News Briefs

+ DiSabatino, Aranibar seek re-election for county posts
Robin DiSabatino, the District 4 commissioner of the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners, filed for re-election Jan. 6.

DiSabatino, a Republican, will face off against Tim Norwood, a Republican and one of two candidates she beat when she was first elected in 2010.

DiSabatino is a former real estate broker/associate.

Norwood is a manufacturing engineer.

In the 2010 Republican primary, DiSabatino earned 37.1% of the vote, while Norwood received 30.8% of votes.

A third candidate in 2010, Norm Luppino, who has not filed to run this year, earned 32.1% of votes.

Julie Aranibar, the District 5 representative of the Manatee County School Board, also filed for re-election Jan. 8.

Aranibar, a Lakewood Ranch resident and board member since 2010, was elected board chairwoman Nov. 19.

Before being elected to the school board, Aranibar volunteered in the Manatee County School District for more than a decade and worked as a researcher and molecular histologist.

Carlton “Les” Nichols has filed to challenge Aranibar for the District 5 seat.

Nichols, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who now works for Argus Property Management in Sarasota, entered the race in August.

In another contest for a school board spot, Rodney Jones, an official at State College of Florida, filed to run for Barbara Harvey’s District 2 seat.

Harvey, who has held the board’s District 2 seat since 1998, has not announced whether she will run for re-election.

The primary is Aug. 26, and a runoff, if needed, will be held Nov. 4.

+ LECOM unveils program
The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) officially launched its master’s in health services administration distance-education program Jan. 6.

The inaugural class of students congregated at the school that day for orientation, before before going home to their computers for the rest of their distance-education classwork.

The new program prepares students to be administrators in hospitals or other health care facilities, public health care organizations and private practice groups. 

Meetings & agendas
Manatee County Planning Commission Meeting — 9 a.m. Jan. 16, at the Manatee County Administration Building, 112 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton

Manatee County School Board Training — 9 a.m. Jan. 22, at the Professional Support Center, 2501 63rd Ave. E., Bradenton