Sarasota & Manatee Counties news thread

[wondermint2]

Eighty new coconut palms line Bridge Street

For full article & photo:

https://www.amisun.com/2024/04/30/ei...bridge-street/

BRADENTON BEACH – Eighty new coconut palms have been delivered and are being planted along Bridge Street.

“This will be a big improvement,” Mayor John Chappie said on April 25. “Many of the existing trees needed to be replaced.”

At an April 3 Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) meeting, the board approved a city partnership with developer Shawn Kaleta in which he will accept responsibility for the maintenance of the trees and donate $10,000 toward the $50,000 cost of the palms and white river rock. The balance will be paid from CRA funds.

The 50 large and 30 small coconut palms were harvested in Miami and were delivered to Bradenton Beach on April 23. Planting along Bridge Street and the roundabout intersection on Gulf Drive began shortly after.

[wondermint2]

Residents consider initiating consolidation referendum

For full article:

https://www.amisun.com/2024/04/30/re...on-referendum/

Anna Maria Island residents are working to find ways to fight back against a loss of home rule and the potential consolidation or elimination of the three Island cities, and are considering whether or not initiating a voter referendum is the best way to go.

At an April 23 Holmes Beach Commission meeting, resident Debra Hall said that she’s spoken with the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office and is looking at the possibility of putting a referendum on the ballot to get voters’ opinions on whether or not to consolidate, eliminate or leave the three Island cities as they are. While she said she’s received the steps needed to get a referendum on the November general election ballot, she added that she’s not sure it’s the right thing to do.

According to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections and Florida Division of Elections websites, to have a referendum on the ballot, 10% of registered voters – in this case, 10% of voters from each Island city – would need to sign a petition in favor of the referendum. Those petitions would be presented to the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office where each signature would need to be verified at a cost of 50 cents each. The wording on the petition would have to match the wording of the referendum as it would appear on the ballot. If the referendum reaches the required number of signatures, it’s placed on the ballot for the next general election. The deadline for the November ballot is Aug. 18.

While Commissioner Terry Schaefer said he appreciates the efforts of the residents, the city cannot be involved in a resident-initiated ballot referendum.

[wondermint2]

Top residential real estate sales for April 15-19 in Lakewood Ranch

For full article:

https://www.yourobserver.com/news/20...akewood-ranch/

A home in Country Club East topped all transactions in this week’s real estate. Bradley and Marie Block, trustees, sold the home at 16543 Kendleshire Terrace to David Lester and Deborah Lester, trustees, of Bradenton, for $2.55 million. Built in 2017, it has three bedrooms, four baths, a pool and 3,580 square feet of living area.

[wondermint2]

‘Hunter’ hearing canceled in developer’s HB DUI case

For full article:

https://www.islander.org/2024/04/hun...s-hb-dui-case/

Almost a year since Shawn Kaleta, a developer and owner of approximately 1,600 vacation rental units, the Pines Trailer Park, Bradenton Beach Marina and several restaurants, was arrested in Holmes Beach for allegedly driving under the influence, a trial has yet to be scheduled.

However, with medical records now in the state’s hands, the case might see progress.

An April 11 joint stipulation between Kaleta’s co-counsel, Sean Powers of Bradenton-based McNary Powers and assistant state attorney Christine Neilson allows the state to obtain the developer’s medical records for the dates of his arrest.

Kaleta was arrested June 15, 2023, in Holmes Beach on a second-degree misdemeanor for allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

He also was charged with a first-degree misdemeanor for allegedly resisting or obstructing a law enforcement officer without violence.

[wondermint2]

New HR director confirmed for Manatee County

For full article:

https://www.yourobserver.com/news/20...anatee-county/

Manatee County has a new human resources director.

The Manatee County Commission unanimously confirmed Kate Barnett as the county's new human resources director April 23 after serving as the department's interim director since June 2023.

"I'm extremely excited about the opportunity to be the next HR director for the county," Barnett said in a news release. "Along with our team, our focus has been on employee engagement and determining how we empower employees to do work that matters—every day.”

Barnett has been with Manatee County for three years.

Before joining the county, Barnett spent eight years building a business that made an impact in downtown Wheaton, Illinois, according to the release.

Her business was awarded Business of the Year for her community outreach initiatives.

Barnett currently is pursuing her Juris Masters from Florida State University.

[wondermint2]

Top residential real estate sales for April 15-19 in Longboat, Lido, St. Armands, Bird Key

For full article:

https://www.yourobserver.com/news/20...tate-longboat/

A condominium in L’Ambiance at Longboat Key Club tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Thomas Sweet, trustee, sold the Unit M-908 condominium at 435 L’Ambiance Drive to James and Lauren Whitehurst, of Longboat Key, for $5.7 million. Built in 1994, it has three bedrooms, three-and-two-half baths and 3,220 square feet of living area. It sold for $2.8 million in 2014.

[wondermint2]

All Is Not Lost

Witness a culinary resurrection at The Original Wolfie's & Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House in Sarasota's Rosemary District.

For full article:

https://www.srqmagazine.com/articles...ll-Is-Not-Lost

A line of people wound around the block near the last outpost of Jerry’s Famous Deli in Los Angeles, waiting for their final chance to eat at the iconic eatery before it shuttered its doors indefinitely. Some carried empty five-gallon containers they hoped to fill with the restaurant’s beloved matzo ball soup.

It was the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, which was the final nail in the coffin for the once bustling but now struggling deli. Whether we’ve simply moved away from our go-to pizza joint, can’t recreate our grandmother’s chocolate chip cookie recipe or watched our favorite restaurant close like Jerry’s, all of us, at one point or another in our lives, have likely become disconnected from the food that we once loved.

Sometimes, a whiff or taste of something returns us to that fleeting moment, only to shove us back into the present, reminding us of all that we have lost. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Some restaurants are resurrecting themselves, reasserting the power of food to ground and comfort us. At The Original Wolfie’s & Wolfie Cohen’s Rascal House in Sarasota’s Rosemary District, we’re watching one such culinary resurrection occur.

The Original Wolfie’s & Wolfie Cohen’s Rascal House, now owned by JFD Parent, is the result of Jonathan Mitchell’s efforts to bring back the food from The Original Wolfie’s Delicatessen, Wolfie Cohen’s Rascal House, Pumpernik’s and Thal Bros. Epicure Market from Miami, in addition to Jerry’s Famous Deli from Los Angeles.

While all of those establishments, which saw the likes of Hollywood celebrities, sports stars and mob boss Meyer Lansky as guests, are now closed due to many factors, JFD Parent owns all of the brand names and uses their recipes at The Original Wolfie’s & Wolfie Cohen’s Rascal House.

“We tried to take the best recipes from each of the delis, and put them all together here in this one location,” Mitchell says. His Director of Operations Jason Starkman, who is the son of the late Isaac Starkman, Jerry’s founder, oversaw the brands owned by Jerry’s in Miami.

[wondermint2]

Booker Middle School student caught with gun at school

https://www.mysuncoast.com/2024/04/3...th-gun-school/

A Booker Middle School student was caught with a gun on campus and was removed from school on Tuesday.

According to an email sent to parents, Booker Middle School received a call from a parent that a student may be in possession of a weapon on campus on Tuesday morning.

The Booker administration and police department immediately became involved.

The weapon was recovered and the student was apprehended.

Sarasota County Schools Police Department and local law enforcement are continuing the investigation.

[wondermint2]

Police Beat for May 1, 2024

Arrests by The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, The Venice Police Department, The North Port Police Department, and The Sarasota Police Department - along with Sex offender registrations and Criminal registrations.

[wondermint2]

COVID still kills; nearly 2,500 dead of ailment in state so far in 2024

https://www.newsbreak.com/news/34207...so-far-in-2024

Since COVID-19 was first discovered in Sarasota County in Doctors Hospital on March 1, 2020, nearly 100,000 people in Florida have been killed by the illness.

And while the disease has eased in its 2021 rampage through the Sunshine State, it is still causing thousands of deaths each year — and dozens in the region.

In a Tuesday report, News Service of Florida stated 2,476 Florida resident deaths so far in 2024 to COVID-19. NSF stated the data came from the state Department of Health website on Monday.

Of the nearly 2,500 dead so far in the state this year, 90 have died of the ailment in Sarasota County; 92 in Lee County. The website notes 45 have died of COVID-19 in Charlotte County during 2024. In DeSoto County, five people have succumbed to it during the year.

The year 2021 was, by the numbers, the worst year for the state and region. More than 1,300 died among Charlotte, DeSoto and Sarasota counties.

Since March 2020, Sarasota County has had 2,368 deaths linked to COVID-19; Charlotte County has had 1,159 and DeSoto County has had 191. That makes a total of 3,718 among the region.

While COVID-19 hasn’t killed as many as in 2021, due in part to medical advances, officials still urge caution and for people to update vaccines.