Sarasota FL

PUNTA GORDA — A Venice man is facing state prison time after a Charlotte County jury found him guilty of trafficking in fentanyl, according to state prosecutors.

VENICE, Fla. (WWSB) - The Circus Bridge, the southernmost drawbridge on and off Venice Island, was closed to traffic in both directions after a mechanical issue, Venice Police say. Repairs are underway. By 1:45 p.m., the bridge was open for vehicle traffic; however the bridge was not yet open to...

ANNA MARIA – At approximately 5 p.m. on Monday, April 13, 35-year-old Minnesota resident Randi Bestel was arrested after she crashed the three-wheeled ScootCoupe she was driving near the Gulf Drive/Palmetto Avenue intersection in Anna Maria. In recent years, three-wheeled ScootCoupes have become a common sight on Anna Maria...

Bradenton is closing in on acquiring more than 11 acres tied to the City Park project, a development municipal leaders view as transformational for the surrounding neighborhood. The city council unanimously voted this month to move forward with purchasing 11.3 acres to be used for stormwater improvements, a community center...

VENICE — Gulf Coast Community Foundation's latest regional survey identified the top three concerns of more than 1,500 residents of the region, and an asset that will be a factor in addressing them — empathy.

As the snowbirds head home and traffic finally eases across the Suncoast, there’s no better time for locals to rediscover one of Florida’s most authentic hidden gems — Cortez. Tucked along Sarasota Bay just west of Bradenton, Cortez is one of the last true working fishing villages...

SARASOTA, Fla. — Thousands of residents in Sarasota and Manatee counties are now subject to immediate fines for watering violations as authorities look to enforce drought-driven irrigation restrictions, with citations starting at $100 issued without prior warning. Under the current Phase III restrictions mandated by the Southwest Florida Water...

Michael Kennedy, trustee, of Sarasota, sold the home at 15621 Linn Park Terrace to Julie Tirella and James Nesci, of Lakewood Ranch, for $2,525,000. Built in 2012, it has five bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,671 square feet of living area. Victor Prichard and Sondra Prichard, trustee, of Lakewood...

A suspected drug dealer was arrested in Longboat Key last month on a murder charge related to a death by overdose. Toby Davis was arrested by Longboat Key police March 20, according to a police report. Police Chief Russ Mager said Davis was on the island for work. On the day of the arrest, he was driving a pickup truck with a ladder rack...

Suspicious person: While fishing from the beach is perfectly legal in Longboat Key, a woman called police on two men doing just that. The woman told dispatch she felt the two fishing from shore was illegal. Longboat police then called the woman, who told the officer she knew there was nothing he could do, but she wanted to better understand the rules behind fishing...