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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
Yesterday at 12:51 PM
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
Yesterday at 12:33 PM
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
Yesterday at 12:26 PM

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
Yesterday at 12:00 AM
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
Yesterday at 12:20 PM
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
Yesterday at 11:01 AM
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
Yesterday at 10:40 AM
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
3 days ago
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
3 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
3 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
12 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 …
3 days ago
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
Sunday, April 21
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 …
12 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 …
12 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, …
2 days ago
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 …
2 days ago
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
Yesterday at 10:45 AM

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

Too dark? Can car window tint be illegal?

Cheap Insurance reports on auto window tinting and how it affects drivers in different states.

John Davey
8 hours ago

Virtual mental health care skyrocketed during the pandemic and has stayed popular. Is this the new norm?

Hers looks at the increased popularity of telemental health care since the pandemic.
Daniel Z. Lieberman, M.D.
8 hours ago

Do business credit cards affect your personal credit score?

Ramp explains why it's important to keep your business credit card activity separate from your personal credit.
Fiona Lee
9 hours ago
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 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday released a sweeping set of rules aimed at cutting air, water and land pollution from fossil fuel-fired …
Robert Zullo (via Florida Phoenix)
7 hours ago
Quality Journalism for Critical Times Carlos Muñiz will serve a second two-year term as chief justice of Florida, first among equals on the Florida Supreme Court and chief administrator of the …
Michael Moline (via Florida Phoenix)
9 hours ago
Quality Journalism for Critical Times WASHINGTON — The U.S. Supreme Court appeared skeptical Thursday of former President Donald Trump’s argument he is immune from criminal charges that he …
Jacob Fischler (via Florida Phoenix)
10 hours ago
Quality Journalism for Critical Times One month after a federal court upheld Gov. Ron DeSantis’ erasure of a Black-held congressional district in North Florida, voting-rights groups have asked …
Michael Moline (via Florida Phoenix)
10 hours ago
Bonus web content
Credit card, car loans, and mortgage payments have all been rising in the US—and it's not just because of interest rate hikes
Experian reports on what may be behind an increase in consumer personal debt including credit card, auto loan and mortgage payments.
Chris Horymski
9 hours ago
10 popular international fast food chains that are growing in the US
American consumers have plenty of restaurant options from abroad. Stacker compiled a list of 10 international food chains that have expanded into the U.S.
Sheeka Sanahori
9 hours ago
The number of women leading US business schools is on the rise
BestColleges reports on the growing number of women leading business schools.
Bennett Leckrone
9 hours ago
Helping take down malaria by building up Africa’s healthcare network, bringing families Closer to Care
(BPT) - On a mission to help build up Africa’s healthcare network to aid in the fight against malaria, SC Johnson, makers of Raid®, in partnership with the Society for Family Health Rwanda …
Yesterday at 11:01 AM
Las Mascotas y La Gente
A medida que su perro pasa a nuevas etapas de la vida, el entrenamiento es importante para su salud y el bienestar.
Consejos efectivos de un entrenador de perros para el cuidado de mascotas durante todas sus etapas de vida
Por Darris Cooper, CPDT-KA, FFCP (NAPSI)—Las mascotas fueron una fuente de consuelo para muchas personas durante la pandemia; ya sea porque ya tenían una mascota, la habían adoptado recientemente …
Yesterday at 8:43 AM