Featured
April 10, 2023
April brings big crowds, heavy traffic
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Local observation and tourism statistics have long pointed to mid-March as the height of tourist season, but last week, April 3-9, brought what could be the largest crowds, longes…
April 10, 2023
City attorney: No reserved spaces for water taxi
BRADENTON BEACH – City Attorney Ricinda Perry told commissioners last week that they cannot promise to designate a reserved space for the proposed water taxi on the floating day dock next to the Brad…
April 4, 2023
Proposed legislation could impact AMI condo owners
TALLAHASSEE – Two bills currently working their way through the Florida Legislature could significantly impact condominium associations and condominium owners on Anna Maria Island and throughout the…
March 27, 2023
Vacation rental legislation moving forward
ANNA MARIA – City Attorney Becky Vose has requested separate shade meetings to discuss separate lawsuits pertaining to repeat noise ordinance violations at two vacation rental properties…
March 20, 2023
Parking garage bill in high gear
TALLAHASSEE – A bill in the Florida House of Representatives to circumvent Holmes Beach ordinances and build a three-story, 1,500-plus space parking garage has passed its first roadblock on the w…
March 20, 2023
Anna Maria officials oppose rental bill
ANNA MARIA – Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy traveled to Tallahassee last week to express the city’s opposition to Senate Bill 714.
SB 714 is the Florida Legislature’s most recent move to further limi…
March 20, 2023
Holmes Beach opposes vacation rental bill
HOLMES BEACH – Another bill in the Florida House of Representatives is proposed to undo local vacation rental regulations, pushing control to the state.
House Bill 105 is designed to preempt local…
March 13, 2023
Multiple departments fight Bradenton Beach fire
BRADENTON BEACH – Black smoke could be seen rising high into the air after a fire started on March 8 at 403 Gulf Drive S., Unit D in a four-unit condo building known as Birds Nest.
Bradenton Beach…
March 13, 2023
Spring break in full swing on AMI
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Thousands of students, many with their families, have flocked to AMI to escape the still-freezing temperatures farther north, trading quizzes and tests for beach volleyball and fu…
March 7, 2023
Proposed bill threatens freedom of speech
TALLAHASSEE – As the Florida legislative session opens this week, lawmakers have two companion bills to consider that critics say would remove longstanding constitutional and judicial protect…













