News Briefs

+ Manatee County holiday closures and trash collection schedule
Manatee County government announced its holiday closures in a press release.

It said county government offices will be closed Dec. 24 and Christmas Day, Dec. 25. Garbage collection in unincorporated Manatee will be suspended Dec. 25 and Jan. 1. Collections will de delayed one day the rest of the week.

Additionally, all libraries are closed Dec. 24 and Dec. 25.

Fixed route and Handy Bus service will be suspended at 3 p.m. Dec. 24; while the Anna Maria Island trolley will be suspended at 7 p.m. that day.

Only the Anna Maria Island Trolley and Beach Express run on Christmas.

For New Year’s, county government is closed Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. Libraries stay closed on both of those days.

Manatee County Area Transit buses maintain normal service Dec. 31 and Jan. 2.

Only the Anna Maria Island Trolley and Beach Express will run New Year’s Day.

Manatee County Property Appraiser, Manatee Supervisor of Elections office and Manatee Clerk of the Circuit Court offices will be closed Dec. 24 and Dec. 25, Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.

Manatee County Tax Collector’s Office will be closed Dec. 21, Dec. 24 and Dec. 25.

Manatee County’s passive parks, beaches and preserves will remain open throughout the holidays.­­­

+ Atlanta homebuilder buys sites in east Manatee
Ashton Woods Homes, an Atlanta-based homebuilder, bought 91 home sites in east Manatee County.

 Terms of the sale weren’t released. The sites are at Rosedale Golf & Country Club, just east of I-75 on State Road 70, according to a release. The firm has three new model homes under construction at Rosedale, Tampa Bay area sales and marketing executive Michael Roche says in the statement. The homes range in size from 1,600 square feet to 2,600 square feet. Prices start in the high $200,000s.