The Bradenton Herald
Officials seek new sources for Manatee’s drinking water
As new development and population growth increase demand on Manatee County’s drinking water supply, officials say they’ll soon have to tap new sources to keep up. At a recent meeting, staff told commissioners that Manatee County’s water demand could...
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Advocates raise concerns over animal shelter expansion
After a $12 million addition to the Bishop Animal Shelter in Bradenton, some animal advocates say they’re concerned the expansion doesn’t go far enough. The expansion added eight pre-fabricated kennel buildings, increasing the shelter’s maximum...
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How will Manatee’s newest park honor, help local veterans?
Manatee County Government is developing a memorial park and resource center to honor veterans, and officials are asking residents to “help shape the future” of the property. Valor Commons, a 24-acre property south of Buckeye Road and just west of...
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Ways to celebrate the new year around Bradenton
Looking for fun options to ring in 2026 around Bradenton? Local events planned for New Year’s Eve include street parties, midnight ball drops, fireworks and more. The fun will continue on New Year’s Day with the annual Shamrock Shiver plunge for...
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Bradenton wins $54 million grant for water quality fixes
Florida officials awarded the city of Bradenton with a huge grant that will go toward fixes and improvements for drinking and wastewater systems. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection gave the city $54 million through a 100% forgivable...
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Manatee’s Bishop Animal Shelter set to open major expansion
The Bishop Animal Shelter in Bradenton is set to unveil part of a major $12 million expansion to its animal care facility on Wednesday. This newly improved shelter will become the “primary hub for animal care,” a press release from Manatee County...
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2 new elementary schools coming to Manatee County next year
Some Manatee County families may be sending their children to new schools for the upcoming school year. The School District of Manatee County is expanding to add two new elementary schools for the 2026-2027 school year, and the schools’ principals —...
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TSA offers $45 option for those without REAL ID or passport
Transportation Security Administration announced Monday that fliers who don’t have an acceptable REAL ID or passport can pay a $45 fee and use Confirm.ID, a modernized identity verification system to confirm their identities at security checkpoints...
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Officials issue warning as drought worsens in Manatee County
State officials are warning Manatee County residents not to waste water as a drought worsens in Southwest Florida. The Southwest Florida Water Management District said this week that the region is 13 inches short on rainfall compared to the average...
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UN Security Council adopts US peace plan for Gaza
United Nations Security Council on Monday approved President Donald Trump’s peace plan for the Gaza Strip, a breakthrough that provides a legal U.N. mandate for the administration’s vision of how to move past the ceasefire and rebuild war-ravaged Gaza...
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SB 180 fight exposes growing rift inside Republican ranks
During an October meeting of Sarasota MAGA Patriots — a right-wing coalition pursuing a range of issues, from anti-vaccine activism to emergency preparedness — attendees railed against a new state law curbing local oversight of development and the...
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Manatee County honors fallen marine, supports local veterans
County leaders unanimously approved naming a road in honor of a fallen soldier from the Bradenton area — and more is on the way to support local veterans. Pfc. Christopher Cobb, the first casualty in the Iraq War from Manatee County, will be honored...
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Bradenton development earning national praise
It was designed to be the home of the future — steadfast against extreme weather and reliant only on the sun for power. But first, the concept had to be put to the test. That’s why developer Margy” shall Gobuty and his team at Pearl Homes chose...
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DHS Secretary Noem praises ICE arrests on visit to Bradenton
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem used a visit to Bradenton on Monday to highlight recent arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and to praise Florida law enforcement for cooperating with federal immigration enforcement efforts. Noem...
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Affordable housing complex breaks ground in Bradenton
A new affordable house complex began construction recently in Bradenton. Located at 600 Orlando Ave., Cedar Cove will have 80 affordable housing units. Forty apartments will be for families emerging from homelessness, according to a news release. The...
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New superintendent shares vision for Manatee schools
Now at the helm of Manatee County schools, Laurie Breslin is ready for a new chapter. Breslin’s vision is to boost student literacy, enhance career readiness and find ways to incorporate new technology. She wants to bolster support for teachers,...
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Myakka City residents alarmed by creeping development
Residents and officials who oversee the Myakka River are worried about the impacts of development inching closer to one of the region’s final frontiers. Some Myakka City residents are worried about growth threatening the rural way of life that many...
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Oct. 8 opening date set for Mote Science Education Aquarium
Marine Laboratory & Aquarium’s new facility, the Mote Science Education Aquarium (SEA) will open on Oct. 8, the organization announced Monday. Located at Nathan Benderson Park and marketed as a “nexus site” for Sarasota and Manatee Counties, the...
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Former insider pushes privatization at New College
former senior member of New College of Florida President Richard Corcoran’s administration is leading a push to privatize the institution — a dramatic turn for a conservative insider once tapped to help carry out Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ideological overhaul...
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Water tests reignite debate over horses in Palma Sola Bay
Results from advanced water testing in Palma Sola Bay traced horse DNA to bacteria found around the causeway, adding fuel to a long-standing debate that horses contaminate the bay. Scientists with the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP) and Suncoast...
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Fed official to sue over firing, asserting Trump abused power
A day after President Donald Trump said he would remove Lisa Cook from her position on the Federal Reserve Board, her lawyer said Tuesday that she would sue to challenge the dismissal, arguing that the president had “no authority” to order such a...
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Hurricane Erin could bring 8-foot waves to Florida
Hurricane Erin on Tuesday dropped down to a Category 2 hurricane as it headed north in the Atlantic, but prompted coastal advisories for Florida while the National Hurricane Center kept track of two tropical waves that could follow in Erin’s path. As...
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Report shows impact of development and hurricanes on mangroves
New data released by Suncoast Waterkeeper shows the effect of hurricanes on mangrove ecosystems, and strengthens the argument for increased mangrove conservation. Suncoast Waterkeeper, a local environmental group, recently finished its second year of...
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Federal judges seek information about Alligator Alcatraz
Two federal judges in Miami said Monday they want the DeSantis and Trump administrations to provide more information about the legal agreement governing the operations at Alligator Alcatraz as lawyers representing detainees question the very legality...
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Contracts reveal big business of building Alligator Alcatraz
Immigration detention is big business, and business is booming in the Florida Everglades. To quickly build and operate the migrant detention center known as Alligator Alcatraz, the DeSantis administration has already committed more than $200 million...
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State College of Florida ready to expand into Parrish
a decade after State College of Florida began moving toward an expansion into Parrish, the college is ready to turn that vision into reality. With Gov. Ron DeSantis’ approval of the latest state appropriation of $9 million being the last piece of the...
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Apartments, retail space planned for Palmetto’s riverfront
Palmetto officials have selected a developer to build a six-story apartment complex and retail space along the Manatee River. Palmetto’s plan to sell the property, which had been used for years as unofficial boat ramp parking, sparked backlash from...
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Senate passes policy bill amid deep GOP divisions
A divided Senate on Tuesday narrowly passed Republicans’ marquee bill to slash taxes and social safety net programs, as the GOP muscled through deep internal rifts in a bid to deliver President Donald Trump’s agenda. The 51-50 vote sent the...
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Investigators uncover flaws in Surfside condo collapse
Four years after the collapse of Champlain Towers South killed 98 people in Surfside, investigators piecing together the rubble are homing in on shoddy construction as what most likely caused the 40-yearold beachfront condominium to fall at 1:22...
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Bradenton area celebrates Juneteenth with community events
The Bradenton area will celebrate Juneteenth, the holiday that marks the end of slavery in the U.S., with several community events this week. Juneteenth dates back to June 19, 1865. On that day, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation,...
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Developers build the dream, homeowners pay the debt
Tens of thousands of Suncoast homeowners are spending more money each year to pay off bonds tied to independent special districts than in property taxes toward their actual local governments. Real estate developers are turning to these little-known...
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County leaders weigh charging developers more for growth
As development booms in Manatee County, leaders want to start charging builders millions more to pay for issues caused by growth. At a recent meeting, commissioners reviewed a plan to raise impact fee rates for local development to the maximum allowed...
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Gulf Coast homeowners lift homes to escape rising flood risk
Once the hydraulic jacks were moved underneath the slab, Dr. Meghan Martin’s home rose higher and higher – 12 inches at a time, level on a grid of wooden beams and steel. Within a mere seven hours, her 1960s, ranch-style house was 12 feet up in the...
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New report reveals rising financial strain in area counties
the Suncoast, almost half of all households struggle to make ends meet, according to a new report by the United Way Suncoast and its research partner United for ALICE. The report, released last week, evaluated the basic household budget required for...
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State makes move to stop county’s wetland protections
As Manatee County leaders were poised for a final vote to restore local wetland protections, state officials shocked them with a last-minute opposition. Florida agencies get to review Comprehensive Plan amendments made by county governments. During...
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7 killed, 26 hurt in escalating attacks by Russia, Ukraine
At least seven people were killed and 26 injured overnight Monday as Kyiv and Moscow traded attacks, authorities in both countries said. Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow for a second consecutive night, temporarily shutting all four of the capital’s...
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County commissioner eyed federal job after election win
A newly elected Manatee County commissioner sought a job in President Donald Trump’s administration shortly after his own Election Day victory. Commissioner Bob McCann applied for one of the most prestigious and high-ranking jobs at the U.S....
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County buys Parrish land for flood prevention, conservation
Manatee County leaders have signed off on buying a 93-acre property in Parrish with plans to prevent flooding, protect rare habitat from development and create a public park. The property sits along Golf Course Road between Fort Hamcounty’s er Road to...
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Home values falling quickly in Manatee and Sarasota counties
Ramos is concerned. The Coldwell Banker Realtor has five listings that have sat for months. Buyer interest is at a minimum. And the stock market has been turbulent. “We are just flooded with inventory,” Ramos said. What she’s experiencing isn’t...
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County tightens rules after construction dust complaints
Manatee County officials are tightening rules for developers a year after residents first complained about construction dust blowing through their neighborhoods. The Bradenton Herald reported on similar complaints last April when residents of the...
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Fine dining restaurant focuses on European cuisine
When Fabjan Dodaj found pieces of old wood inside the historical Manatee County building he bought, he didn’t toss them. Rather, Fabjan and his wife, Orjola, used the pieces to create a backdrop for the bar at their newly rebranded restaurant: Sofra...
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Woman faces prison in hit-and-run death of ‘Peace Walker’
A woman faces decades in prison after a jury convicted her of fleeing a crash that killed an 82-year-old man known for his walks throughout Northwest Bradenton. A Manatee County jury found Teresa Zeppi, 60, guilty of leaving the scene of a deadly...
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Israel ends Gaza truce with strikes, blaming Hamas
Israel launched overnight airstrikes across Gaza that Hamas said killed hundreds of people, shattering a nearly two-month ceasefire with the Palestinian group. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Tuesday to act “with increasing military strength,”...
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New College expands campus through successful land grabs
recent proposal by Gov. Ron DeSantis to transfer the 66-acre John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art from Florida State University to New College of Florida is just the latest in a series of attempted and successful land grabs by, and on behalf of, the...
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Will your student attend a different Manatee school? Changes are coming, officials say
As Manatee County schools become more crowded, district officials plan to address concerns by building new schools and redrawing school boundaries. At a recent School Board workshop, Superintendent Jason Wysong said the district needs to redraw school...
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After devastation, Suncoast grapples with economic storm
Ed Chiles ran waterfront restaurants on the shores of Anna Maria Island and Longboat Key for nearly half a century. His three popular restaurants, which specialized in sustainable seafood and farm-fresh produce, survived storms, global pandemics,...
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Bradenton Area River Regatta celebrates 10 years
As the Bradenton Area River Regatta returns for its 10th year, organizers retold the story of how the event came together — and how state leaders cleared the way for one of Manatee County’s biggest events. More than a decade ago, sports promoter Mike...
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Canada coffee chain Tim Hortons planned for Bradenton
A second Tim Hortons could be coming to the Bradenton area. A new application has been filed with Manatee County’s Development Services to build a storefront for the famous Canadian coffee chain at 7935 State Road 64 E., just east of the Marketplace...
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China swiftly counters Trump’s tariffs with flurry of trade curbs
Beijing responded swiftly Tuesday to the tariffs President Donald Trump had promised, announcing a fusillade of countermeasures targeting American companies and imports of critical products. Trump’s 10% tariff on all Chinese products went into effect...
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Good news for buyers in Manatee County housing market report
It was cheaper to buy a house in Manatee County in 2024 compared to 2023, a report said. The Realtor Association of Sarasota and Manatee released its latest housing market report for the two-county area. It details an annual look at the Manatee and...
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Trump inaugurated as 47th US president
Donald J. Trump was inaugurated Monday for a second term as president. Chief Justice John Roberts administered the 35word oath of office to Trump in the Rotunda of the Capitol in a ceremony that was moved indoors because of cold weather. James David...
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Two intelligence agencies shift ‘Havana syndrome’ assessment
Two U.S. intelligence agencies investigating a series of unexplained health incidents among U.S. government officials believe it is possible that foreign adversaries have developed advanced technology that could be responsible for the symptoms...
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Day of mourning for Carter: What it means, and what’s closed
A national day of mourning will be observed Thursday for Jimmy Carter, who died Dec. 29 at 100 years old. In a proclamation after Carter’s death, President Joe Biden called him “a man of character, courage, and compassion.” In announcing the day of...
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How Helene, warming may affect state’s future Christmas tree supply
Having escaped the devastating flooding and winds Hurricane Helene unleashed in North Carolina, dozens of Fraser firs, the “Cadillac of Christmas trees,” perfume the Hayes Farms Christmas tree lot in Fort Lauderdale. Many other trees, however, weren’t...
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Parrish teen remembered after fatal motorcycle accident
Max Alexander Peugh lived a life of adventure, filling his days with skateboarding, snowboarding and riding his new motorcycle. Peugh celebrated his 18th birthday by taking a motorcycle safety course to earn his license, fulfilling his longtime dream...
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South Korean leader declares martial law
President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea declared emergency martial law Tuesday, banning “all political activities,” in an extraordinary reaction to the political deadlock that has hobbled his tenure. The full extent of what martial law entails was not...
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Jersey Girl Bagels plans to expand in Manatee
Kim Fishman had never made a bagel before 2020. What started as a hobby in her Lakewood Ranch kitchen with her three children during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic has morphed into a popular bagel shop off University Parkway. Now Fishman is...
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Family: Man contracts flesh-eating bacteria in Sarasota Bay
A 66-year-old Bradenton man required hospitalization and a leg amputation after he contracted a bacterial infection while wade fishing, a family member told the Bradenton Herald. The Bradenton man has been diagnosed with an infection of Vibrio...
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Israel’s new defense minister dismisses cease-fire claims
will be no cease-fire in Lebanon, Israel’s new defense minister declared Tuesday, countering claims from Israel’s foreign minister, who a day prior said that progress had been made to end the fighting with Hezbollah. The confusing back-and-forth comes...
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Some Florida hemp products have toxic pesticides, tests show
Vape stores and smoke shops around the state are selling illegal marijuana tainted with toxic pesticides, according to the results of testing performed last month by two labs on dozens of joints, vapes and edibles purchased in stores from Tallahassee...
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Voters deeply skeptical about health of American democracy
Nearly half of all voters are skeptical that the American experiment in self-governance is working, with 45% believing that the nation’s democracy does not do a good job representing ordinary people, according to a new New York Times/Siena College...
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Bradenton spills millions more gallons of sewage after Milton
City of Bradenton has pumped millions more gallons of sewage into the Manatee River in recent weeks as Hurricanes Helene and Milton overlons powered its troubled wastewater plant. The Bradenton Herald previously reported on sewage spills totaling at...
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Suspect arrested after threats disrupt FEMA’s work in NC
A suspect has been arrested and charged with threatening Federal Emergency Management Agency workers over the weekend that forced the federal agency to pause Hurricane Helene assistance operations in some North Carolina counties. William Jacob...
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Florida rushes to clear Helene debris before next storm hits
Less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene pushed the Gulf of Mexico into tens of thousands of living rooms along Florida’s west coast, a new storm is threatening a repeat. But this time, streets and yards and parks are filled with all of the detritus...
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Helene’s storm surge impacted drinking water
After Hurricane Helene, some Bradenton residents are noticing that their drinking water smells odd and tastes salty. That’s because Helene’s storm surge found its way into Bradenton’s primary source of drinking water at the Evers Reservoir, city...
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Israel’s bombing of Hezbollah sites kills hundreds in Lebanon
death toll in Lebanon from a major outbreak of crossborder conflict between Israel and Hezbollah climbed to 558 including at least 50 children and 94 women, with more than 1,800 injured as the fighting entered a second day. “We remain in the war and...
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Manatee judge to interview jurors in Ashley Benefield case
A Manatee County judge will call jurors back into the courthouse for interviews that could lead to a new murder trial for convicted ex-ballerina Ashley Benefield. Circuit Court Judge Matt Whyte granted a motion by Benefield’s defense team Monday to...
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