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East County

The Shaelyn Band, which opens the Lakewood Ranch Blues Fest Dec. 6 at Waterside Place, is led by singer Shaelyn Mulberry.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • December 2, 2025
This musical soul search leads to Lakewood Ranch

The Lakewood Ranch Blues Fest is back for its second edition with seven top bands at Waterside Park.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Anquan Polynice poses for a photo before a Dec. 1 practice at Braden River High School. Now standing at 5-foot-10, he averaged 15.0 points and 2.0 steals per game as a sophomore.
    By
  • Jack Nelson
  • December 2, 2025
East County Athlete of the Week: Anquan Polynice

The junior guard for Braden River boys basketball enters 2025-26 as the team's second-leading scorer from last year.

  • East County
  • Sports
Lakewood Ranch writer Peter Moscovita found his passion for writing through a cancer diagnosis and encouragement from his wife.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • December 2, 2025
81-year-old writer combines history and fiction through his books

Lakewood Ranch's Peter Moscovita has published seven books and earned a Hollywood Book Review for his first book "The Following Storm."

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Over the past 25 years at Braden River Middle School, Kathleen Brown has taught sixth and seventh grade math, U.S. History, and Civics. Her principal, Kimberlain Zenon, described her as a lifelong learner who is solution driven, tenacious, knowledgeable and collaborative.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • December 2, 2025
3 east Manatee school employees are finalists for excellence awards

Braden River Middle's Kathleen Brown, Braden River High's Clifford Dawson and Lakewood Ranch High's Kristen Martin are finalists for Manatee County's Excellence in Education Awards.

  • East County
  • Schools
Newton, a 9-month-old lab, is being raised by Nick and Brenda Paradiso through the LWR Puppy Raisers club. Brenda Paradiso described him as "quite the character" who is a "love bucket."
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • December 2, 2025
LWR Puppy Raisers help train dogs for important service careers

The volunteers say the program is rewarding, even if they shed some tears when sending the puppy to Dogs Inc.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
A Wild Blue at Waterside home at 564 Blue Shell Loop sold for $3,136,600. Built in 2025, it has four bedrooms, four-and-two-half baths, a pool and 4,452 square feet of living area.​
    By
  • Adam Hughes
  • December 2, 2025
Top residential real estate sales for Nov. 17-21 in Lakewood Ranch

A home in Wild Blue at Waterside on Blue Shell Loop topped the week’s sales at $3.1 million.

  • East County
  • Real Estate
Lakewood Ranch's Harris Pierce performs at The Peculiar Pub Oct. 7.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • December 1, 2025
Arriving at the punchline can be a difficult journey

Lakewood Ranch comedian Harris Pierce can laugh at the tough road to success in his business.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Mica Sarraco (white) battles with Olivia Uchiritz (blue) during a polo match at Sarasota Polo Club.
    By
  • Jack Nelson
  • December 1, 2025
Sarasota Polo Club gallops forward with new women's league

Introduced for the 2026 season, the 6-8 goal league will run Fridays from Jan. 9 through Feb. 20.

  • East County
  • Sports
Sarasota's David Farr picks up 21-month-old Henry Farr, who is dazzled by the giant ornaments on the tree on The Green during the Mall at UTC's ongoing holiday celebration.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • December 1, 2025
Families flock to UTC for the holidays

The entertainment and attractions are open through Jan. 4.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Siesta Key's Owen Slater, 5, loves animals and couldn't leave the market without getting a homemade octopus from Stitch Fabels, which took 10 hours to make.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • November 28, 2025
Market at Nathan Benderson Park provides midweek shopping

The new Sarasota market began Oct. 21 and will run weekly on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Runners pack the starting area for the 2025 Florida Turkey Trot Nov. 27 at foggy Nathan Benderson Park. The race had a record 4,558 participants.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • November 27, 2025
Record 4,558 runners participate in 2025 Florida Turkey Trot

The Nathan Benderson Park event in Sarasota raises funds for the park conservancy and the Big Bill Foundation.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
  • By Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor
  • November 27, 2025
FINANCIAL FOCUS® Generosity Meets Strategy with Tax-Savvy Donations

Understanding the tax benefits of a charitable donation can help make your money go farther.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Sponsored Content
Despite their 30 year age difference, Marge DeSimone and Courtney Barr have become great friends and share a deep love for Nikki, Barr's 7-year-old Bordoodle. They compete in dock diving to keep all of the "Three Musketeers," as Barr said, active and engaged.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • November 26, 2025
Dock-diving dog helps two single women form a bond of friendship in Myakka

Marge DeSimone, 88, acts as a releaser for border collie-poodle mix Nikki, who has made a positive splash in her life.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Members of the Del Webb Lakewood Ranch Association of Veterans and Military Supporters and MacDill personnel take a photo together in 2019 before the COVID pandemic changed the operation.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • November 26, 2025
Lakewood Ranch nonprofit feeds veterans for Thanksgiving

Operation Thanksgiving feeds active duty military personnel stationed out of MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Coach Cezar Sharbono talks his players through drills during practice. He's entering his sixth season at the helm of the Braden River wrestling program.
    By
  • Jack Nelson
  • November 26, 2025
Braden River High wrestling hopes to build on record-setting 2024-25 season

The Pirates sent eight wrestlers to the state tourney last year and are seeking their first-ever girls place-winner.

  • East County
  • Sports
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Latest in East County

1
Santa (Steven Trudell of St. Petersburg) gets the runners fired up just before the start of the 2025 Jingle 5K Dec. 12 in Lakewood Ranch.
  • December 13, 2025
More than 500 runners go the distance in Lakewood Ranch's Jingle 5K
2
Nicholas Savarese, a teacher who has a background in chemical engineering, judges junior Lillian Pevzner-Downer's project on the comparison of conventionally grown crops with chemicals and pesticides versus organically grown crops at the Lakewood Ranch High School Science Fair.
  • December 12, 2025
Lakewood Ranch High revives its science fair
3
Greenbrook's David, Hannah and Jaime Marco all had a part in creating Jaime Marco's new book “Unfunkt: Quiet the Noise. Ignite the Light.”
  • December 12, 2025
Readers can shed the funk with Lakewood Ranch author's 'Unfunkt'
4
SMR's new coffee table book, "Lakewood Ranch — A Legacy of Living with the Land" is available locally and on Amazon.
  • December 10, 2025
'Lakewood Ranch — A Legacy of Living with the Land' is a fun history lesson
5
Carrie Walden, the Project Edge classroom instructor, is teaching 10 students including Mia Pardella and Justin Torres in the Project Edge program at MTC East.
  • December 10, 2025
MTC program teaches students with disabilities skills to enter workforce

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