Hold your hats, history buffs—turns out not all cattle barons wore boots and spurs! Meet Bertha Palmer, the glamorous Chicago socialite who swapped her opulent ballrooms for the wild swamplands of Sarasota in 1910. With a keen eye for opportunity and a defiance of societal norms, Palmer transformed over 140,000 acres of untamed Florida wilderness into booming ranches, farms, and citrus groves, forever changing the cattle industry and Sarasota County's landscape.
When I was a kid growing up in Pensacola, I’d come home from school and immediately turn on “ The Big Show” on WKRG-TV . The avuncular host, Max Goodman, showed a lot of ’50s …
On Monday morning, Punchbowl News reported that Amazon.com would start showing customers how much tariffs are adding to the price of each product. When questioned during a White …
Back in the 1990s, when I was on the criminal court beat, I sat through more murder trials than Perry Mason and Ben Matlock combined. Every case concerned a tragedy, but occasionally there were …
April has been a busy and exciting month in Bradenton! From the Law Enforcement Torch Run, BAM!Fest, and the return of Music in the Park, to the Lucky Ducky Race for PACE, our upcoming Earth Day …
Archie Rutledge’s journey from a butcher’s pen at age 11 to the open prairies of Florida as a skilled cow hunter reveals a life marked by resilience, hardship, and quiet heroism. Amid segregation, war, and injury, Archie carved his place in history, one dollar a day, one rope at a time.
October may be Fire Prevention Month, but it is always the right time to practice fire safety. As April is Autism Awareness Month, it is crucial to consider plans and aids tailored to the needs of …
During our recent 2024 Awards ceremony, Chief Melanie Bevan and Mayor Gene Brown recognized four outstanding members of the Bradenton Police Department. Detective Michael Skoumal is the recipient of …
Florida attracts sleazeballs, creeps, and the criminally-inclined the way cookie crumbs attract roaches. It’s always been like this: Al Capone wintered in Miami Beach; Richard Nixon …
At the April 9, 2025, Bradenton City Council meeting, the Council was presented with a proposal for the procurement of the materials and installation of a temporary lift station necessary to take …
If you’re one of the 900 new people who move to Florida every day, you may not know this crucial secret of Florida government. I’m a Florida native, so let me clue …
Donald Trump and Elon Musk are dismantling vital public services in the name of combating “inefficiency.” That’s meant abruptly—and often illegally—firing tens of …
Morgan Johnson Road isn’t just a name on a map—it’s a tribute to one of Manatee County’s early cattlemen, Morgan Jackson Johnson. Stretching along the Braden River, the road marks the area where Johnson lived and ran cattle across the open Florida range in the late 1800s. Discover the rich history behind the name and how this quiet road reflects a rugged era of cow camps, cattle drives, and a pioneering Florida spirit.
There are a few films I consider essential viewing for all Floridians because they aid in understanding this wild and crazy state of ours. One of those is a documentary …
At a press conference in Ocala on Wednesday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took several digs at Randy Fine, the Republican who won a special election for U.S. House seat vacated by National Security …
During the early 20th century, the Ashley Gang left a trail of chaos and intrigue across southern Florida. Led by the notorious John Ashley, this group of outlaws became infamous for daring bank robberies, bootlegging, and violent clashes with law enforcement. Their reign of terror ended in a deadly ambush in 1924, but their legend lingers like the mist over the Everglades, echoing through Florida’s wild past.
Let me first make it clear that I am a big fan of peanuts — the tasty legume favored by George Washington Carver , that is, and not the Charlie Brown cartoon. At baseball games, I have …
Local government gets a lot of attention. Everything that is wrong with a community falls on the local officials. It’s as if commissioners and council members actually have the Home Rule …
Former Bradenton Mayor Bill Evers passed away peacefully at his home on March 14. I first met Bill in 2010, the same year I came to The Bradenton Times. His late wife, Jane, a former beat reporter herself, wanted to pitch me a story ...
I’ve spent some time this month cruising through Florida’s remaining rural oases, places where there’s still some green space amid all the asphalt. I’ve seen citrus groves and …