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Longboat Key | News

Beachgoers set up near and rest on one of two concrete permeable adjustable groins on the north end of Longboat Key.
    By
  • S.T. Cardinal
  • March 18, 2026
Town eyes Gulfside Road for next beach groin project

Longboat Key spends a lot on beach renourishment but also uses engineering to reduce erosion.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Condos and single-family homes for sale dot the map of downtown Sarasota and its adjacent neighborhoods.
    By
  • Eric Garwood
  • March 18, 2026
Sarasota, Manatee real estate market a mixed bag

Prices are up but not everywhere.

  • Sarasota
  • News
Longboat Key resident Cathy Ross looks at FDOT plans for a fixed-span bridge to replace the drawbridge currently connecting Longboat Key to Anna Maria Island at a public meeting at Christ Church Thursday, March 13.
    By
  • S.T. Cardinal
  • March 17, 2026
FDOT shares fixed-span Longboat Pass bridge plans, community shares feedback

Opinions varied on FDOT’s proposal to construct a 78-foot clearance fixed span bridge connecting Longboat to Anna Maria Island.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Beachgoers often bring umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun on beach days. Tents, however, are prohibited by town ordinance.
    By
  • S.T. Cardinal
  • March 16, 2026
Heading to Longboat Key's beaches for spring break? Know the rules.

On a public beach with no lifeguards, the responsibility to enforce local ordinances falls on the shoulders of the police department.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Speed tables have been installed ahead of pedestrian crosswalks at St. Armands Circle, a popular shopping and dining destination on the barrier islands across the Ringling Causeway Bridge.
    By
  • S.T. Cardinal
  • March 15, 2026
St. Armands Circle gets pedestrian safety improvements

Eight permanent asphalt speed tables have been installed before pedestrian crosswalks at the popular shopping and dining district.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Longboat Key firefighters were set up outside of Publix from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 7 and Sunday, March 8 collecting money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
    By
  • S.T. Cardinal
  • March 14, 2026
Island firefighters raise $3,600 for muscular dystrophy

Longboat Key firefighters “filled the boot” through a fundraising effort for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Suspects flee police, flood into hotel room on Longboat Key
    By
  • S.T. Cardinal
  • March 12, 2026
Suspects flee police, flood into hotel room on Longboat Key

The case is ongoing, with hotel footage potentially needed to identify the suspects.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
The town of Longboat Key is taking steps to condemn and demolish the house at 6541 Gulfside Road, nicknamed the Half Moon House.
    By
  • S.T. Cardinal
  • March 11, 2026
Town seeks to condemn, demolish 'Half Moon House'

The seawall that gives the Half Moon House its name lies in pieces, and the pilings lifting the house above the beach have visible wear.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
The town of Longboat Key wants to expand the sidewalks on the east side of Gulf of Mexico Drive to 12 feet wide. Right now, the width of the sidewalk varies from six to eight feet wide.
    By
  • S.T. Cardinal
  • March 11, 2026
Town eyes feasibility study for 12-foot path along Gulf of Mexico Drive

The process is very early on, but Longboat Key staff have begun discussions with FDOT about what it would take to expand the existing sidewalk into a 12-foot multiuse trail.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
The town of Longboat Key is considering a new code addressing solar panels, which would clarify regulations around them. This home in the Village installed solar panels before the 2024 hurricanes and relied on them for backup power after the storms.
    By
  • S.T. Cardinal
  • March 10, 2026
Longboat Key considers rules on solar panels

If approved, the town will add a chapter to its code dedicated to solar panel regulations to help owners understand what is and isn't allowed.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
A Sleepy Lagoon resident takes a look at engineering plans at a public meeting at Bayfront Park Wednesday, March 4.
    By
  • S.T. Cardinal
  • March 9, 2026
Engineering firm presents Longboat road-raising, drainage plans

Water bubbling up from storm drains during high tide has prompted the town to spend on stormwater improvements and road raising in the Sleepy Lagoon neighborhood.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
This map shows the potential routes considered to replace the aging metal subaqueous wastewater pipeline which connects Longboat Key's wastewater to a Manatee County treatment center across Sarasota Bay. The line in solid light green is the route that was chosen, and the solid red and purple lines show where the existing pipe is located.
    By
  • S.T. Cardinal
  • March 8, 2026
Town to apply for loan for subaqueous project

Longboat Key is making moves in preparation for the beginning of the subaqueous wastewater pipeline replacement, expected to break ground this summer.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
A boat is attached by a red strap to land as it lies under a dock in disrepair in a canal off General Harris Street. Longboat Key Fire Department determined the vessel is not leaking fuel.
    By
  • S.T. Cardinal
  • March 7, 2026
Boat sinks in Longboat canal

A boat behind a house that has been vacant since the 2024 hurricanes has now sunk completely.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Longboat Key Fire Department personnel extricated the 80-year-old driver from a wrecked SUV on Tuesday on the north end of the island.
    By
  • Eric Garwood
  • March 4, 2026
Driver's medical issue likely led to Longboat Key crash, police say

Tuesday's wreck on the north end of the island also knocked out power to a few homes.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Longboat Key Mayor Ken Schneier struck the gavel for the last time Monday after 14 years of volunteer service on town boards and the commission.
    By
  • S.T. Cardinal
  • March 4, 2026
Ken Schneier strikes gavel for final time

Longboat Key Mayor Ken Schneier struck the gavel for the last time Monday after 14 years of volunteer service on town boards and the commission.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
1 2 3 4 5 »
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Latest in Longboat Key

1
  • March 20, 2026
Longboat Key's Cops, Cars & Coffee rescheduled
2
Paul Dezzi is the fire chief of the Longboat Key Fire Rescue Department and the town's emergency manager.
  • March 19, 2026
Longboat Key fire station to host open house March 25
3
Edward Lyon, Excel Empire's chief tax planner and the 'funniest tax guy in America,' shares tips with residents as they gear up for tax season at a March 10 workshop at Lido Beach Resort.
  • March 18, 2026
America's 'Funniest Tax Guy' offers tips to Longboaters
4
Beachgoers set up near and rest on one of two concrete permeable adjustable groins on the north end of Longboat Key.
  • March 18, 2026
Town eyes Gulfside Road for next beach groin project
5
Condos and single-family homes for sale dot the map of downtown Sarasota and its adjacent neighborhoods.
  • March 18, 2026
Sarasota, Manatee real estate market a mixed bag

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