Bonner Joy

The race is on to secure agreements for beach equipment rental operations in Anna Maria in 2027. City commissioners unanimously voted Aug. 27 to adopt an

Streetlife is based on incident reports from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bradenton Beach and Holmes Beach police departments.

Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring found no new sea turtle nests the week beginning Aug. 31, but the team documented 20 hatched nests

The Islander’s Top Notch contest concludes with honorable mentions, including Rick Bisio’s photo of a heron encounter in his yard in Bradenton Beach.

Eyes on the road Stay informed before heading out with weekly updates on island-related roadwork, traffic impacts and the island’s free trolley

Staff members from the Key Royale Club in Holmes Beach hold certificates Aug. 28 that they received after completing hands-on fire safety and extinguisher training at the West Manatee Fire Rescue’s administrative headquarters, at 701 63rd St. W., Bradenton. Training also took place at the Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge in Bradenton Beach. Islander Photo: Courtesy West Manatee Fire Rescue/Reporting: Ryan Paice

Equipment and a crane are staged Sept. 2 near the site for the Cortez Bridge replacement project, with construction of a new high-rise fixed span expected to begin in November, about two months later than previously estimated, according to the Florida Department of Transportation. Manatee County is still working on moving a water main at the site. Initial bridge construction is expected to include pile driving and construction of a temporary trestle. Traffic will shift to a temporary diversion roadway in March 2027 and onto the first portion of the new bridge in July 2028, according to a DOT timeline provided Sept. 2. The new bridge is expected to open to traffic in October 2029, with project completion anticipated in early 2030, the DOT said. Islander Photo: Robert Anderson

One more phase of construction remains to be completed before the Anna Maria City Pier can reopen. Mayor Mark Short said Sept. 3 that the Tangerine Group

Holmes Beach hit a snag in its stormwater improvement project across Marina Drive — scheduling. Public works director Herb Raybourn said Sept. 3 that

Nearly two years ago, Hurricane Helene, then Milton, devastated Anna Maria Island, Cortez, Longboat Key and many other areas along the Gulf coast. The