The City of Sarasota is inching towards an embrace of composting
Recycling of organics helps slow landfill growth. Host: Lee County, just south of here, is big into composting. Since 2010, that county has been operating a large-scale biosolids facility next to a landfill. Sarasota is years behind that kind of effort. But now, the City of Sarasota is beginning to move. Gretchen...
Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation Gala Raises Nearly $1.4 Million
The Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation’s 24th Annual Gala, held March 6, raised nearly $1.4 million in support of the Foundation’s education and community engagement programs, which reach more than 40,000 students, educators, and families each year. “The evening was a celebration of community, generosity, and the...
Bradenton man charged in Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School burglary after DNA, video evidence
BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB) - A Bradenton man has been charged with burglarizing Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School after DNA evidence and surveillance video helped identify him, police said. Joshua Wilbar, 43, was charged in connection with the break-in, the Bradenton Police Department said in a social media post....
When it comes to the blues festival, we blew it in Lakewood Ranch
What would you do if you opened a restaurant, say Cajun food, and everyone who came through your doors said it was excellent, but only 10 people a day came through the doors?. Such is the case with the Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival, which made two failed efforts to engage with the music fans of East County on the...
Suspects flee police, flood into hotel room on Longboat Key
The driver of a car full of passengers sped off when Longboat police pulled in behind early on a recent Sunday morning, but nobody has been arrested yet on a felony charge of attempting to elude. According to a police report, an officer saw a white sedan with what appeared...
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center CEO resigns
Rob Anderson, the CEO of Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, has resigned his position, effective March 26. Anderson, who took over April 21, 2025, submitted his resignation as the hospital gets ready to open its new $120 million, 170,000-square-foot tower expansion with a ribbon-cutting March 24. Lakewood Ranch Medical...
Dumpster Discovery Leads To St. Petersburg Officer’s Dismissal
Police Lights (File) ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The St. Petersburg Police Department terminated the employment...
What Manatee County’s 1,483-Acre Conservation Move Really Means for Wildlife, Water and Growth Pressure
Manatee County’s decision to help permanently protect 1,483 acres of rural land from future development is more than a land deal. It is a signal that local leaders are finally trying to get ahead of the strain that rapid growth has placed on the county’s natural systems, working lands and public resources. In late...
Bradenton Teen Vanishes After Runaway Call, Family Fears For Areyanna Bosworth
Manatee County deputies are searching for 16-year-old Areyanna Bosworth after she ran away from her Bradenton home and dropped out of contact with her family for more than a week. Relatives say their concern is growing by the day, especially because Areyanna has a history of leaving home. Details from...
DNA Trail Tags Bradenton Man In St. Stephen’s School Break-In
Bradenton police say a DNA hit has cracked a months-old school break-in, tying a local man already behind bars to a November burglary at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School. On March 12, 2026, investigators announced that 43-year-old Joshua Wilbar has been charged with burglary after DNA recovered from items at the scene...
