Sarasota & Manatee Counties news thread

[wondermint2]

Downtown Sarasota, Siesta Key, among most vulnerable to flooding and sea level rise, according to City of Sarasota report

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/real...789e7652&ei=17

The City of Sarasota was awarded grant funding for a vulnerability assessment. The money was given to the city from the Florida Department of Environmental Protections Resilient Florida Grant Program.

A vulnerability assessment of Sarasota was conducted and presented to the city on Monday.

The team looked at locations at risk of sea level rise and high flooding. They prioritized each area based on critical assets. Those critical assets include community and emergency facilities, transportation, and evacuation centers, to name a few.

More than 160 assets are at risk in the following five focus areas highlighted by the team.

Downtown Sarasota, Lido Key and St Armands, the North Trail, including Edwards Drive South to Centennial Park and everything west of Tamiami Trail, the South Trail, including Hudson Bayou to Bay Road West of Osprey Avenue, and North Siesta Key.

The city’s sustainability coordinator says ultimately the city will decide which project to work on, regardless of risk rating.

“There could be something that comes up as low vulnerability but is incredibly important for our evacuation routes, incredibly important for us culturally, so we can raise that up ourselves,” said Jeff Vredenburg. “Even a tiny bit of vulnerability isn’t acceptable so let’s make a decision internally to focus on that,” he added.

Vredenburg said they are on the final phase of planning and the next step will be to apply for funding from the state to address the vulnerable assets.

[wondermint2]

Pinellas County Car Thieves Arrested In Wellen Park: North Port Police

For full article:

https://patch.com/florida/sarasota/a...th-port-police

Suspects who stole a car in Pinellas County were arrested in Sarasota County Friday afternoon, North Port police wrote in a Facebook post.

Officers were notified about the stolen vehicle being spotted in the Wellen Park area.

Not long after this, they received a report of someone going into the garage of a home in Wellen Park and stealing the vehicle that was parking there, police said.

After the second stolen vehicle was spotted near Center Road and River Road by the agency’s Special Enforcement Team, officers began following it.

The chase led them to Fruitville Road in Sarasota, where the two people in the vehicle ran out of it and to a nearby apartment complex that is under construction, police said.

The suspects were taken into custody with help from the Sarasota County Sheriff’s office, the Sarasota Police Department and Florida Highway Patrol.

[wondermint2]

Originally Posted by wondermint2

Florida leads country in mass shootings after gunfire injures several. What to know

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime...ow/ar-BB1mfHYt

Tallahassee's early Sunday morning shooting of multiple people at a shopping center means Florida remains the state with the most mass shootings across the country, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive.

The shooting occurred early Sunday morning as the darkened city was still coping with widespread destruction and power outages from multiple tornado strikes Friday. Tallahassee police say they responded to find two men dead at the scene and two other adult victims wounded.

That puts Florida's total of mass shootings this year so far at 14, the same number the Sunshine State saw by this time last year. Florida jumped ahead of the rest last month when there were three mass shootings in three days.

A shooting in San Antonio Wednesday night that left five people dead, including three children under the age of 10, and a shooting in Long Beach that injured seven people, three of them critically, brought Texas and California up to second behind Florida with 12 each.

As of May 12, there have been 156 mass shootings nationwide, compared to 216 by the same time in 2023, according to GVA data.

Last year showed an overall 8-10% decrease in deaths and injuries from gun violence compared to 2022, the GVA said, with some cities seeing 20+% decreases. The FBI reported violent crime, robberies and burglary were all down in 2023.

I'm not sure if this officially qualifies as a "mass shooting" with 2 people being killed and 1 injured. (A disturbance broke out between 2 groups of people yesterday in Tampa). But either way it's awful.

Community on edge after deadly SoHo shooting in Tampa


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcQV7sfDODk

[wondermint2]

Originally Posted by wondermint2

Bradenton restaurant to offer table of support on Mother’s Day to those who lost loved ones (Video)

For full article & video:

https://www.fox13news.com/news/brade...loved-ones.amp

When you open the doors of Mean Deals Local Kitchen in the Bayshore Gardens neighborhood of Bradenton, you become a part of the family.

"I feel like you need to make a difference in whatever capacity you are able to," said Michele Angell, a co-owner of the restaurant.

For Angell and Dean Donnelly, co-owner and chef at the restaurant, a phone call last Thanksgiving for one to-go dinner order brought on a new idea.

"She said her husband passed away, and I reached out to her and said I’ll be happy to give you this turkey dinner to go. However, I have an idea," said Angell.

Angell’s step-father had just passed away.

She invited the woman to come have dinner at the restaurant with her mother, but what started as the one invite has grown into so much more.

They now have a "communal" table that is offered for those who don’t want to be alone during holidays.

"It’s nice, because I know a lot of them have exchanged phone numbers and become friends, so it’s nice to see that maybe they start off as people who don’t know each other and gradually that connection is formed," said Angell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-qJ78Hot8M

[wondermint2]

“Supernova: The Music Festival Massacre” screening in Sarasota


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVZY8yFdGKE

ISRAEL UNITY DAY
Yom HaZikaron (Israel Day of Remembrance)/Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day) Event
Tuesday, May 14
7:00-8:30pm
The Ora
578 McIntosh Road, Sarasota
Greenspon Campus for Jewish Life

Don’t miss this screening of “Supernova: The Music Festival Massacre” a hard-hitting yet hopeful film showcases the resilience of the Israeli people in the aftermath of one of Israel’s most horrific events.

Register Now:

https://jfedsrq.org/event/community-...yom-haatzmaut/

Attendees will hear from a survivor of the music festival, Yuval Siman Tov and the film’s co-producer Noam Pinchas. They will discuss how these events have changed their lives and how we all can use these experiences to bring positive change. This is Yuval’s first time speaking in the US about his experiences.

Israel’s Consul General in Miami, Maor Elbaz-Starinsky, had this to say about the event:

I urge all those with a passion for Israel and its people in our region to mark their calendars for May 14th and join us at the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee’s Israel Unity Day. Don’t miss the opportunity to witness the screening of the poignant and insightful new documentary, Supernova, followed by a captivating discussion with one of its co-creators and a truly inspiring survivor featured in the film. It promises to be a moving, profound and unforgettable experience.

We will commemorate both Israel Memorial Day (Yom HaZikaron), and Israel Independence Day (Yom Ha’atzmaut), with remarks by Israel’s Deputy Consul General in Miami.

Film runtime: 51 minutes; in Arabic, Hebrew and English with subtitles. Content may not be appropriate for young viewers.

Due to the nature of this program and heightened antisemitism in our country, pre-registration for the event is required.

The event is FREE and open to the entire community. For more information, contact Liat Alon at lalon@jfedrq.org or 941-552-6303.

This program is proudly supported by the Israel Engagement Fund: A JCC Association of North America Program Accelerator and the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs.

Community Event Partners:
Temple Beth Sholom
Temple Sinai
Temple Beth El Bradenton
Temple Beth Israel
JFCS of the Suncoast
Temple Emanu-El
Congregation Kol HaNeshama
Jewish Congregation of Venice
Sarasota Ministerial Association
Sarasota Jewish Chorale
ORT
Jewish Genealogical Society

[wondermint2]

Celebrate World Ocean’s Day June 8 from 8-11 a.m. at Siesta Beach!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8g8OkNnmXo

Celebrate World Ocean Day with purpose at Siesta Beach!

~ Saturday, June 8
~ 8-11 a.m.
~ Siesta Beach (Sea Turtle pavilion), 948 Beach Road, Sarasota

Make waves with us! Every piece of trash removed from our beaches makes a difference. Join us for a beach clean-up at 8 a.m. and stay for educational presentations at 9:30 a.m. No registration needed.

[wondermint2]

Did You Know? SCS Summer Feeding Program


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxD9_eC9RDQ

This summer, take advantage of Sarasota County Schools' Summer Feeding Program. Kids and teens 18 and under can receive free breakfast and lunch at select school sites. Enjoy this overview, then visit our website https://www.SarasotaCountySchools.net/SummerFeeding to find participating locations.

[wondermint2]

These are the best homeowners insurance companies in Florida

While homeowners insurance can be more expensive in Florida, these companies could help you save.

For full article:

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/select/best...rance-florida/

Homeowners insurance in Florida has become more expensive and sometimes harder to get. Several major insurers like Farmers Insurance have stopped writing new homeowners policies in the Sunshine State altogether due to rising losses from hurricanes and other natural disasters. However, several companies still stand out for their coverage in Florida.

To make your search easier, CNBC Select reviewed the top picks for Florida homeowners insurance based on cost, coverage and service. (See our methodology for more information on how we chose the best Florida homeowners insurance companies).

Best homeowners insurance in Florida:

- Best for customer satisfaction: State Farm
- Best for affordability: Tower Hill
- Best for discounts: Liberty Mutual

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*Our methodology

To determine the best homeowners insurance companies in Florida, CNBC Select analyzed dozens of insurance companies and compared them based on various factors.

While narrowing down the best insurance companies, we focused on a sample premium for $150,000 of coverage for a home built before 2001 with wind mitigation features in five of the most populated Florida counties. Average annual premium data was gathered from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation's Homeowners Rate Comparison Tool.

We also considered the companies' availability of online quotes, financial strength ratings from A.M. Best and complaint index scores from the NAIC.

Note that the premiums and policy structures advertised for homeowners insurance companies are subject to fluctuate per the company's policies.

[wondermint2]

Manatee County discusses consolidation of fire departments

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ma...081aba82&ei=24

Manatee County Commissioners invited the fire chiefs across the county to a meeting on April 23 where commissioners discussed the possibility of consolidating the fire districts across the county.

According to the meeting and a question asked by chair Mike Rahn, the commission has no control over the fire districts merging.

“County commissioners, they come up with this probably every five to ten years they come up with this question,” said Ben Rigney, the Fire Chief for West Manatee Fire Rescue.

Rigney said the idea of consolidation is about safety and to make sure each fire district is serving their community to the best of its abilities.

Commissioner George Kruse said that would be easier with a merge between districts.
“It’s more the equipment. We have some fire districts have four ladder trucks. Some have zero. Odds are the one with the four ladder trucks never needs four ladder trucks at the same time but on occasion, the one with zero ladder trucks may need one. Especially when they start building the four-story apartment complex’s we’ve approved up here,” said Kruse.

According to commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge, the reason for the discussion stemmed from Duette Fire District who wanted to reach Advanced Life Support status, or ALS. He said for them to receive services like that, they would have to merge.

[wondermint2]

Letters to the Editor - Sarasota County chooses buildings over people, Mother Nature

For the full column:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/sa...081aba82&ei=36

Wrong to destroy habitat for construction

This letter is in response to the Sarasota County Commission’s decision to rezone 107 acres in Nokomis from conservation to future use allowing construction of a county fleet maintenance facility (“Sarasota County changes conservation status of Nokomis land for construction project,” May 9).

“We need the service area for our planned growth …” said Commissioner Mark Smith.

Smith made another comment on the rezoning that should age as well as this decision, blaming the “confusion” over how the land should be used on “a big oops on (the county staff’s) part years ago, and we’re suffering through it now.”

One could not and would not be allowed to manage a frozen banana stand with this mentality, let alone make decisions on behalf of an entire county.

This Sarasota native reader hopes the county will reconsider its own “big oops,” because designating precious natural resources for conservation is the right decision and clearing more of our dwindling environment, upon which we and future generations depend, is the real mistake.

South County is home to one of the nation’s leading secondary schools. If our elected officials cannot find an “efficient and cost-effective” solution without destroying more of our habitat, perhaps they should tap into brighter minds to do their jobs.

Matthew Kiner, Sarasota