Sarasota & Manatee Counties news thread

[wondermint2]

Getting an inside look at the FEMA discount controversy


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FMAf85eM4w

Picking up the pieces after Hurricane Ian has been difficult for many and moving on can impact our wallets.

[wondermint2]

SPECIAL DELIVERY: Port Charlotte mail carrier delivers 93-year-old’s final wish

A mail carrier in Port Charlotte formed an unlikely friendship with a 93-year-old widow that will take the pair to the Philippines.

For video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zr4qczjwaUw

[wondermint2]

Did You Know? - New SCS Website & App!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bQwL1rg0N8

Check out the all-new Sarasota County Schools website and app! With enhanced search options and a handy chat feature, finding information is a breeze. Plus, access essential resources like enrollment and career opportunities with just a few clicks.

Our website is now available in over 130 languages for enhanced accessibility. Download the app for easy access to school lunch menus and district-wide updates. Stay connected wherever you are! Visit www.SarasotaCountySchools.net to explore these new features in support of every student, every day!

[wondermint2]

Opinion - The 'real' Sarasota County is warm and welcoming. Let's not allow extremism to define us.

Opinion piece by Tom Edwards - Tom represents District 3 on the Sarasota County School Board.

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/th...4ee91002&ei=25

Election season is fast approaching whether we are ready for it or not. The political discourse for the past several years has become an amped-up, divisive cacophony that resembles an unmonitored elementary school food fight. Numerous local board authorities have become a reflection of the divisive noise being generated by a loud vocal minority in our community.

Think about it: Many of our elected boards have been mired recently in some sort of controversy, more vitriolic than ever before. Unfortunately, the problem this environment creates is voter entrenchment, isolation and apathy –which is the exact opposite of what needs to happen.

I grew up in an era when two men who were polar opposites politically – conservative Republican President Ronald Reagan and liberal Democratic House Speaker Tip O’Neill – were nonetheless willing to put aside their differences in order to get things done. My initial exposure to public service officials and their work included civil discourse regarding policy and . . . wait for it . . . compromise. Unfortunately, what we've witnessed in recent years is the evolution of a partisan, tribal “my way or the highway" culture. Is this a result of an equal and opposite extreme reaction to every policy debate instead of compromise?

[wondermint2]

Single women are leading the way in homeownership, research shows (Video)

by Budge Huskey - chief executive officer of Premier Sotheby’s International Realty.

For full article & video:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/real...4ee91002&ei=28

Recent studies and articles have illuminated a trend that’s as encouraging as it is groundbreaking – more women are becoming homeowners, a clear indicator of their increasing financial autonomy and long-term security. I see it daily in our markets in the customers our team as well as other brokerage firms represent.

Statistics from the Urban Institute reveal a profound shift in the past 30 years: the homeownership rate among women has leapt from 50.9% to 61.2% between 1990 and 2019. The trend cuts across all demographics, underscoring women's strides in the housing market but also in society at large.

Women’s higher education levels and their continuous percentage growth in the labor market have directly contributed to this ownership uptick. In a heartening twist, this rise in property acquisition by women is emerging as a symbol of progress, one that challenges historical disparities and promises greater economic resilience.

[wondermint2]

22nd Annual St. Armands Circle Art & Craft Festival

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tri...618ee80a&ei=30

A popular two-day arts festival happens here in Sarasota, day one happened on May 4th but day two is set for May 5th.

The 22nd Annual St. Armands Circle Art & Craft Festival will feature a broad spectrum of mediums including sculpture, photography, glass, paintings, ceramics, jewelry and much more.

Admission is free and the event offers patrons the opportunity to personally meet with the artists and craft artisans, commission work, and learn what inspires the artist’s work.

[wondermint2]

This study says Florida has the third highest auto insurance in the country with an average annual premium of $2917 for 2023. Main reasons given for the high cost in FL is insurance fraud & climate events. IMO uninsured motorists is also a contributing factor.

Why auto insurance premiums will continue rising in 2024

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/insu...618ee80a&ei=31

Do you want the bad news or the worst news first? Way.com is not cruel and will gently let you know the truth.

Okay, the bad news first. The price of everything from groceries to furniture is going up. The worst news? Insuring your car to navigate this economic apocalypse just got significantly more expensive.

Full Coverage or Empty Wallet? 2024 Auto Insurance Increases Will Hit You Hard!

Full coverage costs $212 a month on average, while liability-only coverage costs $103 a month. That prices out to $2541 and $1238 a year, respectively. In 2023, the average price of full-coverage car insurance across the country went up by 24%.

The cost of car insurance depends on many things. These include the type of vehicle you drive, your driving record, and, in many places, your credit score.

The place where you live also has a big impact on your rate, especially in states like Michigan, Connecticut, and Florida. But rates for all types of car insurance are going up at an alarming rate. This is mostly because of things like the cost of auto parts and the effects of climate change.

Top 10 States Where Rates are the Highest

From population density to car thefts, take a look at the reasons why rates are the highest in these states.

[wondermint2]

Florida Buildings I Love: No. 94: Harkavy House, 1957-58, Sarasota

“Florida Buildings I Love” is Harold Bubil’s homage to the Sunshine State’s built environment. This article originally ran on Sept. 29, 2018.

For full article & photos:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/real...618ee80a&ei=57

The modernist architecture of Paul Rudolph (1918-1997) may have been controversial for some longtime Sarasotans in the 1950s, but for the Harkavy family, it was a personal treasure.

Attorney Martin Harkavy (1916-2000) came to town from New York in 1954 with his wife, Lillian, in a yellow Studebaker car with $5,000. “After looking around, we rented a cottage on Siesta Key that was designed by Paul Rudolph,” Harkavy told the Herald-Tribune’s Brooksie Bergen in 1998. “The key wasn’t heavily populated as yet, and only a few people took advantage of those wide white beaches.”

Harkavy, a corporate lawyer with degrees from Yale, Columbia and New York University’s College of Law, soon established his own firm, which became Harkavy, Mitchell, Stewart & Jacobs.

Around 1957, Harkavy’s parents, Mabelle and Henry, had constructed a Rudolph-designed house on Siesta Key, according to columnist Marjorie North in 2002. One key to the north, Martin and Lillian Harkavy hired Rudolph to design what is now known as the Harkavy House in Lido Shores, which is one of Florida’s finest neighborhoods for modernist architecture. The house has become a popular stop on architecture tours.

Rudolph at the time was in a career transition, going from Florida beach architect to chairman of the architecture department at Yale – Martin Harkavy’s alma mater. The Harkavy House was one of the last of his more delicate wooden structures as he trended toward concrete Brutalism, as seen at his 1960 Sarasota High School addition.

[wondermint2]

What are the best Florida movies? Here are our favorite films set in the Sunshine State

Story by Jimmy Geurts and Wade Tatangelo, Sarasota Herald-Tribune

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/new...618ee80a&ei=69

While we love our famed Florida beaches, beachfront restaurants and beach bars, sometimes the beauty of the Sunshine State is best enjoyed on the big screen.

Florida's long and varied cinematic history ranges from '80s audience favorites to two Best Picture Oscar winners, with several other Sunshine State films winning or being nominated for additional Academy Awards. And although Georgia has become the hub for film production in the South in recent years, there are still movies being made in Florida today; for instance, renowned indie film studio A24 has released several Sunshine State-set and shot movies in the last decade.

Here's our updated guide to our favorite Florida films, presented in alphabetical order. Note: this list excludes such classics as “Citizen Kane,” “The Godfather Part II” and “Goodfellas” that have scenes in the Sunshine State but primarily take place elsewhere. We also omitted movies such as “Some Like it Hot,” “Key Largo” and “The Longest Yard” that are set in Florida but were entirely, or almost entirely, filmed in other states.

[wondermint2]

2024 STRIVE Awards celebrate Sarasota County Schools' exceptional student achievers

For full article & photos:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/20...618ee80a&ei=71

The Education Foundation of Sarasota County honored 40 seniors and 39 juniors at eight high schools on April 18 during the the 26th annual STRIVE Awards Celebration.

The STRIVE Awards represent the vision of H. Jack Hunkele, a philanthropist who believed in the value of recognizing and supporting students whose resilience and grit help them overcome significant challenges to succeed.

Today, the STRIVE Awards honor students at Booker High School, North Port High School, Pine View School, Riverview High School, Sarasota High School, Sarasota Military Academy, Suncoast Polytechnical High School, and Venice High School. School counselors, teachers, and principals nominate students for recognition.

For a list of the 2024 STRIVE Award recipients, visit: https://edfoundationsrq.org/strive-awards/

“It is such an honor for the Education Foundation to shine a spotlight on these remarkable young people,” said Jennifer Vigne, president and CEO of the Education Foundation. “STRIVE Award recipients embody the power of resilience and the importance of persistence in the face of setbacks.

Celebration events were held at each school, with parents, teachers, administrators, friends, and community members in attendance to recognize the remarkable journeys of the students. Each senior STRIVE Award recipient received a cash gift of $1,000 to pay for items that many scholarships do not cover. One Super STRIVER, a senior from each high school, received a $2,500 gift.