BRENT BATTEN

• Brent Batten: Vet Center has a place to call home Published 05/24/2012 at 5 a.m.

  -- The Vet Center specializes in services that help with readjustment to civilian life such as assessment and referals for drug or alcohol abuse counseling and treatment of post traumatic stress disorder.

• Brent Batten: Finlay's money-saving idea gets low ISO rating Published 05/22/2012 at 5:30 a.m. 6 Comments

  Just when you thought the whole city-county-fire-EMS-sheriff-consolidation thing couldn’t get any more convoluted come this twist.

• Brent Batten: LeMieux's Mack attack is 'absent' minded Published 05/19/2012 at 7:45 p.m. 8 Comments

  In his campaign, former Sen. George LeMieux is quick to point out that Mack recently has been missing almost half of the votes taken in the House.

• Brent Batten: Scott steers clear of gay marriage Published 05/15/2012 at 6 a.m. 11 Comments

  - There goes any chance Newsweek magazine will label Scott, “Florida’s First Gay Governor.”

• Brent Batten: Sarcasticman possesses the power to mock The Avengers Published 05/10/2012 at 6 a.m. 13 Comments

  I, for one, would find The Avengers more palatable if they’d include some superheroes with powers more in line with life here in Southwest Florida.

• Brent Batten: Going to school on student loan issue Published 05/08/2012 at 6:30 a.m. 20 Comments

  The person who got the 3.4 percent rate, or any rate for that matter, won’t see an interest-rate increase on the existing loan.

• Brent Batten: No duplication of service in fulfilling records request Published 05/05/2012 at 3:30 p.m. 49 Comments

  The clerk and the county administration, both citing the same ordinance, are charging different amounts to fulfill public records requests, with the clerk’s rate about five times higher than that of the county manager’s office.

• Brent Batten: There's an I in credit, but... Published 05/02/2012 at 6:54 p.m. 18 Comments

  President Obama set the goal of defeating al-Qaida? He decided to deny it a chance to rebuild?

• Brent Batten: At EMS forum, absence does not make hearts grow fonder Published 04/30/2012 at 6:29 p.m. 43 Comments

  Three no-shows for the last hour of the workshop between county commissioners, fire district commissioners and chiefs and EMS administrators were particularly conspicuous by their absence.

• Brent Batten: Fire consolidation meeting offers reason to smile, ruefully Published 04/28/2012 at 3:40 p.m. 21 Comments

  “The Concept,” as the plan to absorb part of EMS into the three coastal fire departments is being called, has been around for a few weeks. The real solution to fragmented emergency response in the county has been around for ...

• The 'Spin Room,' the place where all problems can be solved Updated 09/12/2011 at 10:56 p.m. 42 Comments

  If the marriage between CNN and the Tea Party Express seems odd to you, you’re not alone. Even the tea party activists populating preliminary events in advance of Monday’s CNN/Tea Party Express debate among Republican presidential hopefuls in Tampa questioned ...

• Propietario anónimo de restaurante defiende la inmigración ilegal Published 05/17/2011 at 4:15 p.m.

  Para mí, la correspondencia anónima tiene, por lo general, el mismo valor que la tinta que es utilizada cuando se firma al final de una página. Pero el otro día recibí una carta sin firmar que vale la pena compartir.

• Mantengan el plan alternativo de Crist como respaldo a la Ley Widman Published 05/10/2011 at 2:38 p.m.

  Un veterano abogado defensor dice que buenas intenciones o no, los jueces no pueden ordenar que la gente sea retenida por cargos que aún no han sido formulados.

• La marihuana medicinal no es chiste Published 03/24/2011 at 5:36 p.m.

  Se podría decir que hay un floreciente interés en la marihuana medicinal en Tallahassee. O que la cuestión está echando raíces o que el representante estatal Jeff Clemens se ha “colocado” con la idea. Se podría decir eso, pero sería ...

• Brent Batten: GOP leaders primarily watching Florida Published 02/02/2011 at 4:02 p.m. 2 Comments

  While it sounds like a no-brainer, there’s been no meeting of the minds yet and a national Republican leader is starting to get antsy.

• He aquí un consejo: No llame al 911 si usted quiere la recompensa Published 07/28/2010 at 3:08 p.m.

  Los sistemas no son perfectos. Los sistemas están diseñados por seres humanos imperfectos por lo que las irregularidades esporádicas son de esperarse. Pero cuando ocurre una avería, ¿es razonable esperar que los seres humanos encargados de esos sistemas hagan los ...

• From Coneheads to Crystal Head: Dan Aykroyd wants you to try his vodka Published 05/14/2010 at 2:22 p.m. 18 Comments

  Dan Aykroyd will be in Naples Monday to promote the vodka at ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, 6425 Naples Blvd., from 4 to 6 p.m.

• Brent Batten: Take EPIRB along for a day at sea Published 04/12/2010 at 7:07 p.m. 6 Comments

  Although not as familiar as the standard flare gun and orange vest, boaters would do well to include an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, or EPIRB on their check list of things to take along on the water.

• Brent Batten: Khavari banks on interest in governor's race Published 04/03/2010 at 6:44 p.m. 10 Comments

  Farid Khavari makes a campaign promise that should shoot him straight to the top of the field running for governor of Florida.

• El estado también quiere su pedazo del pastel en el asunto de las cámaras en los semáforos Published 02/11/2010 at 4:03 p.m.

  Un proyecto de ley presentado en la Legislatura estatal aportaría coherencia a la mezcolanza de programas locales de cámaras de luz roja en los semáforos que operan en las ciudades y los condados de la Florida. También reportaría millones de ...

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