Manatee County Commission pushes back against state restrictions on planning
Commissioners unanimously vote to sue, and lobby against law that limits their ability to control development. Host: It was a busy return for the Manatee Board of County Commission in its first meeting back from a month-long recess. The commission made steps to address the state’s opposition to developer pushback....
Prosecutors ask judge to revoke bond of woman in hookah lounge shooting case
SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Prosecutors asked a Sarasota County Court judge Thursday to revoke the bond for a woman accused of helping a suspect in the May 2024 shooting outside a Sarasota hookah lounge. Nicole Roberts is charged with being an accessory to second-degree murder and tampering with evidence. Roberts...
New Wimauma high school set to open its doors ahead of new school year
Aquilla J. Morgan High School was built to hold up to 3,500 kids, as enrollment numbers have skyrocketed across the Tampa Bay area
Cortez man charged after killing father while showing off gun, deputies say
A man is facing a manslaughter charge after fatally shooting his 76-year-old father Tuesday in what he told deputies was an accident, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies said they responded shortly before noon to the 12300 block of Baypointe Terrace in Cortez, where they found 35-year-old Ian...
Florida Club Files for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy
After nearly five decades of operation, The Meadows Country Club in Sarasota, Fla., has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, signaling the end of an era for one of the region’s most storied private clubs. The filing, submitted on July 7 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida, lists between $1...
Florida redfish could soon be more widely available thanks to Sarasota company
Wild-caught redfish are a popular recreational fish in Florida but are rarely found in restaurants or grocery stores due to past overfishing. A Sarasota-based aquaculture company, Pine Island Redfish, is successfully farming redfish at Mote Marine Research Park and plans to expand significantly. The company's...
Sarasota rainbow crosswalk could be removed under new FDOT memo
A rainbow-colored crosswalk in downtown Sarasota could be on the chopping block after a new statewide memo from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) raised concerns about artwork on public roadways.
Holmes Beach man tried to kill woman during Gulf fishing trip, deputies say
Deputies say a Holmes Beach man attacked a woman and tried to leave her for dead during a fishing trip more than 30 miles offshore of Anna Maria Island. Douglas Scott Naeher, 60, faces two counts of attempted first-degree murder and a charge of domestic battery, according to court records. The Manatee County...
Streets of Paradise prepares for community center opening
The ‘hub’ will offer showers, wifi, fresh-baked pizza, yoga, poetry and more to unhoused Sarasotans. Host: Streets of Paradise has been around for a while, looking after unhoused Sarasotans and Manatee County residents. It has not done so without controversy. But now it is opening a big facility where those who need...
Siesta Key resident turns 100 as she carries on decadeslong tradition
As the sun set on July 28, Ozzie Exposito was standing outside with his family, at Casa Blanca Vacation Rentals on Siesta Key, and they were waiting for a sound. “She always times it perfectly,” Exposito said. “She never fails.”. The family were nonetheless surprised to learn it...