• Alternate Text

  • Loading

  • Holiday Gift Guide
  • Health Observed
  • Crossword
  • Contests
  • Newsletters
  • e-Newspaper App
  • Longboat
    • News
    • Cops Corner
    • Real Estate
    • Business
    • Neighbors
    • Opinion
  • East County
    • News
    • Real Estate
    • Business
    • Neighbors
    • Schools
    • Sports
    • Opinion
  • Sarasota
    • News
    • Cops Corner
    • Real Estate
    • Business
    • Neighbors
    • Schools
    • Sports
    • Opinion
    • Siesta Key
  • Arts + Entertainment
    • Eat + Drink
    • Arts + Culture
    • Reviews
    • Things To Do
    • Black Tie
    • Spotlight Partners
  • LWR Life
  • Galleries
  • More
    • Hurricane Season
    • Red Tide Map
    • Health Observed
    • Sand Bucket List
    • Calendar
    • Celebrations
    • Contests
    • Tributes
    • Submit a Celebration
    • Submit a Tribute
    • Public Notices
    • Classifieds
  • Longboat
    • Longboat
    • News
    • Cops Corner
    • Real Estate
    • Business
    • Neighbors
    • Opinion
  • East County
    • East County
    • News
    • Real Estate
    • Business
    • Neighbors
    • Schools
    • Sports
    • Opinion
  • Sarasota
    • Sarasota
    • News
    • Cops Corner
    • Real Estate
    • Business
    • Neighbors
    • Schools
    • Sports
    • Opinion
    • Siesta Key
  • Arts + Entertainment
    • Arts + Entertainment
    • Eat + Drink
    • Arts + Culture
    • Reviews
    • Things To Do
    • Black Tie
    • Spotlight Partners
  • LWR Life
  • Galleries
  • More
    • More
    • Hurricane Season
    • Red Tide Map
    • Health Observed
    • Sand Bucket List
    • Calendar
    • Celebrations
    • Contests
    • Tributes
    • Submit a Celebration
    • Submit a Tribute
    • Public Notices
    • Classifieds
  • Holiday Gift Guide
  • Health Observed
  • Crossword
  • Contests
  • Newsletters
  • e-Newspaper App

East County | Neighbors

Volunteers are given an introduction by co-founder Mark Coates before heading into the workshop to build.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • July 9, 2025
Lakewood Ranch nonprofit offers a sound night's sleep

Beds for Kids delivers up to 50 beds a month throughout Sarasota and Manatee counties.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Eric Konovalov of The Goal Guide accepts the Volunteer of the Year award, the top award at the Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance's Sandies.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • July 8, 2025
LWRBA sets up Small Business Bootcamp to teach important business skills

Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance sets up a series of seminars to boost business skills.

  • East County
  • Business
The next SRQ Women's Expo will be held at The Grove July 26-27.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • July 6, 2025
SRQ Women's Expo headed to The Grove

The last expo attracted more than 500 attendees.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Roller skating sensation Anita Zeman manages to keep smiling, even as her husband Karoly Zeman launches her into the air under the Waterside Place Pavilion July 4 during Star-Spangled Spectacular.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • July 5, 2025
Star-Spangled Spectacular lights up Waterside Place in Lakewood Ranch

Lakewood Ranch's first July 4 festival is a smashing success at Waterside Place.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Best friends Olivia Geler and McKenna Bonura snap their photos from the finish tower July 3 at Nathan Benderson Park during Fireworks on the Lake.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • July 4, 2025
Rain can't stop the pop at Nathan Benderson Park

The park hosted its annual Fireworks on the Lake celebration July 3.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Nathan Benderson Park holds its annual Fireworks on the Lake on July 3.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • July 2, 2025
Nathan Benderson Park expands July 3 fireworks show

This year, the Fourth of July fireworks show has been stretched from 15 minutes to 18 minutes.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Cinda Krouk, Joy Stone and Barbara Najmy of the Lake Club Women's Giving Circle say they love helping foster kids through their sneaker drive.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • July 1, 2025
This sneaker drive fits the Lake Club Women's Giving Circle

The fundraising group has a goal of donating 400 pairs of sneakers to foster kids through The Twig.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Kristin Hokanson, the Fiorelli Winery owner, says the Red, White and Blueberry Celebration gets bigger and better each year.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • June 30, 2025
Fiorelli Winery hosts Red, White and Blueberry Celebration

The pre-July 4 celebration gets bigger each year.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
The panelists at the June 25 luncheon were David St Pierre, SeaPort Manatee's senior director of public safety and security; Sandra Tapfumaneyi, Sarasota County's chief of emergency management; Abby Elliot, Oysters Rock Hospitality's senior director of operations; and Jodie Fiske, Manatee County's director of public safety. The moderator was Devaney Iglesias, the area manager of Florida Power & Light.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • June 30, 2025
Manatee, Sarasota experts share 'lessons from the eye of the storm'

The Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance partnered with Florida Power & Light to shed some light on how best to prepare for hurricane season.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Tracy Eisnaugle, professional women in building chair, Jessica Seper deputy executive officer and membership and councils director and Megan Schroeder, young professional committee co-chair were behind the Stuff the Backpack event.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • June 29, 2025
School supplies donated to kids in Manatee and Sarasota counties

The Suncoast Builders Association made the donations of stuffed backpacks through the Boys & Girls Clubs.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Fourth of July 2025 events in Sarasota, Longboat Key and Lakewood Ranch
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • June 26, 2025
Fourth of July 2025 events in Sarasota, Longboat Key and Lakewood Ranch

From parades to the classic fireworks, check out these events to help you celebrate Independence Day right.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Things To Do
The artistry of Pat Neal is building and selling homes, and he continues that journey with the Lakewood Ranch-area's Palm Grove, which hosts a grand opening June 27.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • June 25, 2025
Palm Grove celebrates its grand opening in Lakewood Ranch area

Pat Neal continues to be a master navigating tumultuous real estate waters.

  • East County
  • Opinion
Mary Bilkie is one of the original volunteers for Elks Feeding Empty Little Tummies.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • June 25, 2025
Lakewood Ranch Elks volunteers feed empty little tummies

Elks Feeding Empty Little Tummies packed 14,000 bags of food for school children last year alone.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
As a member of the Savannah Bananas, Correlle Prime's career takes him on the road, but his heart always is with his family in Manatee County.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • June 24, 2025
Savannah Banana's greatest connection is with his Manatee County family

Ballplayer Correlle Prime maintains a balanced diet: Bananas on the road and his family at home.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Lakewood Ranch's Kevin Allen connects with the crowd during the Florida Studio Theatre's improv show at Waterside Place June 20.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • June 23, 2025
Florida Studio Theatre entertainers provide the laughs at Waterside

The improv artists collected fodder from the audience for their outdoor show.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
« 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 »
The best of Your Observer, delivered directly to your inbox

Get the latest in news, sports, schools, arts and things to do in Sarasota, Siesta Key, Longboat Key and East County.

Sign Up

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

App

Download the Your Observer app

Stay in the know with the latest local news. Any device, anytime, anywhere.

DOWNLOAD NOW

Contact

  • 1970 Main St.
  • Third Floor
  • Sarasota, FL 34236
  • Phone: 941-366-3468
  • FPN Verified

Extra, Extra!

  • Newsletters
  • App
  • Crossword
  • Contests

more

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Classifieds
  • Advertise
  • Rack Locations
  • Jobs
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Options

sister sites

  • Business Observer
  • Jax Daily Record
  • Orange Observer
  • Accessibility Options
  • Copyright © 2025 Observer Media Group Inc., All Rights Reserved
Sign Up for Daily Headlines

A daily dose of news from Longboat Key, East County, Sarasota and Siesta Key.

Sign Up for In Case You Missed It

A Saturday dose of the week's top stories from Sarasota, Longboat Key and East County.

The Your Observer App is Here!

Get local news you can trust — now on your phone, tablet or laptop. Fast. Free. Easy to Use.
Stay informed, wherever you are.

Download Now