• Alternate Text

  • Loading

  • Sand Bucket List
  • 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
  • Elections
  • Galleries
  • More
    • Hurricane Season
    • Health Observed
    • Sand Bucket List
    • 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
  • Elections
  • Galleries
  • More
    • More
    • Hurricane Season
    • Health Observed
    • Sand Bucket List
    • Celebrations
    • Contests
    • Tributes
    • Submit a Celebration
    • Submit a Tribute
    • Public Notices
    • Classifieds
  • Sand Bucket List
  • Health Observed
  • Crossword
  • Contests
  • Newsletters
  • e-Newspaper App

Longboat Key | Opinion

Where are the statesmen?
    By
  • Matt Walsh
  • July 29, 2026
Where are the statesmen?

Too many county commission candidates can make old-timers nostalgic for past public servants. And how sad: The drumbeat to stop development and vilify developers is myopic and dangerous rhetoric.

  • Sarasota
  • Opinion
Observer recommends
    By
  • Matt Walsh
  • July 29, 2026
Observer recommends

The Observer’s recommendations for primary races for Manatee County Commission and Manatee School Board; Sarasota County Commission, Sarasota School Board, Sarasota Hospital Board and Charter Review Board.

  • Sarasota
  • Opinion
Why the worst rise to top
    By
  • Matt Walsh
  • July 15, 2026
Why the worst rise to top

By comparison to other U.S. locales, we are so fortunate in Manatee and Sarasota counties and in Florida.

  • Sarasota
  • Opinion
Lots of loopholes in Florida's laws on fines
  • By Adrian Moor, Vittorio Nastasi
  • July 8, 2026
Lots of loopholes in Florida's laws on fines

With a potential hit to general fund revenue coming, municipalities may have more incentive to supplement their income from fines.

  • Longboat Key
  • Opinion
The 56 who signed for us
    By
  • Matt Walsh
  • July 1, 2026
The 56 who signed for us

As many people have often said: Being an American is winning life’s lottery. Nowhere in the world are people as free as we are.

  • Sarasota
  • Opinion
DeSantis versus DeSantis
  • By Jeff Brandes, contributor
  • June 24, 2026
DeSantis versus DeSantis

One DeSantis encouraged starter homes. The other may have just made them fiscally impossible to approve.

  • Longboat Key
  • Opinion
Another travesty of power
    By
  • Matt Walsh
  • June 17, 2026
Another travesty of power

Everyone knows we need more affordable housing. But Sarasota County commissioners are more concerned about losing their home rule power.

  • Sarasota
  • Opinion
This is not how to 'cut' taxes
  • By Jeff Brandes
  • June 2, 2026
This is not how to 'cut' taxes

The governor’s property tax plan won’t eliminate taxes. It will just shift them. Your city will become increasingly dependent on the state.

  • Sarasota
  • Opinion
The gentle, warm waters of the Gulf can be an aid to mobility for those with arthritis.
    By
  • Mirabai Holland
  • May 29, 2026
It's possible to live with arthritis. Here's how.

Exercise, as counter-intuitive as it might seem, can go a long way toward relief.

  • Longboat Key
  • Opinion
No good deed goes unpunished
    By
  • Matt Walsh
  • May 28, 2026
No good deed goes unpunished

St. Regis fight with town is a Longboat Key classic.

  • Longboat Key
  • Opinion
Lessons on how not to do it
    By
  • Matt Walsh
  • May 13, 2026
Lessons on how not to do it

The Sarasota tax collector-school board dispute has reached a partial resolution. Taking the high road can bring it to the best ending.

  • Sarasota
  • Opinion
Letter to our legislators: Don't turn USFSM over to New College
  • By Letter to the Editor
  • May 12, 2026
Letter to our legislators: Don't turn USFSM over to New College

The fate of USF Sarasota-Manatee depends on the Legislature's special budget session. It will decide whether to shut down the college and transfer the buildings to New College.

  • Longboat Key
  • Opinion
Is the only way to protect kids online for all of us to give up our data?
  • By Adrian Moore, Nicole Shekhovtsova
  • May 6, 2026
Is the only way to protect kids online for all of us to give up our data?

Legislators are passing laws to verify the age of social media users — but does it inadvertently require these sites to keep more data than necessary?

  • Sarasota
  • Opinion
My oath to the law and the taxpayers of Sarasota County
  • By Mike Moran
  • May 3, 2026
My oath to the law and the taxpayers of Sarasota County

While waiting for the attorney general to rule on a disagreement over how to implement state law, costly litigation could have been avoided.

  • Longboat Key
  • Opinion
Tax collector's money grab
    By
  • Matt Walsh
  • April 29, 2026
Tax collector's money grab

Mike Moran needs cash to "modernize" his operations. His target: taking money from the schools, in spite of what voters approved.

  • Sarasota
  • Opinion
1 2 3 4 5 »
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 Longboat Key

1
This waterfall at Patton Park in Lakewood Ranch was being fed by heavy rainfall July 29.
  • July 29, 2026
Drought runs deep in Manatee, Sarasota
2
Several beachfront properties on Longboat were severely damaged from Hurricane Helene's storm surge.
  • July 29, 2026
FEMA delays highlight need for town reserves
3
The Mah Jongg Weekend was filled with colorful, coastal mahjong sets provided by Event Organizer Rennee Fannin.
  • July 29, 2026
Paradise Center hosts first Mah Jongg Weekend fundraiser
4
The home at 1067 Westway Drive sold for $15 million. Built in 1996, it has five bedrooms, five-and-three-half baths, a pool and 7,438 square feet of living area.
  • July 29, 2026
Top residential real estate sales for July 13-17 in Longboat, Lido, St. Armands, Bird Key
5
The purple line on this map shows the location of the existing wastewater pipeline that connects Longboat Key to Manatee County’s wastewater treatment facility. The new pipeline will be installed just next to it.
  • July 29, 2026
Subaqueous pipeline project cost, timeline still unknown

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.

Anytime. Anywhere. Observer.

From in-depth local reporting to real-time breaking news, stay connected to the stories shaping our community with the Your Observer app.

Download Now for Free