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East County

Mission in Motion's Ruth Barker, Rose Marie Hartley, Faith Michael, Mothers Helping Mothers director of donations Barbara Braun, Debbie Apple and Judy Kirkpatrick fill a truck with toy donations.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • November 25, 2025
Lakewood Ranch's Mission in Motion delivers the goods to local charities

Gathering both physical and monetary donations, Mission in Motion is currently supporting eight organizations.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
With seven goals and one assist through five games, Avery Rice has already made a winning impact for undefeated Out-of-Door Academy girls soccer.
    By
  • Jack Nelson
  • November 25, 2025
East County Athlete of the Week: Avery Rice

The sophomore has found the net early and often with Out-of-Door Academy girls soccer.

  • East County
  • Sports
Construction on the Athletics and Aquatics Center is underway at Premier Sports Campus North.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • November 25, 2025
No hotel at Premier Sports — yet

Another 126 acres was rezoned to build out the now 236-acre campus.

  • East County
  • News
A Lake Club home at 15904 Baycross Drive sold for $3.55 million. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,933 square feet of living area.
    By
  • Adam Hughes
  • November 25, 2025
Top residential real estate sales for Nov. 10-14 in Lakewood Ranch

A home in Lake Club on Baycross Drive tops the week’s sales at $3.55 million.

  • East County
  • Real Estate
The runners all reach for their watches as the 2024 Florida Turkey Trot begins at Nathan Benderson Park.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • November 24, 2025
Pass the turkey, and the thanks during a special holiday

Lakewood Ranch has so much contributors who make our home a great place to live.

  • East County
  • Opinion
Brio Italian Grille Executive Chef Josué Pabellón learned about the best Thanksgiving Day leftovers by growing up in a family of chefs in Puerto Rico.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • November 24, 2025
Love the Thanksgiving Day leftovers as much as the main meal

Brio Italian Grille chef says Thanksgiving Day is just round one of the annual feast.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Vinny Mercadante tosses a lacrosse ball and holds his stick at Summerfield Community Park in Lakewood Ranch. He played for Cardinal Mooney in 2016-18, Marian University in 2018-19 and Florida State in 2021-23 but has since committed to coaching.
    By
  • Jack Nelson
  • November 24, 2025
Cardinal Mooney grad builds his own lacrosse training school

At just 25, Vinny Mercadante is quickly becoming a premier private lacrosse coach, one of the few in the state.

  • East County
  • Sports
Lakewood Ranch sisters Mariapaz Ritter, 7 and Analia Ritter, 12, got their faces painted by Akiko Graphics at the at Greenbrook Adventure Park. Mariapaz chose a peace sign because "paz" the last part of her name means peace in Spanish and Analia chose daisies because they are her favorite flowers.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • November 24, 2025
Greenbrook Adventure Park reopens with a fun day

Lakewood Ranch Community Activities hosted Party in the Park with live music, face painting and activities for families.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Marfil Trejo, the command sergeant major for the Braden River High Raiders, crosses the rope bridge at the Florida High School JROTC Raider State Championship on Nov. 15.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • November 22, 2025
Braden River JROTC team wins state title

The team of eight boys and five girls win four of five events.

  • East County
  • Schools
Food for thought at Thanksgiving
  • By Greg Campbell
  • November 22, 2025
Food for thought at Thanksgiving

Local Chef Greg Campbell talks about the impact of food trucks.

  • East County
  • Opinion
Instead of a ribbon, a 180-pound blue fin tuna will be cut to celebrate the grand opening of Kuro Sushi.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • November 22, 2025
Kuro Sushi rolls into Lakewood Ranch

Instead of a ribbon-cutting, the grand opening celebration included a tuna-cutting ceremony.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Eat + Drink
Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells advocates for a countywide curfew.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • November 21, 2025
Curfew in effect for Manatee kids under 16

County Commission approves nighttime limits, though some parents question the potential effects.

  • East County
  • News
Vicky Henderson and Tory Delaney at Allswell
    By
  • Marty Fugate, Su Byron
  • November 20, 2025
New Lakewood Ranch restaurants serve up fresh culinary offerings for every taste

With innovation on the menu, these five eateries bring a whole host of dining options to town.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Eat + Drink
"Jiggs is a community asset in every sense," Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department Director Charlie Hunsicker says. "We’ve preserved a wonderful river and lake environment for this generation and the next."
    By
  • Emily Leinfuss
  • November 20, 2025
Jiggs Landing preserves the best of Old Florida for the next generation

At Jiggs Landing Preserve and Outpost in Manatee County, fishing, food and live music come together on the banks of the Braden River.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Bill Schmeising, John Stryhn and Al Knezevich display their radio-controlled Soling 1-Meter yachts at Nathan Benderson Park’s Green Parrot Lake.
    By
  • Eric Snider
  • November 20, 2025
Camaraderie trumps competition for the members of this racing club

Meet the members of the Sarasota Model Yacht Club, who find purpose, rivalry and plenty of laughter steering their "toy boats" across Benderson Park's Green Parrot Lake.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
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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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