Couple fulfilling dream with lakeside log home [Times photo: Mike Pease] ODESSA -- When the drilling is done, a carpenter yells out for another wooden beam.

Cap may rise on no-bid contracts
A local taxing authority could sharply increase the amount of money it spends for goods and services without taking bids, requiring less scrutiny and competition.

Praying for peace becomes a legacy
CARROLLWOOD -- At a synagogue with a sheriff's car parked out front, children hung a paper olive branch on a "tree of life." They ate fruit in a sukkah, recalling huts the Israelites stayed in on their Biblical journey toward the promised land.

Ghoul school
The annual Lutz Haunted School House opens tonight with several added attractions: a bone-filled cave, a seance scene and swamp cannibals.

Split school idea sounds exciting, innovative
I am tired of seeing parents arguing about the issue. I am also in favor of the split school idea.

Despite tough hits lately, Cowboys roll on
Gaither had some emotions to tackle last week with the deaths of two students and of a player's mother, but the team persevered.

Out & about
CARIBBEAN CULTURE: If you've ever fantasized about relaxing on a beautiful, sunny, Caribbean island, you may have a chance to fulfill your desire and even better, do it for free.

Suncoast Parkway is nearing home stretch
Recovered from previous delays, the road should open as planned in January, officials say.

Tireless veteran lauded for devotion
John Mitchell earns the Veteran of the Year title in part for lobbying the state for the veterans home where he now volunteers.

Teen movie junkie starts school club
A Gaither High senior envisions a club where students will be able to discuss the best movies ever made.

Confusion reigns over rezoning hearing
Neighbors are angry that vague rules allowed a hotly contested rezoning proposal to gain new life.

Road to get safety improvements
PEBBLE CREEK -- The county has agreed to extend the sidewalk and add crosswalks along Pebble Creek Drive near the Community Center.

We're just asking, not insisting, split plan opponents now say
The acronym for a group opposed to a plan to split Tampa Palms Elementary into two campuses raises some eyebrows and is promptly changed.

Commission rezones site near parkway
The property owner plans to build a 20,000-square-foot shopping center with unspecified businesses, even though neighbors oppose it.

Report faults center after brawl
Sunshine Youth Services mishandled a racially charged argument and let it escalate, a report says.