Sarasota selects next city manager
Seventeen months after the retirement of Marlon Brown, Sarasota has a new city manager. Following a brief discussion on Friday, the Sarasota City Commission unanimously selected Karie Friling as the city's next top executive. The executive director of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, Illinois since...
Ramblin’ Man Comes Home: US-41 Renamed Dickey Betts Memorial Highway
Florida just gave Dickey Betts a fitting tribute: drivers cruising through his hometown on U.S. 41 will now see signs for the Dickey Betts Memorial Highway. It’s a stretch of road in south Sarasota County, running from North Creek down to Blackburn Point Road, in the place Betts called home.
French Bakery and Brunch Spot Opening in Bradenton
BRADENTON, FL - Merci Cafe, a French bakery and brunch concept, is targeting a mid-March opening at 310-212 12th St W, Bradenton, FL 34205. Owners Fanette and Patrick Maquet told Business Debut they are bringing a French franchise concept to the area, marking their first restaurant. The couple said they...
TAYLOR WALKS AWAY AFTER PRO MODIFIED CRASH DURING DI WINTER SERIES TESTING AT BRADENTON
Jimmy Taylor went to Bradenton Motorsports Park for open testing ahead of the final event of the three-race DI Winter Series. On Wednesday, the Pro Modified driver was reminded how quickly a routine session can turn violent when his car snapped left and slammed the wall at more than 200 mph.
Sarasota County seeks to curb spending to avert budget crisis
The story was updated with additional information from Sarasota County. Sarasota County is aiming to reduce its government spending next year to avoid a budget shortfall. A model from August 2025 showed that the county would be underwater on its general fund by 2028, with a $37.8 million deficit the next year....
Lakewood Ranch murder-suicide leaves 11-year-old, 14-year-old dead
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the circumstances leading up to a murder-suicide that left a 44-year-old mother and her two children, a 14-year-old boy and 11-year-old girl, dead Thursday in Lakewood Ranch. Deputies responded around 8:30 p.m. to a residence in the 8200 block of Pavia Way — in the...
Swine discovery has Sarasota officers seeking pig’s owner
Sarasota Police took into custody an unlikely fugitive overnight — a 100-pound, pot-bellied pig. No, there won’t be any swine/law enforcement jokes here, but the friendly and cooperative runaway porker wore no collar and carried no sign of whom it belongs to, other than its black spots on generally white hair with a...
Affidavit: St. Petersburg man arrested for driving 120mph on US-19
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — The Pinellas Park Police Department arrested a man on "Super Speeder" charges after spotting him driving 120 mph on U.S. 19, according to an arrest affidavit. Andres Baron, 41, was traveling northbound on US-19 in Pinellas Park just after 1:30 a.m. Thursday, when police said...
South Florida Spring Break Rules
SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Fun, Smart, Talk. Our take on what’s making headlines on the Suncoast. Today, one of our Hot Topics included a discussion about new and old rules attracting visitors. If you have ideas for what topics we should discuss next, email us at [email protected]!
‘On edge’: Possible citizenship verification has Manatee County nonprofits searching for answers
Local nonprofits fear a provision under consideration in Manatee County to prohibit them from serving undocumented immigrants could jeopardize millions of dollars in funding, causing gaps in critical family services. Manatee County commissioners are expected to consider a plan to update funding agreements with...
