Today's News

WILLISTON-A World War II Japanese machine gun was recovered Tuesday when Williston police officers conducted a routine traffic stop.

According to the police department, Abby Ross of Beverly Hills and Traci Bower of Dunnellon were stopped and charged with drug paraphernalia and illegal drug possession after being stopped for speeding A search of the vehicle revealed an assortment of prescription drugs with a street value of $1,675 and a rare Nambu machine gun. Authorities are validating the history of the weapon.

I never thought my father and I had much in common despite my mother's ever-constant lament, "You're just like your daddy."

Back then I scoffed at the idea.

But then in 1993, my father died suddenly one week after his 62nd birthday and in the 15 years since, not a week has gone by that I don't somehow recall him, his words and his actions.

He wasn't an affectionate man. He grew up in an era and place where children were begat to work. He didn't know much about tenderness or bonding. His way of showing love was through providing and sacrificing so his family was secure.

With Memorial Day having come and gone, and school now officially out for summer, it has to be time for youth baseball tournaments to begin play across Florida.

Chiefland's Strickland Park will come alive this weekend with hundreds of little ballplayers between the ages of 5 and 6 years old.

The occasion will be the one and only Babe Ruth League State Tee-Ball Tournament.

There are 22 different teams in this year's event -four more than last year.

There are 12 players on each team. That adds up to more than 260 players each day.

While I have great respect for Gov. Crist and his continued commitment to preserving the environment, I feel that his intent to veto HB 7059 has been made without fully understanding the wide-reaching scope of this good environmental legislation. This legislation has many valuable components that seek to improve and strengthen the protection of our state's precious natural resources.