News Briefs

+ Suspects burglarize East County Best Buy
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a Feb. 10 burglary of the Best Buy store located at 125 N. Cattlemen Road.

Deputies responded to an alarm at the store just after 5 a.m. and found suspects had driven a vehicle into a garage door at the rear of the store. Several masked suspects entered the store, stole several pieces of electronic equipment and fled, a sheriff’s office report states.

Four locally stolen vehicles, which were used for the crime, were recovered in a parking lot at Cattlemen and Fruitville roads.

+ School Board considers outsourcing department
The Manatee County School Board is considering outsourcing the school district’s highest-paid position, that of School Board Attorney John Bowen.

School Board members during a Feb. 6 budget workshop directed staff to look into using outside council for legal services when Bowen’s contract expires in 2013, to trim administrative costs.

The board had considered firing Bowen last year but chose not to, after learning it would cost taxpayers about $450,000 to buy Bowen out of his contract. Bowen had received unfavorable evaluations from the majority of board members.

The School Board also has made other efforts to reduce administrative costs, requiring department heads to cut costs by 10% in their respective areas.

+ Fatal fire, death caused by cigarette
An investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office concluded a woman who died in a fire at her Lakewood Ranch apartment last month had been smoking on her balcony.

Authorities said Ann Clive was smoking on her balcony at the Colonial Grand apartment complex, when her clothing caught on fire. She tried to get back into her home to get to a medic alert device, but fell several times along the way and was unable to reach it.

East Manatee Fire Rescue firefighters responded to the fire around 5:41 a.m. Jan. 14, after a passerby heard Clive crying for help and called 911. Clive was flown for treatment to a Tampa burn center, where she died.

Meetings & agendas
• Manatee County Board of County Commissioners Work Session on Transportation Planning and WCIND — 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, Manatee County Administrative Building fourth floor, 1112 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton
• Manatee County Board of County Commissioners Work Session on Health Care — 1:30-4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, Manatee County Administrative Building’s first-floor commission chambers, 1112 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton
• Manatee County School Board Regular Meeting — 5:45 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27, at 215 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton
• Manatee County Board of County Commissioners Regular Meeting — 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 28, Manatee County Administrative Building’s first-floor commission chambers, 1112 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton