Toni Whitt

PLANO, Texas -- The J.C. Penney store at DeSoto Square Mall won a Founder's Award for meeting or exceeding all of its performance goals.The Founder's Award is the company's highest distinction for excellence. Marvin R. Ellison, chief executive officer, and Joe McFarland, executive vice president of stores, presented managers with a commemorative plaques during a special ceremony in Texas.

SARASOTA -- The Sarasota County Commission is considering giving the University of Florida a $1 million grant over the next five years to bring an engineering program to Sarasota County.The grant would help pay for what is being called an "Innovation Station" designed to help students who can't afford to go away to college."The Innovation Station is proposed to deliver high impact programs in workforce development, research and development and career development to the citizens and industry...

MANATEE -- Tenn-year-old Roofus was once loved, but his family's economic hardships left him an orphan in 2010.He's mostly lived at Bishop's Animal Shelter for the past six years, he's been adopted and dropped off at the shelter a total of three times.But Roofus has proof that he was once loved.