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East County

Benderson Development has been growing the tenant base in the UTC area for at least the past decade.
    By
  • Mark Gordon
  • May 15, 2025
Check out what's coming soon to UTC

From Tesla to Trader Joe's, the University Town Center districts that straddle Manatee and Sarasota counties just outside Lakewood Ranch have redefined the region's retail scene.

  • East County
  • Business
Flower Child is known for its customizable bowls, wraps, salads and overall healthy menu.
    By
  • Abby Weingarten
  • May 15, 2025
New restaurant seeks local following with fresh-first take on casual dining

An Arizona restaurant concept popular with yogis, foodies and lots of health-conscious people in between choose the Lakewood Ranch area to make its Florida debut.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Eat + Drink
Lakewood Ranch resident Simi Ranajee founded MN5, then known as Mission Neem 5, in 2019.
    By
  • Eric Snider
  • May 15, 2025
MN5 aims to change the world by empowering the women in it

After facing and overcoming a harrowing medical experience, a Lakewood Ranch resident leads a group of women on a mission to help other women live their best lives.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Back: Victor Van Den Broek, Sarasota Paradise CEO Marcus Walfridson, Enzo Panozzo; Front: Mathis Leveque and Angel Velasquez of the Sarasota Paradise.
    By
  • Mark Gordon
  • May 15, 2025
Sarasota Paradise brings a whole new level of soccer to Lakewood Ranch

A dogged Swedish soccer player-turned-coach-turned-team owner is determined to push through on an ambitious goal: to sustain professional soccer in the region.

  • East County
  • Sports
A natural storyteller and hands-on farmer, Garrett Dakin and his brothers are carrying on a multi-generational dairy legacy in Myakka City.
    By
  • Eric Snider
  • May 15, 2025
At Dakin Dairy Farms, four brothers tend to cows, kin and a vanishing way of life

Got milk? Dakin Dairy does. And here’s what it takes to get it from the cows to the shelf.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Vivid lighting and sparkling water features create a dramatic lakeside setting.
  • By Robert Plunket
  • May 15, 2025
A spectacular home in The Lake Club defines the ultimate in Florida living

After 36 years in the industry, Derek and Kelly Nelson designed a Lake Club home that brings together everything they learned about beauty, function and Florida living.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Mark Eubanks IV reads his essay “Chess with My Grandma” at the school board meeting April 29.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • May 14, 2025
Willis Elementary fifth grader wins contest with essay on grandma

Mark Eubanks won the Florida Retired Educators Association contest for Manatee County with his essay "Chess with my grandma."

  • East County
  • Schools
Commencement speaker Nadia Gandi makes her way to receive her diploma while waving to the crowd.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • May 14, 2025
Lakewood Ranch High School graduates hit the finish line

Valedictorian Olivia Spiegel compares graduation to winning a big race.

  • East County
  • Schools
Camryn Duley has loved snakes since the age of 5. She takes Ghost, her cinnamon pied ball python, in public often to debunk the idea that snakes are dangerous and scary.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • May 14, 2025
This Ghost, a cinnamon pied ball python, shows off in Lakewood Ranch

Lakewood Ranch High sophomore Camryn Duley takes her cinnamon pied ball python out in public to show that not all snakes are dangerous.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Manatee County commissioners hold the second of two required public hearings May 8 to request "extraordinary circumstances" from the state to raise impact fees.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • May 14, 2025
Manatee County collects data it hopes will raise impact fees

Commissioners hope reports can prove the county is experiencing economic extraordinary circumstances.

  • East County
  • News
Lakewood Ranch graduate Parker Severs won a six-man playoff at Waterlefe Golf & River Club on May 8 to advance to the final round of qualifying for the 125th U.S. Open.
    By
  • Vinnie Portell
  • May 14, 2025
Lakewood Ranch graduate advances to US Open final qualifier

Parker Severs won a six-man playoff at Waterlefe Golf & River Club.

  • East County
  • Sports
Manatee County District 5 Commissioner Robert McCann
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • May 14, 2025
Manatee County makes U-turn on roundabout

Manatee wants to cancel its contract for a roundabout at University Parkway and Deer Drive.

  • East County
  • News
Manatee does it again
    By
  • Matt Walsh
  • May 14, 2025
Manatee does it again

Learning Manatee commissioners voted to pursue voiding a contract was too much for SMR’s Rex Jensen.

  • East County
  • Opinion
Out-of-Door Academy junior Kevin Gyurka placed fourth in the 1,600-meter run and eighth in the 3,200-meter run at the 1A state championships on May 10.
    By
  • Vinnie Portell
  • May 13, 2025
East County Athlete of the Week: Kevin Gyurka

The ODA junior placed fourth in the 1,600-meter run at the 1A state championships.

  • East County
  • Sports
County should study traffic before buying admin building
  • By Letter to the Editor
  • May 13, 2025
County should study traffic before buying admin building

Give animals on University Parkway a brake, one Observer reader says.

  • East County
  • Opinion
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Latest in East County

1
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
2
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
3
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
4
The purple piles will carry reclaimed water to Lakewood Ranch Southeast for irrigation.
  • February 11, 2026
New road construction speeds through Lakewood Ranch Southeast
5
Neal Shipley was all smiles after winning the 2025 LECOM Suncoast Classic at Lakewood National Golf Club.
  • February 11, 2026
Lakewood Ranch golf fans now asked to support two pro golf tournaments

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