Sarasota & Manatee Counties news thread

[wondermint2]

Is it more affordable to rent or buy a house in the Tampa Bay area?


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

Is it more affordable to rent a home or buy one? It's a question that used to have an automatic answer for most people — buy, because it was considered a good investment in yourself.

But in the last couple of years, as home and rent prices have gone up, it's more a matter of finding a place you can afford either way.

Read more: https://www.wtsp.com/article/money/p...5-740e84cd8691

[wondermint2]

Originally Posted by wondermint2

This sounds like dumb behavior and reminds me of the unfortunate Battie shootings in Sarasota (that happened on May 18th).

1 dead, 2 injured in argument-turned-shooting near Manatee County nightclub

https://www.wfla.com/news/local-news...nightclub/amp/

One man is dead and two other people were injured after a shooting near a Bradenton nightclub, deputies said.

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said it responded to a shooting near the Touch of Class Lounge on 14th Street West at about 2 a.m. Sunday.

When deputies got there, they found a 30-year-old man surrounded by hundreds of people in the parking lot. The man was shot and was pronounced dead when paramedics tried to revive him.

Deputies said two other victims were shot and were taken to local hospitals. They are expected to survive.

According to detectives, “an argument between a group of people” started in the club annd spilled into the parking lot. This argument escalated into a shooting.

So far, detectives have several persons of interests in the case, but no one has been arrested.

If you know anything about the shooting, call the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office at 941-747-3011 or Manatee County Crime Stoppers at 866-634-8477 (TIPS) or visit Manatee County Crime Stoppers.

Suspect still unknown after shooting on the weekend


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeTe21oa1YI

[wondermint2]

Man arrested for chasing woman in pickup truck, crashing into Port Charlotte home


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4ncr9qjKIQ

A Charlotte County man is facing several charges after an argument turned physical Saturday night.

According to 56-year-old Ronald Slagle's arrest report, he was involved in a domestic dispute on Lockport Avenue.

The victim told deputies Slagle got into his Dodge pickup and spun his tires as if he was going to run her over. She was able to get away in her car. However, she reports Slagle followed her toward Conway Boulevard in Port Charlotte.

The victim said the man was quickly gaining speed on her. She swerved into a yard to make the turn onto Conway Boulevard. Slagle was not able to stop in time and crashed into a stranger's home. Firefighters later spent hours using plywood and 2x4s to stabilize the home.

For full article:

https://www.nbc-2.com/article/man-ar...-home/61536317

[wondermint2]

Man Makes 'Legendary' $20 Bet in High School Senior Yearbook Quote — Years Later, He Fulfills Promise

For full article & photos:

https://people.com/man-makes-legenda...lusive-8651446

When Sarah and Cade Wessel met on the first day of sixth grade, an instant friendship sparked between them.

The Bradenton, Florida, natives remained close throughout the years. Then, in 2018, during their senior year of high school, their relationship took a romantic turn and they started dating.

One memorable day that year, Cade found himself in class with a couple of friends when the forms for submitting senior yearbook quotes circulated.

"Some were trying to think of funny things to say, others were attempting to be profound," Cade, 24, recalls in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE. "But I sat there, isolated myself and thought, 'I’m going to do something legendary.' "

In a moment of spontaneity, Cade jotted down the now-famous line, "Twenty bucks I marry Sarah Dill." He kept his quote a secret, not disclosing it to anyone, not even Sarah, who attended a different high school.

"I wasn’t nervous to write it. I knew in my heart of hearts that was how I felt. Whether or not it came true was not entirely up to me, but I felt like it was," he says, adding Sarah found out about the quote after someone from his school sent her a picture.

Years later, on Saturday, April 27, Cade's yearbook quote came true. He and Sarah tied the knot together in Sarasota, Florida, at the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium.

[wondermint2]

Seaboard Master Plan public charrette set for 7/31-8/2

https://www.venicegov.com/Home/Compo...8?backlist=%2F

The City of Venice is in the process, with the assistance of consultant Dover Kohl and Partners, of developing a master plan for the Seaboard area. This master plan will be the blueprint for the transition of the area into a mixed-use neighborhood.

As more hands make better plans, a design charrette is scheduled for July 31-Aug. 2. A charrette is an opportunity for the public to join with the planning professionals and brainstorm, sketch ideas, and collaborate regarding the specific project area.

The charrette will be held each day from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. in Community Hall at City Hall, 401 W. Venice Ave. The public is welcome anytime during the charrette; however, the timeframe of 10 a.m.-1 p.m. is encouraged, as it will be topic-driven and include a presentation. On Aug. 2 from 6-7:30 p.m., there will be a work-in-progress presentation.

See the charrette flyer: https://www.venicegov.com/home/showp...document/12547 for a complete schedule, and visit the City's Seaboard Master Plan webpage for further details:

https://www.venicegov.com/government...rd-master-plan

[wondermint2]

Groups ask county political candidates to keep it clean

For full article:

https://www.newsbreak.com/venice-fl/...-keep-it-clean

Venice Thrives has brought back the Clean Campaign Pledge it asked City Council candidates to sign last year, and now it's the inspiration for a similar effort this year by a Sarasota County group.

Citizens for Sarasota County has sent essentially the same pledge to all candidates in contested county races, with plans to report responses online starting Friday.

All three Council candidates have signed the pledge, according to a news release from Venice Thrives: Kevin Engelke and Pat Ouellette, who have filed to replace Helen Moore in Seat 3, and Jim Boldt, who's unopposed so far in a bid for reelection to Seat 4.

The qualifying period for the two positions, which are nonpartisan, ends at noon, Friday, Aug. 23.

The pledge commits a candidate to "conduct my campaign accurately and honestly, keeping the focus on issues relevant to the voters of Venice, Florida"; "not engage in character defamation of other candidates or participate in invasions of personal privacy unrelated to campaign issues and to publicly repudiate any campaign material or advertisements of other groups who engage in such activities"; and "refuse both direct contributions and indirect support, e.g. in the form of advertising or mailers using my name or photo, from organizations that do not disclose the origins of their funding, such as dark money PACs."

Venice Thrives initiated the pledge "to combat the dirty tricks politics that had begun to infect Venice races," the release says. "The group believes that the focus of Venice elections should be on the local issues that Venice voters care about and that no candidate should be subject to personal attacks."

As noted in the release, Joan Farrell and Ron Smith, who signed the pledge last year, won their races, defeating a two-term incumbent and a political newcomer who both declined to sign but said they were committed to running clean campaigns.

[wondermint2]

"They need to hire more nurses": Port Charlotte nurses protest for more staff (Video)

For video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0MbHZLXrwQ

On Monday, in the midst of new contract negotiations, nurses and supporters stood outside the HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital in Port Charlotte to protest what they called a nursing shortage.

The nurses are represented by the National Nurses United union, which said it has been in contract negotiations with the hospital since the spring, and the most recent contract expired on July 1.

For full article & photos:

https://www.newsbreak.com/port-charl...for-more-staff

[beach43ofus]

Opinion

HCA has similar issues in Western NC. I'm Summering in NC, & One HCA Hospital is is jeopardy of losing its certification, & another HCA owned unit is having issues in smaller town nearby.

HCA seems to have management issues that is resulting in understaffing and poor patient care & conditions.

HCA is the largest Hospital group in the U.S.w/ 184 Hospitals, & seems to be in need of closer gov't oversight.

Originally Posted by wondermint2

"They need to hire more nurses": Port Charlotte nurses protest for more staff (Video)

For video:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0MbHZLXrwQ

On Monday, in the midst of new contract negotiations, nurses and supporters stood outside the HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital in Port Charlotte to protest what they called a nursing shortage.

The nurses are represented by the National Nurses United union, which said it has been in contract negotiations with the hospital since the spring, and the most recent contract expired on July 1.

For full article & photos:

https://www.newsbreak.com/port-charl...for-more-staff

[wondermint2]

How much do apartments cost in the Sarasota-Bradenton area? We crunched the numbers

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/real...ad470e741&ei=7

With data from sites like Zillow, Apartments.com, RentCafe and more, The Herald-Tribune rounded up the rents you can expect in the Sarasota-Bradenton area.

What are average rents for apartments in the Sarasota-Bradenton area?

Rent averages are skewed by luxury properties at the high end of the price spectrum, but most sites suggest an average of around $2,100 in rent for an apartment in Sarasota. Average apartment size varies among sources, with RentCafe calculating an average of 961 square feet and Apartments.com stating a 752-square-foot average.

Bradenton fares a little more affordable, with an average apartment rent of around $1,900 among aggregated data sets. The reduced price tag doesn’t mean a reduction in space, with apartments measuring averages of 985 square feet, per RentCafe, and 777 square feet on Apartments.com.

Zillow’s median rents of $2,158 in Sarasota and $1,921 in Bradenton are respectfully 41% and 26% higher than its national average of $1,528 in monthly apartment rent. Both areas also consistently rank among the most expensive in the region on listings from Rent.com, Zumper.com and others.

Rents for apartments in North Port and Venice fall within they region’s typical range, with North Port averaging on the lower end at around $1,600 and Venice posting an average rent of around $2,100. Those prices will afford renters an average apartment sizes between 701 and 933 square feet in Venice and between 798 and 950 square feet in North Port.

[wondermint2]

New gelato shop and mini market to open this week in Bradenton. Here’s what to expect

For full article:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddri...d470e741&ei=10

Sweet tooth lovers in Bradenton will have a new store to try this week.

Goodie’s Gelato & Coffee opens 11 a.m. on Thursday at 455 Cortez Road W. in the Orange Blossom Plaza.

Customers can get coupons for $2 off a purchase of at least $10 from Goodie’s Facebook or Instagram pages for their grand opening special. Operations manager Tom Kuo said the gelato is made from scratch. There are 12 flavors, with the homemade recipe bringing each flavor to life.

Additionally, Goodie’s, open daily from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m., is offering a variety of coffee styles including espresso, latte and cappuccino to name a few.

On Sunday, another new Orange Blossom Plaza business is holding a grand opening. The Better Living Mini Market, next door to Goodie’s at 453 Cortez Road W., is a home goods store offering pet supplies and various home decor products.

Better Living’s daily hours are 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. For the grand opening, customers receive a 20% discount on all items, excluding tobacco, alcohol, food and beverages. There will be a coupon on the market’s Facebook and Instagram pages as well as at the store.