Sarasota & Manatee Counties news thread

[wondermint2]

Homeowners call for more funds for My Safe Florida Home Program (Video)

For full article & video:

https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/s...a-home-program

Every day, Florida homeowners say they will soon be priced out of their homes due to high insurance rates—homeowners like Stephen Posilovich, who lives in Venice.

"If it keeps creeping up 10-20% a year, it's going price me out of the house," he said.

Posilovich is one of thousands who applied for the state's My Safe Florida Home Program, but funds have since run out. The state is no longer accepting new applications, and now lawmakers are pushing to expand the program and replenish the funds.

My Safe Florida Home is a home hardening program that offers eligible Florida homeowners grant funding of up to $10,000 with the goal of making improvements to their homes to bring down those high insurance premiums.

"That would be nice," Stephen said.

The program offers two things to homeowners: free wind mitigation home inspections and wind mitigation grant awards for home construction.

According to data from the Florida Department of Financial Services, which oversees the program, the state has already completed more than 94,000 free home inspections.

Regarding the grant money, more than 23,000 applications have been approved, and 4,500 homeowners have completed the program, which shows how quickly the money dried up.

[beach43ofus]

https://www.tallahassee.com/story/ne...e/72341254007/

State politicians are proposing a bill to deal with homelessness in a way that encourages local municiplies to provide local shelters that have beds, restrooms, & mental health advisors. And, encourages the homeless to use the shelters.

The bill also discourages panhandling, and setting up homeless camps in public places.

Florida has 30,000 homeless people, and this bill is designed to help them, & also protect the rights of others.

[wondermint2]

Manatee County is getting a third Target store. What we know about development so far

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ma...ar/ar-BB1hv9kU

A nearly 150,000-square-foot Target store is planned at the Marketplace at Heritage Harbour shopping center, according to paperwork filed this month with Manatee County Development Services.

The proposed Target at 725 Lighthouse Drive, next door to Costco, would be one of the company's larger-than-average stores. Target's latest store is planned on the northeast corner of the State Road 64 and Interstate 75 intersection.

"Across much of the country, our typical Target stores average about 125,000 square feet; however, we've built the capabilities to open and operate stores in spaces of any size — from dense urban areas to sprawling suburbs to college campuses," the company says on its web page.

The value of the 149,214-square-foot Target store is listed as $20.6 million, according to the permit application. A construction timeline and an opening date for the new Target location have not been announced.

Marketplace at Heritage Harbour is being developed by Edgewood Properties of Piscataway, New Jersey.

The concept plan map on Edgewood Properties' web page also shows that leases are pending there for a 40,000-square-foot market, a 62,996-square-foot sporting goods store and a 55,000-square-foot arts and crafts store.

Third Target store coming to Manatee County

Also shown are pending leases for a 3,900-square-foot breakfast/brunch cafe, a 2,800-square-foot Chinese restaurant, a 7,182-square-foot restaurant/wine bar and a 5,400-square-foot casual steakhouse.

Miller's Ale House opened in November at 7175 State Road 64 E.

[wondermint2]

Tsunami Sushi and Hibachi Grill opens new Japanese restaurant in Manatee County

For full article:

https://news.yahoo.com/tsunami-sushi...163000027.html

Guests have been beating a path to Tsunami Sushi & Hibachi Grill, rewarding the perseverance of owners Jeffrey Karasawa and Samuel Ray and general manager Jason Klamson.

The new restaurant opened Jan. 20 at 11627 State Road 70 E., Lakewood Ranch, in The Green shopping center — about a year behind schedule.

Many times guests ask, “What took you so long?”

The answer: a little bit of everything, including the pandemic, the disruption caused by Hurricane Ian and the insistence by the owners on doing the opening right.

Tsunami Sushi & Hibachi Grill is a staple in downtown Sarasota at 100 Central Ave., suite 1022.

[wondermint2]

Sarasota official warns of rise in jury scam calls demanding residents pay to avoid arrest

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime...st/ar-BB1hvnM0

A local official is raising the warning bells as a statewide surge of imposter scam calls are being made to residents accusing them of missing jury duty before demanding that residents pay to avoid arrest.

Sarasota Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller Karen E. Rushing said in an email that missed jury duty scam calls are on the rise across the state, including in Sarasota County.

[wondermint2]

This is an opinion piece from Martin Hyde - a Sarasota businessman. He was a candidate in the 2022 Republican Party primary for Florida’s 16th Congressional District seat.

Opinion: Sarasota taxpayers shouldn't be asked to clean up Commissioner Kyle Battie's mess

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...ss/ar-BB1hu9wP

What has any of this to do with the taxpayers of Sarasota? The answer is nothing, except that they will be asked to spend the tax dollars that may be necessary to defend Battie.

I like Kyle Battie, but I believe he made a couple of mistakes on this.

The first was not checking his facts more carefully. The second was raising what should have been a personal matter at a taxpayer-funded public meeting – and doing so largely to maximize the impact of his comments.

At a time when there are Sarasota residents who require assistance simply to buy food, I do not think the city should be spending $7,500 of taxpayer money to defend what I would suggest is indefensible conduct by Commissioner Battie.

Instead, I believe the following would lead to a far better resolution:

[wondermint2]

Budweiser Clydesdales coming to the Suncoast (Video)

For video:

https://www.snntv.com/story/50396382...o-the-suncoast

The Budweiser Clydesdales are coming to Sarasota and Manatee Counties.

They will be here from Valentine's Day through Feb. 18 and an added day on Feb. 20th.

So, you have 5 days to catch these world-famous behemoths prance around.

On Feb. 14 they will be on Siesta Key at 5 pm, Feb. 15 in Lakewood Ranch at 5 pm, and the 16th in Downtown Bradenton at 5 pm.

They will be trotted out at CoolToday Park on Feb. 17 at 2 pm and in South Siesta Key Village on Feb. 18 at 2 pm.

Though they are workhorses, they will get a day of rest on Feb. 19.

Then the Clydesdales will be at Twins Peaks in Sarasota on Feb. 20 at 5 pm, just east of I-75 on Fruitville Rd.

[wondermint2]

These 17 Bradenton-area restaurants, food trucks get near-perfect health inspections

For full article:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/17-braden...105000542.html

The Bradenton Herald regularly reports on local restaurants that don’t pass inspection by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

But readers have frequently asked which restaurants have done well during inspectors’ visits, too, and we agree they deserve a shout-out.

Passing inspection without flaw is no easy feat. Florida bases its inspection standards on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Food Code, which contains many, many possible violations. These Bradenton-area restaurants did more than pass their regular state inspection — they aced it.

These local businesses earned perfect or near-perfect health inspections Jan. 12 to Jan. 23.

[wondermint2]

Originally Posted by wondermint2

Sarasota County prepares strategies to stem effects of sea-level rise

For full article:

https://www.newsbreak.com/news/33074...sea-level-rise

Residents in Sarasota County will have a chance this year to weigh in on proposals to address sea-level rise and the growing problem of persistent coastal flooding, county officials say.

The county, with the help of consultants, has been looking at data on the subject, said Sara Kane, sustainability and resilience manager for Sarasota County, working with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

The work will produce a flooding-vulnerability assessment for the county, a sort of road map for policy makers to follow in the years ahead when making decisions on public-works projects and more.

“We’re looking at all of our assets to see how they’re being affected by sea-level rise and flooding,” Kane said. “And then we’re actually going to take that analysis and come up with a list of projects ... that will make our community more sustainable and resilient.”

Kane estimates that results of their analysis and suggested projects will be ready for public input perhaps as early as June.


“We hope to have some public meetings to talk about the results of the study.”

Some more details here:

Sarasota County officials preparing strategies to address effects of sea-level rise

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/to...65285b41&ei=32

Kane says projects could include stormwater management, green infrastructure projects, planting trees and "doing living shorelines or coastal habitat restoration projects that could reduce flooding and also improve water quality at the same time."

The analysis is part of a statewide effort, through grants from Resilient Florida, to fight the effects of climate change. Resilient SRQ received $201.5 million in federal block grant funding as part of the program.

"Our entire state is preparing for that, and rightfully so," Kane said. "We have the most coastal areas out of any state. So, this is a big problem for Florida in general and especially the coastal areas."

Beach renourishment, one of the more visible tools in the county’s arsenal to fight nature’s adverse effects on the coastline, would not meet the grant criteria to receive funding from Resilient Florida.

Rachel Herman, the county’s environmental protection division manager, said while the primary benefits of beach renourishment are recreational, the practice does have environmental benefits. “Upland structures and infrastructure will be better protected from storm damage,” she said. “A wide, nourished beach system absorbs wave energy, protects upland areas from flooding, and mitigates erosion.”

[wondermint2]

USS Pueblo crewman hopes documentary fundraiser will spur activity at Venice VFW Post 8118

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us...65285b41&ei=15

Richard Rogala, one of 48 surviving crew members of the USS Pueblo, hopes that a Feb. 10 fundraiser featuring a documentary based on the vessel's plight, will help spur a resurgence of Tamiami Trail Memorial VFW Post 8118 in Venice.

The 832 E. Venice Ave. post is one of 10 active in Charlotte, Manatee and Sarasota counties operated under the auspices of Veterans of Foreign Wars – the oldest major veterans organization and the largest organization of war veterans in the nation.

Rogala has already watched as the local chapter of American Ex-Prisoners of War dwindled in membership from as many as 75 in 2012 to just a few, while Fleet Reserve disbanded last year its membership fell to nine, one shy of the minimum.