The National Hurricane Center expanded its tropical storm warnings as Bonnie moved toward the Gulf of Mexico today.
At about 11 a.m. today, Bonnie was about 30 miles south-southwest of Miami and 130 miles southeast of Fort Myers with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph.
The National Hurricane Center reported that a tropical depression in the Atlantic Ocean became Tropical Storm Bonnie at about 6 p.m. July 22.
NHC has issued a tropical storm warning for the Florida Keys, the Florida East Coast from Golden Beach south and the Florida Gulf Coast north to Bonita Springs.
The Florida Department of Community Affairs issued a ruling July 20 that determined Anna Maria’s method of computing density “is consistent with its comprehensive plan.”
City residents Robert and Nicky Hunt, through attorney Jeremy Anderson of Lobeck and Hanson P.A. of Sarasota, filed a complaint to the DCA Feb. 11, alleging that the city’s use of the gross-density method to determine density in the retail-office-residential district “conflicts” with its comprehensive plan policy.
There will be a lot of activity in Anna Maria the next seven weeks, now that Chief Judge Lee Haworth of the 12th Judicial Circuit Court has set Sept. 7 as the date for the recall election of Commissioner Harry Stoltzfus.
Haworth set the date for the recall election after receiving and accepting the Recall Commissioner Stoltzfus petition from Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Bob Sweat.
State officials and lifeguards are reminding swimmers about the potential for moderate- to high-risk rip currents, which can be dangerous for even experienced swimmers.
A rip current is a narrow, powerful current of water running perpendicular to the beach, out into the ocean. The currents may extend 200 to 2,500 feet lengthwise, but they are typically less than 30 feet wide.
Dee and Gene Schaefer plan to move their Beach Shop at Manatee Public Beach to Cortez before Aug. 1, but they’re not happy that someone has allegedly been taking notes and photos of their inventory.
United Parks Service will take over operations of the concession and gift shop July 21. Mark Enoch of UPS said the concession will be called the Anna Maria Island Beach Cafe.
Derek Lauterbach, 27, pleaded no contest July 13 for burglarizing the Tide & Moon jewelry store in the AMI Plaza in Holmes Beach.
Lauterbach, of Holmes Beach, at a Manatee County docket hearing, pleaded no contest to a second-degree felony charge of burglary to an unoccupied structure while wearing a hooded mask or other device that concealed his identity, and was sentenced to two years in prison and 13 years of probation. After Lauterbach pleaded no contest, Judge Diana Moreland found him guilty. In addition, Lauterbach was ordered to pay $28,000 in restitution to Tide & Moon’s Lara Schely.
The Florida Department of Transportation said resurfacing would begin this week for the ongoing Gulf Drive/State Road 789 roadway improvement projects.
The work will include removal of old asphalt —milling — and resurfacing of the roadway as part of an ongoing construction project from Cortez Road to Manatee Avenue/State Road 64.
Motorists can expect temporary lane closures and nighttime work between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.
The advisory committee that has steered improvements along the Gulf Drive scenic highway and on Bradenton Beach’s waterfront is uncertain of its direction.
“There’s been changes in the city,” said Pat Gentry, who chairs the ScenicWAVES committee, which was formed with the merger of scenic highway and waterfronts groups to recommend projects, policies and programs to the city commission.
For the first time in 86 days, oil was not gushing from the ruptured BP Deepwater Horizon underwater well off the coast of Louisiana.
And, on Anna Maria Island, which has not been directly impacted by the spill and is not forecast to see oil, there was guarded joy July 15.
“I’m overjoyed, but I hope it works,” said Bradenton resident Samantha Eager as she joined friends for margaritas on the deck at the Sandbar restaurant in Anna Maria.
Bradenton Beach commissioners are eying a proposed 2010-11 budget that would provide for the same millage rate applied this year and a raise for city employees.
The commission, which has been discussing budget issues for months, met July 13 to review budget proposals for the police department and two public works operations — sanitation and streets and roads.
Both departmental budgets, in addition to other city department budgets, provide for a 5 percent raise for city employees, said Mayor Bob Bartelt.
For the first time in the city’s 60 years, there will be no tax increase in Holmes Beach for the third consecutive year, according to Mayor Rich Bohnenberger.
Unfortunately for city employees, there also will be no raises.
Bohnenberger and city treasurer Rick Ashley will finalize the city budget July 27.
Pat Shilling of Bradenton wins the fourth week of The Islander’s Top Notch photo contest with this image of a bait thief at Longboat Pass. Shilling wins an Island T-shirt, which can be claimed at the office, 5404 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach. She also is a nominee for the Top Notch grand prize, which includes $100, advertiser prizes and placement in Jack Elka’s 2011 calendar. For more information about the contest, go to www.islander.org.
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