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Your Observer

Terry Alexander Gans and Diane Gans, of San Carlos, California, sold their Unit 316 condominium at 3030 Grand Bay Blvd. to D W Johnstone (2014) Ltd. for $2.25 million.
    By
  • Adam Hughes
  • January 31, 2024
Top residential real estate sales for Jan. 15-19 in Longboat, Lido, St. Armands, Bird Key

A condominium in Grand Bay tops the week's sales at $2.25 million.

  • Longboat Key
  • Real Estate
David Proudfoot won the first Run for the Beads 5K on Feb. 18, 2023.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • January 31, 2024
Second Mardi Gras-themed race scheduled for Waterside

Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation's Run for the Beads Mardi Gras 5K Run/Walk will again wind through Waterside of Lakewood Ranch.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Samina Morrow, Julie Benjamin, John Fain, and Angela Massaro-Fain have a little fun in preparation for Phantom: A Masquerade Ball.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • January 31, 2024
Sisterhood for Good gives back to community with masquerade ball

Sisterhood for Good of Lakewood Ranch hopes its Phantom: A Masquerade Ball fundraiser produces plenty for those in need.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Anisa Mycak and Tania Vitvitsky hold up the Ukrainian flag.
    By
  • Carter Weinhofer
  • January 31, 2024
Humanitarian recounts scenes of everyday life amid Russia-Ukraine war

"They have to live because they could be dead the next day," says Tania Vitvitsky, a humanitarian of Ukrainians who did not flee Russia-Ukraine war.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
Renderings of the playground being built at Tom Bennett Park.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • January 31, 2024
ADA-accessible playground coming to Tom Bennett Park

Manatee County commissioners and the Bradenton Kiwanis Club celebrated the groundbreaking on a state-of-the-art playground that will be accessible to all children.

  • East County
  • News
How to attract more health care practitioners
    By
  • Matt Walsh
  • January 31, 2024
How to attract more health care practitioners

Florida needs thousands more doctors, nurses and mental health specialists. The Legislature wants to attract them by paying their medical school loans and making it easier to get a license.

  • Sarasota
  • Opinion
Booker High girls basketball sophomore Yvette Brown.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • January 30, 2024
Sarasota Athlete of the Week: Yvette Brown

The Booker High girls basketball sophomore has been on a roll in January.

  • Sarasota
  • Sports
John Davidson inside his store in 2015.
    By
  • Andrew Warfield
  • January 30, 2024
John Davidson, patriarch of Siesta Key, dies at age 93

The community leader started Davidson Drugs in 1958, founded and published the Pelican Press and tirelessly served his fellow islanders.

  • Siesta Key
  • News
Northern portions of Longboat Key are typically more prone to flooding. However, the town has other portions of the island that are also low lying like the Sleepy Lagoon and Buttonwood Harbour neighborhoods.
    By
  • Carter Weinhofer
  • January 30, 2024
Sleepy Lagoon residents urge higher priority for drainage improvement

Longboat Key drainage projects are on the way, but the first won't begin construction until 2025.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Jury duty scams on the rise in Sarasota, county warns
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • January 30, 2024
Jury duty scams on the rise in Sarasota, county warns

The county advises residents to hang up the phone and verify court-related calls with the Clerk and Comptroller’s Jury Office.

  • Sarasota
  • News
  • By Tidewell Foundation
  • January 30, 2024
Tidewell 15th Annual Signature Luncheon Features Marilu Henner

The Tidewell Foundation’s crystal anniversary of the Signature Luncheon will take place on March 1, 2024 at 11:30 a.m. at The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota.

  • Siesta Key
  • Neighbors
Sponsored Content
This Lake Club home at 16116 Clearlake Ave. for $3.1 million. It has six bedrooms, six-and-a-half baths, a pool and 5,299 square feet of living area.
    By
  • Adam Hughes
  • January 30, 2024
Top residential real estate sales for Jan. 15-19 in Lakewood Ranch

A Lake Club home on Clearlake Avenue tops the week's sales at $3.1 million.

  • East County
  • Real Estate
ODA boys soccer senior Josey Rubinstein.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • January 30, 2024
East County Athlete of the Week: Josey Rubinstein

The ODA boys soccer junior has 12 goals and 32 points this season.

  • East County
  • Sports
Manatee County is having trouble filling its citizen advisory boards. Boards typically meet on the fifth floor of the Administration Building.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • January 30, 2024
Manatee County considers value of citizen advisory boards

Chief of Staff Andy Butterfield is in the process of reviewing all 18 advisory boards.

  • East County
  • News
Tyler Hilaire is the "nature boy" on campus. He's always finding sticks to play with.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • January 30, 2024
Beyond the Spectrum tailors education to each student

The Lakewood Ranch nonprofit works with children and young adults with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Police investigating suspicious vehicle find man sleeping inside
    By
  • Carter Weinhofer
  • January 30, 2024
Police investigating suspicious vehicle find man sleeping inside

An officer had to wake the overnight camper and advise that the parking lot was not a place to stay. This and other Longboat Key Police reports in this week's Cops Corner.

  • Longboat Key
  • Cops Corner
Andrés Duany points out rooftops in Sarasota, stating they should be designed with their aesthetics in mind.
    By
  • Ian Swaby
  • January 30, 2024
Key Sarasota planner praises city while noting its shortcomings

"Have you seen (your bayfront)? It is such a collection of incoherent junk," says Andrés Duany, an influential planner of downtown Sarasota who is known as the "father of New Urbanism."

  • Sarasota
  • News
Education Center at Temple Beth Israel to host first fundraiser
    By
  • Petra Rivera
  • January 30, 2024
Education Center at Temple Beth Israel to host first fundraiser

Program Director Susan Goldfarb highlights the new educational programs and The Education Center's decades-themed fundraiser.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
    By
  • Andrew Warfield
  • January 30, 2024
Attraction park proposed for Sarasota's City Island

Ride Entertainment wants to bring park golf, a 120-foot-tall tower ride and more to a reimagined Ken Thompson Park via private-public partnership.

  • Sarasota
  • News
Harry Anand's Change of Watch ceremony. Bobby Overall, Brian Will, Alex Lancaster, Harry Anand and Pete Kujawski.
    By
  • Petra Rivera
  • January 30, 2024
Yacht Club leader preaches local involvement as key to progress

New Commodore Harry Anand brings his skills as a business leader, community activist and mayor to the Sarasota Yacht Club.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
Attorney alleges Battie had prior knowledge of hoax racist Facebook post
    By
  • Andrew Warfield
  • January 29, 2024
Attorney alleges Battie had prior knowledge of hoax racist Facebook post

The attorney for Kelly Franklin says evidence shows that Sarasota City Commissioner Kyle Battie was aware of the hoax nearly a month before presenting it at a meeting.

  • Sarasota
  • News
Corrosion caused Longboat power issues during Idalia, FPL says
    By
  • Carter Weinhofer
  • January 29, 2024
Corrosion caused Longboat power issues during Idalia, FPL says

During Hurricane Idalia, 20 underground transformers failed and left 400 Longboat Key residents without power for 15 hours.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Deborah Jennings, Ann Friesch, Georgene Lytle, Jean-Marie Seidl, Kerry Ottenwess, Liz Burdeau and Lori Moran
    By
  • Petra Rivera
  • January 29, 2024
Beachplace condominium celebrates 45th anniversary

Condo owners marked the milestone at their annual owners party and recall brushes with celebrity over the years.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
Eric Sanders' Braden River High football offenses have averaged 28.7 points per game since 2012.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • January 29, 2024
Eric Sanders takes over Braden River High football program

Sanders spent 12 seasons as offensive coordinator under former Pirates Head Coach Curt Bradley.

  • East County
  • Sports
The Karon Family Pavilion is the setting for a variety of events, including performances by area-based arts groups.
    By
  • Mark Gordon
  • January 29, 2024
Library is next on list for Longboat’s town center

Longboat Key’s Town Center Green is set to become a lively hub for community gatherings, festivals, performances and educational opportunities.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Janet Minker’s love of architecture is rooted in her career as a graphic designer.
    By
  • Eric Snider
  • January 29, 2024
Sarasota architecture inspires graphic designer to preserve its legacy

Lido Shores resident Janet Minker is a tireless advocate for preserving Sarasota’s historical buildings — and, by association, the city’s character and charm.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
Country Club's Michael Modisett has about 30 plants in the garden area in front of his home. He has at least 90 plants among the three areas around the front of his home in hopes of attracting various butterflies, especially the monarch butterfly.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • January 29, 2024
Butterfly garden blooms in Lakewood Ranch

A Lakewood Ranch Garden Club class on butterfly gardens inspires a Country Club resident to start his own.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
The ballroom at the Ora is 90% complete. Carpet will be installed at the end of this week.
    By
  • Ian Swaby
  • January 28, 2024
See inside Sarasota's newest event venue, The Ora

The venue at the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee has a 10,000-square-foot ballroom and is set for a soft opening in February.

  • Sarasota
  • News
Diane McCathy, Mary Ann Tomlinson, Linda Olsen and Marilyn Davol
    By
  • Petra Rivera
  • January 28, 2024
St. Mary, Star of the Sea Women’s Guild welcomes new members

The new Women’s Guild members attended a luncheon to mingle with board members and learn more about the group.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
Australia's Rowan Willis soars over a jump on Wellington Grey Goose to win the jump-off of the $100,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix event at TerraNova Equestrian Center in Myakka City Jan. 27. He timed 46.86 to win the $29,250 first-place prize.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • January 28, 2024
World-class jumpers compete in Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix at TerraNova

Australia's Rowan Willis takes title of the $100,000 Split Rock Jumping Tour event in Myakka.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Lourdes Ramirez is the face of the fight against Sarasota County government and developers to prevent high-density hotels from being built on Siesta Key.
    By
  • Andrew Warfield
  • January 28, 2024
Siesta Key advocate leads the fight against large-scale hotels

Lourdes Ramirez, a Siesta Key resident and neighborhood advocate, is committed to safeguarding the Key from out-of-scale development.

  • Siesta Key
  • News
Construction of the Ritz-Carlton Residences South Tower in The Quay is expected to begin this summer.
    By
  • Andrew Warfield
  • January 27, 2024
Construction on waterfront Ritz-Carlton tower begins this summer

Developer Kolter Urban has revealed plans for the first part of a three-tower Ritz-Carlton Residences campus overlooking Sarasota Bay and downtown.

  • Sarasota
  • News
During Tropical Storm Eta in November 2020, several residents were rescued by Longboat Key first responders and taken to shelter due to the storm’s flooding.
    By
  • Carter Weinhofer
  • January 27, 2024
New committee gets Longboaters involved in emergency management

Longboat Key Fire Rescue Chief Paul Dezzi led the first meeting of a resident committee aimed at a more cohesive emergency management effort.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
First grader Penelope Seguin, who loves horses, takes her time petting Sugar, a mini horse, after reading "Pete the Cat Goes to the Doctor."
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • January 26, 2024
Myakka City Elementary gallops into reading

Students read to mini horses, visit the book fair and participate in other literacy activities.

  • East County
  • Schools
Officers of the St. Andrew Society of Sarasota are "piped in" by William Howard.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • January 26, 2024
Saint Andrew Society of Sarasota hosts annual Burns Supper

Over 100 people attended the annual event at the Palm Aire Country Club on Jan. 25.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Fruits, veggies, milk, a bread roll and plant-based nuggets make a complete meal.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • January 26, 2024
Plant-based lunch options roll out in Manatee school cafeterias

Two high schools and three middle schools offer Impossible Burgers and plant-based nuggets.

  • East County
  • Schools
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Latest News

1
Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key President Danielle Gladding welcomes guest speaker Longboat Police Chief Russ Mager to update members about his approach to leadership since he assumed the role last autumn at the April 2 meeting.
  • April 4, 2026
Longboat police chief talks digital security with Kiwanians
2
Lakewood Ranch's Jerry and Marilyn Schneider, who have been married for 63 years, enjoy the live music at Music on Main April 3.
  • April 4, 2026
Dancers show off their moves at Music on Main in Lakewood Ranch
3
St. Regis at Longboat Key is a gulf-facing resort and condo development on the barrier island of Longboat Key. The Unicorp-developed property opened in 2024 at the former site of the Colony Beach & Tennis Resort.
  • April 4, 2026
St. Regis on track to receive permanent certificate of occupancy, eyes tennis courts
4
The Fruitville Townhomes site plan to replace the vacant former Sarasota Lanes bowling center.
  • April 4, 2026
Fruitville bowling alley submits plans to redevelop into 4-story townhomes
5
Mitchell Meissner lines up his putt on the third green of the Commander Course at Lakewood National Golf Club. He carded six under par in the second round, pulling into a 10-way tie for 10th place.
  • April 3, 2026
Front runner emerges on second day of 2026 LECOM Suncoast Classic

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