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SUN contributor

March 17, 2017
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September 26, 2021
By SUN contributor

Introducing the 2021 Holmes Beach commission candidates

HOLMES BEACH – The November election is looming and there are five candidates seeking the support of voters to earn one of three seats on the city commission for the next two years. The candidates…
September 20, 2021
By SUN contributor
County commissioner hopes to pave more of paradise

County commissioner proposes beach parking garage

HOLMES BEACH – Manatee County Commissioner Kevin Van Ostenbridge wants a new parking garage to be built on Manatee Beach’s sand parking lot, but the mayor of Holmes Beach so far appears unlikely to s…
September 20, 2021
By SUN contributor
Holmes Beach leaders and Bali Hai owners face off

Holmes Beach leaders and Bali Hai owners face off

HOLMES BEACH – No agreement has been reached concerning the operations of the Bali Hai Beach Resort between the hotel’s owners and the city of Holmes Beach, despite a pending court case, numerous cod…
September 19, 2021
By SUN contributor
Rash triumphs in state investigation

Rash triumphs in state investigation

HOLMES BEACH – At the conclusion of a four-month-long investigation by the State of Florida Commission on Ethics, Commissioner Kim Rash is breathing a long-awaited sigh of relief. Rash was accused…
September 12, 2021
By SUN contributor
WMFR budget passes final vote

WMFR budget passes final vote

BRADENTON – The West Manatee Fire Rescue District has put its financial ducks in a row in time for the coming fiscal year beginning Oct. 1. WMFR commissioners met Sept. 7 for the district’s final…
September 4, 2021
By SUN contributor

No to deep well injection at Piney Point

Dear Commissioners: ManaSota-88 respectfully requests the Manatee Board of County Commission withdraw the application for an Underground Injection Control Well at Piney Point and place this item o…
August 30, 2021
By SUN contributor

The Holmes Beach commission race is on

HOLMES BEACH – Qualifying is over, and five candidates are entering the race for three open seats on the Holmes Beach city commission with the Nov. 2 election as the finish line. Commissioners Car…
August 29, 2021
By SUN contributor
egal issues put a damper on wedding plans

Legal issues put a damper on wedding plans

UPDATED Aug. 30, 2021 at 12:05 p.m. – HOLMES BEACH – A local couple whose wedding plans were ruined by the Bali Hai Beach Resort was rescued by Island restaurateur Sean Murphy, who has offered them a…
August 25, 2021
By SUN contributor

COVID-19 booster shot available

MANATEE COUNTY – If you have a compromised immune system, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you have a booster, or third dose, of a COVID-19 vaccine. To help keep immu…
August 23, 2021
By SUN contributor

Shorebird season scant on AMI

Shorebird nesting season on Anna Maria Island ends this month with only two least tern chicks surviving out of 30 – cats preyed on the rest, according to photographer Kathy Doddridge, a volunteer wit…
August 15, 2021
By SUN contributor

Changes come to noise ordinance

HOLMES BEACH – City leaders are once again modifying the Holmes Beach noise ordinance in a bid to try to reduce excess noise in residential areas. Commissioners voted unanimously on Aug. 10 to pas…
August 15, 2021
By SUN contributor
Structural issues lead to new inspection regulations

Structural issues lead to new inspection regulations

HOLMES BEACH – City staff members are planning to present a proposed ordinance setting building inspection regulations to help identify structural issues before they become a hazardous situation…
August 9, 2021
By SUN contributor
Bali Hai legal dispute continues

Bali Hai legal dispute continues

MANATEE COUNTY – A court has ruled in favor of the city of Holmes Beach’s quest to stop the use of a lounge and bar installed without proper permits at the Bali Hai Beach Resort. Unfortunately for th…
August 9, 2021
By SUN contributor
City warns property owners of potential structural issues

City warns property owners to inspect structures

HOLMES BEACH – After a balcony fell off a building and residents were evacuated at a nearby condo due to balcony problems, city leaders are warning property owners to be on the alert for structural i…
August 2, 2021
By SUN contributor

City buzzing about noise regulations

HOLMES BEACH – More changes are on the way for the city’s noise regulations with the proposed addition of the term “plainly audible,” a requirement to face noise-producing electronics toward the rent…