Sarasota another step closer to reopening pier, park and Hart’s Landing
SARASOTA, Fla. — Passing by Hart’s Landing now, you will see fences blocking off where Sarasota’s oldest bait shop used to stand. Hart’s Landing to Sherman Baldwin is more than just a property he manages. “It breaks my heart every time I see it. So many...
This Florida RacePark Lets You Go Full Throttle Across 18 Acres
There is a place in Florida where you can push a kart to its limits, feel the G-forces through every corner, and walk away with your heart still racing. It sits on 18 landscaped acres along a busy highway, and most people drive right past it without a second glance.
Sarasota, Palm Beach sheriffs walk back immigration bonuses for deputies
Two Florida sheriff’s offices on Tuesday took back planned bonuses for their immigration officers, striking tens of thousands of dollars in already-approved state grant requests. The Sarasota and Palm Beach County sheriff’s offices are the first local law enforcement agencies to decide they don’t want the state to...
Manatee Crime Plunges Nearly 20 Percent As Sheriff Hails Deputies’ ‘Tireless’ Push
Reported crime in Manatee County took a steep dive in 2025, with officials touting a nearly one-fifth drop countywide. The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office says overall crime fell 19.7 percent last year and is crediting its deputies for the shift, highlighting the numbers in a bold social media graphic that paints a...
Florida honors Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts with memorial highway
Rock legend Dickey Betts — a Florida native who co-founded the influential Allman Brothers Band — has been officially honored by his home state. A pioneering lead guitarist who composed numerous hit songs and revered instrumentals, Betts is best known as the singer and songwriter of the Allman Brothers’ lone Top 5...
Gulf Gate Tops Nextdoor’s List of Sarasota’s Friendliest Neighborhoods
Over the years, we’ve written about Gulf Gate’s groovy midcentury ranch homes, its low-slung time-capsule charm and its eclectic strip of mom-and-pop-owned restaurants and bars where the parking is still free. We know it as a place where the locals go and admire its refusal to become overly polished.
Sarasota deputies warn of electric motorcycle dangers, remind parents they’re not street legal
Sarasota County deputies are in the middle of a campaign aimed at educating parents and teens on the rules surrounding e-motos or electric motorcycles.
Melvin Trotter executed for 1986 Palmetto grocery store murder; decades-old case comes to a...
STARKE, Fla. (WWSB) - Florida executed Melvin Trotter, 65, Tuesday evening for the 1986 murder of Virgie Langford, a 72-year-old Palmetto grocery store owner. Jordan Kirkland, communications director for the Florida Department of Corrections, said the sentence was carried out at 6:15 p.m. Feb. 24, 2026, and that the...
Bradenton Scam Uses ‘Government Currency’ ATMs To Bleed Victims
Bradenton residents are getting hit with a high-tech twist on an old scam: callers posing as local police, ordering people to pull out large amounts of cash and feed it into a so-called “government currency” machine. Today, Bradenton police urged residents to be on alert, stressing that while two of their officers do...
Panhandling pelican pinched in Manatee Beach Publix
BRADENTON, Fla. (WWSB) - A wildlife rehab organization is working to help a panhandling pelican that was recently captured on Manatee Beach. “This guy was wandering around Manatee Beach looking for a handout, following people around,” Wildlife Inc. said a social media post. The pelican, not deterred by people...
