March 8-11, 2018:  Sarasota Balloon Festival with dozens of hot air balloons taking the skies and performing spectacular night glows each evening.  The event is a combination of mass balloon ascents, competition flying, static …

SARASOTA — An 18-story, 73 unit condominium building called The Grande will be the first to rise out of the long-vacant Quay Sarasota development in the heart of Sarasota’s bay front.

The 73-unit property will be placed on the southwest corner of the site and will include a 9 …

Go have some local fun!

10. Hurricane Irma Relief Fundraiser at Bentley’s features former Moody Blues and Yes keyboardist.

9. Nationally-acclaimed comedian Darryl Lenox is at McCurdy’s.

8. Taste of Downtown is at Sarasota Opera House.

7. Heatstroke Hotrod Hoedown is a big, ol’ rockin’ block party …

Manatee County school board members John Colon, left, and Charlie Kennedy talk about the creative way the district revised the school schedule to make up four days lost to Hurricane Irma. Richard Dymond rdymond@bradenton.com

MANATEE 

Faced with finding a solution to make up four of …

 Spring training sites, Premier Sports Campus and Fox Lea Farm also bring in national events

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA — Sarasota’s Nathan Benderson Park is basking in the international spotlight as it hosts the 2017 World Rowing Championships.  This is the first time the global event has taken place …

Move-in ready and gently lived in 3 bedroom 2 bath end unit with enchanting panoramic water and golf course views. Extremely comfortable and very tastefully decorated, this delightful home is sold turnkey furnished, right down to the beach chairs. The 3rd bedroom is also ideally situated for use as a …

       What to know for the upcoming week:

• USPS mail delivery is still suspended.
• FPL is working around the clock to restore power. You can get updated outage numbers on the FPL website. 
• Many traffic lights are out. Treat intersection as a 4 way stop.  …

Funding for a new Atlanta Braves spring training complex in North Port has been conditionally approved by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, according to Sarasota County officials.

County officials announced that $20 million in funding had been conditionally approved Thursday and is the last bit of funding …

The local dolphin community has had a record year for calves, according to the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program (SDRP), a Chicago Zoological Society (CZS) program in collaboration with Mote Marine Laboratory. During the 2017 calving season, 19 calves have been documented by SDRP, the world's longest-running study of a …