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De Soto Parade Returns this Saturday

The De Soto Grand Parade returns this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. This year's parade, which follows a new route , will be preceded by live music in downtown Bradenton, the step-off location. "Our goal …
Staff Report
3 hours ago
Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell turns in her paperwork at the Department of State building in Tallahassee on April 24, 2024. Photo by Jackie Llanos

Former Congresswoman Debbie Mucarsel-Powell files to challenge Rick Scott for U.S. Senate seat

Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell officially filed for the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, quickly attacking Republican Sen. Rick Scott, the incumbent, and his record on abortion. The former South …
by Jackie Llanos
3 hours ago
photo by The OwYoungs

Interview: Brooks & Dunn

When Brooks & Dunn saddled up for what they billed as their “Last Rodeo” farewell tour in 2010, they really meant it as a final goodbye. But this summer the duo is back together …
by Alan Sculley
3 hours ago

Weekend Sounds: April 26-28

It's another weekend, and you know what that means. If you guessed another great lineup of local, talented musicians in Manatee, Sarasota, and surrounding counties, you would be …
Staff Report
Today
More local news
Some University Park Residents Claim Upcoming Bond Issue Should be Invalidated
In 2019, University Park residents purchased the development's golf club from developer John Neal for twice its appraised value at a time when the course's irrigation system …
Staff Report
3 hours ago
2024 Property Tax Installment Payment Plan Application Deadline is April 30
The deadline to participate in the 2024 property tax installment payment plan is April 30.  This does not apply to unpaid 2023 taxes, which are now delinquent. 
by Sharmaine Bridges
4 hours ago
LWV Manatee County Commission Notes: 4/23/24
The League of Women Voters of Manatee County Government Committee observes Manatee County Commission meetings for items of interest to citizens and the League and notes adherence, or lack of …
by Coleen Friedman
5 hours ago
This Week in Local Government: 4/28/24
It will be a very slow week in local government as we close out the month of April. This week, only the Manatee County Commission will be in session...
by Dawn Kitterman
Yesterday at 12:00 AM
Photo via Duette Fire and Rescue District's Facebook page
Manatee County Commissioners Again Discuss Fire District Consolidations
During a Tuesday meeting of the Manatee County Commission, multiple commissioners expressed their support for future conversations on the possibility of consolidating some of the county …
by Dawn Kitterman
2 days ago
Tracey Washington addresses the Manatee BOCC at Tuesday's meeting.
Mother of Palmetto man who died following police encounter asks BOCC to consider CALL program
Tracy Washington, the mother of Breonte Johnson-Davis, a Palmetto man who died following an interaction with police that saw him tasered, appeared before the Manatee County …
by Mitch Maley
2 days ago
Opinions
Guest Opinion
Plastic Bag Ban
The Sarasota City Commission recently approved eliminating the use of plastic bags for yard waste collections. Sarasota is the only local government in Sarasota County that still allows its customers …
by Glenn Compton
2 hours ago
EarthTalk: Where’s The Biofuel?
Biomass is organic material derived from living or recently living organisms like plants, animals and microorganisms. It can be used as a renewable energy source via combustion, fermentation or …
Yesterday at 12:00 AM
Guest Opinion
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue
Mosaic’s Toxic Assets
On Monday evening, March 25, a fire broke out at the Mosaic Riverview fertilizer plant and rapidly went out of control. In classic Mosaic PR style, Jackie Barron, Mosaic spokesperson, described it as …
by Andy Mele
3 days ago
COMMENTARY
Sunday Favorites: The Battle at Dade
As the sun rose over the Florida wilderness in the winter of 1835, tensions simmered beneath the surface, foretelling a clash that would echo through the annals of American history. The stage was set for the tragic saga of the Dade Massacre, a pivotal event in the tumultuous narrative of the Second Seminole War. But to truly grasp the significance of that fateful day, we must journey back through the years, tracing the intricate web of events that culminated in one of the bloodiest conflicts on Florida soil.
by Merab Favorite
5 days ago
commentary
The population of Florida’s bald eagles dropped dramatically because of DDT. Photo by FWC
Florida fueled the first Earth Day; now we need another one
Earth Day is coming up next Monday, which will probably elicit a fervent “meh” from a lot of people. These days, Earth Day seems more like a marketing gimmick than a holiday, not unlike …
by Craig Pittman
Friday, April 19
Sunday Favorites: Where and What was Pine Level?
Back when Manatee County was first formed, it was much larger than it is today. Early settlers in eastern Manatee, many living in the Peace River region were not happy that Manatee Village was identified as the county seat. They wanted a more centralized location, but where could it be?
by Merab Favorite
Sunday, April 14
Obituaries
Jo Ann White-Lawall
Jo Ann White Lawall, passed away peacefully on March 4, 2024, at the age of 82. Jo Ann was born on September 7, 1941, in Fredericksburg, VA, to Lloyd and Josephine White, and grew up in Southern …
2 hours ago
Verna Gum
Word has been received that Verna Overly Gum age 80 of Ellenton, FL and formerly of Mt Pleasant, PA went to be with The Lord on 4/16/2024. Verna was born in Mt Pleasant, the daughter of Emma F …
2 hours ago
Jimmy Bennett
Jimmy Don Bennett passed away in Tidewell Hospice House of Bradenton on Friday April 19, 2024. He is preceded in death by his parents Clyde and Fannie Mae Bennett and his siblings Geneva Ingram, …
Yesterday at 10:12 PM
This week's reader poll
TBT Podcasts
This week, Mitch and Dawn discuss the appeal by the mother of a Palmetto man who died following a police encounter for the county to implement a program that would send social workers instead of …
Yesterday at 2:17 PM
This week, Mitch and Dawn discuss the Manatee County Commission's special meeting on "illegal aliens" and James Satcher's appointment as Manatee County Supervisor of Elections.
Wednesday, April 17
COMMENTS FROM OUR READERS
Local Events and More...
Calendar of events
Sports & recreation

Marauders Lombardo – Rookie Coach with Veteran Poise

Bradenton Marauders’ development coach, Steph Lombardo, has no issues with paying her dues as a professional baseball coach. Everyone connected with the Marauders is learning. Each day the …
by Don Laible
5 hours ago

Lopez Finding Coaching Groove With Pirates

Mendy Lopez is a very special member of the Pittsburgh Pirates coaching staff. The Dominican native, now in his second year as a member of manager Derek Shelton’s MLB staff, is someone to keep …
by Don Laible
4 days ago

McCutchen Leading Way for New Look Pirates

With several new faces representing the present and future of the Pittsburgh Pirates, make no mistake, Andrew McCutchen remains the club’s leader. Now, at the start of his sixteenth MLB …
by Don Laible
Tuesday, April 9
Arts & Entertainment
Dekyi Rongé, Alex Pelletier, and Gregg Weiner. Photo by Sorcha Augustine

Theater Review: Westminster

Urbanite Theatre in downtown Sarasota recently presented the world premiere of Brenda Withers' Westminster , a dark comedy that was the winner of Urbanite's 2023 Modern Works …

by Mitch Maley
Thursday, April 18

A Rambling Man is Laid to Rest

Bradenton native and co-founder of the legendary Allman Brothers Band Dickey Betts passed away on Thursday following a battle with cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
by Mitch Maley
Thursday, April 18

Interview: Cheap Trick

Now that live music is back, with it comes a string of Cheap Trick concerts. It’s something the veteran act has done on a consistent annual basis ever since forming in Rockford, IL, in 1973. …
by Dave Gil de Rubio
Thursday, April 18

Weekend Sounds: April 19-21

It's another weekend, and you know what that means. If you guessed another great lineup of local, talented musicians in Manatee, Sarasota, and surrounding counties ...
Staff Report
Thursday, April 18
ICYM - In Case You Missed It
Guest Commentary
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Here are two pictures and an accompanying 500 words that should prove that James Satcher was the wrong choice to be appointed our Supervisor of …
by Sue Denham
Saturday, April 20
Climate change causes rising temperatures, fluctuating rain patterns and other extreme weather phenomena. However, the effects of climate change are not equally distributed across the country. …
Friday, April 19
OPINION
A new Florida law that Gov. Ron DeSantis touted as a way to prevent Florida from becoming San Francisco looks like another stunt geared more toward the press conference than the actual policy.
by Mitch Maley
Friday, April 19
Guest Opinion
Florida is promoting charter schools as an alternative to traditional schools, allowing parents the “freedom of choice” in providing education for their children. What Florida …
by Glenn Compton
Friday, April 19
Guest Opinion
Marijuana is legal in Florida, and the state follows federal law with regard to the drug. 4/20 Day remains a big event for many people. It has long moved past the counterculture protests of old to …
by Jody Boulay
Thursday, April 18
Interesting News

Within the gender housework gap, laundry is one of the most unequally divided tasks

Hampr analyzed data and used historical and academic research to find out why laundry remains one of the most unequally divided household chores.

Eliza Siegel
Yesterday at 4:00 PM

New research suggests a beneficial link between erectile dysfunction medication and heart health

Hims reports on a new study that looks at the effects of taking erectile dysfunction medication on the risk of cardiovascular conditions.
Pete Stahl, M.D.
Yesterday at 2:30 PM

Movies and TV shows casting across the US

Backstage compiled a list of movies and TV shows casting across the US.
Jaimie Etkin
Yesterday at 2:01 PM
Florida report

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Bob Delaney - Undercover Film "Hiding in Plain Sight" Working Undercover in New Jersey as a State Trooper

Emmy Award winning director, Nick Nanton, interviews Bob Delaney. Former undercover New Jersey state trooper and NBA referee. Bob Delaney talks with Nick Nanton about his incredible careers in two vastly different fields, from infiltrating the Mafia in the 1970s to becoming one of the NBA's most respected referees. In this episode, Bob opens up about his experience with post-traumatic stress and his passion for helping others overcome it.

State News
Quality Journalism for Critical Times Officially he was “D. Robert Graham,” but nearly everyone called him “Bob.” The former governor and U.S. senator from Miami Lakes died last week at …
Craig Pittman (via Florida Phoenix)
8 hours ago
Quality Journalism for Critical Times WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Thursday over former President Donald Trump’s pursuit of absolute immunity from criminal …
Ashley Murray (via Florida Phoenix)
10 hours ago
Quality Journalism for Critical Times U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson decried antisemitism and raised the possibility of calling in the National Guard to disperse student protesters during a trip …
Jennifer Shutt (via Florida Phoenix)
Yesterday at 8:43 PM
Quality Journalism for Critical Times Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis defended his suspension of Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren on Wednesday, but declined to comment on whether he …
Mitch Perry (via Florida Phoenix)
Yesterday at 7:13 PM
Bonus web content
10 states with the most uninsured veterans—and how the nation compares
Charlie Health reports on states with high rates of uninsured veterans and provides information on how to seek veteran-specific mental health care.
Kayla Levy
Yesterday at 2:00 PM
Itching for a new venture? Here are the 20 best US metro areas to start a pest control business in 2024
Pest Gnome takes a look at the best U.S. metro areas to launch a pest control business.
Sav Maive
Yesterday at 12:30 PM
Credit card reconciliation: How business owners can eliminate inflated costs and wasteful spending when tracking expenses
Ramp dives into credit card reconciliation and provides steps to help businesses set up efficient, accurate systems.
Fiona Lee
Yesterday at 12:00 PM
The 20 greatest Best Picture nominees that don't get enough credit
Casino Bonus CA looked at all films nominated for Best Picture and narrowed the list to those that didn't win and had under 50,000 votes on IMDb.
Katrina Sirotta
Yesterday at 11:30 AM
7 moments of Asian American and Black American solidarity
Stacker compiled a list of seven moments where Asian American and Black American solidarity paved the way for broad-stroke freedoms.
Keerthi Vedantam
Yesterday at 11:00 AM