https://www.yourobserver.com/news/longboat-key/news/www.yourobserver.com stories: Newsen-usMon, 15 Sep 2025 11:40:00 -0400https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/15/mote-sea-opens-early-october/Eric GarwoodMon, 15 Sep 2025 11:40:00 -0400https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/15/mote-sea-opens-early-october/Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium is opening its SEA site in early October.https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/15/longboat-mayor-town-without-property-taxes/S.T. CardinalMon, 15 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0400https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/15/longboat-mayor-town-without-property-taxes/A proposal that could eliminate property taxes in the state of Florida, would damage the funding of Longboat Key police and fire departments.https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/14/family-legacy-columbia-restaurant-next-generation/Dana KampaSun, 14 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0400https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/14/family-legacy-columbia-restaurant-next-generation/The Columbia Restaurant’s fourth-generation owner Casey Gonzmart Sr., believes that passion and fun are essential in running a restaurant empire.https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/13/jim-whitman-death-longboat-void-song/S.T. CardinalSat, 13 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0400https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/13/jim-whitman-death-longboat-void-song/Jim Whitman performs at the 2022 Kiwanis Lawn Party. The 20-year Longboat Key resident who often shared his musical talents on the Key died Sunday.https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/12/free-permits-longboat-extend/S.T. CardinalFri, 12 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0400https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/12/free-permits-longboat-extend/A partially destroyed home in the Twin Shores community on Longboat Key after Hurricane Milton.https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/12/charlie-kirk-rumble-longboat-key/S.T. CardinalFri, 12 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0400https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/12/charlie-kirk-rumble-longboat-key/Charlie Kirk (left) and Chris Pavlovski share the stage at a Turning Point USA event. Pavloski, chairman and CEO of the video platform Rumble, said Kirk was an early investor in Rumble and played a large part in bringing Rumble's headquarters to Longboat Key. "He brought free speech to Longboat Key and made it the free speech capital of the world," Pavlovski said.https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/10/residents-raise-houses-foundations-storm-rebuild/S.T. CardinalWed, 10 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0400https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/10/residents-raise-houses-foundations-storm-rebuild/Chris and Sue Udermann stand outside their partially-raised house in The Village in Longboat Key, nearly a year after Hurricane Helene dumped feet of floodwater into their retirement home.https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/10/longboat-first-vote-budget/S.T. CardinalWed, 10 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0400https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/10/longboat-first-vote-budget/Longboat Key Town Commission met for a public hearing Monday, Sept. 8 where the commission gave unanimous initial approval for the 2026 fiscal year budget, which will take effect Oct. 1 if commission gives final approval at the Sept. 22 public hearing.https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/09/future-broadway-roundabout-approved/S.T. CardinalTue, 09 Sep 2025 14:15:00 -0400https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/09/future-broadway-roundabout-approved/An updated rendering of the Broadway Roundabout from the May 1 public discussion.https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/04/lords-warehouse-thrift-shop-closes/Dana KampaThu, 04 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0400https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/04/lords-warehouse-thrift-shop-closes/Val Evanko, Joyce Mazurek and Dona Petruccelli run the counter at the Lord's Warehouse reopening.https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/03/volunteers-mangrove-health-sarasota-bay-water-quality/Lesley Dwyer, S.T. CardinalWed, 03 Sep 2025 09:30:00 -0400https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/03/volunteers-mangrove-health-sarasota-bay-water-quality/In Sarasota Bay, patches of mangroves commonly dominate small islands, providing habitat for small fish in the trees’ root systems or for seabirds in their branches.https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/03/north-longboat-request-permit-extension/S.T. CardinalWed, 03 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0400https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/03/north-longboat-request-permit-extension/Debris remained a problem down many Longboat Key streets after Hurricane Milton.https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/02/swimmer-drowns-anna-maria-island/S.T. CardinalTue, 02 Sep 2025 13:25:00 -0400https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/02/swimmer-drowns-anna-maria-island/https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/02/traffic-stop-drug-arrests-longboat/Observer StaffTue, 02 Sep 2025 12:55:00 -0400https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/02/traffic-stop-drug-arrests-longboat/https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/02/gulf-of-mexico-drive-signs-renaming/S.T. CardinalTue, 02 Sep 2025 05:00:00 -0400https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/sep/02/gulf-of-mexico-drive-signs-renaming/A street sign marking the 6000 block of Gulf of Mexico Drive owned by the town will remain for now as discussions on whether to rename the main thoroughfare are underwayhttps://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/aug/30/historic-st-armands-home-lists/Eric GarwoodSat, 30 Aug 2025 05:00:00 -0400https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/aug/30/historic-st-armands-home-lists/The home at 139 S. Washington Drive in John Ringling estates is listed for sale, furnished, at $17.5 million.https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/aug/29/st-armands-italian-family-restaurant-reopen/Dana KampaFri, 29 Aug 2025 10:30:00 -0400https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/aug/29/st-armands-italian-family-restaurant-reopen/Simone Salustri and Amber Mayner started a new food truck, Buonissimo Mobile Italian Kitchen, to keep the family legacy of serving up Italian food to the community while they work to rebuild the former Le Colonne.https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/aug/27/longboat-fishing-line-out-of-ecosystems/Dana KampaWed, 27 Aug 2025 05:00:00 -0400https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/aug/27/longboat-fishing-line-out-of-ecosystems/Jeff and Terri Driver from the Rotary Club of Longboat Key join Public Works Director Charlie Mopps in placing the first discarded monofilament fishing line into newly installed recycling receptacles at Overlook Park. As part of its environmental improvement initiatives, the club is working to get as much ghost fishing gear out of Longboat's waterways as possible.https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/aug/27/police-collaboration-public-safety-gulf-coast/S.T. CardinalWed, 27 Aug 2025 05:00:00 -0400https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/aug/27/police-collaboration-public-safety-gulf-coast/Sarasota Police force patrolling the waters to make sure the diving team is safe from the heavy currents.https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/aug/27/design-replacement-sewage-line/S.T. CardinalWed, 27 Aug 2025 05:00:00 -0400https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2025/aug/27/design-replacement-sewage-line/The subaqueous wastewater pipeline was damaged by corrosion from resting against a log or tree stump, spilling about 11 million gallons of sewage before being repaired, according to a Longboat Key permit support document.