Shooter convicted on all counts

Mark Koenigs was convicted of two counts of aggravated assault on a police officer with a firearm and one count of aggravated battery with a weapon last Friday. He could get life in prison.

Koenigs, 55, who owned a condo unit in south Bradenton Beach, was accused of walking into Island Mail and More the morning of Dec. 5 and shooting store owner Susan Normand. She still uses a cane to walk. More...

Teitelbaum adds Seaside Inn to portfolio

BRADENTON BEACH – This resort city has been good to David Teitelbaum and he has returned the favor in the form of adding to Bradenton Beach’s inventory of rooms for rent.

His latest venture involves purchasing Seaside Inn and Resort at 2200 Gulf Drive, located on the beach just north of the S curve. More...

Sign up for O’Connor Bowling Challenge

The 18th annual O’Connor Bowling Challenge, sponsored by The Sun, is set for Saturday, Aug. 23, at AMF Bowling Lanes, 4208 Cortez Road, Bradenton.

Pre-registration is highly recommended for this sell-out event. Bowlers must sign up by noon Thursday, Aug. 21, to be guaranteed a lane. Registration is at Duffy’s Tavern, 5808 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. More...

Suicide shocks beachgoers

BRADENTON BEACH – A 79-year-old man killed himself while sitting on a bench at the trolley turnaround in Coquina Beach on Tuesday, July 29, shocking trolley riders, beach visitors and workers at the concession stand.

Bradenton Beach Police Det. Sgt. Lenard Diaz said the man, whose name is being whithheld by The Sun as a matter of policy, apparently shot himself in the stomach. Diaz said he left one note for police and another for his family. He said the victim was depressed and had some health issues, but he did not release the contents of the notes. More...

Bridging calendar due soon

Bridging the Gap is coming together and organizers hope to have a calendar of events soon.

Bridging the Gap organizers, including Ginny and Jane E’s owner Ginny Dutton and Anna Maria Island Sun Sales Manager Chantelle Lewin met with event organizers Monday to check on their progress. More...

Lost ring returned thanks to Sun classified

BRADENTON BEACH – A classified ad in The Anna Maria Island Sun was all it took to get a New Jersey man’s lost ring back to him.

The free lost and found ad read, "Lost man’s gold wedding ring at Coquina Beach #6 on 4/11. Inside ring is 11/11/50. Call collect."

The ring belongs to Steve Garry, of South Hampton, N.J., and his wife, Rita, said he was sick when he lost it. More...

Feeding brown pelicans now illegal

There’s no such thing as a free lunch, and brown pelicans that are fed by people are paying with their lives, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which has passed a rule against feeding the birds.

The rule prohibits the intentional feeding or placement of food that attracts pelicans and changes their natural behavior to their detriment, including dumping large amounts of fish scraps or by-catch.

Violation of the rule is a second-degree misdemeanor with fines up to $500 and jail sentences up to 60 days. More...

Notes from the courtroom

The Mark Koenigs trial is over and he was convicted last week of shooting Island Mail and More owner Sue Normand as she stood behind her counter that chilly Dec. 5 morning. He was also convicted of aggravated assault on two law enforcement officers who were trying to apprehend him on the beach.

Here are some observations after sitting in the courtroom for most of the trial.

Defendant Mark Koenigs sported a beard at the trial. He was in a wheelchair all the time, but stood up when the court bailiff called "All rise" as judge Diane Moreland entered or left the courtroom. More...

SMALL WAVES BIG THRILLS

It doesn’t take monster waves to produce gigantic smiles, as the kids at Native Surf Camp in Holmes Beach discovered last week. Small swells were enough to propel surf students to shore on lightweight foam boards. After a little practice, some surfers even succeeded in switching stances in mid-ride, a skateboarding trick that translates well to the water. More...

Join ‘The Sarasota Bay Great Scallop Search’

The mid-day sun was high overhead as Mote staff scientist Jay Leverone and I slipped into the waters of a local flat. After adjusting our snorkels and masks, we began to survey the sandy bottom with its mix of turtle and manatee grass. The water was rising and uncharacteristically clear for August, giving us a great view of the flora and fauna that inhabited this underwater garden. We had been in the water less than 10 minutes when Leverone called my attention to a scallop he had just found on the sea grass bed. Soon after I found another scallop and within 20 minutes we had located several other specimens. More...

Find casual elegance at Old Bridge Village

Mies van der Rohe adopted the motto "less is more" to describe the fundamentals of his architecture. Less is more can also be applied to scale – the scale of a home, an expensive piece of jewelry or a development. Old Bridge Village in Bradenton Beach is an exceptional example of less is more – a few residential units surrounded by lush landscaping creating luxury on a small scale. More...

Thompson Preschool set to open

Thirty families signed up to send their kids to Thompson Preschool and Kids Club, 2015 75th St. W., Bradenton, during an open house last Saturday and Sunday, according to owner Cindy Thompson.

The facility will open Monday, Aug. 18, offering day care for children from infants to five years old and after-school care for kids up to 10 years old with pickup at local schools. More...

Investment Corner By Tom Brieter

Back at the end of 2005 and early 2006 ,I sounded the alarm over the speculative behavior being exhibited in residential real estate, warning that it would not go on much longer. I was right, as it turned out, but I did not foresee the peripheral issues related to real estate speculation that are now causing much bigger problems. More...

Free running camp scheduled for kids

Manatee High Senior Jessica Pate will lead a free running camp for kids age 7 and older who are interested in getting in shape and learning about running on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursday through Aug. 14 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. in the field north of Holmes Beach City Hall. More...

Turtle nests hatching out almost nightly

Turtle hatchlings are emerging from their nests in the sand on an almost nightly basis now, and Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch volunteers are urging property owners who have lights visible from the beach to get those lights turned off or get them shielded.

"This is really important now," AMITW Director Suzi Fox said. "We don’t need these hatchlings disoriented and dying." More...

Samuels Dazzle at Shoes

Twelve horseshoe pitchers drew numbered poker chips to determine partners and after the pool play games on Saturday, 8/2, half of them made it to the playoff round.  Jerry Disbrow, recently returned to Cortez from his northern climes, paired with Larry Livragio and easily defeated Tom Skoloda and Garry Howcroft 22-10 to advance to the finale.  But waiting in the wings was Sam Samuels and George McKay.  McKay and Samuels threw three ringer packed pool-play games and their hot streak continued as each of them threw six-pack double ringers and a couple of singles to defeat Disbrow and Livragio 24-16. More...