After six years on the job and swirling in controversy, South Florida Water Management District Executive Director Carol Wehle, 56, announced her retirement from the district Wednesday. She did so in a letter to interim board chairman Joe Collins presented at a closed-door workshop (see letter attached below).

The House and Senate budget talks, originally scheduled for this week, will have to wait until after Easter, as preparations to begin conference meetings broke down.

"We are not ready to go to conference," said Senate Budget Committee Chairman J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales.

The differences between the two budgets mainly revolve around the Senate's $69.8 billion budget, which brings in the water management districts, consolidates the Turnpike Enterprise and includes the clerks of court budget, which are left out of the House's $66.5 billion budget.