Skip to main content
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.
Email Joe Hendricks
March 28, 2019
By Joe Hendricks
Avenue C projects winding down

Avenue C projects winding down

BRADENTON BEACH – Avenue C residents should see drainage projects completed before summer, according to city officials. City commissioners have approved Westra Construction’s request to extend its…
March 26, 2019
By Joe Hendricks
Anna Maria enacts sign moratorium

Anna Maria enacts sign moratorium

ANNA MARIA – An emergency sign moratorium is now in effect in the city of Anna Maria. Enacted by the city commission during an emergency meeting on Thursday, March 21, the temporary moratorium pro…
March 26, 2019
By Joe Hendricks
Pier change orders requested

Pier change orders requested

ANNA MARIA – Anna Maria commissioners denied i+iconSoutheast’s request to extend by nine days the completion date for the construction of the new Anna Maria City Pier walkway and T-end platform. D…
March 26, 2019
By Joe Hendricks

Sunshine filings continue

BRADENTON BEACH – Several court filings have been made recently regarding the Sunshine Law lawsuit filed against six former city advisory board members. On Friday, March 21, one day after deposing…
March 26, 2019
By Joe Hendricks
City attorney deposed for Sunshine lawsuit

City attorney deposed for Sunshine lawsuit

BRADENTON – Attorney Thomas Shults spent six hours deposing City Attorney Ricinda Perry under oath. Perry’s videotaped deposition took place Wednesday, March 20 at the Manatee County Judicial Cent…
March 19, 2019
By Joe Hendricks
Commission rejects Sunshine lawsuit counteroffer

Commission rejects Sunshine lawsuit counteroffer

BRADENTON BEACH – Bradenton Beach commissioners have rejected the settlement counteroffer proposed by the six defendants in the 2017 Sunshine Law lawsuit. The defendants had until midnight Monday…
March 16, 2019
By Joe Hendricks
County commissioners tour pier construction site

County commissioners tour pier construction site

ANNA MARIA – Manatee County Commissioners Betsy Benac, Steve Jonsson and Carol Whitmore took a boat tour of the Anna Maria City Pier construction site Friday afternoon. Using tourist tax and surpl…
March 12, 2019
By Joe Hendricks
Sunshine defendants propose settlement counteroffer

Sunshine defendants propose settlement counteroffer

BRADENTON BEACH – The six defendants in the 2017 Sunshine Law lawsuit filed by the city of Bradenton Beach have made a counteroffer to the city commission’s recent settlement offer. Attorney Thomas S…
March 12, 2019
By Joe Hendricks
Moose Lodge loses dear friend and driving force

Moose Lodge loses dear friend and driving force

BRADENTON BEACH – Members of the Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge #2188 are mourning the loss of longtime Lodge Administrator Ernie Casali Jr. An email from the AMI Moose Lodge #2188 in Bradenton Bea…
March 9, 2019
By Joe Hendricks
Dock floats delivered, project moving forward

Dock floats delivered, project moving forward

BRADENTON BEACH – It took two years, but the Bradenton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) finally has all the parts needed to install a floating public dock next to the Bradenton Beach Pier…
March 7, 2019
By Joe Hendricks
Developer previews sustainable Hunters Point home

Developer previews sustainable Hunters Point home

PALMETTO – Pearl Homes president Marshall Gobuty recently gave The Sun a tour of the new research and design center in Palmetto that now houses the model home for the Pearl Homes at Hunters Point dev…
March 2, 2019
By Joe Hendricks
Wenzel to serve jail time and lose fishing privileges

Wenzel to serve jail time, lose fishing privileges

TAMPA – Michael Wenzel, 22, will serve 10 days in a Hillsborough County jail for his role in the much-publicized shark dragging incident that was captured on video in 2017. Wenzel will also be on…
March 2, 2019
By Joe Hendricks

Clams restored in Sarasota Bay

BRADENTON BEACH – Seventy bushels of hard-shelled (Mercenaria mercenaria) quahog clams were delivered and dispersed near the historic Bradenton Beach Pier today. The Bradenton Beach Community Rede…
February 26, 2019
By Joe Hendricks
Local vacation rental regulations under fire again

Local vacation rental regulations under fire again

ANNA MARIA – City officials in Anna Maria are already following proposed state legislation that pertains to vacation rentals. Vacation rentals are among the many matters that will be debated by th…
February 23, 2019
By Joe Hendricks
Mayor provides pier construction update

Mayor provides pier construction update

ANNA MARIA – On Friday afternoon, Mayor Dan Murphy provided Manatee County Senior Administrative Specialist Monica Luff with an update on the construction of the new Anna Maria City Pier being built…