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Joe Hendricks

Joe Hendricks

February 11, 2017
Joe Hendricks the editor of the Anna Maria Island Sun. As a Sun reporter, Joe primarily covers the cities of Anna Maria and Holmes Beach, including those two city goverments. He also covers Island-related matters at the county and state levels.
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April 3, 2018
By Joe Hendricks
Kebony selected as siding for Anna Maria's pier buildings

Kebony selected as siding for pier buildings

Updated April 4, 2018 ANNA MARIA – City Commissioners voted Tuesday, April 3 that the exteriors of the restaurant and bait shop/bar built at the end of the new Anna Maria City Pier will feature br…
April 3, 2018
By Joe Hendricks
Anna Maria Bert Harris

Bert Harris counteroffers made

ANNA MARIA – City commissioners recently approved three more Bert Harris claim settlement offers, including one for a beachfront home at 107 Elm St. owned by Graham and Hazel Hansen. The Hansens r…
March 31, 2018
By Joe Hendricks
drowning Bradenton Beach

Liveaboard boater dies after water rescue

BRADENTON BEACH – Liveaboard boater and anchorage resident Brandon Nieuwkoop, 52, died the afternoon of Saturday, March 31 after being pulled from Anna Maria Sound waters near the historic Bradenton…
March 27, 2018
By Joe Hendricks
Side yard trash pickup

New rental regulations in effect

BRADENTON BEACH – City staff is now implementing, enforcing and working out the kinks in the city’s new vacation rental regulations and registration program that took effect March 19. The new rent…
March 27, 2018
By Joe Hendricks
Rotary Golf tourney car

Get a hole in one, win a car

BRADENTON – Golfers competing in the fourth annual Anna Maria Island Rotary Club Golf Classic on Wednesday, April 4, will have the chance to win a new Volkswagen SE Jetta Sport. A hole-in-one on t…
March 27, 2018
By Joe Hendricks
Farmer's market

Farmer’s market on today

Week two of the new Anna Maria Farmer’s Market is underway today until 5 p.m. This week’s market features a second produce vendor and a larger variety of produce offerings than the limited sup…
March 20, 2018
By Joe Hendricks

County voters adopt one-mill school tax

MANATEE COUNTY – By a slim margin, Manatee County voters passed the proposed one-mill school tax in the county election that concluded this evening. As a result, Manatee County property owners, fo…
March 20, 2018
By Joe Hendricks
Farmer's market

Farmer’s market debuts ‘in the round’

ANNA MARIA – Anna Maria’s new farmer’s market got off to an excellent, albeit abbreviated start Tuesday morning. Positioned in a semi-circle around the edge of the shade sail structure in City Pie…
March 20, 2018
By Joe Hendricks

Shark dragging hearing scheduled

TAMPA – Robert Benac, 28, Spencer Heintz, 23, and Michael Wenzel, 21, have been ordered to appear at a felony court hearing on Tuesday, May 1. The three defendants and their friend, Nick Easterlin…
March 17, 2018
By Joe Hendricks
Rotary Golf Classic

Golfers wanted for AMI Rotary Club’s annual Golf Classic

BRADENTON – The Fourth Annual Anna Maria Island Rotary Club Golf Classic is scheduled for Wednesday, April 4 at 1 p.m. Interested golfers can still register for the tournament taking place at the…
March 17, 2018
By Joe Hendricks
Anna Maria Farmer's Market

Anna Maria farmer’s market to debut Tuesday

ANNA MARIA – The city of Anna Maria’s new farmer’s market is scheduled to make its debut on Tuesday, March 20. Taking place in City Pier Park, near the corner of Pine Avenue and South Bay Boulevar…
March 14, 2018
By Joe Hendricks
Anna Maria Pier rendering rear

State funds will assist with pier replacement

ANNA MARIA – The $88.7 million budget the Florida Legislature adopted on Sunday, March 11 includes $750,000 in state funds for the estimated $4.5 million replacement of the Anna Maria City Pier. T…
March 13, 2018
By Joe Hendricks

School tax election underway

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Island voters will help determine whether the Manatee County School District is the beneficiary of a one-mill property tax increase. The decision will be made during the county…
March 6, 2018
By Joe Hendricks
Pier Rendering

Kebony decking selected for new pier

ANNA MARIA – Commissioners decided on the look and feel of the decking for the new Anna Maria City Pier today. On Tuesday, City Commissioners voted 4-1 in favor of Kebony hardwood being the materi…
March 6, 2018
By Joe Hendricks
Sen. Greg Steube

Vacation rental bills fail again

TALLAHASSEE – For the second year in a row, Sen. Greg Steube (R-Sarasota) and Rep. Mike La Rosa (R-St. Cloud) failed in their efforts to restrict or eliminate local governments’ ability to regulate v…