Photo: Winter in Sarasota, 1940
Here’s a moment that will look familiar to most Floridians. As winter descends up north, Sarasotans are getting ready to enjoy the nicest time of year in Florida, when we dig our toes into the sand, not the snow. Photographer Joseph Janney Steinmetz, whose work has been called “an American social history,” captured...
A new version of a scam is targeting Manatee County residents
BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB) - Officials are warning Manatee County residents about a new variation of a long-running jury duty scam. According to the Manatee Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller, a resident recently reported receiving a call from scammers posing as law enforcement officers. The callers claimed the...
Derelict boat removed after 3 years as Sarasota police crack down on abandoned vessels
SARASOTA, Fla. - They're an eyesore and a safety hazard. For years derelict boats have caused issues along Florida's coast. After Hurricane Milton, larger penalties were put into place, which now allow local law enforcement to respond and hold owners accountable. Sarasota police continue to work to remove derelict...
Bradenton Police continue search for female suspect in Dollar Tree robbery
BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB) - Bradenton Police continue the search for a woman they say robbed a Dollar Tree store on First Street West on July 8. Police say they are looking for Adrian Randall after forensic evidence at the scene linked Randall to the crime. Randall, 40, allegedly entered the...
County commissioner says Sarasota jail is at ’emergency’ level
SARSOTA COUNTY, Fla. — In Sarasota County, one commissioner says the jail population has reached an "emergency" level. Numbers given to Spectrum News by the sheriff's office confirm the situation: they are housing nearly 300 more inmates than what the facility was built for. County Commissioner Tom Knight says...
Sarasota Bay’s Dolphins Welcome 19 Calves as Scientists Mark 55 Years of Research
In the waters of Sarasota Bay, a 41-year-old dolphin known as “Granny” added three more descendants to her growing family tree this year, cementing her status as matriarch of one of the world’s most thoroughly documented marine mammal populations. The Sarasota Dolphin Research Program logged 19 new...
Deputies receive Life Saving Award
SARASOTA — A recent ceremony lauded Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office personnel for life-saving and meritorious work.
Learn how to safely handle wild birds with Save Our Seabirds
Save Our Seabirds invites anyone with a passion for helping injured animals to learn the techniques for keeping both birds and handlers safe at an upcoming workshop. The free educational seminar takes place from 10 a.m. to noon on Dec. 6 at 1708 Ken Thompson Parkway. Participants can learn how to tell if a bird is...
A Black Landmark From the Days of Segregation Is Being Reborn as a Civic...
At the corner of Eighth Street and Central Avenue, long before high-rises, restaurants and boutiques reshaped the Rosemary District, a modest yellow stucco building stood as one of the few safe havens for Black travelers in Southwest Florida. It was called the Colson Hotel. Built in 1926 during Sarasota’s land...
Sarasota bayfront estate listed for $26.4M, highest in county
A luxurious bayfront estate in Oyster Bay Estates outside downtown Sarasota was recently listed for sale at $26.4 million — the highest asking price for a piece of residential real estate in the County. Villa Meraviglia, which translates to a "Home Beyond Imagination," was an addition to the region’s...

















