- March 28, 2024
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Police recover body after plunge from Ringling Bridge
The Sarasota Police Department recovered the body of a man who jumped from the Ringling Bridge just before 9:30 a.m. Monday.
Police identified the man as Louis Klinger, 63, of Lakewood Ranch.
Klinger was allegedly involved in a hit-and-run crash near the intersection of North Tamiami Trail and University Parkway, then fled to the John Ringling Causeway, according to SPD spokeswoman Genevieve Judge. Police say he parked, then jumped from the north side of the bridge.
Town Hall to close for Presidents Day
Longboat Key Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Road, and other town offices will be closed Monday, Feb. 16, in observance of Presidents Day. Solid-waste collection will be rescheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 17. Have all items curbside by 7 a.m.
Town offices will reopen at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. For information, call 316-1999.
Longboat Pass bridge work begins
Routine maintenance will be performed on Longboat Pass Bridge during the nighttime hours of Feb. 15 through Feb. 19.
Scheduled bridge maintenance, performed by Infrastructure Company of America (ICA) will require intermittent lane closures of both northbound and southbound traffic lanes at the bridge between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m. nightly.
Flagmen will stop traffic in one direction at a time and terminate lane closures if traffic begins to back up.
Mote announces dolphin’s death
Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium staff announced in a news release that pantropical dolphin Moonshine died on Tuesday.
Moonshine, who was found in 2003 stranded on a beach in the Florida Keys with severe sunburn, was a resident at Mote for more than 10 years. Mote treated Moonshine for the sunburn, and he was deemed unable to return to the wild.
During the past few days, Mote officials said Moonshine became uninterested in his care and food before taking a turn for the worse Tuesday morning, according to a press release. Moonshine’s cause of death is unknown at this time.
Mote Aquarium’s dolphin lagoon area in the Marine Mammal Research and Rehabilitation Center will remain closed to visitors for the rest of the week.
Donations can be made in Moonshine’s memory to Mote’s Dolphin and Whale Hospital. Visit mote.org/donate and click the “Donations” tab.
MEETINGS
Zoning Board of Adjustment Meeting — 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 12
Planning & Zoning Board Meeting — 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17
Town Commission Regular Workshop — 1 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17