News Briefs

+ Keep Manatee Beautiful organizes site cleanups
Keep Manatee Beautiful is asking its Adopt-A-Highway and other volunteer cleanup groups to work on their adopted sites Oct. 1.

The cleanups will begin at 9 a.m. Oct. 1. Cleanups in the East County include the State Road 64 East Boat Ramp on the Braden River at S.R. 64’s intersection with 29th Street East and at Rays Canoe Hideaway, 1289 Hagle Park Road.

Contact 795-8272.

+ Ranch Medical Center to host open house
Lakewood Ranch Medical Center will host a free open house from 4-7 p.m. Sept. 29, in the main lobby of the hospital, 8330 Lakewood Ranch Blvd.

The event will include a tour of its Breast Health Center and demonstrations of how the new 3D mammograms are read and interpreted.

The medical center also will host a health and wellness expo from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 1.

+ FEMA recognition aids Manatee County residents
The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Sept. 20 presented Manatee County with its official Class 5 Community Rating, a designation that will save Manatee County flood insurance policy holders a total of $2.6 million on their annual premiums.

The new rating results in savings for the nearly 12,000 flood insurance policy holders who are inside the high-risk 100-year floodplain.

“Your community has undertaken a series of meaningful activities to protect its citizens from losses caused by flooding and has significantly exceeded the requirements for the National Flood Insurance Program participation and effective floodplain management,” Brad Loar, FEMA’s District IV mitigation division manager, told Manatee commissioners.

+ Rescue hosts adoption event
Underdog Rescue hopes East County residents will come out to meet their new pets during the organization’s Meet Your Best Friend adoption event Oct. 1.

The event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 1, at 7630 Lockwood Ridge Road, Sarasota.
For more, visit www.underdogadopt.com.

+ Bank merger deal called off
A proposed merger between Community Bank & Co. and Old Harbor Bank has been canceled.

In July, shareholders at Lakewood Ranch-based Community Bank said they were prepared to invest $25 million in new capital into Clearwater-based Old Harbor, but later called off the deal.  Officials estimated the new bank would manage more than $1 billion in assets through a network of 24 branch locations had a deal been completed.

Community Bank Chairman and CEO Bill Sedgeman did not return a call by deadline.
In May, Community acquired Pinellas Park-based First Community Bank of America, investing $30 million of fresh capital after the merger was completed.