Sarasota & Manatee Counties news thread

[wondermint2]

SarasotaSheriff@SarasotaSherif #TrafficTipTuesday - FL has seen the number of hit & run crashes remain steady over several years w/ nearly 25% involving a hit & run.

• In 2023, there were 104,273 hit-and-run crashes in FL.
• Under FL law, a driver MUST stop immediately at the scene of a crash.

https://twitter.com/SarasotaSheriff/...3B74364CEB5560

[wondermint2]

Manatee County School District finalizes book review procedure

Despite concerns from a board member and some residents, the district approved a procedure for parents and residents to object to the use of a book in the classroom.

For full article:

https://www.yourobserver.com/news/20...iew-procedure/

[wondermint2]

It's unfortunate for the people that lost money investing with this guy - however IMO it should always be a warning sign when someone 'promises' you fast returns well in excess of what you can get with a govt. T-Bill. People are so gullible - hard to believe so many fell for this and some invested their life savings.

PICKLEBALL CONTROVERSY


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GW1Pt-Z2WYE

[wondermint2]

HCA Florida Blake Hospital marks 50 years of service in Manatee County

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/hc...a81828dc&ei=21

About five decades ago a group of 30 Manatee County doctors gathered in the office of ophthalmologist Dr. Roger Meyer to decide whether the county needed a second hospital.

Those doctors formed Manacare Inc. and purchased 80 acres in West Bradenton that became the site for L.W. Blake Memorial Hospital. It opened in 1973 and was named after Dr. Lowrie W. Blake, one of the first physicians to operate a general practice in Manatee County.

Four of those founding doctors gathered Feb. 1 for a 50th anniversary celebration of what is now HCA Florida Blake Hospital, a 383-bed acute care hospital that also includes a Level 2 trauma center and one of six accredited burn care units in the state of Florida.

[wondermint2]

Trader Joe’s issues recall of popular chicken pilaf product that may contain rocks

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/nut...a81828dc&ei=39

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) issued a public health alert for frozen ready-to-eat chicken pilaf products due to possible contamination by foreign matter that may contain rocks.

The frozen chicken pilaf meal was on store shelves from Nov. 1, 2023, through Jan. 19, 2024.

The recalled item was sold in 14-oz. plastic packages labeled “Trader Joe’s chicken, lentil, & caramelized onion pilaf with saffron basmati rice, dark chicken meat, dates and golden raisins.” It also contains the establishment number “P-45322.”

[wondermint2]

Dozens of dairy products sold in Florida linked to listeria outbreak

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/nut...a81828dc&ei=47

Dozens of dairy products that were sold nationwide have been recalled after an investigation linked the products to a multistate listeria outbreak.

The recalled products were manufactured by Rizo-López Foods Inc. and include cheese, yogurt and sour cream sold under the brand names Tio Francisco, Don Francisco, Rizo Bros, Rio Grande, Food City, El Huache, La Ordena, San Carlos, Campesino, Santa Maria, Dos Ranchitos, Casa Cardenas, and 365 Whole Foods Market, according to a food safety alert from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

[wondermint2]

Construction begins on new middle school in Manatee County. Here's when it will open

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/co...a81828dc&ei=52

The Parrish community is getting a middle school to go along with Barbara Harvey Elementary School and Parrish Community High School, both of which opened in 2019.

Construction on North County Middle School is set to begin this month, according to a news release. The school is scheduled to be completed in time to begin accepting students when the school year begins in August 2025.

The two-story brick building will have enough space for 1,268 students. It could also be used as an emergency shelter, according to a construction update presented to the School Board of Manatee County.

Planned are classrooms, labs, a gymnasium, a cafeteria and a music department. Outdoor features include basketball courts, a covered play area and open spaces.

The school will also provide extensive parent drop off/pick up queuing, according to a release.

The school board paid Neal Land & Neighborhoods $2.7 million for the 30-acre parcel on North River Ranch Trail, off Fort Hamer Road.

[wondermint2]

As Ziegler scandal looms large, Sarasota School Board approves new jobs, purchases land

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/as...a81828dc&ei=58

A middle school student's minor-key orchestral performance ahead of Tuesday's Sarasota County School Board meeting set the tonal backdrop for an equally gloomy board meeting that followed.

For a third-straight meeting, Bridget Ziegler dominated the atmosphere inside and outside of the School Board chambers, as the subject of the sex scandal that has engulfed her and her husband Christian prompted another stream of people calling for Ziegler to resign.

Protesters gathered before the meeting again demanding that Ziegler step down, calling her a hypocrite in light of a sexual relationship she told police about with a woman while she has advocated for legislation that some deem hostile to the LGBTQ+ community, such as the Parental Rights in Education Act.

More than 50 people spoke during the public comment period at Tuesday's meeting, with most speaking against Ziegler, though more spoke in her favor than at the previous two board meetings last month. Several speakers who supported Ziegler urged her to continue resisting demands that she resign.

Following the public comments, Ziegler reaffirmed her intention to stay on the board, saying she would never address issues of her personal life in the board chambers.

"For many reasons and much of the conversations has come up with public comment, I will never address in these chambers because they have absolutely nothing to do with my role as a board member," Ziegler said.

While the school board voted 4-1 in December in favor of a resolution asking for Ziegler's resignation, the board cannot remove one of its own members. The only way Ziegler would leave the Sarasota School Board would be to resign herself or if Gov. Ron DeSantis removed her and appointed a replacement.

Sarasota County School Board business

Following the public comments, the board approved the purchase of a more than 20-acre property for a future school in Lakewood Ranch. The district is planning for two schools: a K-5 on the purchased property and a high school on another site, in part to address growth at Tatum Ridge Elementary School. The purchase price is $700,000.

The board also approved an agreement with Grand Canyon University and the University of Phoenix to hire classroom interns at $15 per hour.

Under new business, the board approved job descriptions for an Aquaculture Farm Hatchery Technician at Riverview High School and a Speech/Language Assistant Pathologist.

[wondermint2]

Festivals and more fun things to do in Sarasota, Bradenton area this weekend

For full article:

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/...103436816.html

February is an action-packed month here in Sarasota and Manatee counties, with this weekend featuring a fun lineup of festivals and more, including a very dog-friendly Super Bowl party for all of you football and/or Taylor Swift fans.

In addition to the events highlighted below, you can visit the free Embracing our Differences exhibit on Bayfront Park and/or check out the park's new shipwreck-themed playground and splash pad. Plus, you're right by O'Leary's Tiki Bar & Grill if you need a drink or bite, but prepared for lines at the popular waterfront destination.

Finally, don't forget that Wednesday, Feb. 14, is Valentine's Day, and there are plenty of great romantic restaurants to choose from in Sarasota and Manatee.

[wondermint2]

Top residential real estate sales for Jan. 22-26 in Longboat, Lido, St. Armands, Bird Key

For full article:

https://www.yourobserver.com/news/20...2-26-longboat/

A condominium in Veinte tops all transactions in this week’s real estate. Gregory Goodrid and Stephanie Goodrid Lawson, of Indianapolis, sold their Unit 304 condominium at 2675 Gulf of Mexico Drive to Raymond Hurd and Mimi Hurd, trustees, of Lebanon, Tennessee, for $2.15 million. Built in 1979, it has three bedrooms, three baths and 2,180 square feet of living area. It sold for $310,000 in 1994.