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East County

Co-owner Adam Myara serves up a smashburger to the wait staff in the Ed's Tavern kitchen. The new Ed's Tavern had a soft opening for its second Lakewood Ranch location on Friday.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • January 19, 2024
Ed's Tavern opens its second Lakewood Ranch restaurant

The new building on Upper Manatee River Road hosted a soft opening on Friday before it opened to the public on Saturday.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Eat + Drink
Team USA's Jerry Kelly hits a shot on the No. 1 hole at The Concession Golf Club on day one of the World Champions Cup. Kelly and teammate Justin Leonard earned a total of 20 points, 10 in each session, for Team USA on day one.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • January 18, 2024
World Champions Cup books The Concession for 2024, 2025 and 2028

Team USA won the inaugural event, held at The Concession in December in the Lakewood Ranch area, in dramatic fashion.

  • East County
  • Sports
David Sessions, the CEO of Willis Smith Construction, which combined with Fawley Bryant Architecture to build and design the new library, said it's a great balance of being functional and attractive.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • January 18, 2024
Lakewood Ranch Library's design based on what's inside the box

Fawley Bryant Architecture and Willis Smith Construction delivered a simple, and yet beautiful, modern library.

  • East County
  • Opinion
Clayton Rosaire greets a black jaguar April 21, 2023.
    By
  • Ian Swaby
  • January 18, 2024
Big Cat Habitat operator bonds with exotic animals through trust and love

Clayton Rosaire specializes in big cats and has spent a large portion of his life working with them on an everyday basis.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
Jodi Sobol, owner of Miss Jodi's School of Dance, gets children energized to dance.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • January 17, 2024
Cold temperature keeps children moving at Kids Club at UTC

Children were moving and grooving with a dance class on the Green at UTC.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Former Braden River High running back Deshaun Fenwick signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent April 27.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • January 17, 2024
Former Braden River High football players have a shot at the NFL

Deshaun Fenwick and Taylor Upshaw played in the Hula Bowl all-star game Jan. 13 in Orlando.

  • East County
  • Sports
Volunteer Lisa Kleeberg feeds one of the goats. The goat is on a leash because she's in training for the outreach program.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • January 17, 2024
Animal rescue seeks volunteers for expanding services

The Farmhouse Animal & Nature Sanctuary in Myakka City has a variety of tasks that volunteers can fill.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Six pickleball courts opened at UMR Sports in early 2022.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • January 17, 2024
Athletic academy plans expansion into all-encompassing sports complex

UMR Sports will add baseball and softball fields, mini golf and a multipurpose field for soccer, football and lacrosse to its campus in east Bradenton.

  • East County
  • News
Myakka Rancher Jim Strickland says Florida residents have to think about what the future of the state will look like so they can make proper decisions today.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • January 17, 2024
Rancher says Manatee County faces key conservation decisions

Myakka's Jim Strickland says Florida is headed toward ecological disaster if the public doesn't deal with important issues now.

  • East County
  • News
Lakewood Ranch High senior Evan Bolick committed to Ave Maria University.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • January 16, 2024
East County Athlete of the Week: Evan Bolick

The Lakewood Ranch High senior defensive end committed to Ave Maria University on Jan. 14.

  • East County
  • Sports
The Braden River High Pirates celebrate after a goal against Lakewood Ranch High. The Pirates beat the Mustangs 1-0 for the first time since 2015.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • January 16, 2024
Braden River High boys soccer takes the next step

The senior-laden Pirates are 11-1-1 in 2023-2024.

  • East County
  • Sports
This home at 7973 Grande Shores Dr., in Waterside sold for $1,432,500. It has three bedrooms, three baths, a pool and 2,486 square feet of living area.
    By
  • Adam Hughes
  • January 16, 2024
Top residential real estate sales for Jan. 1-5 in Lakewood Ranch

A Riverdale Revised home on Regatta Way tops the week's sales at $4.53 million.

  • East County
  • Real Estate
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • January 16, 2024
Studies examine SR 64 widening, White Eagle speed limits

With area growth, the subject is whether to widen State Road 64 to four lanes from Lorraine Road to Verna Bethany.

  • East County
  • News
Roseate spoonbills feed by wading in shallow water and sweeping their unique bill from side to side. Spoonbills are very sensitive to shifts in water depth.
    By
  • Miri Hardy
  • January 15, 2024
Myakka bird count shows park's avian habitat importance

A citizen science event tallied 14,386 individual birds on one day in Myakka River State Park.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
The long-awaited 22-classroom addition at Lakewood Ranch High School is open for students and teachers.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • January 15, 2024
Lakewood Ranch High welcomes students back with new building

After years of waiting, the 22-classroom addition is open to students and teachers.

  • East County
  • Schools
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Latest in East County

1
Left: Darrel Drury has lived in the Lakewood Ranch area for nearly eight years. Right: David Sessions has overseen the construction of dozens of buildings in the region in the past 35 years.
  • February 15, 2026
Round and round goes the chatter about roundabouts in Lakewood Ranch
2
Negotiations continue between Manatee County and its two garbage haulers — Waste Management and Waste Pro.
  • February 14, 2026
Bulk garbage pickups likely to return for Manatee County residents
3
Lakewood Ranch's Eugene Khutoryanskiy and Yana Parker are celebrating this Valentine's Day as fiances alongside their dogs Mittens and Jesse at Barks & Brews on Feb. 10.
  • February 13, 2026
A little pet lovin' and squeezin' at University Town Center in Sarasota
4
Lee Wetherington says he can visit with potential buyers and his contractors because CEO Dave Hunihan handles the heavy lifting of his business.
  • February 12, 2026
Acclaimed builder continues to put his stamp on Lakewood Ranch
5
The purple piles will carry reclaimed water to Lakewood Ranch Southeast for irrigation.
  • February 11, 2026
New road construction speeds through Lakewood Ranch Southeast

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