BRENT BATTEN

• Brent Batten: They changed the name to what? Published 05/14/2013 at 4:58 a.m.

  This is the story of a successful organization, much appreciated in Southwest Florida, which was caught up in a controversy over a name change.

• Brent Batten: Red flags over the beach, and it's only May Published 05/09/2013 at 5 a.m.

  Red flags are going up over the beach at Naples and it has nothing to do with the impending hurricane season.

• Brent Batten: Hot topic of hot fueling Published 05/07/2013 at 5:10 a.m.

  The already hot topic of hot fueling could grow even hotter in coming weeks as county officials and a key tenant at the Immokalee Regional Airport try to hammer out a lease.

• Brent Batten: Beach flop not bid-ness as usual Published 04/25/2013 at 5 a.m.

  What the county got was no bids at all from companies that dredge sand from the Gulf floor and pump it onto the beach.

• Brent Batten: We've been down this sidewalk before Published 04/18/2013 at 5 a.m.

  The innocuous-sounding study is raising fears, however, of a repeat of the disastrous 2003 Naples Park Community Plan.

• Brent Batten: Hiller trying to take the Ayer out of MPO Published 04/15/2013 at 9:30 p.m.

  Next in the sights of Collier County Commission Chairwoman Georgia Hiller appears to be Lucilla Ayer, the executive director of the Metropolitan Planning Organization.

• Brent Batten: Hiller's finance report makes an appearance Published 04/14/2013 at 6:30 a.m.

  Rarely has one specific action of one commissioner been so clearly tied to one bundle of donations.

• Brent Batten: Inefficient route to airport efficiency Published 03/17/2013 at 5:30 a.m.

  Ultimately, the county might not end up learning much it doesn't already know.

• Brent Batten: Hearing examiner idea puts Strain on commission Published 03/12/2013 at 5 a.m.

  In today's Collier County Commission climate, even the noncontroversial is controversial.

• Brent Batten: A tale of two settlements Published 03/03/2013 at 5 a.m.

  Raising class distinctions based on geographic extremes, Immokalee vs. Port Royal, may make for good political theater, but it is nothing more than that.

• Brent Batten: Florida delegates ‘thrilled to death’ with Obama’s address Published 09/06/2012 at 11:43 p.m.

  Mickey Gargan, the current chair of Collier Democrats, said Obama’s speech brought together everything Democrats have been hearing all week. “I’m really pleased to see how he summarized what everyone’s been saying. Democrats have finally realized they need to have ...

• Crist: I was proud to embrace Obama Published 09/06/2012 at 9:15 p.m.

  Speaking in support of President Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention Thursday, Crist said his embrace of Obama and his policies was the right thing to do nonetheless.

• Pollster sees brighter days ahead for Florida Democrats Published 09/05/2012 at 3 p.m.

  No one thing is going to win Florida for the Democrats, pollster Dave Beattie told the party faithful Wednesday morning.

• Connie Mack says his chance to defeat Nelson is tied to Romney win Updated 08/30/2012 at 9:52 p.m.

  TAMPA — There are a lot of variables in play in U.S. Rep. Connie Mack's bid to replace Democrat Bill Nelson in the U.S. Senate but, as he sees it, the result will boil down to one likely set of ...

• Radel meets Florida GOP leaders in anticipation of winning Congressional seat Published 08/30/2012 at 7 p.m.

  TAMPA _ The congressional candidate Southwest Florida has known for years was introduced to top Republicans from the rest of the state Thursday at the Florida delegation meeting at the party's national convention.

• Fort Myers radio station joins nationwide push to broadcast from convention site Published 08/30/2012 at 6:52 p.m.

  At the Republican National Convention, radio row is a line of tables set up with remote broadcast capabilities for nationally syndicated shows and local stations from all over the country.

• Circus-like atmosphere comes to Tampa Bay surrounding GOP convention Published 08/29/2012 at 5:15 a.m.

  With the nation's electoral eye cast toward Tampa during the Republican National Convention, the normal sounds of traffic and honking horns competed with speakers with bull horns trumpeting a mix of religion and politics.

• Brent Batten: Groups’ cash changes character of election Published 08/12/2012 at 9:23 p.m.

  People in Southwest Florida are keenly in­terested in the results of Tuesday’s election. Apparently, people out­side Southwest Florida are too.

• Brent Batten: One word explanation for growth of Citizens Insurance — politics Published 06/03/2012 at 6 a.m.

  While it was true the people wanted lower insurance rates, what Crist either missed or willfully ignored was that government can’t necessarily legislate what people want into existence.

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

  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 ...

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