Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival celebrates past and present
CORTEZ – The 44th annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival will be held Saturday, Feb. 14, and Sunday, Feb. 15. The annual festival is a celebration of the cultural history of Cortez – one of the last true working fishing villages in Florida. “The village of Cortez and the...
Manatee Memorial Hospital Performs Its First Tricuspid Valve Replacement in Manatee County with Edwards...
Manatee Memorial Hospital (MMH) proudly announces the completion of its first tricuspid valve replacement in Manatee County, the latest treatment option for patients with significant tricuspid regurgitation who are not candidates for traditional open-heart surgery. This minimally invasive procedure was successfully...
Bicyclist hospitalized in Sarasota hit-and-run; FHP searching for driver
SARASOTA, Fla. — The Florida Highway Patrol is searching for the driver in a hit-and-run crash that left a bicyclist with critical injuries in Sarasota. The crash happened around 10:30 p.m. Thursday on Bee Ridge Road, approaching McIntosh Road. A 27-year-old man was riding his bike on the east...
Third person named in alligator poaching case
SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - A third man allegedly involved in an alligator poaching case has been arrested, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday. Benjamin Quinlan, 19, was charged with killing or possessing alligators without authority and trespassing, jail records show. In December 2025, two others were...
Manatee County leaders urge civility as opposition to proposed cruise grows
Manatee County leaders are urging residents to keep public discussion civil as opposition grows over a proposed cruise terminal near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
More stringent water restrictions to begin on Feb. 8 for Sarasota and other counties...
The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board has voted to declare a Modified Phase II “Severe” Water Shortage because of dry conditions throughout the region, the District has announced. That declaration “requires all residents, including those on private wells, in multiple cities and counties” —...
Venice-based Agape Flights plane reported missing over mountains in Haiti
VENICE, Fla. - A local missionary aviation organization lost contact with one of its flights over Haiti on Thursday afternoon, according to officials. Agape Flights, based out of Venice, posted on Facebook that it lost contact with a N316AF Embraer 110 Bandeirante on Thursday. What we know:. The plane was...
Classic Drive-In Restaurant Returning to Sarasota
SARASOTA, FL — Hob Nob Drive In is targeting a late March opening at 1701 N. Washington Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34234. Dimitris Syros, owner of Breakfast Company, told Business Debut the project is led by his stepfather and business partner, Troy King, who is the majority owner and driving force behind bringing the...
Saturday Sounds: Cracker Fest Brings Folk, Country, and Americana to Pioneer Plaza
Old Florida’s music comes alive at Cracker Fest 2026. The festival takes over Pioneer Plaza on Saturday, February 14, from 10 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon, filling the day with live sets from local favorites and returning acts. You’ll hear everything from folk and country to classic rock and Americana, music...
Sarasota Architectural Salvage closing after 25 years
If there was something to salvage from an estate sale, a liquidation sale, or even a building demolition, Jesse White and his family claimed it as their own, then passed it on to their clients. Now, after 25 years, Sarasota Architectural Salvage is closing
