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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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July 2, 2025
By Joe Hendricks
Pickup truck collides with low-speed vehicle

Pickup truck collides with low-speed vehicle

HOLMES BEACH – A pickup truck collided with a low-speed vehicle (LSV) on Gulf Drive on Tuesday evening, resulting in two of the seven LSV passengers being transported to a walk-in emergency room for…
July 2, 2025
By Joe Hendricks
Commission discusses pier lease, parking fines, Waste Management

Commission discusses pier lease, parking fines, Waste Management

ANNA MARIA – City Pier tenant requests, increased parking fines and ongoing service issues with Waste Management were among the topics discussed during the June 26 Anna Maria City Commission meeting…
July 1, 2025
By Joe Hendricks
Treehouse lien reduction denied again

Treehouse lien reduction denied again

HOLMES BEACH – By a 3-2 vote, city commissioners have denied a second request to reduce the treehouse-related $188,621 code en­forcement lien the city placed on the Angelinos Sea Lodge. Owned and op…
July 1, 2025
By Joe Hendricks
Significant stormwater fee increase proposed

Significant stormwater fee increase proposed

HOLMES BEACH – City property owners may soon see their annual stormwater assessment fee increase by as much as 205%, rising from $2.95 per 100 square feet of property to $4.95 or $9 per 100 square fe…
July 1, 2025
By Joe Hendricks
Gloria Dei owners decline city’s initial offer

Gloria Dei owners decline city’s initial offer

HOLMES BEACH – The owners of the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church property did not accept the city’s $3 million offer to purchase the church building and property at 6608 Marina Drive. On June 25, Taylor…
July 1, 2025
By Joe Hendricks
Teenager ejected from golf cart, seriously injured

Teenager seriously injured in Anna Maria golf cart accident

ANNA MARIA – A 15-year-old golf cart passenger suffered traumatic head and chest injuries after being ejected from a golf cart at the intersection of North Shore Drive and Spring Avenue in Anna Maria…
June 24, 2025
By Joe Hendricks
WMFR prevails in vacation rental lawsuit

WMFR prevails in vacation rental lawsuit

HOLMES BEACH – The West Manatee Fire Rescue District (WMFR) has prevailed in a lawsuit disputing its ability to assess commercial fees on vacation rentals. Filed last year by Holmes Beach-based C&am…
June 23, 2025
By Joe Hendricks
City, county officials discuss pier replacement, ferry landing

City, county officials discuss pier replacement, ferry landing

ANNA MARIA – City officials’ desire to rebuild the hurricane-damaged City Pier walkway and Manatee County officials’ desire to install a ferry landing at the pier are financially and philosophically…
June 23, 2025
By Joe Hendricks
Youth group assists White Egret owners

Youth group assists White Egret owners

ANNA MARIA – While visiting Anna Maria Island, the One10Y­outh group from the Mandarin United Methodist Church in Jacksonville spent several hours helping the owners of the White Egret home décor and…
June 17, 2025
By Joe Hendricks
Anna Maria adopting ordinance prohibiting beach holes

Anna Maria adopting ordinance prohibiting beach holes

ANNA MARIA – The city will soon have a “No Holes on Beach” ordinance in effect that prohibits using metal shovels and other gardening tools to dig holes in the beach sand. On June 12, Anna Maria com…
June 17, 2025
By Joe Hendricks
Mayor seeks TDC support for pier replacement project

Mayor seeks TDC support for pier replacement project

ANNA MARIA – The Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) recommends that the county commission provide the city of Anna Maria with up to $2 million in tourist development tax revenues to hel…
June 17, 2025
By Joe Hendricks
Speed table debate continues

Speed table debate continues

HOLMES BEACH – The pending installation of three speed tables along the 500 block of Key Royale Drive remains a topic of debate even though an executed work agreement is already in place. On April 2…
June 17, 2025
By Joe Hendricks
City Pier Grill operators hope to renegotiate lease

City Pier Grill operators hope to renegotiate lease

ANNA MARIA – The City Pier Grill & Bait Shop operators want to renegotiate their lease before com­mitting to another five years in the city-owned City Pier building that’s currently closed due to…
June 16, 2025
By Joe Hendricks

April 2025 tourist tax collections

Manatee County’s 6% tourist development tax (resort tax) is collected from hotel, motel, resort, condo and other short-term vacation accommodations rented for six months or less. Amounts shown were…
June 9, 2025
By Joe Hendricks
City hosts hurricane preparedness workshop

City hosts hurricane preparedness workshop

HOLMES BEACH – During the city’s town hall-style Hurricane Preparedness Workshop, members of the city’s emergency operations team spent nearly two hours sharing information about hurricane prepara­ti…