News Briefs 11.19.09

+ Observer appoints sales director
Jill Raleigh, a 10-year member of The Observer Group Inc., has been named director of advertising for The Longboat Observer, The Sarasota Observer and The East County Observer.

A Sarasota resident, Raleigh has served the past year as advertising manager, overseeing display advertising sales in Sarasota County for the three Observer newspapers. Prior to that, she was the company’s leading sales executive. Raleigh is also a former advertising sales executive at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Raleigh will have responsibility for the growth of the Observers’ display advertising sales and its six-member sales staff.

Raleigh is married to John Raleigh, owner of Raleigh & Associates Inc., a Sarasota investment manager.

+ Two Osprey groups join forces
The Osprey Beautification Association, which has been in existence for 12 years, and the Osprey Civic League, which was founded just this year, have announced a merger.

The combined group will be called the Osprey Civic and Beautification Association.

+ Sheriff praises prescription turn-in
Sheriff Tom Knight called the sheriff’s office’s first Operation Medicine Cabinet a big success, with almost 350 people turning in 277 pounds of unused and expired prescription drugs last weekend.

Sarasota County has twice the number of prescription-drug overdose deaths than the state average.

+ Meetings & Agendas
• Parks, recreation and environmental-protection board — 3:30 p.m. Nov. 19, at City Hall, 1565 First St.

• County Planning Commission — 6:30 p.m. Nov. 19, at the County Administration building, 1660 Ringling Blvd.