Explore 2018 issues

HOLMES BEACH – A grassroots movement to bring awareness to Florida legislators’ efforts to consolidate or eliminate the three Anna Maria Island cities drew about 300 people to its first event, a peaceful protest on the sand. The crowd gathered just north of Manatee Beach on April 13...

CORTEZ – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is continuing to tenaciously pursue the enforcement of a 2019 judgment against Raymond “Junior” Guthrie to remove his net camp off the coast of Cortez in Sarasota Bay. According to the judgment, the state of Florida owns the submerged...

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – The traditional May 1 start of the sea turtle nesting season is now April 15, according to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, whose volunteers began monitoring the beaches this week for signs of nesting. Residents and beachgoers can help improve the...

HOLMES BEACH - The two defendants in a civil suit filed by the daughter of Miriam Trotter, 86, of Bradenton, who was killed in a traffic accident on May 12, 2023, have filed responses to the suit in Manatee County’s 12th Judicial Circuit Court. Deborah Trotter, 66, of...

HOLMES BEACH – Commissioners again discussed their concern about a move by the state Legislature to eliminate the three Anna Maria Island cities, consolidating them into one city, into the city of Bradenton or into Manatee County. During an April 9 meeting, Commissioner Terry Schaefer addressed the elephant...

HOLMES BEACH - The last Holmes Beach Night Market of the season packed the sidewalks with shoppers, diners and art lovers on April 12, who were introduced to the Artists’ Guild of Anna Maria Island’s Featured Artist, Kathy Lee Patterson. Patterson says she is inspired by local flora,...

Over the years, I’ve had the honor and pleasure of getting to know and work with many passionate and action-oriented citizens on the Suncoast, people who turn their concerns into accomplishments. While Suncoast Aqua Ventures was created by a handful of friends in 2016, in my experience...

ANNA MARIA – After the clearing of the rain clouds, the area adults played five soccer games in The Center’s co-ed league. With roughly 100 men and women playing this season, the games are compressed and the schedule was tightened to accommodate 10 teams. After three weeks of...

Call me crazy, but whenever the hurricane predictions are disclosed for the impending hurricane season it seems to always be the highest number of storms EVER. Well, this year’s predictions are again warning of an extremely active hurricane season, so batten down the hatches and tie up...

ANNA MARIA – Mayor Dan Murphy is among those disappointed with the $1.4 bid received from C-Squared to construct a one-block Reimagining Pine Avenue prototype area. On March 25, C-Squared submit­ted the only bid the city received in response to the fourth request for proposals (RFP) issued since...

ANNA MARIA – Six potential charter amendments and an ad­ditional recommendation proposed by the charter review committee have been presented for city commission consideration. Charter Review Committee Chair Chris Arendt presented the proposed amendments to the city commission on April 11. The commission can accept, reject or modify any...

ANNA MARIA – Businesses in the city that currently sell CBD and hemp products will be allowed to continue doing so with a soon-to-be-adopted grandfathering exception. A city ordinance adopted in 2015 to prohibit medical marijuana dispensaries also prohibits the sale of any product made from the cannabis...