida student and his fellow avian enthusiasts now carry iPhones, so they can leave their bulky guides at home if they want. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 11:34 pm
An ambulance delay of 14 minutes for an elderly Punta Gorda woman in cardiac arrest led the Punta Gorda Police Department to transfer 911 worker Nancy Morris and investigate her handling of the call last week. Josephine Henry, 91, was pronounced dead shortly after care workers at her assisted living center called 911. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 11:14 pm
Vince Carter had 23 points to help the Orlando Magic pull away early and cruise past the injured Chicago Bulls, 111-82 on Thursday night for a season-high seventh straight win. Matt Barnes added 14 points, and reserve Brandon Bass scored 13 in another blowout victory against a struggling team for the Magic. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 11:12 pm
A minister's wife who went on a religious water-only fast for more than three weeks has died. Evelyn Boyd, 55, was dead for at least a day and no more than three days before her body was discovered last Friday, Associate Medical Examiner Dr. Vera Volnikh said. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 11:06 pm
Andrea Riley scored 37 points, Toni Young added 16 and No. 20 Oklahoma State put away Kansas 76-69 on Thursday in the first round of the Big 12 tournament. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 10:56 pm
A prehistoric island culture that flourished 1,000 years before the Egyptians built the pyramids may have learned to bend sound waves into mood-altering acoustics. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 10:42 pm
Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun said Thursday he intends to sign a new contract with the school that he’s led to two national championships. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 10:40 pm
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Auburn coach Jeff Lebo called the Bridgestone Arena a tough place to shoot 3-pointers. The Florida Gators, who helped the Tigers struggle, had no such problems finding the basket from long range or close up. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 10:38 pm
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's prized, half-billion-dollar Everglades restoration land deal with U.S. Sugar Corp. cleared an important hurdle Thursday, when water managers voted to keep the deal alive for another six months. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 10:38 pm
Chris Wright scored 27 points and No. 22 Georgetown sailed past No. 3 Syracuse with an impressive second-half surge, beating the top-seeded Orange 91-84 in the Big East tournament quarterfinals Thursday. Austin Freeman added 18 points in his third game since being diagnosed with diabetes. Jason Clark had 17 for the Hoyas (22-9). read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 10:37 pm
Phil Kessel scored at 3:33 of overtime to give the Toronto Maple Leafs a 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 10:36 pm
Tiger Woods intends to remain out of golf at least until the Masters, two people with knowledge of his plans told The Associated Press on Thursday. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 10:30 pm
Jim Barrett is going to miss the stories. Every week, veterans scarred by war wait to speak to Barrett, hoping he will be the voice in their fight for entitled benefits. Many break down in that tiny office, tucked away in the Cultural Center of Charlotte County, revealing experiences family and friends never knew existed. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 10:28 pm
The only woman on Florida's death row, who was convicted for her role in the murders of a Jacksonville couple, lost an appeal Thursday in the state Supreme Court. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 10:26 pm
John Lackey is off to a nice start with the Red Sox. The right-hander threw three shutout innings in Boston's 8-2 victory over Jason Bay and the New York Mets on Thursday. Lackey allowed three hits in his second spring outing and has yet to allow a run since he finalized an $82.5 million, five-year contract with the Red Sox in December. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 10:26 pm
Tuukka Rask made 31 saves, and Mark Recchi, Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci scored second-period goals to help the Boston Bruins beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-1 on Thursday night. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 10:22 pm
Democrats said on Thursday that they would go it alone in an effort to pass an overhaul of financial regulation, increasing the likelihood of a bitter partisan showdown. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 10:18 pm
The Florida Modern-Day Slavery Museum is in town today and Saturday as it works its way up the Gulf Coast. The museum, which is based in Immokalee, features a cargo truck outfitted as a replica of the trucks involved in a recent slavery operation. The museum also has displays on the history and evolution of slavery in Florida. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 10:18 pm
One was a 38-year-old woman from Sarasota, the other a 28-year-old man from Myakka City -- and both were killed this week when they were ejected from their cars in crashes in which neither wore a seat belt. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 10:16 pm
Reggie Johnson was perfect. Once again, Wake Forest was anything but. The redshirt freshman scored a season-high 22 points against his hometown school and 12th-seeded Miami routed the fifth-seeded Demon Deacons 83-62 on Thursday in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 10:16 pm
Wayne Chism had 17 points and 10 rebounds and No. 15 Tennessee overcame its worst first half of the season to beat LSU 59-49 in the first round of the Southeastern Conference tournament on Thursday. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 10:08 pm
Tyler Ahlquist and Nick Molina each hit two-run home runs to lead Cardinal Mooney to a 10-2 district win over visiting Wauchula Hardee. Junior right-hander Steve Mathe allowed three hits over four innings to pick up the win while Ryan Heuler pitched the final three innings allowing two hits and no earned runs. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 9:50 pm
A settlement of up to $657.5 million has been reached in the cases of thousands of rescue and cleanup workers at ground zero who sued the city over damage to their health, according to city officials and lawyers for the plaintiffs. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 9:42 pm
This vast central African nation is known for many things: the massive corruption of the late leopard-hat-wearing dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, grinding poverty, a devastating conflict in the east. But it is worth noting that Congo is also home to a formidable cult of high fashion, as demonstrated by the scene at a rickety, sheet-iron pool hall here... read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 9:39 pm
When Sarasota voters first approved an extra property tax for education in 2002, school leaders used part of the money to raise salaries to attract the best teachers in a competitive national market. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 9:32 pm
WNBA Storm re-signs MVP Jackson SEATTLE -- Lauren Jackson just can't leave her American home away from home. The two-time WNBA MVP and Australian superstar re-signed Thursday with the Seattle Storm in a multiyear contract, the team announced. This spring, Jackson will begin her 10th season in the league. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 9:24 pm
Sloane Stephens got her first victory on the WTA Tour, beating Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 7-6 (5), 7-6 (7) in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 9:18 pm
Jolted by a sudden tightening of the rules, lobbyists and military contractors who have long relied on lucrative earmarks from Congress were scrambling Thursday to find new ways to keep the federal money flowing. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 9:14 pm
By LARRY MARGASAK and ANDREW MIGA The Associated Press WASHINGTON -- House Democrats on Thursday stopped a Republican bid to force an investigation of Democratic leaders aimed at determining whether they covered up sexual harassment allegations against ex-Rep. Eric Massa. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 9:12 pm
WASHINGTON Reid's family injured in crash Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's wife and daughter were being treated in a hospital Thursday for serious injuries they sustained when their vehicle was rear-ended by a truck, a spokesman said. Reid's wife, Landra, 69, broke her back and neck in the accident, Reid spokesman Jim Manley said. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 9:06 pm
Nicole Parisi plastered fliers about a bone marrow drive at Saint Leo University across the campus and at as many local businesses as would allow her. Judging by the line of Saint Leo students, workers and faculty members outside the university's cafeteria Tuesday afternoon, her work paid off. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 9:04 pm
Englewood's Fourth of July fireworks show is in jeopardy. Yes, you've heard that before. Not enough money, right? Wrong. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 9:00 pm
Sheriff's deputies arrested two Port Charlotte High School students Thursday in connection with making and exploding homemade bombs in a neighborhood mailbox. The two boys, ages 14 and 15, were charged with making, possessing and discharging a destructive device with intent to damage property. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 9:00 pm
A lost sticky note was to blame in the release of a "habitual traffic offender" on $7,000 bail instead of $75,000, according to an internal review by the Polk County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 8:54 pm
SANTIAGO, Chile Chile shaken by aftershocks A series of strong aftershocks from last month's devastating quake rocked Chile on Thursday as a new president was sworn into office. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 8:54 pm
Clashes between riot police and rock-throwing, masked youths broke out during a demonstration Thursday in central Athens by tens of thousands of striking workers protesting austerity measures that the Greek government has said it has no choice but to implement. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 8:52 pm
As the first, incomplete results from Iraq's weekend election trickled in Thursday, a prominent opposition group supported mostly by Sunnis Muslims made fraud allegations that could taint the legitimacy of the outcome. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 8:40 pm
The family that runs Sarasota Jungle Gardens has decided not to sell the 11-acre property to the county and state after two years of negotiations. Money for the purchase would have come from the county's Environmentally Sensitive Land Acquisition Program and the state's Florida Communities Trust. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 8:39 pm
At 90 years old, most people begin to naturally slow down as health concerns arise and mental acuity begins to diminish. But Sarasota resident Frances Ruderman, who turns 91 on Saturday, is just getting started with her second online business venture in the past decade. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 8:38 pm
Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen, who helped form one of the NFL's greatest defensive lines before embarking on a successful career in television, died Thursday after a battle with cancer. He was 69. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 8:34 pm
During a forum on the local economy last month, representatives of the public and private sectors were enthused by the concept of having a high-quality soundstage for digital video production in Sarasota County. Now that there is a written proposal for a soundstage, we hope the reaction -- to the concept, if not the specifics -- is positive. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 8:30 pm Delhaize -- The Belgian supermarket group, the parent of Tampa-based Sweetbay, said further cost cuts and expansion of its store network would help this year's operating profit grow more strongly than it did in 2009, when it exceeded its own guidance. Delhaize said it had delivered on its goal to cut costs by 100 million euros ($136... read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 8:26 pm
Interest rates were mixed in the bond market Thursday after a government auction of 30-year bonds drew the highest demand since September. The price of the 30-year bond jumped after the $13 billion auction. The spike in its price sent its yield lower. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 8:25 pm
Chip Clifton has been sailing since ... "I could barely walk." Now 32 years old, Clifton has returned to Sarasota for this weekend's U.S. Midwinter National Sunfish Championship hosted by the Sarasota Sailing Squadron. It is a rotating event, and 2005 was the last year it was held on Sarasota waters. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 8:24 pm
Five birdies were enough to put Charl Schwartzel among the leaders at the CA Championship. No mistakes is what put in the lead alone Thursday on a rough-and-tumble day at Doral. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 8:10 pm
Thanks to federal regulations that took effect in September, a new salmonella contamination attributed to a flavor enhancer was caught and a recall begun. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 7:57 pm
Coming off a fantastic finish in 2009, the IndyCar Series is looking to build on that excitement this season with a new title sponsor, a new CEO and measures designed to improve racing. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 7:37 pm
Besides winning two more games, extending their club-record winning streak to nine games, it was an eventful day for the Tampa Bay Rays. And not all of the news was rosy. Three players, including catcher Dioner Navarro and outfielder Matt Joyce, were injured. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 5:58 pm
Area builders are raising money for Southeastern Guide Dogs by creating innovative doghouses. The Gulf Coast Builders Exchange, a nonprofit trade organization for the local commercial contracting industry, is partnering with general contractor W.G. Mills to present the "Barkitecture" event. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 5:47 pm
Aviation has been Roger Kizzek's passion since he was a boy growing up in Minneapolis, Minn. He joined the Navy in 1938 and rebuilt and repaired aircraft throughout the course of World War II. Kizzek was also assigned to the U.S.S. Corregidor VC-83 in 1944 and ordered to chase submarines in the North Pacific. Post-service, he enrolled at the... read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 5:46 pm
Although upsets are rare during the semifinal stage of the Academic Olympics, the North Port High School team arrived for its match against Sarasota High deaf to conventional wisdom. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 5:30 pm
If ever a building has served the purpose for which it was designed and built, then Thomas Reed Martin's Municipal Auditorium at Sarasota's Civic Center is that building. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 5:24 pm
Having taught students at all levels, from college to adult education, I have learned the value of repetition. So let me state once again: Investing is not difficult. Anyone with a modicum of common sense should have no difficulty building a successful portfolio. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 5:22 pm
WASHINGTON There are legislative miles to go before the government will be emancipated from its health care myopia, but it is not too soon for a summing up. Whether all or nothing of the legislation becomes law, Barack Obama has refuted critics who call him a radical. He has shown himself to be a timid progressive. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 3:52 pm
Actor Vincent D'Onofrio, best known for his roles in the film "Full Metal Jacket" and the TV series "Law & Order: Criminal Intent," will show off a different side of his talent with the premiere of his directorial debut during the Sarasota Film Festival. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 3:40 pm
Results are just beginning to trickle in from Iraq's parliamentary elections held last Sunday, when most were saying the race between Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's State of Law coalition and former prime minister Iyad Allawi's Iraqiya Party was too close to call. read more. . .
Mar 11, 2010 3:40 pm
Dismiss DUI teacher I cannot let the letter "DUI teacher's human failings" go by without responding. The simplistic attitude the writer has toward teacher Ronald Jodwalis' four DUI charges absolutely blows my mind. read more. . .
64° P/CLOUDY,