Sarasota big and tall retailer to shutter after nearly 50 years
A store that has been part of Sarasota’s retail landscape for nearly half a century is going out of business. King James Big & Tall will shutter at the end of October after 47 years in operation. “Competition from big box stores and online retailers has made continuing unsustainable,”...
Traffic stop leads to drug arrests on Longboat Key
A traffic stop on the north end of the island Sunday night led to the arrest of three people on drug charges on Longboat Key, the town reported. In a news release, Longboat Key authorities said an officer on routine overnight patrol pulled over a vehicle on Gulf of Mexico Drive after noticing its brake lights and...
Florida Holocaust Museum reopens next week with new exhibits, safety measures
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Four local Holocaust survivors tell their stories as visitors ask questions at the new "Dimensions in Testimony" exhibit at the Florida Holocaust Museum. The survivors were interviewed and technology picks up keywords in visitors’ questions to then play the answer through a video screen from...
Longboat cops respond to Jet Skiers gone wild in Sarasota Bay
Suspicious person: Police were called when a restaurant employee witnessed a man sitting at a table outside of the restaurant. The employee of the restaurant said they did not feel comfortable opening the restaurant with the man sitting out front. The suspicious and frightening sitter told police he was waiting for...
Manatee County consent agendas cause controversy
The consent agenda typically goes relatively unnoticed during Manatee County Commission meetings. However, consent agendas have drawn more attention since a roundabout on University Parkway, where Legacy Boulevard meets Deer Drive, was approved on the Nov. 12, 2024 consent agenda. It was then that the plans changed...
Chipotle with drive-thru planned in Manatee County
A popular restaurant is planned to revitalize a defunct gas station site in Manatee County. Developers have proposed building a Chipotle Mexican Grill with a drive-thru at 5320 33rd St. E. The location is off State Road 70, about three miles west of Interstate 75. SDP Florida 1 LLC is...
Is there horse poop in the bay? What testing found amid Florida water debate
Results from advanced water testing in a Southwest Florida bay traced horse DNA to bacteria found around a causeway, adding fuel to a long-standing debate that horses contaminate the waterway. Scientists with the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program and Suncoast Waterkeeper recently began the advanced sampling to pinpoint...
Three Capybara sisters are now Suncoast celebrities
SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - The Suncoast is filled with animals of all shapes and sizes, but now three sisters are becoming local celebrities. These are the new capybaras at the Suncoast Humane Society in Englewood. Maria Salnikova, Summer intern with the Suncoast Humane Society, says, “We rescued them from a...
Person found dead at South Skyway fishing pier: FHP
MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA)—The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a death on the South Skyway fishing pier on I-275. Troopers arrived at the scene to find a single vehicle and a person dead.
2 Pastors Arrested For Protesting Removal Of ‘Black History Matters’ Mural
Two Florida pastors were arrested after peacefully protesting the removal of a "Black History Matters" street mural in St. Petersburg.
