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Leslie Lake

Leslie Lake

July 11, 2022
Leslie Lake covers Bradenton Beach, Cortez, the environment and Anna Maria Elementary School.
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April 22, 2024
By Leslie Lake
Anna Maria Island community remembers philanthropist

Anna Maria Island community remembers philanthropist

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Charles “Chuck” Lester’s legacy of philanthropy and friendship is being remembered on Anna Maria Island following his passing on April 19 at the age of 92. “I have nothing but gr…
April 15, 2024
By Leslie Lake
State seeks contempt ruling in net camp case

State seeks contempt ruling in net camp case

CORTEZ – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is continuing to tenaciously pursue the enforcement of a 2019 judgment against Raymond “Junior” Guthrie to remove his net camp off t…
April 15, 2024
By Leslie Lake
Sea turtle nesting season begins

Sea turtle nesting season begins

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – The traditional May 1 start of the sea turtle nesting season is now April 15, according to Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, whose volunteers began monitori…
April 8, 2024
By Leslie Lake
Bradenton Beach logo

Commission denies another parking lot

BRADENTON BEACH – City commissioners denied a temporary use application for a paid parking lot next to the Gulf Drive Café at an April 4 commission meeting. The application for 900 Gulf Drive N. was…
April 8, 2024
By Leslie Lake
Commissioners deny paid parking lot

Commissioners deny paid parking lot

BRADENTON BEACH – City commissioners denied an application for a temporary use paid parking lot at 2509 Gulf Drive N. at their April 4 meeting. The application, which stated the property was in an R…
April 2, 2024
By Leslie Lake
Bunny & Pirates holding grand finale Saturday

Bunny & Pirates holding grand finale Saturday

CORTEZ – After seven years in business as a pub, market and live music venue, Bunny & Pirates Bazaar is closing and will be having a grand finale celebration on Saturday, April 6. Beginning at…
April 2, 2024
By Leslie Lake
Scrambling for eggs

Scrambling for Easter eggs

ANNA MARIA – Hundreds of children and their families gathered on the beach at Sandbar Seafood & Spirits on Saturday for the restaurant’s 36th Annual Easter Egg Hunt and bonnet contest. San…
March 26, 2024
By Leslie Lake
Bradenton Beach logo

Temporary paid parking vendors hired

BRADENTON BEACH – City commissioners considered four temporary use parking permits at the March 21 commission meeting and after much discussion, approved three with stipulations, denying one. Permit…
March 26, 2024
By Leslie Lake
Bradenton Beach logo

Bridge Street traffic, parking among commission concerns

BRADENTON BEACH – In what was an unusually lengthy, seven-hour city commission meeting that began at noon on March 21, commissioners dove into parking and traffic issues, pickleball and organ donatio…
March 25, 2024
By Leslie Lake
Bradenton Beach logo

Scaccianoce new Bradenton Beach commissioner

BRADENTON BEACH – Ward 1 has a new commissioner. The application for commissioner by business owner and former Manatee County records manager Deborah Scaccianoce was approved by the commission and s…
March 25, 2024
By Leslie Lake
Commissioners deny bids for paid parking

Commissioners deny bids for paid parking

BRADENTON BEACH – Rather than partnering with an outside vendor as planned, commissioners are now considering city-managed paid parking lots throughout Bradenton Beach. The city had put out a Reques…
March 20, 2024
By Leslie Lake
Investigation into wastewater spill continues

Investigation into wastewater spill continues

BRADENTON – Following the release of more than a million gallons of partially treated wastewater from Bradenton’s water reclamation facility in February, the Florida Department of Environmental Prote…
March 19, 2024
By Leslie Lake
State pursues net camp demolition

State pursues net camp demolition

CORTEZ – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) is proceed­ing to have Raymond “Junior” Guthrie remove his net camp from Sarasota Bay just off the Cortez commercial fishing docks…
March 18, 2024
By Leslie Lake

Mangrove jurisdiction differs by county

ANNA MARIA – The outcome of the removal of 116 feet of mangroves to build a seawall at a Gull Drive home may have been different if the property had been located in Sarasota County instead of Manatee…
March 18, 2024
By Leslie Lake
Bunny & Pirates Bazaar to close soon

Bunny & Pirates Bazaar to close soon

CORTEZ – The closing of Bunny & Pirates Bazaar is imminent, but not by the choice of owners Elizabeth Shore and Jeffrey O’Connell. The news of the closing was announced by the two business own…