Lakewood Ranch — your local wire.
Lakewood Ranch — your local wire.
Latest reporting from the Local Government desk.
Latest reporting from the Local Government desk.
Latest reporting from the Local Government desk.
Local Government
Manatee County commissioners moved forward Aug. 25 with a proposed ordinance that, if adopted, would give the Sheriff's Office additional enforcement tools against roughly 25 illegal gambling arcades in unincorporated Manatee County. The first of two required public hearings is expected Sept. 22.
Local Government
Manatee County commissioners moved forward Aug. 25 with a proposed ordinance that, if adopted, would give the Sheriff's Office additional enforcement tools against roughly 25 illegal gambling arcades in unincorporated Manatee County. The first of two required public hearings is expected Sept. 22.
Manatee County commissioners moved forward Aug. 25 with a proposed ordinance that, if adopted, would give the Sheriff's Office additional enforcement tools against roughly 25 illegal gambling arcades in unincorporated Manatee County. The first of two required public hearings is expected Sept. 22.
Local Government
Manatee County commissioners voted 5-0 on Wednesday to ban Flock license plate reader cameras from county parks, facilities and buildings, citing privacy concerns amplified by a Sarasota officer's recent arrest for misusing the surveillance technology.
Local Government
Establishment-backed Republicans won three of four Manatee County Commission primaries on Aug. 18, with neighborhood activist Elizabeth Arnold the lone grassroots winner; all four races advance to the Nov. 3 general election that will shape growth policy governing Lakewood Ranch.
Local Government
A Manatee County advisory board member alleges county administration violated its own resolution by canceling 25 agenda items and barring the Animal Services Advisory Board from discussing shelter operations, setting up a potential confrontation at the county commission's Aug. 25 meeting.
Local Government
Rep. Bill Conerly defeated challenger John Phillips 64%-36% in the Aug. 18 Republican primary for Florida House District 72, advancing to face Democrat Harvey Shifrin on Nov. 3 as Lakewood Ranch residents watch debates over SB 180, HOA reform and Amendment 3 play out in Tallahassee.
Local Government
Two freestanding emergency rooms are planned along State Road 64 near Lakewood Ranch, addressing a gap affecting roughly 45,000 residents who lack convenient emergency access. BayCare's proposal won unanimous planning commission approval Aug. 13 and heads to county commissioners next.
Local Government
Manatee County revealed that Jiggs Landing Preserve, minutes from Lakewood Ranch, is home to a bat colony that may number in the thousands, and a new bat condo built by Scout Troop 146 was installed in February to expand habitat for the nighttime pest controllers.
Local Government
A comprehensive guide to what Lakewood Ranch-area voters will find on their Aug. 18 primary ballot, covering four county commission seats, two school board races, the open CD-16 congressional seat, statewide primaries and CDD elections, plus early voting details.
Local Government
Rebuilding Together Greater Florida completed its first mobile home repair in Palmetto's Shadow Brook community on Aug. 12, fixing a storm-damaged roof and carport for a resident still recovering from the 2024 hurricanes, with three more Sarasota-Manatee area projects planned before December.
Local Government
Flock license plate reader cameras have been vandalized in at least three Sarasota County jurisdictions, with police warning the damage constitutes a felony as the regional debate over the surveillance technology intensifies near Lakewood Ranch.
Local Government
Two Lakewood Ranch residents launched MingoBid, a $1-starting online auction platform for returned and overstock retail merchandise, from a small warehouse on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard in August 2026, with plans to expand to multiple Sarasota-area locations within a year.
Local Government
FDOT will begin replacing the 1956 Cortez Bridge on SR-684 in September with a $123 million fixed-span bridge that eliminates drawbridge openings, keeping both traffic lanes open during about four years of construction.
Local Government
Manatee County Commissioners George Kruse and Tal Siddique challenged the county's 20% reserve policy at a July 30 budget session, targeting $4.8 million in park reserves and $25.6 million in transportation reserves for road maintenance while the board held the tentative millage rate at 6.0326 ahead of a Sept. 24 final vote.
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©2026 Lakewood Ranch Beacon
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©2026 Lakewood Ranch Beacon
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