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Your Observer

    In Memoriam |
  • September 18, 2023
Ellen McKeefe

Ellen McKeefe, an Emmy-nominated television news producer who was one of the early women behind the scenes during a long career at NBC News, died August 7, 2023 in Sarasota, Florida of cancer. She was 78.

  • Sarasota
  • Tributes & Obituaries
    In Memoriam |
  • September 18, 2023
Pauline Schweinfurth Becker

An amazing woman, who preferred anonymity more than anything else, Pauline Schweinfurth Becker, born to German immigrants Charles L. and Pauline “Mary” Schweinfurth, passed away peacefully in her Sarasota home surrounded by friends and loving caregivers on Sunday, September 10, 2023 at the age of 102.

  • Sarasota
  • Tributes & Obituaries
Woman sentenced for 2020 DUI death
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • September 18, 2023
Woman sentenced for 2020 DUI death

Alyssa Raffaele had a blood alcohol content of 0.29% at the time of a crash that killed a scooter rider.

  • Sarasota
  • News
Sarasota Sheriff's Office employee arrested on fraud charges
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • September 18, 2023
Sarasota Sheriff's Office employee arrested on fraud charges

Neil Wilson is accused of fraudulent workers' compensation claims.

  • Sarasota
  • News
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • September 18, 2023
Residents rally against roundabout at Lorraine Road, Player's Drive

Country Club East residents say the site isn't large enough for an adequate traffic circle and that pushing forward will create unsafe conditions.

  • East County
  • News
Architect’s rendering of the entrance into the Center. Gallery pivot walls shown on the right.
  • By ArtCenter Manatee
  • September 18, 2023
ArtCenter Manatee: Transforming Lives & Building Community

ArtCenter Manatee has been transforming lives in Manatee County and surrounding areas for over 85 years.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Spotlight Partners
Sponsored Content
Temple Beth Israel celebrated Rosh Hashanah with a lunch after their service at Michael's On East.
    By
  • Petra Rivera
  • September 17, 2023
Temple Beth Israel celebrates Rosh Hashanah with annual lunch

Temple members dined together at Michael's On East after service to celebrate the Jewish New Year.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
  • By Mirabai Holland
  • September 17, 2023
How old do you want to be?

A confluence of health issues can lead to metabolic syndrome, but lifestyle changes can reduce the risk factors.

  • Longboat Key
  • Opinion
Ann Patterson, Mary Myers and Evelyn Zorn at Grand Living in Lakewood Ranch.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • September 16, 2023
Grand Living in Lakewood Ranch celebrates three milestone birthdays

As one resident turns 100 years old, two others will reach the century mark soon.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • September 15, 2023
High school football roundup: Week four

Only two area teams were victorious in a week filled with tough matchups.

  • Sarasota
  • Sports
Riverview High junior DJ Johnson celebrates after scoring a rushing touchdown.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • September 15, 2023
Riverview High football uses big second half to beat Cardinal Mooney High

After a tight first half, the Rams broke things open late to win 35-7 on the road.

  • Sarasota
  • Sports
Seagrass is one of two U.S. 41 roundabout sculptures that will be placed in a different location on city property.
    By
  • Andrew Warfield
  • September 15, 2023
New sites chosen for US 41 roundabout sculptures

The Sarasota City Commission will have the final say on where pieces selected for U.S. 41 traffic circles will be placed.

  • Sarasota
  • News
The ribbon cutting of the Holistic Healing and Wellness Center of Longboat Key with Deanna Mesghali, Patti Bosco, Mayor Ken Schneier, Medge Jaspan, Michael Jaspan and Irina Bronstein.
    By
  • Petra Rivera
  • September 15, 2023
New wellness center offers Longboat mindfulness, holistic care

The Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce hosted the ribbon-cutting of the new Tesla BioHealing Medbed Center in Mediterranean Plaza.

  • Longboat Key
  • Business
Angela Stephanides teaches a geometry lesson at Riverview High School.
    By
  • Ian Swaby
  • September 14, 2023
Sarasota County's teacher shortage below FL average

Pay, political climate, testing demands and classroom behavior are cited as contributing to the unfilled teaching jobs.

  • Sarasota
  • Schools
How to avoid a cookie-cutter downtown
  • By Letter to the Editor
  • September 14, 2023
How to avoid a cookie-cutter downtown

A reader writes that Sarasota's appeal depends on its mixture of building heights downtown.

  • Sarasota
  • Opinion
Waterside of Lakewood Ranch's Bob Smith was honored as Humanitarian of the Year by the Lakewood Ranch Community Fund in 2022.
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • September 14, 2023
Lakewood Ranch Community Fund's Humanitarian of the Year nominations due

A new Junior Humanitarian of the Year will be awarded a $1,000 scholarship.

  • East County
  • Opinion
17-year-old Braden River High School student Alex den Boggende became an Eagle Scout at 13 years old and recently won the Distinguished Conservation Service Award.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • September 14, 2023
East County Boy Scout leaves a lasting impact

Alex den Boggende received the Distinguished Conservation Service Award on Sept. 7.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
A three-property sale in Whitakers tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. The first property at 900 Alameda Lane was built in 1970 and has three bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,209 square feet of living area.
    By
  • Adam Hughes
  • September 14, 2023
Top residential real estate sales for Aug. 28 to Sept. 1 in Sarasota, Siesta Key, Palmer Ranch, Osprey, Nokomis

A three-property sale in Whitakers tops the week's sales at $6.03 million.

  • Sarasota
  • Real Estate
Cardinal Mooney senior Addison Dempsey spent seven years living abroad in Dubai.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • September 14, 2023
Sarasota runner began her state title journey on Dubai's waterfront

Addison Dempsey finished second at the FHSAA Class 2A girls cross-country meet in 2022.

  • Sarasota
  • Sports
Many St. Armands residents returned home after Hurricane Idalia to find two feet or more of water on their streets and inside their homes.
    By
  • Andrew Warfield
  • September 14, 2023
St. Armands drainage system can't keep up with 'perfect storm'

Designed for a 25-year rain event, St. Armands Key's pump and baffle network was overwhelmed by storm surge combined with king tide from Hurricane Idalia.

  • Sarasota
  • News
The eFoil is growing in popularity in Sarasota.
    By
  • Ian Swaby
  • September 14, 2023
Ready for a real-life 'magic carpet' ride? Hop on an eFoil.

Learning to fly on a surfboard isn't easy, but the "unreal feeling" is worth it, Sarasota eFoil owners say.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
Lakewood Ranch junior Jonathan Leatt finished third overall (17:28.29) at the 2023 Pasco Invitational, held Sept. 2 at Withlacoochee River Park in Dade City.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • September 13, 2023
East County Athlete of the Week: Jonathan Leatt

The Lakewood Ranch boys cross country runner finished third overall (17:28.29) at the 2023 Pasco Invitational on Sept. 2.

  • East County
  • Sports
  • By Adrian Moore, Baruch Feigenbaum
  • September 13, 2023
A new path for local public transit

Despite population growth, county bus systems have seen a decline in riders.

  • Longboat Key
  • Opinion
Cardinal Mooney senior quarterback Michael Valentino transferred to the program from Charlotte High for the 2023 season.
    By
  • Ryan Kohn
  • September 13, 2023
Impact players abound on the Sarasota football scene

Through three weeks, teams are winning with expected and unexpected pieces of the puzzle.

  • Sarasota
  • Sports
Manatee County Commissioners and dignitaries board a bus to have the honor of taking the first official trip on the 44th Avenue Bridge across the Braden River on Aug. 7.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • September 13, 2023
Road projects continue in east Bradenton to address growth

With 5,000 homes added in Manatee County annually, road projects across East County speed forward.

  • East County
  • News
Johnny Mouradian coached a clinic for The Armenian Youth Lacrosse Mission at Debi Arach Children's Center.
    By
  • Petra Rivera
  • September 13, 2023
Longboat resident builds an Armenian lacrosse team

Johnny Mouradian merged his Armenian roots and his passion for teaching physical education to create a lacrosse camp in Armenia.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
A conceptual plan for Payne Park Auditorium shows expansions to the building in dark gray and 96 spaces of paved parking.
    By
  • Andrew Warfield
  • September 13, 2023
Preliminary Payne Park Auditorium plans revealed to public

The Players Centre for Performing Arts unveiled a conceptual plan for the expansion and renovation of Payne Park Auditorium during a community workshop.

  • Sarasota
  • News
Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy's Ely Chappell conducts observational data collection with Stephanie Peabody, the founder of the Brain Health Initiative, and Cadence Clay.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • September 13, 2023
Expanding Lakewood Ranch Prep offers more opportunities

With the upper school building complete, school staff members say the sky is the limit for extracurriculars.

  • East County
  • Schools
The beach landscape of the Gulfside Road public beach access changed after Hurricane Idalia, now exposing an old sea wall.
    By
  • Carter Weinhofer
  • September 13, 2023
Longboat's beaches withstood Idalia's surge, but flooding still prevailed. How?

The beaches helped protect Longboat Key's gulf side, but bayfront properties don't share those same protections.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
This cat is waiting to move to her permanent home at the Lakewood Ranch EMS station.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • September 13, 2023
Manatee County sends feisty cats to work

The Working Cat Program by the county's Animal Service Division allows residents to adopt feral cats to control vermin.

  • East County
  • News
Teen advised against phony fighting in public
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • September 13, 2023
Teen advised against phony fighting in public

Responding to a reported brawl, police were told it was all make-believe. This and other Sarasota Police Department reports in this week's Cops Corner.

  • Sarasota
  • Cops Corner
Mark Hiser, the new executive director at Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy, has been around horses his whole life. He looks forward to taking on his new role.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • September 13, 2023
Riding therapy nonprofit welcomes new executive director

Mark Hiser wants to use his experience of working with "misfit horses" to expand the programming at Sarasota Manatee Association for Riding Therapy.

  • East County
  • Business
KCDC Properties LLC sold the home at 560 Putter Lane to Richard and Geri Ann Bradley, of Longboat Key, for $5.25 million.
    By
  • Adam Hughes
  • September 13, 2023
Top residential real estate sales for Aug. 28-Sept 1 in Longboat, Lido, St. Armands, Bird Key

A home in Country Club Shores tops this week's transactions at $5.25 million.

  • Longboat Key
  • Real Estate
Susan Goldfarb previews the newly released brochure for the 2023-2024 year at the Education Center at Temple Beth Israel.
    By
  • Petra Rivera
  • September 13, 2023
Temple Beth Israel Education Center courses open for sign-ups

Program Director Susan Goldfarb has planned a year jampacked with new courses for its many Education Center students.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
The existing signs for The Town of Longboat Key.
    By
  • Carter Weinhofer
  • September 13, 2023
Millage rate, town staffing key focus of Longboat budget hearing

The first public hearing for Longboat Key’s fiscal year 2024 budget included a change to the millage rate and public comment about the personnel increase.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Longboat Key commissioners were all present and ready to kick off the first meeting back on Sept. 11.
    By
  • Carter Weinhofer
  • September 13, 2023
Public concern, project updates kick off Town Commission’s return

The Sept. 11 regular commission meeting included concerns about emergency dispatch, undergrounding updates and a few resolutions.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
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Letters to Santa carry Christmas wishes and love
  • December 21, 2025
Letters to Santa carry Christmas wishes and love
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Sue Wertman has rung the bell outside the Publix on Longboat Key on behalf of the Kiwanis Club of Longboat Key since 2013.
  • December 21, 2025
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Sarasota Memorial Hospital's Kolschowsky Research and Education Institute.
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The Family Church caroling crew from left to right is Melody Johnson, Laurie Houston, Nancy Pilato, Pastor Phil Derstine and Terrial Robinson.
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