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Your Observer

St. Regis Longboat Key Resort installed a stainless steel metal arch on a converted groin extending into the Gulf. Longboat Key town staff asked the hotel to take the arch down because it does not follow town code.
    By
  • S.T. Cardinal
  • October 29, 2025
St. Regis resort's arched sign on pier causes dispute with town

The St. Regis is asking the town of Longboat Key to amend its sign code to allow for an arch it installed on a groin to remain in place.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
At 100 years old, Bernard Greenberg still has vidid memories of his time serving with the U.S. Army in New Guinea.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • October 29, 2025
WWII codebreaker to serve as 2025 Tribute to Heroes Parade grand marshal

Bernard Greenberg, who served with the 126th Signal Radio Intelligence Company, intercepted Japanese radio transmissions during World War II.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
The second floor of the Lakewood Ranch Library could open as early as April 2026.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • October 29, 2025
Lakewood Ranch Library's second floor could be built out by April

The second floor buildout is one of several projects Manatee County Libraries has slated for the upcoming year.

  • East County
  • News
Longboat Key Fire Chief Paul Dezzi said Fire Rescue responds to about 2,200 calls per year with 700 resulting in ambulance trips to the hospital.
    By
  • S.T. Cardinal
  • October 29, 2025
Longboat Link aims to reduce nonemergency 911 calls from older adults

Joint Fire Rescue and Youthful Aging initiative will provide follow-up services for Longboat residents who call 911 for nonemergencies.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Women prevent man from obeying restraining order
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • October 29, 2025
Women prevent man from obeying restraining order

A man tries to leave a bar in compliance with a protective order but is blocked. This and other Sarasota Police Department reports in this week's Cops Corner.

  • Sarasota
  • Cops Corner
Members congregate in the lobby of the Lakewood Ranch YMCA to socialize after exercising.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • October 29, 2025
Lakewood Ranch YMCA is 'more than a gym'

Members can learn Spanish or take art classes along with working out or taking a swim lesson.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Sophomore midfielder Jordynn Roberts (left) aims for the ball at the feet of freshman defender Caroline Foster (right) during an Oct. 23 practice. After scoring 16 goals in her first year with Braden River, Roberts is back for more.
    By
  • Jack Nelson
  • October 29, 2025
With questions in net, BRHS girls soccer answers with scorers aplenty

The Braden River Pirates enter 2025-26 with their top three point leaders back from last season's regional finalist.

  • East County
  • Sports
Sarasota County Administrator Jonathan Lewis' compensation package including salary, benefits and pension contribution is $460,000.
    By
  • Andrew Warfield
  • October 29, 2025
Commissioners lament top county officials' evaluation process

Expressing disdain for the public evaluation process of the county administrator and attorney, Sarasota County commissioners award a token bonus as a tough budget season looms.

  • Sarasota
  • News
The home at 178 N. Washington Drive was built in 2021 and has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 5,064 square feet of living area.
    By
  • Adam Hughes
  • October 29, 2025
Top residential real estate sales for Oct. 13-17 in Longboat, Lido, St. Armands, Bird Key

A condominium in L'Ambiance at Longboat Key Club tops the week's sales at $10.25 million.

  • Longboat Key
  • Real Estate
Wilma Davidson at home on Longboat Key, where she and her husband have lived full time for 20 years.
    By
  • Eric Snider
  • October 29, 2025
Curiosity and a zest for life drive Longboat woman's storied career

Writer, educator, pilot and lifelong learner Wilma Davidson has built a career — and a life — defined by curiosity, achievement and purpose.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
Siesta Key Kiwanis Club members Shawna Smith, incoming president Mary-Lynn Desjarlais, Joy Horne Jones, Candace Anderson, Kimberley Amos and Steve Stonecipher (front). The club meets the first and third Wednesday of the month at Gecko's on Clark Road in Sarasota. (Photo taken at Hub Baja Grille on Siesta Key.)
    By
  • Louis Llovio
  • October 29, 2025
'Mighty' Siesta Key Kiwanis Club helps children, one community at a time

Poverty can happen anywhere. The Siesta Key Kiwanis Club is working to insulate Sarasota kids from its effects.

  • Siesta Key
  • Neighbors
Panther Preserve's Emily Kasperski shows off her beloved Bam, which will be on display at the Knights of Columbus Car Show and Cookout Nov. 1 at Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • October 29, 2025
Bam takes center stage at Our Lady of the Angels car show

The Knights of Columbus event raises funds for St Jude Children's Hospital.

  • East County
  • Opinion
Il faut cultiver notre jardin
    By
  • Matt Walsh
  • October 29, 2025
Il faut cultiver notre jardin

Delving into a pile of history books during a sabbatical revealed a depressing truth: Nothing has changed. To improve society, we must tend our own garden.

  • Sarasota
  • Opinion
  • By Casino Craft
  • October 28, 2025
Add Excitement to Your Holiday Party! Casino Craft Deals in Risk-free Fun and Games

Casino Craft has four standard games – blackjack, craps, roulette and poker – but customers aren’t limited to those.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
Sponsored Content
Dru Hershberger poses for a photo on Oct. 28 at Selby Aquatic Center before a practice with Sarasota Sharks. The freshman won gold for Sarasota Christian in the 500-meter freestyle at the FHSAA Class 1A District 8 championship.
    By
  • Jack Nelson
  • October 28, 2025
Sarasota Athlete of the Week: Dru Hershberger

The freshman for Sarasota Christian girls' swimming & diving brought home gold on Oct. 25 at the FHSAA Class 1A District 8 championship.

  • Sarasota
  • Sports
Rev. Bill Friederich and his wife, Bah Hero, attend the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce annual awards banquet, at which Longboat Island Chapel won the Business Resilience Award. He is leaving the chapel and taking up a leadership role at Saint Andrew United Church of Christ.
    By
  • Dana Kampa
  • October 28, 2025
Longboat's Rev. Bill honored before going to Sarasota church

The outgoing care pastor and former senior pastor at Longboat Island Chapel is taking up a leadership role at St. Andrew United Church of Christ.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
Lakewood Ranch's Everett Wyckoff, a 12-year-old with autism, plays the cajon alongside volunteer Jules Whittemore at Gulf Coast Music Therapy.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • October 28, 2025
ODA students use their musical talent to help kids with autism

Jules Whittemore leads a group of six students who volunteer their time at Gulf Coast Music Therapy.

  • East County
  • Schools
The meeting chamber at the former Sarasota County Administration Center now stands empty after the final County Commission meeting held there on Oct. 21.
    By
  • Andrew Warfield
  • October 28, 2025
Sarasota County closes business at 1660 Ringling Blvd.

With staff having vacated in preparation for the final move to its new center, the Sarasota County Commission gaveled out its final meeting on Ringling Boulevard.

  • Sarasota
  • News
School of fishermen dispelled from Longboat Pass Bridge
    By
  • S.T. Cardinal
  • October 28, 2025
School of fishermen dispelled from Longboat Pass Bridge

A disgruntled contractor threatened to dump debris on a property if he wasn't paid. This and other Longboat Key police reports in this week's edition of Cops Corner.

  • Longboat Key
  • Cops Corner
This Wild Blue at Waterside home at 1158 Blue Shell Loop sold for $4.43 million. Built in 2024, it has four bedrooms, four-and-a-half baths, a pool and 4,523 square feet of living area.
    By
  • Adam Hughes
  • October 28, 2025
Top residential real estate sales for Oct. 13-17 in Lakewood Ranch

A home in Wild Blue at Waterside on Blue Shell Loop topped the week’s sales at $4.43 million.

  • East County
  • Real Estate
Stings from stingrays are considered a defense mechanism.
    By
  • S.T. Cardinal
  • October 28, 2025
Stingray injuries on Longboat Key rise in October

Of the stingray wounds warranting Longboat Key Fire Rescue response this year, two-thirds happened in one month.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Longboat Key Town Commission meets at Town Hall, 501 Bay Isles Road.
    By
  • S.T. Cardinal
  • October 28, 2025
Two enter Longboat Town Commission race

Gary Coffin and Nick Gladding have submitted their names to be in running for Districts 1 and 3, respectively.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Zoe Gruber poses for a photo on Oct. 27 at Selby Aquatic Center during an afternoon practice with Sarasota Sharks. The junior racked up a team-high three gold medals at districts to guide the Thunder to a first-place finish.
    By
  • Jack Nelson
  • October 28, 2025
East County Athlete of the Week: Zoe Gruber

Winning four medals, the junior dominated for Out-of-Door Academy girls' swimming & diving on Oct. 25 at the FHSAA Class 1A District 8 championship.

  • East County
  • Sports
Stephen Leatherman, aka “Dr. Beach,” who is director of the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University, ranked Siesta the No. 1 beach in the country in 2011 and 2017.
    By
  • Beth Luberecki
  • October 28, 2025
Siesta Beach returns to the top of the rankings

We all know Siesta Beach is awesome. But here's what goes into those "best beach" rankings — and why they matter.

  • Siesta Key
  • News
Longboat Police Chief Russ Mager didn’t start in law enforcement until he was 30 years old.
    By
  • Eric Snider
  • October 28, 2025
Longboat welcomes its new chief

The new Longboat Key police chief takes pride in never accepting the status quo, seeking to always "make things at least a little bit better."

  • Longboat Key
  • News
An extensive project to repair North Casey Key Road is expected to be completed by March 2027.
    By
  • Elizabeth King
  • October 28, 2025
Casey Key marches down the road to recovery and resilience

A once-quiet stretch on normally quiet Casey Key is bustling with the early stages of a $44 million road repair project.

  • Siesta Key
  • News
Bordering a sidewalk connecting a playground at Bayfront Park to Sarasota Bay is a narrow strip of landscaping that is incorporated into the town’s stormwater system called a bioswale.
    By
  • S.T. Cardinal
  • October 27, 2025
Bayfront Park naturally filters stormwater, prevents flooding

More effective than an average drainage ditch, Longboat Key's bioswales at Bayfront Park are an example of environmental stormwater management practices.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Bob's barricades have found a temporary home outside Lakewood Ranch Town Hall as road crews move them on and off Lakewood Ranch Boulevard as lane closures are required.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • October 27, 2025
Lakewood Ranch-area road projects continue to move forward

Work is wrapping up on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, but lane closures continue on State Road 70 and Upper Manatee River Road.

  • East County
  • News
Everett Whiten Jr. watches his chip shot approach the hole on Oct. 22 at The Concession Golf Club. The 24-year-old native of Chesapeake, Virginia, won the 2025 Billy Horschel Invitational.
    By
  • Jack Nelson
  • October 27, 2025
Billy Horschel Invitational shows why The Concession is ready for a greater future

The Advocates Professional Golf Association Tour event was held Oct. 20-22 at the Lakewood Ranch-based golf club.

  • East County
  • Sports
Valarie Evanko, Bob Mazurek and Iris White shared their hope that The Lord's Warehouse thrift shop will keep its normal operations running after a new Goodwill donation center opens on Longboat Key.
    By
  • Dana Kampa
  • October 27, 2025
Lord's Warehouse prepares for incoming Goodwill

Organizers of the Longboat thrift shop hope they'll be able to maintain usual operations when the new Goodwill donation center opens.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
Jordan Sacks, Brooke Strickland, and Coast hang out at the event.
    By
  • Ian Swaby
  • October 27, 2025
Two Pride groups merge to create Gulfcoast Pride Festival

Held Oct. 26, the festival was Sarasota's largest Pride event and featured headlining musical act Zee Machine.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
Mushu and Emmett dressed as Kermit and Fozzie, while Teagan Nickols dressed as Miss Piggy, claiming eighth place.
    By
  • Ian Swaby
  • October 26, 2025
Dogs and humans get into costume at Dog-A-Ween

Costumers went all-out for the contest, held at the Sarasota Farmer's Market by the Sarasota Downtown Merchants Association.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
Heather Kasten stands with incoming board chair Jennifer Rominkiecki.
    By
  • Ian Swaby
  • October 26, 2025
Chamber welcomes Selby Gardens president as board chair

The Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce's annual meeting welcomed board chair Jennifer Rominiecki, as well as keynote speaker Jim Knight, a Hard Rock International executive.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
Lakewood Ranch 5-year-old Cora Forrester and her mom Cassie Campbell give some love to Banjo the goat from Blissful Goat Yoga during East Manatee Fire Rescue's Trunk or Treat Oct. 25.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • October 26, 2025
East Manatee Fire Rescue adds a spark to Halloween

The Trunk or Treat event at Station 1 in Lakewood Ranch drew hundreds.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Caragiulos opened in Mira Mar in 1989.
    By
  • Elizabeth King
  • October 26, 2025
Caragiulos closes until new downtown Sarasota spot opens in 2026

The Italian restaurant will be moving locations downtown from Palm Avenue to Ringling Boulevard.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Eat + Drink
This year makes 22 years of the Boo Run, which has been referred to as the "day of Grayson." Grayson Tullio dresses as Russell from the Disney movie "Up" while his great friend Monika Oberer dresses as his Carl Fredricksen.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • October 25, 2025
Boo Run is not just another day for Gray

The Lakewood Ranch race has been an important fundraiser for Another Day for Gray, which supports those with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
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Latest News

1
The World of Chucko photo-bombs Dana Dalpra, Lauren Hersh and Tami and Phillip Lanham.
  • December 14, 2025
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2
Joni Hill, Cate Douglas and Gaby Hayashi make their way across the beach.
  • December 14, 2025
Holiday spirit gets moving at Sandy Claws Beach Run
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Eat, drink and be merry like you're in a 'Home Alone' movie
4
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
5
Longboat Key Police Deputy Chief Frank Rubino (left) accepts a framed display of medals, patches and pins that demonstrate his 45-year career in law enforcement.
  • December 13, 2025
Longboat deputy chief with 45 years of experience to retire

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