The resurgence of Coconut Grove

Once upon a distant time, the village center of old Coconut Grove was so anything-goes mellow that a blind man — folk-rock star Jose Feliciano, to be specific — could pedal a bicycle a short way down the street without fear of running into anything. That was long ago, during a near-mythical age when hippies,…

Hillsborough gets tough on blighted properties

TAMPA — Many Hillsborough County neighborhoods continue to be victimized by illegal dumping, overgrown lots and dilapidated houses. When conditions like these persist, experts say, crime proliferates and a general sense of hopelessness overcomes a community. Hillsborough’s Code Enforcement Department is launching new initiatives aimed at attacking blighted conditions quickly before they worsen. Assistant County…