Top Stories this week on Anna Maria Island: Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Truck-driving almost became truck-diving June 29, when a tractor-trailer drifted into the opposite lane, side-swiped a passenger car and then through crashed through the concrete railing on the Cortez Bridge. Islander Photos: Lisa Neff
A two-vehicle accident on the Cortez Bridge at 11:15 a.m. June 29, closed the bridge to all traffic for several hours, and put the cab of a tractor-trailer over the guardrail and dangerously close to falling into the water.
The Florida Highway Patrol report of the incident said that a Cal-Maine Foods Inc. tractor-trailer driven by George Gonzalez, 32, of Brandon, was traveling west about 11:15 a.m. when the trailer crossed the yellow dividing line a few yards past the draw.
The tractor-trailer struck the front fender of an eastbound 2005 Volkswagen driven by Jonathan Quick, 43, of Bradenton Beach. The trailer then continued in the eastbound lane for a few yards until striking the south concrete curb of the bridge, then the guardrail. The cab of the trailer hung over the bridge railing, but did not disconnect from the trailer, the FHP reported.
A fireworks fan watches the July 4 finale on the beach near the Sandbar restaurant in Anna Maria. The restaurant hosted a 15-minute pyrotechnic fanfare. The Chiles Group also hosted fireworks at their BeachHouse Restaurant in Bradenton Beach July 3 and at the Mar Vista Pub and Restaurant on Longboat Key July 2. The Bradenton Beach show went off early to beat a thunderstorm. Islander Photo: Lisa Neff
Another hearing on the public records request by consultant Michael Barfield of Sarasota for the e-mails relating to public business to and from Anna Maria Commissioner Harry Stoltzfus is scheduled for 3:30 p.m., July 14, in courtroom 5E of the Manatee County Circuit Court.
Judge Edward Nicholas will preside over the hearing.
The 2010-11 budget season begins this week in Bradenton Beach, with department heads delivering their preliminary calculations for the upcoming fiscal year to the city clerk’s office.
Preliminary work — a sort of spring-training for the new season — concluded last week with the city commission’s review of the 2009-10 budgets for the police and public works departments. The commissioners already had eyed budgets for the clerk’s office and the planning and building department.
The Holmes Beach Police Department is asking for help in identifying a man who smashed the video screen of an ATM machine at Regions Bank on Manatee Avenue West in Holmes Beach.
Linda Kinnan of Bradenton wins the second week of The Islander’s Top Notch photo contest with this image of her niece Lilia Norwood charming two gulf fritillary butterflies. Kinnan took the photograph in the backyard of her Palma Sola home. She is a nominee for the Top Notch grand prize.
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