• 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
  • Things to Do
  • 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
  • Things to Do
  • 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

Your Observer | All

Heather and Ray Sellers rescue a dehydrated juvenile turkey vulture.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • January 18, 2023
Longboat Key couple's semi-retirement is for the birds

Heather and Ray Sellers had no experience with birds when they started volunteering, but they've since rescued more than 200.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
ODA girls soccer junior Abbey Burwood.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • January 18, 2023
East County Athlete of the Week: Abbey Burwood

The ODA girls soccer midfielder helped her team win the SSAC tournament Jan. 14.

  • East County
  • Sports
Roxanne Sima, Kathy Osterberg, Becca Towery, Maria MacDonald, Kathy Collums, Amy Gorman and Angela Massaro Fain are dressed for the occasion.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • January 18, 2023
Charity will be in style at Sisterhood for Good's Gatsby fundraiser

Lakewood Ranch-area nonprofits will benefit from a night of playful excess at the Feb. 15 event.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Traffic circulates around the new roundabout at U.S. 41 and Gulfstream Avenue on its first day of operation.
    By
  • Lauren Tronstad
  • January 18, 2023
Winter season traffic ramps up with some help

The town is preparing for traffic troubles on both ends of the island this winter season.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Longboat Key expects to gain funding for its beaches as part of Sarasota County's tourism development tax.
    By
  • Lauren Tronstad
  • January 18, 2023
Town to receive additional $150,000 from tourism tax

The increase follows an agreement with Sarasota County after an additional percent was added to the amount collected from the tourism development tax.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
K-9 apprehends one of four involved in auto theft
    By
  • Andrew Warfield
  • January 18, 2023
K-9 apprehends one of four involved in auto theft

A car chase that went on foot ended when a police K-9 nabbed the driver of a stolen vehicle as three officers surrendered to other two-legged officers. This and other reports from the Sarasota Police Department in this week's Cops Corner.

  • Sarasota
  • Cops Corner
Braden River Library is one of seven locations in the Manatee County Public Library System.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • January 17, 2023
Manatee works to bring self-checkout to libraries

The Manatee County Public Library System hopes to have at least one self-checkout machine at each library by July.

  • East County
  • News
It didn’t take Spoll long to become involved in making Longboat Key a better place.
    By
  • Lauren Tronstad
  • January 17, 2023
Town Center bench likely to honor former mayor

The new bench will honor former Mayor George Spoll, who died in December.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
This Lakehouse Cove at Waterside home at 765 Tailwind Place sold for $1,717,500. It has four bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,451 square feet of living area.
    By
  • Adam Hughes
  • January 17, 2023
Top residential real estate sales for Jan. 2-6 in Lakewood Ranch

A Lake Club home on Como Circle tops the week's sales at $3.51 million.

  • East County
  • Real Estate
From left, Rep. James Buchanan, Sen. Joe Gruters, Rep. Michael Grant and Rep. Fiona McFarland comprise the Sarasota County delegation in the Florida Legislature.
    By
  • Andrew Warfield
  • January 17, 2023
With local delegation approval, much work lies ahead in quest to incorporate Siesta Key

Although the Sarasota legislative delegation approved taking Siesta Key incorporation request to Tallahassee, a referendum is a long way from reaching the ballot late next year.

  • Siesta Key
  • News
"Beauty of the World" is one of the artworks that will be displayed at this year's Embracing Our Differences exhibition.
  • By Observer Staff
  • January 17, 2023
The best things to do around Sarasota for Jan. 19-25

Music and theater dominate the offerings this week in Sarasota, Longboat Key and Lakewood Ranch.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Things To Do
Longboat park saxophonist's Sinatra standard falls flat
    By
  • Eric Garwood
  • January 17, 2023
Longboat park saxophonist's Sinatra standard falls flat

A saxophonist who didn't have a Frank Sinatra standard down pat is just one of the complaints Longboat Key police responded to in this week's Cops Corner.

  • Longboat Key
  • Cops Corner
Risen Savior Lutheran Church Pastor Caleb Free and Jodi Batsch, an elementary administrator for Risen Savior Academy, are excited to welcome kindergartners to the academy's new elementary school.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • January 17, 2023
Risen Savior Lutheran Church to add kindergarten in 2023-24

The addition of kindergarten is the first step in the expansion of Lakewood Ranch's Risen Savior Academy to include an elementary school.

  • East County
  • Schools
Robert Jendelund is the new contract tennis pro at the Longboat Key Public Tennis Center.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • January 17, 2023
New tennis pro joins Longboat tennis center

The Longboat Key Public Tennis Center hired a new contract pro to handle the overflow of requests for tennis lessons.

  • Longboat Key
  • Business
AJ Sanders participates in the Unity and Historical march with a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. flag that reads "I HAVE A DREAM"
  • By Dariela Delgado
  • January 16, 2023
Sarasota honors the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

With an interfaith tribute, an awards breakfast and a march, the city honored the civil rights leader on Jan. 16.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
« 639 640 641 642 643 644 645 646 647 648 »
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 News

1
Riverview High baseball player-mentors pose for a photo on Dec. 9 with their kindergarten mentees at Southside Elementary School. Danielle Sobolewski, a kindergarten teacher at Southside, asked for some silly faces.
  • December 25, 2025
Riverview High baseball mentors next generation
2
Selby Gardens Master Plan Phase 2 Learning Pavilion Interior rendering.
  • December 25, 2025
Selby Gardens' renovations add to appeal while keeping mission in mind
3
The Unit 111 condominium at 1301 Tamiami Trail was built in 2000 and has three bedrooms, two baths and 2,186 square feet of living area.
  • December 25, 2025
Top residential real estate sales for Dec. 8-12 in Sarasota, Siesta Key, Palmer Ranch, Osprey, Nokomis
Sponsored Content
4
  • December 25, 2025
FINANCIAL FOCUS® Managing Risk at Different Stages of Life
5
Lakewood Ranch's Rich Vannucci still wears the Santa suit his mother made for him 50 years ago.
  • December 24, 2025
After five decades, this Lakewood Ranch Santa continues to spread joy and more

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