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Your Observer

Jim Howell and Jack McCaffrey are students at Florida Studio Theatre. McCaffrey studied animation and design at the Ringling College of Art and Design.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • April 28, 2025
Free acting class series coming to Lakewood Ranch Library

Florida Studio Theatre employees will lead classes on Improv for All, Acting Foundations, Reader’s Circle and Intro to Playwriting.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Florence & the Spice Boys opens at University Town Center April 25.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • April 28, 2025
Florence & the Spice Boys opens at UTC

This is the second location for the Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant that started as a food truck.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Eat + Drink
Weight-loss drugs still require lifestyle changes
    By
  • Mirabai Holland
  • April 28, 2025
Weight-loss drugs still require lifestyle changes

If you have to use the semaglutide medicines for weight loss, you still need exercise and a balanced diet.

  • Longboat Key
  • Opinion
Braden River freshman Maddie Kasch has proved to be a team leader in the box score and the dugout in her debut season with the varsity softball team.
    By
  • Vinnie Portell
  • April 28, 2025
East County Athlete of the Week: Maddie Kasch

Kasch, a freshman, is a captain and top hitter for Braden River softball.

  • East County
  • Sports
Eva Bennett, 6, and her mom Kelly Bennett
    By
  • Ian Swaby
  • April 27, 2025
City of Sarasota celebrates Take Your Child to Work Day

The city's Bring Your Kids to Work Day offered a glimpse into the workings of the local government and its police department.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
W. Kenneth Tyler Jr. is a Lakewood Ranch Certified Public Accountant, and now he's an author too.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • April 27, 2025
Lakewood Ranch accountant's creativity adds up to fiction

W. Kenneth Tyler Jr. is an accountant by day and author by night.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
The patrol that found Longboat's first nest of 2025 included Connie Schindewolf, Brenda Jameson, Caleb Jameson, Benjamin Jameson, and Sam DiGiammarino.
    By
  • Carter Weinhofer
  • April 26, 2025
Longboat Key Turtle Watch discovers island's first nest of 2025

The loggerhead sea turtle nest was found by volunteer beach patrollers the morning of April 26.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Vicente Rivera, a senior at Lakewood Ranch High School, has been accepted into the United States Naval Academy in Maryland, which has a 9% acceptance rate.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • April 26, 2025
Lakewood Ranch High senior ready to begin career at US Naval Academy

Vicente Rivera says he loves structure so a military academy is a great fit.

  • East County
  • Schools
Bird Key Yacht Club is pausing construction on its new clubhouse for 90 days to address significant budget increases.
    By
  • Dana Kampa
  • April 26, 2025
Price uptick leads to pause in Bird Key Yacht Club rebuild

Leadership says it is pausing the project for 90 days after receiving an unexpectedly high final estimate, but it isn't giving up on construction.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
The city of Sarasota gave away 100 trees in about an hour on Friday at The Bay Park.
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • April 25, 2025
Sarasota adds 50 trees to giveaway event

First-come, first-served event resumes at 11 a.m. Saturday at The Bay.

  • Sarasota
  • News
Bob Mazuruk joins the volunteers helping to replace the damaged pews at Longboat Island Chapel on April 22.
    By
  • Dana Kampa
  • April 25, 2025
Longboat Island Chapel builds resilience against future storms

From replacing flood-damaged pews to installing a new metal roof, the church that sustained damage from Hurricane Helene is guarding against future challenges.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
Andy and Anna Mignery opened The Thrivery in February.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • April 25, 2025
New cafe brings pure juices, superfoods to Lakewood Ranch

Andy and Anna Mignery share their health journey by providing clean eating choices at The Thrivery in Center Point.

  • Arts + Entertainment
  • Eat + Drink
A rendering of the Baltimore Orioles' planned $23 million player development facility at Ed Smith Stadium
    By
  • Andrew Warfield
  • April 25, 2025
Sarasota County faces deficit in baseball stadium fund by 2027

Projected to spend all of its fund balance on maintenance of its two spring training stadiums, Sarasota County is working on a plan to replenish its reserves.

  • Sarasota
  • News
Monique was feisty and ready to get to the ocean as staff released the loggerhead sea turtle on April 23.
    By
  • Carter Weinhofer
  • April 25, 2025
Mote releases two rehabbed loggerhead sea turtles off Lido Key

Sub-adult turtles Grimm and Monique were rescued after showing signs of red tide toxicity. Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium rehabilitated the pair over several weeks.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
The weekend-long event takes place at three beaches in south Sarasota County and three in north Sarasota County – explaining the trifecta portion of the event title.
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • April 24, 2025
Sarasota County Beach cleanup days set for six sites in May

Three beaches in south Sarasota and three in north Sarasota form the basis for the fifth annual Beach Blast Trifecta.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
Parrish 2-year-old Faris Akel decided to look through the holes of the giant Connect 4 game instead of playing the traditional way at UTC Kids Club Wednesday.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • April 24, 2025
UTC Kids Club: Gameland offers small children a host of activities

Geared toward children under 6, the event is hosted at The Green at UTC on the fourth Wednesday of every month.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Projects along I-75 will reconfigure interchanges to ease congestion
    By
  • Andrew Warfield
  • April 24, 2025
Projects along I-75 will reconfigure interchanges to ease congestion

FDOT has big plans for Interstate 75 through Sarasota County to alleviate interchange bottlenecks. All it takes is time and money.

  • Sarasota
  • News
St. Regis Longboat Key Resort drained some of its pools ahead of the recent hurricanes.
    By
  • Dana Kampa
  • April 24, 2025
St. Regis tops hotel 'It List'

Travel + Leisure named St. Regis Longboat Key Resort to its "It List" of best new hotels.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Lael and Giuliano Hazan, standing in the kitchen where they lead cooking classes, reflect on what it means to them to see Marcella Hazan's legacy as a culinary powerhouse see renewed celebration.
    By
  • Dana Kampa
  • April 24, 2025
Legacy of Longboater Marcella Hazan receives new acclaim

With a resoundingly successful showing at the Sarasota Film Festival and unveiling of a showcase at the Smithsonian, the Hazan family culinary legacy is getting new acclaim.

  • Longboat Key
  • Neighbors
Cardinal Mooney senior Tanner Jackson leads the Cougars with a .388 batting average this season.
    By
  • Vinnie Portell
  • April 24, 2025
Sarasota Athlete of the Week: Tanner Jackson

The senior helped the Cougars win a district championship on April 17.

  • Sarasota
  • Sports
The home at 3920 Red Rock Way was built in 1967 and has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,994 square feet of living area.
    By
  • Adam Hughes
  • April 24, 2025
Top residential real estate sales for April 7-11 in Sarasota, Siesta Key, Palmer Ranch, Osprey, Nokomis

A Hansen home on Red Rock Way tops the week's sales at $4.5 million.

  • Sarasota
  • Real Estate
Edizahir Rodriguez went 9-3 this season out of the No. 1 singles spot for Booker boys tennis during his first year in the United States.
    By
  • Vinnie Portell
  • April 24, 2025
Booker High senior advances to tennis state championships

Edizahir Rodriguez emigrated from Venezuela to chase his dreams.

  • Sarasota
  • Sports
Omar Guevara-Soto, left, and John Annis will assume new roles in May with the Sarasota-based Barancik Foundation.
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • April 24, 2025
Barancik Foundation leaders assume new roles

John Annis and Omar Guevara-Soto take on new responsibilities with the philanthropic organization in May.

  • Sarasota
  • Business
  • By Latham Pools
  • April 24, 2025
A Latham Fiberglass Pool is the Perfect Fit for Your Florida Home

Latham fiberglass pools are not only a fantastic choice for Florida homeowners, but they also offer numerous advantages over other types of pools.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Sponsored Content
Darwin is a 12-year-old sulcata tortoise.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • April 23, 2025
Beloved tortoise returns home after five days on the loose

Since being adopted from a rescue in 2019, Darwin has endeared himself to his owners, extended family and neighbors.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Small plane crashes in eastern Manatee County
    By
  • Eric Garwood
  • April 23, 2025
Small plane crashes in eastern Manatee County

First responders called to Bald Eagle Airfield along State Road 64.

  • East County
  • News
Betty J. Johnson (center) stand with Blake Erquiaga and Kelly Larkin of the Pop-Up Library.
    By
  • Ian Swaby
  • April 23, 2025
Betty J. Johnson Library celebrates 20th anniversary

The library, founded in 2003, is located in the predominantly Black community of Newtown.

  • Sarasota
  • Neighbors
Cardinal Mooney sophomore Brady Zaun delivers a pitch against Out-of-Door Academy in a regional quarterfinal game on April 21 that the Cougars won 6-4.
    By
  • Vinnie Portell
  • April 23, 2025
The best Sarasota prep sports stories of the spring

The Sarasota area had an abundance of stories worth celebrating this spring.

  • Sarasota
  • Sports
Though flood-ruined debris has been cleared from houses in the Spanish Main area, much remains to be done in the hard-hit neighborhood.
    By
  • Carter Weinhofer
  • April 23, 2025
Spanish Main Yacht Club heads in new direction with new board

At the association’s April 10 meeting, a new board was appointed as the community still looks toward recovery and faces a $13 million lien.

  • Longboat Key
  • News
Braden River Middle School students got to visit the Supreme Court and learned more about Gideon v. Wainwright, a 1963 landmark Supreme Court case that they learned in class.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • April 23, 2025
Braden River Middle students experience real-life civics lesson

The students took a road trip to Tallahassee to visit the Florida State Capitol.

  • East County
  • Schools
Final chance to see Lipizzan stallions in Myakka City this season
    By
  • Jay Heater
  • April 23, 2025
Final chance to see Lipizzan stallions in Myakka City this season

Herrmann's Royal Lipizzan Stallions will close the season with a salute to Operation Cowboy.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
This house at 424 Bowdoin Circle on Lido Shores in Sarasota was just listed for sale.
    By
  • Louis Llovio
  • April 23, 2025
Sarasota waterfront house listed for $15 million

The house on Lido Shores is just the latest Sarasota property priced at more than $10 million.

  • Sarasota
  • News
Work on the roundabout at Lena Road and 44th Avenue East is underway. Staff placed widening Lena Road from the roundabout to State Road 64 as the No. 1 priority for District 5 in the Capital Improvement Plan. Commissioners will offer their opinions May 6.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • April 23, 2025
Lena Road project named a top priority for Manatee County

Residents can contribute to the roadwork conversation at the next County Commission meeting May 6.

  • East County
  • News
Road rage incident continues for several miles
    By
  • Observer Staff
  • April 23, 2025
Road rage incident continues for several miles

An aggressive driver tails a couple driving separate vehicles from South Tamiami Trail to St. Armands. This and other Sarasota Police Department reports in this week's Cops Corner.

  • Sarasota
  • Cops Corner
The home at 145 N. Washington Drive has three bedrooms, three-and-a-half baths, a pool and 3,559 square feet of living area.
    By
  • Adam Hughes
  • April 23, 2025
Top residential real estate sales for April 7-11 in Longboat, Lido, St. Armands, Bird Key

A John Ringling Estates home on North Washington Drive tops the week's sales at $3.62 million.

  • Longboat Key
  • Real Estate
Ariana Perez finished her freshman season with a 10-5 record in singles play out of the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 4 spots for the Mustangs girls tennis team.
    By
  • Vinnie Portell
  • April 23, 2025
Lakewood Ranch freshman tennis player faces a fork in the road

Ariana Perez must decide if high school tennis is the best path for her future.

  • East County
  • Sports
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Latest News

1
Santa greets visitors from the window of 9605 Governor's Club Place in The River Club.
  • December 20, 2025
Christmas decorating isn't just for kids
2
The Family Church caroling crew from left to right is Melody Johnson, Laurie Houston, Nancy Pilato, Pastor Phil Derstine and Terrial Robinson.
  • December 20, 2025
East Manatee church members will go through bars to spread Christmas joy
3
Evidence discovered in the home of 33-year-old Demond L. Smith who was arrested by Sarasota police on multiple charges.
  • December 20, 2025
Repeat felon faces charges in Sarasota drug bust
4
Keera Herbst, Donn Githens, Kim Verreault and Alexa Olivas help celebrate the opening of the new Longboat Key Goodwill bookstore and donation site on Dec. 18.
  • December 20, 2025
Longboat Goodwill officially celebrates grand opening
5
Traffic cleared after fire, bridge malfunction in Sarasota, Longboat
  • December 19, 2025
Traffic cleared after fire, bridge malfunction in Sarasota, Longboat

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