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A three-week civil trial is set to begin Monday against Johnson & Johnson brought by the family of a Sarasota County woman who died in 2019 from ovarian cancer believed to be linked to talc-based baby powder.
The 14-count product-liability lawsuit against the New Jersey-based company and Publix Supermarkets Inc. was filed in September 2018 and updated following Patricia Matthey's death in November 2019. Phillippe Matthey, on behalf of his mother's estate, is seeking more than $30,000 against each defendant in terms of loss of earnings, loss of support, and medical and funeral expenses.
The lawsuit against the pharmaceutical and medical technology company was brought after Patricia Matthey was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in August 2016, and after having used Johnson & Johnson's baby powder for more than 50 years, according to the complaint. The complaint cites multiple case studies that link talc-based baby powder to an increased risk of ovarian cancer.
However, scientific studies linking talc-based baby powder and ovarian cancer have been varied.
Each time I drive by the Mote Science Education Aquarium under construction in Nathan Benderson Park, next to Interstate 75, I marvel at the unique and exciting milestone for the community.
This will be a tremendous showcase that will attract young and old residents and visitors from around the world; in fact, it is estimated that it will draw nearly 1 million visitors per year.
But how about that roadwork presently under construction to handle all that increase in traffic in an already heavily traveled area? This new infrastructure will certainly provide the visitors with a pleasant and memorable experience at the Mote.
April Fools'!!
Betsy Stevens, Lakewood Ranch
Last edited by wondermint2; 03-31-2024 at 08:27 AM..
Manatee County Commissioners will convene for their first work session meeting of 2024 this Tuesday, April 2. The meeting will be the first of several work sessions scheduled as part of the county’s FY24-25 budget process.
Along with the county commission’s responsibility for establishing local policy, procedures, and programs through the adoption of ordinances and resolutions and the commissioners’ responsibility for appointing a county administrator, the commissioners are also responsible for adopting the annual operating budget for all departments and offices organized under the commission.
Manatee County’s Department of Financial Management prepares the county's budget. It is currently led by Chief Financial Officer Sheila McLean. The county administrator is responsible for leading the budget preparation and recommending an efficient and effective annual budget that can adequately fund and support county programs as directed by commissioners. The county administrator is responsible for ensuring the timely preparation of the tentative and final budget and will present a recommended budget to the board for consideration.
County commissioners approve the annual budget through a majority vote of the board.
During Tuesday’s work session, CFO McLean will present the Financial and Budget Execution Summary to commissioners. The presentation will update commissioners on last fiscal year’s budget and the county's current financial standings. This information will help lay the foundation for the commissioners' consideration during the budget adoption process for FY24-25.
McLean’s presentation will cover the county’s financial position at the end of FY23, including its cash balances, reserves, and investments, and a financial summary of the county as of Feb. 2024. Additional topics will include updates on funding sources and revenues, CIP projects, the county’s debt status and debt funding plan, and the millage.
Local youth-led organization, the SEE Alliance, announced an Emmy-nominated film director will be creating a documentary on the Sarasota County School Board and its constituents starting Tuesday.
The decision was based on "a direct result of the Sarasota community’s overall display of resilience against Bridget Ziegler and the harmful actions of the Sarasota County School Board," according to the news release.
The documentary will feature the "history that is being made in Sarasota," SEE Alliance stated.
It starts with SEE Alliance's "Stop the Circus" rally at 5 p.m. on April 8 outside the School Board chambers.
They will be joined by fellow organizations PEN America Florida, Support Our Schools, Project Pride SRQ, Voices of Florida, Church of the Trinity MCC and Equality Florida.
Members Zander Moricz, Sophia Brown, Jason Champion, Sebastian Martinez, Lisa Shurr, Sarah Parker, Lillie Brock, Jules Rayne and several Sarasota County high school students will speak.
“Folks have been showing up to make their voices heard for months now,” SEE Alliance Executive Director Zander Moricz said. “Instead of changing the policies their constituents have made clear we don't support, they’re talking about changing the rules so they don’t have to hear what we have to say.”
Kirstien Paige Anglero has struggled finding an affordable place to live.
She and her family are looking for a three-bedroom, two-bath rental that allows pets, preferably in the Port Charlotte area.
Her search has been a nightmare.
“(It’s been) awful. People are so greedy,” she said. “That’s why rent will keep going up, but minimum wage will not. The younger generation is either stuck in Florida, or forced out.”
The market may be responding to the need.
More apartments are popping up in many areas, even as some residents question why so many complexes are being built as local governments approve even more.
From North Venice to south of Punta Gorda, apartments or condos are being built, bringing hundreds of what planners call “multi-family dwelling units” to an area in what appears to be an endless need of housing.
North Port has experienced tremendous growth in recent years. The city has seen its population double during the past two decades, tipping the total to around 90,000 residents — the most populated city in Sarasota County.
Alaina Ray, the city’s director of Development Services, said the apartments being built should be expected, considering the town’s stage of development.
“They’re growing pains,” she said. “What we’re seeing and going through is pretty typical. I will say it is painful. People in North Port got to enjoy the area when there wasn’t much going on. But North Port was never designed to be that.”
It was, instead, always destined for development, Ray said.
While a larger population can clog up high-density roads such as Toledo Blade and Price Boulevard, Ray believes the city is paying the price for a lack of proactive planning in the past, from the original developer General Development Corp. through previous city governments.
ECONOMIC ANSWER
But Ray believes the current explanation for more apartments is quite straightforward.
She said there has been a 95% increase in real estate prices over the past five years and that — along with those who rent by choice — creates a huge demand for more apartments.
Additionally, 23% of people in North Port are renters, according to Ray — exceeding the national average of 20% — but the number of apartments in the area is “minuscule,” compared to others across the nation.
And the city and county governments keep getting requests to build.
Many of them are approved, since they coincide with the property’s zoning. Others are approved after elected officials opt to change the zoning designation to allow apartments.
North Port Commissioner Debbie McDowell questions the residential rezoning that has been occurring as well as the prices of the new complexes springing up in the area.
“If I didn’t have my own house for all of these years, I wouldn’t even be able to afford to live here,” McDowell said.
She said she considers the situations of workers receiving lower wages.
“We have the need for people’s services, but do not have housing for them. Don’t they deserve somewhere to live?” McDowell asked. “It’s almost sinful.”
She also referenced a recent rezone which allowed for the construction of new apartments that could see up to 900 units built off of Toledo Blade Boulevard.
She expressed concern about a lack of planning, saying changing the rezoning of such valuable parcels to residential defies logic. She would prefer commercial development — and the jobs that kind of development would bring — rather than more apartments.
REGION IS GROWING
Although North Port is the most populated area between Tampa and Fort Myers, it is not the only one witnessing a surge in multi-family homes.
Englewood’s population of just around 40,000 people is also on the rise.
Upcoming projects include 200 Artists near Englewood Elementary School, Englewood Gardens, a 252-unit complex off River Road, Fairway Vistas at Myakka Pines, a 877-unit community, and apartments on Pine Street.
Port Charlotte is also seeing apartment development, including a parcel of land to be developed next to the Kia dealership, near the border of North Port.
Venice, too, can expect more cars on the road with apartments under construction off of Jacaranda Boulevard.
“It is disgusting. They are ruining this town,” Lisa Anne Hill stated in a social media comment about Englewood’s growth to The Daily Sun.
Real estate agent and long-time Englewood resident Brian Faro, on the other hand, believes outraged residents should temper some of their anger as many projects never wind up coming to fruition.
“All the years that I’ve been here in town I’ve seen a lot of things come and go. Business buy properties and then never come sometimes,” Faro said, citing a controversial development that was set to be built behind a Shell gas station in Englewood.
Despite pushback from some, though, not all residents in the region are averse to their building.
“I believe all the apartment complexes going up is a good thing because that does presumably mean our city is growing,” said Steve Harrison, a North Port resident who lives off of Price Boulevard.
He does have concern with traffic — especially with Price.
“The city intends to widen it, which will be welcome but I’m dreading the construction with the added influx of new residents,” he said.
Price Boulevard is one of several main roads in the area that are being modified to accommodate more traffic.
Located on South Tamiami Trail above the intersection with Phillippi Street in Sarasota , The Landings shopping center will soon be home to the first brick-and-mortar location from a beloved Sarasota bakery brand. Peachey’s Baking Company , whose Amish-style donuts have been continuously growing in popularity, is launching its first store there, according to a Facebook post by Restaurants in Sarasota .
“No exact dates have been announced for the planned donut shop opening, but [Peachey’s] tells us it will be this fall,” reads the post.
Formerly known as the Amish Baking Co ., Peachey’s founders Nate and Sam Peachey continue to make donuts in the same recognizable style, leading to the Frequently Asked Question on the brand’s website Are these Amish doughnuts ? (Answer: “Yes!”)
Opening in the Landings, Peacheys will join restaurants like Florence and the Spice Boys , Tripletail Seafood & Spirits , and Olive Garden .
You can keep up with Peachey’s Baking Co. by following @peacheysbakingco on Instagram.
Bradenton Police Department said that the average number of license plate thefts for a single month is around four to five.
However, the department said it saw that many reported just last week alone.
“Why are people doing this,” asked one victim.
BPD says thieves will steal license plates for reasons ranging from not wanting to or not being able to afford their own registration, to trying to blend in before/after a more heinous crime.
Either way, police say the crime should be reported as soon as possible.
Delaney Ratliff says the plate was stolen off her husbands car overnight in their apartment complex.
“Why would you take something that’s so vulnerable to somebody. It’s just at the back of your car there’s no way to secure it,” she said.
Police encourage people to use star bolts or screws, parking under lights or security cameras to try to keep this from happening to them.
Earlier this year, SNN reached out to North Port residents about how they feel living in North Port and what they want to see in the future. We received a tremendous response from the community.
SNN then set up an interview with North Port’s Manager of Economic Development Vinnie Mascarenhas, Director of Development Services Alaina Ray, and Assistant Director of Development Services Lori Barnes to respond to many of your questions and concerns.
In the first part of this interview, we talk about initiatives for not getting a downtown, but to get downtowns, and why there’s no centralized location yet in North Port.
For the second part of the interview below, we speak to all three officials about what kind of businesses they’d like to attract to North Port, the surprising (or perhaps unsurprising if you’re a resident) percentage of people who commute out of the city for work, and why some businesses, such as ice rinks, are nowhere to be found in this fast-growing area.
Over the past few months, fish in the Florida Keys have been seen in the water spinning around and dying.
Mote Marine Laboratory is currently working to figure out the cause of this erratic behavior. The president of Mote, Dr. Michael P. Crosby said he is particularly concerned with their deaths.
“We are concern about this abnormal behavior, what is going on in the water that is causing this,” Dr. Crosby said.
Mote Marine is teaming up with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to get answers.
Mote has been collecting blood and tissue samples and working on rescuing the sawfish.
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