• 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 | News

This is a finished section of the river. The water was barely visible before.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • May 27, 2025
'Tons of debris' removed from Braden River

Contractors cleared downed trees and debris from River Club Boulevard to Lakewood Ranch Boulevard.

  • East County
  • News
Walter Breuggeman with the Florida Department of Transportation and traffic engineering consultant Samuel Berkman give a presentation to Rosedale residents May 21.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • May 26, 2025
FDOT addresses traffic concerns at State Road 70 and Lena Road

Rosedale residents asked for solutions to make it safer for them to exit their neighborhood.

  • East County
  • News
Despite major damage to his Westwinds home, Jimmy Gula still loves his neighborhood.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • May 25, 2025
Home repairs complete a week before the new Atlantic hurricane season

Westwinds' Jimmy Gula is uneasy but hopeful that Hurricane Milton was a once-a-century storm.

  • East County
  • News
Former School District of Manatee County Superintendent Jason Wysong
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • May 20, 2025
Manatee School Board fires superintendent

Mainly citing concerns over communication, the Manatee County School Board on Tuesday fired Superintendent Jason Wysong with just over 13 months remaining on his contract.

  • East County
  • Schools
A single family home catches fire May 21. The home was under construction in Wild Blue at Waterside.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • May 23, 2025
Home under construction catches fire in Lakewood Ranch

The home is located in Wild Blue at Waterside.

  • East County
  • News
The view of the first hole from behind the fairway bunkers at The Concession.
    By
  • Eric Garwood
  • May 21, 2025
The Concession lands Senior PGA Championship for 3 years, starting in 2026

The Lakewood Ranch course has played host to previous high-profile events.

  • East County
  • Sports
The big bins are just 4 inches taller than the recycling bins and 1 inch wider.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • May 21, 2025
Pending changes to Manatee County's trash collection raises questions

Manatee County moves toward the "Big Bin Advantage" with 96-gallon trash cans, but some residents say the coming change just stinks.

  • East County
  • News
A group of Tara residents dons red shirts and takes a tour bus to Manatee County's Administration Building May 8 to oppose a development project.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • May 20, 2025
Organized Manatee resident group wins out over builder again

County commissioners voted 5-2 to deny a proposal for one of the last parcels in the Tara community.

  • East County
  • News
Co-owners Zach Zeller and Chef Evan Percoco design their latest restaurant to feel like a backyard.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • May 19, 2025
Twisted Pit BBQ opens on Main Street at Lakewood Ranch

The Twisted Pit is Zach Zeller and Chef Evan Percoco's third establishment to open on Main Street.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Eat + Drink
A wealth of new home construction throughout the metropolitan area is contributing to its nation-leading percentage of home ownership.
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • May 19, 2025
Sarasota metro has highest home ownership rate in the country

At 82.3%, the North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota area was rated No. 1 by financial services website SmartAsset among all metros across the country in residents who own their homes.

  • Sarasota
  • News
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
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
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
Zoto is being developed by James Beard-nominated restaurateurs Jimmy and Johnny Tung.
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • May 12, 2025
Upscale Japanese restaurant and bar coming to University Town Center

Zoto is being developed by James Beard-nominated restaurateurs Jimmy and Johnny Tung.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Eat + Drink
« 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 »
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