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Joe Hendricks

Joe Hendricks

February 11, 2017
Joe Hendricks is 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 governments. He also covers Island-related matters at the county and state levels, breaking Island news, events and entertainment and more.
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June 28, 2017
By Joe Hendricks
Bridge Tender Dockside Bar

Bridge Tender requests met with resistance

Bridge Tender Inn owner Fred Bartizal is trying to bring his Dockside Bar into full compliance, but some Planning and Zoning Board members may have exceeded their limited authority when reviewing his…
June 27, 2017
By Joe Hendricks
Ed Chiles

Chiles has high hopes for expanding business

The Chiles Restaurant Group, which owns and operates the BeachHouse restaurant in Bradenton Beach, the Sandbar in Anna Maria and Mar Vista in Longboat Key, is venturing into medical marijuana. “My p…
May 24, 2017
By Joe Hendricks
Manatee County logo

Charter county concerns city officials

BRADENTON BEACH – Vice Mayor John Chappie is concerned about the push to make Manatee County a charter county, and he wants City Attorney Ricinda Perry to monitor these efforts. During the May 18…
May 24, 2017
By Joe Hendricks
Barbara Rodocker

Obituary: Barbara Rodocker

BRADENTON BEACH – On May 10, the city of Bradenton Beach lost a business pioneer who helped transform Bridge Street, while never straying from her Christian and family values. Barbara Rodocker was…
May 3, 2017
By Joe Hendricks
Rep. Jim Boyd

Florida House passes rental bill

TALLAHASSEE – The Florida House has adopted HB 425 by a 63-56 vote. The vacation rental bill championed by Mike La Rosa (R-St. Cloud) seeks to end the local regulation of vacation rentals by manda…
April 27, 2017
By Joe Hendricks

Rental-inspired LDC amendments proposed

BRADENTON BEACH – The Bradenton Beach Planning and Zoning Board has completed the second phase of its efforts to regulate vacation rentals. After previously crafting recommended vacation rental re…
March 23, 2017
By Joe Hendricks
vacation rental

Committee rules favorably on vacation rental bill

TALLAHASSEE – The vacation rental bill filed by Florida Sen. Greg Steube (R-Sarasota) cleared its first obstacle Tuesday afternoon when the Florida Senate’s Regulated Industries Committee ruled favor…
March 22, 2017
By Joe Hendricks
Coast Guard bridge timing

What it takes to change a bridge timing

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Michael Lieberum, Chief of Bridge Operations for the United States Coast Guard’s Seventh District, explained last week how the bridge timing requests for two Island bridges will b…
March 17, 2017
By Joe Hendricks
Anna Maria pier proposal

Pier proposals lack cost estimates

ANNA MARIA – Mayor Dan Murphy opened the three proposals received from firms interested in rehabilitating the Anna Maria City Pier, only to discover that none of them included cost estimates. Join…
March 10, 2017
By Joe Hendricks
Robin Mayer, Anna Maria city planner

Anna Maria hires new city planner

ANNA MARIA – Anna Maria’s new city planner is Robin Mayer. The city commission unanimously approved the hiring recommendation made by Mayor Dan Murphy at the Feb. 23 meeting. Murphy told the commi…
March 2, 2017
By Joe Hendricks
Sign of the Mermaid

Mermaid showing no signs of slowing down

ANNA MARIA – Ed Spring wants folks to know that it’s business as usual at his Sign of the Mermaid restaurant, even though the restaurant property was recently sold. “I wanted to stop the rumors go…
March 2, 2017
By Joe Hendricks
ferry service permit

Commission conditionally approves water ferry service

BRADENTON BEACH – The Sarasota City Commission has unanimously approved a conditional city-issued water taxi permit that will allow Sherman Baldwin and Tevatan LLC to operate a water ferry service be…
February 24, 2017
By Joe Hendricks
Bradenton Beach anchorage

Amended anchorage ordinance proposed

BRADENTON BEACH – City officials are working on an ordinance that would provide for greater enforcement of the navigable waters and unmanaged anchorage south of the Historic Bridge Street Pier. Ci…
February 22, 2017
By Joe Hendricks
Bryce Higgins and Laurie Higgins

Citizens’ efforts assist with arrest

ANNA MARIA – The computer skills of an Island teen and information circulated by some Island moms contributed to the arrest of 20-year-old Richard Parker on charges of petty theft. Parker was arre…
February 13, 2017
By Joe Hendricks
Steve Masi

Police officer Steve Masi praised

BRADENTON BEACH – During last week’s Bradenton Beach Commission meeting, Mayor Bill Shearon asked Deputy Clerk Marie Montoya to read aloud an e-mail that praised the efforts of Officer Steve Masi…