• Alternate Text

  • Loading

  • Valentine's Day 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
  • Valentine's Day Gift Guide
  • Health Observed
  • Crossword
  • Contests
  • Newsletters
  • e-Newspaper App

News

While construction abounds around The Marketplace at Heritage Harbour, Portillo's is not among the businesses preparing to move into the shopping center.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • January 25, 2026
Chicago hot dog eatery reverses course on Manatee County location

Portillo's is no longer planning to open a restaurant in The Marketplace at Heritage Harbour.

  • East County
  • News
Parents have 3 days to excuse kids with new Sarasota Schools policy
    By
  • Ian Swaby
  • January 25, 2026
Parents have 3 days to excuse kids with new Sarasota Schools policy

The new policy specifies a three-day window for Sarasota County parents to send in an attendance note following an excused absence, while outlining clearly what counts as an excused absence.

  • Sarasota
  • Schools
The School District of Manatee County Superintendent Laurie Breslin, School Board Chair Cindy Spray, Vice Chair Richard Tatem, and School Board Members Heather Felton and Charlie Kennedy were among the group of people to break ground on AAA High School.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • January 24, 2026
Manatee School District breaks ground for new Lakewood Ranch high school

AAA High School, located at Rangeland Parkway and Post Boulevard in Lakewood Ranch, is set to open to ninth and 10th graders in August 2027.

  • East County
  • Schools
Ringling College names new president
    By
  • Elizabeth King, Mark Gordon
  • January 24, 2026
Ringling College names new president

Davis Schneiderman will be the globally known arts college's seventh president in 95 years.

  • Sarasota
  • News
About $12,000 in small bills was seized as part of the investigation.
    By
  • Eric Garwood
  • January 23, 2026
Investigators make cocaine-trafficking arrest near Sarasota park

$12,000 in small bills and more than 400 grams of drugs were seized, police say.

  • Sarasota
  • News
Food truck regulations were a topic of discussion at the Tuesday, Jan. 20 Longboat Key Town Commission workshop meeting.
    By
  • S.T. Cardinal
  • January 23, 2026
Are food trucks allowed on Longboat Key?

Whether a coffee trailer would pave the way for other mobile businesses to follow suit concerned Commissioner BJ Bishop.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Capriotti's Sandwich Shop is at 6320 S. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota.
    By
  • Elizabeth King
  • January 23, 2026
New sandwich shop opens in south Sarasota

Capriotti’s, known for its submarine sandwiches, is located on South Tamiami Trail and Stickney Point Road.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Eat + Drink
The Original Hob Nob Drive-In will open this spring at 1701 N. Washington Blvd. in Sarasota.
    By
  • Elizabeth King
  • January 23, 2026
Hob Nob to reopen in Sarasota with new owner

The Original Hob Nob Drive-In will be operated with support from The Breakfast Company founders.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Eat + Drink
The McCullough Pavilion building is set against the backdrop of the former Sarasota County Administration Center, which will be redeveloped by Benderson Development.
    By
  • Andrew Warfield
  • January 22, 2026
County approves sale of downtown historic building to architecture-history group

The Sarasota County Commission OK's moving forward with selling McCullough Pavilion to Architecture Sarasota.

  • Sarasota
  • News
The Condominium by the Bay was built in 1982 on Boulevard of the Arts.
    By
  • Eric Garwood
  • January 21, 2026
Political power couple buys Sarasota condo

Political commentator and adviser James Carville and his White House staffer wife, Mary Matalin, are the new owners of a home in Sarasota, property records show.

  • Sarasota
  • News
The resolution sponsored by School Board chair Bridget Ziegler passed 3-2.
    By
  • Eric Garwood
  • January 21, 2026
Sarasota School Board reaffirms cooperation with ICE, other law enforcement

The resolution passes 3-2 over the objection of dozens of speakers.

  • Sarasota
  • Schools
The green rectangle on the top is where the homes would be clustered.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • January 21, 2026
80-home project gets thumbs down from the Manatee Planning Commission

Bradenton Estates II is being proposed near the intersection of 18th Avenue East and Morgan Johnson Road.

  • East County
  • News
Longboat Island Chapel, at 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive, could lend some of its space to serve as a community center for north-end residents.
    By
  • S.T. Cardinal
  • January 21, 2026
Church may offer space for north-end Longboat community center

“The stars have aligned” as the newest potential space for a north-end community center has been identified.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
The old Station 11, owned by East Manatee Fire Rescue, is being sold to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • January 21, 2026
Manatee County Sheriff's Office finds a home in Myakka City

East Manatee Fire Rescue sells the old fire station in Myakka City to the Sheriff's Office.

  • East County
  • News
Buttonwood Harbour in Longboat Key was one of many residential communities that experienced significant storm damage in Manatee County from 2024 hurricanes. Manatee County’s Local Mitigation Strategy explains the threats facing the county and unlocks state and federal funding for participating municipalities like Longboat Key, which passed a resolution in October to renew its participation.
    By
  • S.T. Cardinal
  • January 21, 2026
Buttonwood Harbour community meeting scheduled

The town of Longboat Key and consultants will make a presentation and answer questions from community members in February.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
« 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 »
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

Sponsored Content
1
  • February 3, 2026
Alexander Calder - The Nature of Movement
2
Suspect caught after shooting near Palmer Ranch
  • February 3, 2026
Suspect caught after shooting near Palmer Ranch
3
A rendering of the new Sarasota Memorial Hospital-North Port.
  • February 3, 2026
Solid bond ratings fuel further health care system expansion
4
Temple Beth Israel named Suzan and Barry Friedman as this year's honorees for its 47th annual gala happening this month.
  • February 3, 2026
Longboat Key temple celebrates multigenerational family
5
Property tax issue is a big one for Longboaters
  • February 3, 2026
Property tax issue is a big one for Longboaters

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 © 2026 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