Thursday, May 2, 2013
Anna Maria Island's beaches were eroded during Tropical Storm Debby.
Anna Maria Island is in line to receive $3 million in state dollars for beach restoration, since the shoreline was damaged in Tropical Storm Debby. The Bradenton Herald is reporting that the dollars are included in the proposed state budget and would be used to match federal funding that already has been approved. The money would go toward investing in 795,700 cubic yards of sand to restore and renourish beaches damaged in the 2012 storm. If the money is approved, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would award the project in August, according to the Bradenton Herald. Work would start at Holmes Beach and extend to Bradenton Beach. The budget calls for a total of $37 million in spending for Florida beach renourishment," which is considered key…
Monday, April 29, 2013
One Florida County has given elementary school principals the green light to paddle misbehaving students. What do you think about this, Tampa Bay?
A trip to the principal’s office in Marion County elementary schools might mean more for misbehaving students than a call to parents and possible detention detail. Principals there have been given the green light to paddle unruly pupils. The county’s school board decided April 23 that it was high time this once banned practice was brought back into the educational system. Citing repeat disciplinary problems with students where nothing else worked to get kids on track, board member Carol Ely, a retired principal, put the idea on the table. While the measure passed, principals don’t have carte blanche to paddle kids. Principals must first obtain standing written permission from parents, and they must get verbal permission before each …
Monday, April 22, 2013
The federal government says not in this case, but detractors are saying the FBI’s failure to Mirandize bombing suspect Dzhokar Tsarnaev, 19, poses a concern for individual rights. What’s your take, Tampa Bay?
The massive manhunt for the Boston Marathon bombers is finished, but the story is far from over. With one suspect dead and the other in custody attentions now turn to gleaning intelligence that might prevent future attacks and making sure the victims and their families see justice delivered. It’s the quest to glean intelligence, however, that has some worrying about how effective a case against Dzhokar Tsarnaev, 19, will be and if the individual rights of Americans are taking a hit as law enforcement carries out its duties by employing some unusual measures. When Tsarnaev was taken into custody on April 19, he was not read his Miranda rights. The federal government invoked the public safety exception, which gives it a right to interrogate …
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
State officials are collecting ideas for updating the span, which links Cortez Road in Bradenton to the island communities.
Should the Cortez Bridge be repaired or replaced? The Florida Department of Transportation wants to hear from commuters about what they would like to see in improvements in the two lane bridge, which links State Road 684 (Cortez Road) to the island communities, according to the Bradenton Herald. It has scheduled an informational meeting where officials will talk about the early stages of planning for improvements and also field questions. The meeting is 4-7 p.m., April 30, at Kirkwood Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, 6101 Cortez Rd. W. State officials want to collect ideas from people who use the bridge. They are letting neighboring property owners know about planning for upgrades, according to the Herald. Replacements could range from…
Monday, April 15, 2013
The insurance bill targets Citizens Property Insurance and new policy holders.
An insurance bill that would force Citizens Property Insurance to raise rates on new homeowners was criticized Monday as potentially "devastating for real estate markets." According to the Bradenton Herald, the 96-page bill would require Citizens Property Insurance to increase rates for new policyholders to "actuarially sound" levels. Jay Neal, president of Florida Association for Insurance Reform, warned that the bill would lead to large rate hikes and hurt a residential real estate market that is only just beginning to recover. According to the Bradenton Herald: “In some areas, people buying a home now would have up to 90 percent higher property insurance rate than the person that’s in the house now,” said Neal, whose group represents …
As Tax Freedom Day 2013 nears, we’re wondering how you feel about your bottom line? Do you think the government takes too much of a cut?
As the sun sets on another tax season, Americans have reason to celebrate. Tax Freedom Day 2013 is almost here. That’s the day when the country collectively has earned enough cash to pay off its taxes – federal and state – for the current year, according to TaxFoundation.org. “Tax Freedom Day provides Americans with an easy way to gauge the overall tax take – a task that can otherwise be daunting due to the multiplicity of taxes at various levels of government and ‘hidden’ taxes and fees that are often buried in the cost of living,” the organization’s website states. This year Tax Freedom Day falls on April 18. From that point on, Americans stop working for the government and start working for themselves, according to the foundation. So …
The Internal Revenue Services warns Florida taxpayers about a scam involving "people posing as tax preparers and luring victims in by promising large refunds from the IRS."
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
The 27-year-old Bradenton man pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm.
A 27-year-old Bradenton man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guitly in federal court to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Robert Lee Lane was sentenced last week in a case involving a Manatee County drug deal that deputies observed, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Lane, who tried to run from deputies, was seen tossing a gun in a field. Lane, who had several previous felonies, was prohibited under federal law from possessing a firearm. Federal agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Stay informed about local news and happenings. Get the Bradenton Patch newsletter free delivered to your email.
The Tampa Bay Young Republicans say Colorado’s loss could be the Bay’s gain. What do you think about it?
As the Wild West gets milder due to gun control laws a manufacturer that produces high-capacity gun magazines is looking to move out of Colorado. The Tampa Bay Young Republicans want that manufacturer, Magpul Industries, to roll out of Boulder and land somewhere in Hillsborough County, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The company makes gun magazines that hold up to 30 rounds and has about 200 people on its payroll, the Times reported. Magpul's motto is "Unfair Advantage," according to its website. The passage of a law in Colorado that bans gun magazines that hold more than 15 rounds has made Boulder a rather unwelcoming place for the company. The Young Republicans want to capitalize on Colorado’s loss by turning it into what they see as a…
Monday, April 8, 2013
Former President George W. Bush will speak at the Ringling College Library Association's Town Hall Lecture Series in Sarasota.
Former President George W. Bush will be a keynote speaker for the Ringling College Library Association Town Hall Lecture Series in 2014, according to the Sarasota Herald Tribune. Bush will speak on Jan. 14 2014. He will discuss his presidency and the events of Sept. 11, 2001. The former president was visiting a Sarasota elementary school when he learned of the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. On Jan. 13, 2014, the day before the former president speaks, his daughter, Jenna Bush Hager, will be the speaker at the Town Hall series' platinum dinner event. She is chair of UNICEF's Next Generation. Want the latest community news in your email each morning?
Diana Smith
11:49 am on Monday, May 13, 2013
Get the dope out of schools. There would be less problems. I have heard of kids selling drugs in middle and high school, and even students have told me there are needles in the bathrooms of the high school. Thankfully, my grand daughter is against drugs of any kind. She is disciplined at home, and has chores she has to do and maintain good grades which she does. I really don't see where paddling … more ›