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

Your Observer

A 130-foot barge ran aground on Longboat Key this morning.
    By
  • Kurt Schultheis
  • April 9, 2014
Barge washes ashore on Longboat Key

The barge was unsecured so it could be pulled by a tow boat, but high winds and strong current from a cold front forced the barge onto the beach.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
The United Nations Environmental Programme Regional Office for North America has chosen Sarasota County to host World Environment Day.
    By
  • Alex Mahadevan
  • April 9, 2014
UN picks Sarasota as host for World Environment Day

Sarasota County will serve as the North American host community for World Environment Day June 5, following six weeks of environmentally-themed events beginning on Earth Day.

  • Sarasota
  • News
Dex Honea
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • April 9, 2014
Resident receives U.S. citizenship

For one Longboat Key resident, facing the American flag and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance held special meaning at the Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key's April 3 breakfast meeting.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
    By
  • Robin Hartill
  • April 9, 2014
The Finish Line

World record-holder John Wallace has two marathons left until he retires from the sport. But will his retirement last?

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Dilapidated tourism units at the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort have a new August 2016 tourism extension deadline.
    By
  • Kurt Schultheis
  • April 9, 2014
New Colony extension: August 2016

Various parties still face numerous hurdles in their efforts to revitalize the resort, but a ticking town clock is no longer one of them.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • April 9, 2014
Our view

The key to Key Club's future

  • Longboat Key
  • Opinion
Two garages, supporters say, would encourage better Circle traffic flow and draw cars out of residential areas.
    By
  • David Conway
  • April 9, 2014
St. Armands stakeholders push for two garages

To address parking issues on St. Armands Circle, some people believe that two garages are better than one.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
St. Armands Circle officials are worried shoppers will head elsewhere if city officials don't pay more attention to Circle issues.
    By
  • Kurt Schultheis
  • April 9, 2014
Circle and city officials clash over code issues

St. Armands Circle Business Improvement District (BID) members are frustrated with a lack of answers from city of Sarasota officials about issues affecting the popular shopping destination.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • April 9, 2014
Lacrosse players engineer spring break

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) lacrosse team members hit the beach on Longboat Key during their recent spring break.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • April 9, 2014
Observer wins 20 Local Media Association awards

Local Media Association, made up of 2,000 newspapers in U.S. and Canada, announced the winners of its 2013 Editorial Contest Monday. The Observer Group won a total of 20 awards among eight of its newspapers, making it the third top company winner.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • April 9, 2014
New swan pair enters nesting mode

Swans Sully and Susie paired off last spring, and now the love birds have built a nest.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • April 9, 2014
Ladies team up for Daytona

The Longboat Key Public Tennis USTA 3.0 Team is Daytona-bound for the fifth year in a row.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • April 9, 2014
Thanks goes out to unknown rescuer

Beachplace resident Margaret Farkas doesn't know the name of the young man who came to the rescue of her friend after a rip tide pulled him out into the Gulf.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
Beverly Van der Voort
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • April 9, 2014
Obituary: Beverly Van der Voort

Beverly Van der Voort, 91, of Longboat Key and formerly of Mount Prospect, Ill., died April 5.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • April 9, 2014
Obituary: Florence Yvette Pini

Florence Yvette Pini, 94, of Bristol, R.I., died April 5.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • April 9, 2014
Ranch residents celebrate films

To kick off the April 4 start of the Sarasota Film Festival, a group of Lakewood Ranch residents gathered at the home of Joni Corcoran and Ed Koplos in Country Club East for an evening of movie-themed fun.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Courtesy photo
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • April 9, 2014
Women's Club members tour ballet

Forty members of the Lakewood Ranch Women's Club took a special backstage tour of the Sarasota Ballet March 31.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Photo by Pam Eubanks. Braden River Elementary School teacher Dehlia Garrity brought this photo of her son, Douglas, to Tallahassee to lobby for the early release of the man whose drunken driving killed her son.
    By
  • Josh Siegel
  • April 9, 2014
A Plea for Forgiveness

John and Dehlia Garrity seek clemency for Josh Hunter, who is serving a 10-year prison sentence for driving drunk in the car crash that killed their son, Doug.

  • East County
  • News
    By
  • Josh Siegel
  • April 9, 2014
Retirement community in the plans

SMR wanted Lakewood Ranch to have a unique identity before it began targeting retirees.

  • East County
  • News
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • April 9, 2014
Letters to the Editor

Observer readers weigh in on last week's April Fools' edition.

  • East County
  • Opinion
    By
  • Amanda Sebastiano
  • April 9, 2014
Developer turns over land to Stoneybrook association

Members of the Stoneybrook Homeowners Association prepare to 'create their own destiny,' as they take over land ownership rights after more than a decade.

  • East County
  • News
Peter Runge races to the finish line during last year's Bradenton Runners Club Invitational. He went on to finish 35th at the Class 1A Cross-Country State Finals. (File photo)
    By
  • Jen Blanco
  • April 9, 2014
Marathon Miles

The Out-of-Door Academy senior Peter Runge qualified for the Boston Marathon, with a time of 3 hours, 1 minute, at the Miami Marathon earlier this year.

  • East County
  • Sports
    By
  • Jen Blanco
  • April 9, 2014
High five moments of the week

The top five sports moments of the week.

  • East County
  • Sports
Town Manager Dave Bullock
    By
  • Kurt Schultheis
  • April 9, 2014
Bullock prepares for tight budget

A 2014-15 fiscal year budget will be crafted this summer with a flat operating budget and no new employee hires to combat another year of slim finances.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • April 9, 2014
News Briefs

Town attorney starts office hours for commission; Police department offers medication disposal

  • Longboat Key
  • News
    By
  • Kurt Schultheis
  • April 9, 2014
ULI Committee issues circulate at Town Hall

Town Manager Dave Bullock seeks a new facilitator to handle a nine-person Urban Land Institute group that is questioning its size, purpose and its very existence.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
    By
  • Josh Siegel
  • April 9, 2014
Initial dam repairs to cost $14 million

Manatee County has hired Hayward Baker to complete the first of two phases of repairs.

  • East County
  • News
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • April 9, 2014
News Briefs

Legacy gatehouse repairs begin next week; ManaSota Films expands; Goodwill Manasota and AAA South join forces

  • East County
  • News
    By
  • Pam Eubanks
  • April 9, 2014
Braden River teacher earns top tech honor

Gil Burlew, head of tech education, credits his fellow teachers and students with his winning the Teacher Excellence Award.

  • East County
  • News
    By
  • Kurt Schultheis
  • April 9, 2014
Committee analyzes pension benefit costs

Longboat Key's Finance Department recently issued bar charts and line graphs to outline the town's pension assets; the benefits paid out; the $27 million in unfunded pension liabilities that need to be paid by taxpayers over time; and the town's pension funding ratio.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • April 9, 2014
Cops Corner: Longboat Key

Enjoy this week's edition of Cops Corner.

  • Longboat Key
  • Cops Corner
    By
  • Kurt Schultheis
  • April 9, 2014
Groin project might start sooner than expected

Sand is coming to the north end of the Key this summer, and two sand-saving groins could follow later this year.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Courtesy photo The vacant parcels are located at 6271 and 6281 Gulf of Mexico Drive.
    By
  • Robin Hartill
  • April 9, 2014
Town expects plans soon for Kors' Gulf lots

Fashion designer Michael Kors, reportedly the buyer of two adjacent Gulf-front lots that sold for $6 million in November, plans to submit an application for a large Gulf-front, single-family home soon, according to a Longboat Key town planner.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • April 9, 2014
Letters to the Editor

Spring forward with your diet; Leave Gulf of Mexico Drive alone; Widen Gulf of Mexico Drive now

  • Longboat Key
  • Opinion
    By
  • Robin Hartill
  • April 9, 2014
Bieber takes center stage in April Fools'

The pop star is not purchasing the $22 million Ohana estate - but our April 1 story attracted attention from quite a few Beliebers.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Courtesy photo Tacoma Jenkins, her son, Jaylen Peterson, and Jaylen's reading buddy, Keith Tschannen. Jaylen and Tschannen have worked together for four years.
    By
  • Robin Hartill
  • April 9, 2014
Reading Buddies instill love of books in children

A Christ Church of Longboat Key-sponsored program pairs at-risk students with volunteers during the critical first four years of elementary school.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
« 1164 1165 1166 1167 1168 1169 1170 1171 1172 1173 »
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
Lakewood Ranch's Cole Mule and Bodie Hogan, both 3 years old, explore the bee-themed magnet activity.
  • May 31, 2026
Literacy lessons a hot summer topic at Lakewood Ranch Library
2
A Longboat Key police officer measures the speed of vehicles traveling on Gulf of Mexico Drive. Traffic enforcement in gated communities require a memorandum of understanding with the Homeowners Association, said Longboat Key Police Chief Russ Mager.
  • May 31, 2026
Speeding enforcement in gated communities requires HOA permission
3
A car carrier operator unloads a Corvette on Bay Isles Road, the town of Longboat Key’s designated dropoff and pickup area for car carriers.
  • May 30, 2026
With fines locked in, Longboat leans on education for car-carrier scofflaws
4
For the final Ranch Nite Wednesdays of the season, Randy Bordon and Bri Rivera of the Bri Rivera Band perform for the crowd.
  • May 30, 2026
Crowd jams final Ranch Nite Wednesdays of the season
5
Rabbi Michael Shefrin meets Colby.
  • May 30, 2026
Temple Emanu-El celebrates the joy of pets with Blessing of the Animals

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