Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More — Crews in Manatee County are wrapping up part of a beautification project in south Bradenton The median that lines El Conquistador Parkway is getting fresh grass and plants to enhance the area for drivers and people who live there There’s something so satisfying about freshly laid grass it’s like connecting nature’s puzzle pieces to create a beautiful green space the head of median beautification installations for Manatee County says connecting these squares connects medians like this with its surrounding community “We try to mimic some of the style of some of the houses or the businesses around,” Thomas said This is the 13th median in a two-and-a-half-year project that’s adding greener plant life to south Bradenton and whatever plants and trees that the landscape design calls for,” said Thomas The one Thomas is working on calls for grass and other native plants for our region Manatee County crews are making sure this spot looks better than before “It makes a good first impression on Manatee County to see beautiful roadways as they come into the neighborhoods,” Thomas said they’re using money from the southwest Tax Increment Financing fund to pay for the project and he says once they’re done here they’ll take pride in the work they just accomplished in beautifying this portion of Manatee County “When you see what the median looks like before you start to when you finish it’s definitely an improved product,” Thomas said And that’s as satisfying as connecting those final puzzle pieces together Thomas says he wants the public to get involved by giving their opinion on medians that could use some beautification He hopes that once this project is fully done it might be able to expand to other parts of the county Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInBRADENTON (WWSB) - Governor Ron DeSantis will hold a press conference in Bradenton Beach on Hurricane Helene impact at 1:00 p.m DeSantis will be located between 12th Street South and 13th Street South & Gulf Drive South Help support local journalism with a digital subscription to the Herald-Tribune Sarasota and Manatee counties are currently in danger from Hurricane Milton See below for the latest updates on Hurricane Milton for Sarasota and Manatee counties The National Hurricane Center said Hurricane Milton was bringing devastating rains and damaging winds inland to central Florida after slamming the Sarasota County coastline Wednesday night the storm was about 75 miles southwest of Orlando and moving east/northeast at 16 mph The system was expected to remain a hurricane until it crosses into the Atlantic A sustained wind of 92 mph and a gust of 107 mph were reported at a UF Sentinel/WeatherFlowstation in Venice A sustained wind of 58 mph and a gust of 82 mph were recently reported at Tampa International Airport Gusts of 94 mph and 77 mph were reported in Bartow and Winter Haven Manatee River tops major flood stageThe Manatee River has been measured above major flood stage following heavy rains by Hurricane Milton The river reached a level of 15.57 feet near Rye Road at 10:15 p.m just above the 15-foot major flood stage threshold according to date from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Many homes flooded in the area during Hurricane Debby in August leading to questions about the potential impact water releases from the Lake Manatee dam during the rainiest days of the storm on residential flooding downstream Water levels at the Lake Manatee have not been updated since 8 p.m. when the lake's water level stood at about 37.4 feet Authorities have repeatedly said the Lake Manatee dam is meant to be used for water reservoir purposes and not as a flood control structure and that water must be allowed to flow down the Manatee River at the same rate as it flows into the lake to protect integrity of the dam In the costal retirement community of Venice close to where Milton’s eye came ashore city officials were sheltered in their emergency operations bunker to ride out the storm They have not yet received any firsthand damage reports and were watching live feeds from storm chasers in the area She said officials had expected low areas to flood and were waiting to see how bad the storm surge was in other areas at first light Lorenz urged residents to stay away from storm-damaged areas so rescue crews to work unimpeded Evacuees are often barred from returning immediately which is why some people refuse to leave in the first place.“Really we need to push to folks to not try to visit your home first thing in the morning if you’ve left the area and to allow teams and emergency personnel to be on the roads first,” Lorenz said “We and most areas will post images from the field to the city Facebook page to curb the disaster tourism and help people get a feel for the damage.” 11 p.m.: Latest power outage numbers top 390,000FPL customers in Sarasota County reported at 227,000 in Sarasota and 163,650 in Manatee Sustained winds of 69 mph and a gust of 102 mph were recorded at 9:36 p.m the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport weather station Sarasota County reported more than 9,000 community members and close to 1,700 pets are in Sarasota County evacuation centers there are more than 10,000 people in the shelters more than 10,500 calls came into the Sarasota County 311 call center The top three departmental calls are Emergency Management The number of customers without power is up to 160,400 in Sarasota County and more than 127,400 in Manatee winds have flipped to out of the north in Sarasota County and are more out of the west and northwest south to Venice and Charlotte Harbor That means onshore winds will be piling the storm surge into west-central Florida for the next several hours on the west and south side of the hurricane The surge danger is NOT over from Sarasota south he said.Farther south in Fort Myers and Naples surge has generally been on the order of 4-6’ and is still rising strong anti-surge of several feet in Tampa Bay as water is blown out of the bay by northeast winds 9 p.m.: More than 60,000 FPL customers without power in Sarasota, ManateeFPL reports 26,500 customers without of power in Sarasota County and 33,620 in Manatee The National Hurricane Center said Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key as a Category 3 storm with 120 mph winds A sustained wind of 78 mph and a gust of 97 mph was recently reported at a station in Venice and a a sustained wind of 77 mph and a 100 mph gust was recently reported at a station at Egmont Channel The storm was estimated about 5 miles west of Sarasota and moving east/northeast at 15 mph 8 p.m.: Hurricane Milton near landfall; wind gust of 96 mph recorded at SRQCategory 3 Hurricane Milton is "close to making landfall," the National Hurricane Center said in a bulletin The storm is 20 miles west/southwest of Sarasota and moving east/northeast at 15 mph.The storm will make landfall "just south of the Tampa Bay region" within the next hour or two and then move across the central part of the Florida peninsula overnight and emerge off the east coast of Florida on Thursday Little change in strength is likely until landfall Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 255 miles A sustained wind of 54 mph and a gust of 96 mph was recently reported at the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport A station in Venice recently reported a sustained wind of 71 mph with a gust to 90 mph 7 p.m.: Hurricane Milton moving ashore in Tampa-St. Petersburg areaThe National Hurricane Center reported Hurricane Milton's northern eyewall was starting to "spread" onshore near Tampa and St where an Extreme Wind Warning is now in effect The center said extremely dangerous hurricane-force winds are spreading over the region A sustained wind of 61 mph and a gust of 77 mph was recently reported at a WeatherFlow station at Egmont Channel A sustained wind of 44 mph and a gust of 77 mph were recently reported at the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport And a sustained wind of 55 mph and a gust of 71 mphwas recently reported at a WeatherFlow station at Skyway Fishing Pier the hurricane center said in its most recent update The storm was technically located about 35 miles west/southwest of Sarasota with sustained winds of 120 mph 7 p.m.: Hurricane Milton spawns dozens of tornado warningsAs of 6 p.m the National Weather Service in Miami issued 55 tornado warnings and 98 tornado warnings were issued by NWS Tampa Bay The NWS said there were at least nine confirmed tornadoes today in our NWS Miami area weather data from the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport has recorded sustained winds in the 30 to 40 mph range More than 5 inches of rain has fallen at the airport today 5:28 p.m.: Sarasota County advises people to 'SHELTER IN PLACE'As of 5:15 p.m it is no longer safe to be on the roadways "Individuals SHOULD NOT go out on the roadways There are reports of flooding and it is not safe to be out on the road for the duration of the storm The only people who should be on the roadways at this time are first responders Hurricane Milton was about 60 miles west/southwest of the Sarasota coastline the National Hurricane Center reported in its 5 p.m Milton is a Category 3 story with sustained winds of 120 mph down slightly from from earlier in the day It was forecast to keep moving in this direction through tonight the center of Milton will make landfall near or just south of the Tampa Bay region this evening move across the central part of the Florida peninsula overnight Wind gusts in the area were reported around 63 mph the storm has been sheared by high level winds pushing the heaviest precipitation to the north of the center Computer models project that the hurricane will slow down some "and turn more to the right very soon taking the center near or just south of Tampa Bay later this evening," the latest forecast said Milton is likely to be right near the threshold of a major hurricane when it reaches the west-central coast of Florida this evening Some of the most significant wind impacts will likely be north of the center "regardless of the exact intensity at landfall." Sarasota County advises evacuation window nearly closedSarasota County said in a news update that if people haven't evacuated yet "that window to get to safety is closing and ...THEY NEED TO LEAVE NOW." "Individuals risk being stranded as the winds increase and first responders are not able to be on the roads." more than 8,640 people and close to 1,530 pets are in Sarasota County evacuation centers Sarasota County reported that hundreds of National Guard members are staged at Riverview High School to assist with recovery after the storm Neither the Sarasota County nor Manatee County jails are being evacuated for Hurricane Milton isn’t being evacuated because it’s in evacuation Level E Community Affairs Director Evan Keats shared in an email Nearly 1,200 incarcerated people in the Manatee County Jail Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Randy Warren said in an email that in an abundance of caution incarcerated individuals who require medical care or have physical disabilities are being relocated to the secure second level The jail also has multiple generators for emergency power and extra staff and EMS are also on-site to assist with any issues and enough food and water for several days “We are confident in the strength of our correctional facility The Manatee County Jail is a hurricane-rated two-story structure built on higher ground,” he said  Warren added that if water reaches the ground floor all inmates and staff will be moved upstairs Deputies are continuing to monitor the storm closely The city of Bradenton is cautioning residents that there is a large water main break in the area south of 9th Avenue East and north of 26th Avenue East that crews will not be able repair prior to the arrival of Hurricane Milton The water main break is affecting water service to homes and businesses in the area The city's public works department clamped the broken pipe to slow water flow but are unable to complete full repairs before the storm makes landfall Crews intend to prioritizing the repair once conditions are safe Flooding has been reported in North Port neighborhoods near the Myakkahatchee Creek in Lady Slipper/Oaks Park on either side of I-75 and between Sumter Boulevardd and the Big Slough Residents are encouraged to evacuate immediately to Heron Creek School before conditions get worse Sarasota County reports winds picking up, approaching threshold at which emergency crews can't respondSarasota County reported that the highest sustained winds were 22 mph at the Venice Fishing Pier Once winds reach 45 mph people will need to shelter in place People can call 911 if they have an emergency "but be aware that responses will be delayed until it's safe for teams to get back on the roads." Category 4 Hurricane Milton is expanding as it moves toward Florida's west coast the National Hurricane Center said in its 2 p.m The storm was about 130 miles west of Fort Myers and 150 miles southwest of Tampa It was moving north/northeast at about 16 mph Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 250 miles A rain gauge at the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport recorded a wind gust of 52 mph this afternoon as an outer band of Milton passed Manatee County authorities are asking residents to "hunker down" and no longer venture out of shelter as conditions deteriorate ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall More than 10,000 Manatee County residents have taken refuge at county operated emergency shelters and authorities are asking residents to stay wherever they have chosen to ride out the hurricane "We do not advise you going anywhere at this time as conditions are rapidly getting worse," Manatee County Chief of Emergency Management Matthew Myers said and EMS and fire are no longer responding to the islands Public Safety Director Jodie Fiske said authorities could consider forcing power outages if necessary to protect critical infrastructure but that such decisions are not pre-emptively planned She said Lake Manatee drinking water reservoir water levels have been lowered to 36 feet above sea level and cautioned residents that the county anticipates the release of water from the lake to protect the integrity of the Lake Manatee dam from heavy rainfall "Heavy winds and rains are expected for most of the evening and into Thursday," Fiske said "Storm surge impact is expected to be the greatest among our coastal communities from 6 a.m While rainfall amounts and storm surge will fluctuate greatly depending on exactly where the storm comes ashore citizens are advised to be patient and not venture out until it is safe to do so." Fiske noted that there have already been multiple confirmed tornadoes in counties including Lee and Glades She cautions residents to be mindful of the many dangers associated with hurricanes "This storm has everything that we talk about when we talk about potential dangers with a hurricane," Fiske said So I would like for people to be mindful and make sure they are signed up for all of the alerts as well." The Skyway Bridge is now closed to all traffic For travel conditions monitor: FL511| Florida Traffic | Commuter Information Charlotte County has enacted a curfew from 9 p.m The curfew will be in place until further notice The curfew includes a ban on the sale of alcohol between 9 p.m "Although I recognize the frustrations that come with enacting a curfew this is a means of protecting the people and property of Charlotte County during and following Hurricane Milton.” said Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell in a statement released by the county the only people who should be out on the roadways during those hours are essential workers as they strive to assess damage and provide assistance to those in need and people traveling to and from work.” "We will be strictly enforcing a curfew in the city of Punta Gorda for the safety of our citizens,” said Punta Gorda Police Chief Pam Smith “This curfew will allow emergency responders to focus on post-storm rescue and recovery efforts.” Manatee County officials have suspended fire and EMS services to Anna Maria Island and immediate surrounding areas due to hazardous conditions The News Service of Florida reported that as Hurricane Milton approached a Florida landfall Wednesday "evacuees faced gas stations that were out of fuel and utility companies warned of lengthy post-storm power outages." “While there is the hope that (Milton) will weaken before landfall there is high confidence that this hurricane is going to produce a major major punch and do an awful lot of damage,” Gov Ron DeSantis said during a news conference at the state Emergency Operations Center The gas-price tracking service GasBuddy reported about 1,822 of the 7,912 gas stations in Florida "DeSantis maintained Wednesday there is not a shortage while saying the state is preparing post-storm contingencies for fuel shipments because Milton could directly affect Port Tampa Bay and Port Manatee which are important for deliveries," the News Service reported Florida is expecting to have about 50,000 utility line workers to be ready for repairs after the storm State Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis on Tuesday estimated potential insurance losses from the storm could reach $20 billion evacuation window closing; Fruitville Elementary shelter filledSarasota County is actively monitoring winds ahead of the storm to can give community members every moment to get out If they don’t they risk being stranded as the winds increase Fruitville Elementary is no longer options for evacuation The next closest evacuation center is Philippi Shores Elementary and the Gulf Gate Elementary parking lot is full A Bradenton water main break has impacted areas south of 9th Avenue East and north of 26th Avenue East between 17th Street East and 27th Street East Crews were working to restore service ahead of Hurricane Milton 11 a.m.: Forecasters say time running out to prepare for Milton as early effects felt on southern FloridaThe National Hurricane Center's latest update on Category 4 Hurricane Milton said "tornadic supercells" from the storm are sweeping across southern Florida including evacuate if told to do so is quickly coming to an end along the Florida west coast." Milton was about 160 miles west/southwest of Fort Myers and 190 miles southwest of Tampa with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph and higher gusts "A northeastward motion with some decrease in forward speed is expected through this evening," the forecast said "A turn toward the east-northeast and east is expected on Thursday and Friday the center of Milton will move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico today make landfallalong the west-central coast of Florida tonight and move off the east coast of Florida over the western Atlantic Ocean on Thursday." The storm Milton is expected to remain an extremely dangerous major hurricane when it reaches the west-central coast of Florida tonight and remain at hurricane strength while it movesacross the Florida peninsula through Thursday." Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles the hurricane center said some dry air is entering the storm and high level winds are expected today that could weaken the storm some since Milton only has another 12 hours or so over water it is expected to still be a major hurricane when it makes landfall tonight," and is expected to strike the coast as a Category 3 or 4 storm "A slow decay in the winds is expected after landfall but Milton is anticipated to moveoff the east coast of Florida on Thursday still as a hurricane." Category 3 storms have winds up to 129 mph The forecasters said Milton will also begin interacting with a front this evening which is likely to "cause the wind field to expand on the hurricane's northwestern side gusty winds to occur even to the north of whereMilton makes landfall." "We would like to emphasize that Milton's exact landfall location is not possible to predict even at this time particularly if the hurricane wobbles during the day and into this evening NHC's track forecasts can be off by an average" of 20 to 30 miles "Since storm surge forecasts are highly sensitive to the exact track this means that the realized storm surge heights across the Tampa Bay region and south may vary widely and there will likely be a noticeable gradient of surge heights to the north of the landfall location the risk of devastating storm surge still exists across much of the west-central and southwest coast of Florida given the size of the storm and the uncertainties in exactly wherelandfall will occur and heavy rainfall will extend well outside the forecast cone This is a very serious situation and residents in Florida should closely follow orders from their local emergency management officials Evacuations and other preparations should be completed over the next couple of hours." Due to life-threatening storm surge forecasted at the city of Venice water plant the Venice will be shutting down all city potable water on Wednesday afternoon The water will be kept on as long as safely possible finish making all water storage preparations now and be aware that it may be several days until water service is restored The city advised people to heed evacuation orders for Levels A Anyone choosing to shelter in place should prepare accordingly and collect and store as much water as possible These procedures are standard during a storm of this magnitude to protect the potable water system and maintain service to critical facilities 10:45 a.m.: Taylor Ranch Elementary in south Sarasota County no longer available for evacuation Taylor Ranch Elementary School near Venice is no longer available as an evacuation center for people planning to leave the area There are 10 other evacuation centers available in Sarasota County to seek safe shelter from the storm The next closest evacuation center is at Heron Creek Middle School 6501 W Price Blvd A full list of open evacuation centers is at scgov.net/evaccenters today more than 4,100 people and more than 700 pets are in county evacuation centers Including county and school district personnel staffing the centers there are more than 5,300 people in Sarasota County evacuation centers All evacuation centers have space for more community members "If you need a shelter of last resort for Hurricane Milton leave now and head to an evacuation center by visiting scgov.net/EvacCenters," according to the update For anyone who leaves the shelter after checking in and are expecting to return we cannot guarantee their original room assignment as many people are seeking shelter in our evacuation centers Free shuttles to evacuation centers are being offered in North Port with pick-up points at the Publix at West Villages Marketplace 12165 Mercado Drive; Walmart Neighborhood Grocery Manatee County said bridges to the barrier islands have been closed to through traffic Manatee Avenue westbound across the causeway and bridge is closed at the end of Perico Island Cortez Road westbound bridge traffic is stopped at 127th St The bridges are open for Emergency Access Only Westbound Manatee County Public Works staff is also prepared to barricade and close the following bridges as conditions warrant: Jim Davis Rd at Gamble Creek Manatee County is opening six additional shelters at 10 a.m.:Electa Lee Magnet Middle School (4000 53rd Ave Robert Willis Elementary School (14705 The Masters Ave. Annie Lucy Williams Elementary School (3404 Fort Hamer Rd. There is still space available at the already opened locations: A special needs shelter is also open for those who have pre-registered Lake Manatee Dam levels have been lowered to 35.9 feet allowing staff to moderate flows through the dam projected rainfall amounts from Hurricane Milton may require flows from the dam to increase to match inflow rates residents in potentially impacted areas will be notified in advance Debris collection has been halted in Manatee County The Manatee County Landfill at Lena Road has closed until after the storm 8 a.m.: 'Historic, catastrophic, life-threatening' - what to expect from Hurricane Milton in Sarasota and Manatee countiesHurricane Milton is forecast to make landfall in the Sarasota-Manatee area as a Category 4 storm with 130 mph winds, according to the 7 a.m. briefing of the National Weather Service It will be the strongest storm to make landfall in the Tampa Bay area in more than 100 years life-threatening – all those words summarize the situation,” said Austen Flannery a forecaster with the NWS Tampa Bay office A life-threatening storm surge of 10 to 15 feet is forecast for Manatee and Sarasota counties Flannery stressed that the storm surge will be more than double that of the record surge from Hurricane Helene – also accompanied by “very Water levels will start to increase Wednesday afternoon and peak Thursday morning – with residual increases through the afternoon Flannery said that Milton has been a very strong compact storm so far but as a front that will steer the storm approaches Florida He said there was still some time for people to move to a safer shelter Wednesday morning but “the window to leave is very quickly coming to a close.” Flannery said that there may come a time when people need to take refuge within their shelter – like for a tornado – in an interior When will tropical storm force winds arriveMilton is 300 miles southwest of Tampa Hurricane-force winds extend out 30 miles and tropical storm-force winds extend 125 miles Tropical storm winds are forecast to arrive in Sarasota-Manatee between 2 and 4 p.m with hurricane winds following later in the evening Tropical storm winds will likely leave the area between 9 a.m A flood watch is forecast for the entire Sarasota-Manatee area through Thursday evening as Hurricane Milton brings 6-12 inches of rain Flannery said on the northern portion of the eye the rainfall could approach that recently experienced from Hurricane Debby “The heaviest rainfall is going to be along Many rivers are forecast to go into moderate to major flood stage The Myakka River at Myakka State Park is already at minor flood stage and is projected to reac 10.6 feet after 5 p.m The Peace River was below the action stage Wednesday morning It is projected to reach the minor flood stage of 8 feet by 5 a.m Friday and major flood stage of 10.1 feet after 5 a.m Heavy rainfall is forecast throughout Thursday The highest risk for flash flooding is along the north of the forecast track The threat of many tornadoes exists through Thursday morning Rainfall shouldn’t generate the same river flooding as was experienced in and around the city of North Port from Hurricane Ian in 2022 adding that as much as 26 inches of rain fell in isolated areas But storm surge could prompt flooding in North Port and along the Myakka River “The one tricky part is still the storm surge component which is going to back water up the rivers,” Flannery said Hurricane Milton has maximum sustained winds of 160 mph and is a Category 5 storm, according to the 5 a.m. National Hurricane Center update "The global models agree that vertical wind shear is expected to begin to increase over Milton later today there is high confidence that Milton will remain a very dangerous hurricane when it reaches Florida and maintain hurricane status as it moves across the state," reads the NHC forecast Hurricane Milton is also expected to grow in size and cover a large area with hurricane-force winds by the time it reaches land The NHC predicts Hurricane Milton will be on the low end of Category 4 when it makes landfall The rainfall forecast for Sarasota and Manatee counties has increased The deadly storm surge expected in Sarasota and Manatee counties has not changed: 10-15 feet more than twice what the area received during Hurricane Helene Sarasota County has announced it will begin evacuations today for people living in Levels A as well as everyone living in mobile homes or RVs The county may extend that to people in Level C Manatee County has announced evacuations for those living in Levels A as well as everyone living in a mobile home or RV Due to the early effects of Hurricane Milton many coastal areas will not be deliverable this morning Subscribers who can get a paper will receive one this morning they will receive the Wednesday edition the next time we deliver Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells gave an update Friday on an attempted home invasion that led to a homeowner opening fire, hitting and killing one of the suspects (FOX 13 Tampa Bay). YouTube Tips ⓘ A South American immigrant convicted of home invasion and residential burglary in Oak Brook and an absconder at large for a parole violation with the Illinois Department of Corrections was shot and killed by a homeowner while he was allegedly committing a home invasion in Bradenton His accomplice was arrested a few blocks away during a k-9 track An absconder is a person who has been released from custody or probation/parole and has gone missing while avoiding legal process or authorized control Absconders are also known as fugitives or fugitives from justice According to the Bradenton Herald and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, just after 9 p.m., Thursday, December 26, 2024 the images of two masked offenders were caught on the homeowner’s video surveillance entering the back of a house in the block of 6700 Hickory Hammock Circle in the River Club community east of Bradenton The River Club community is not a gated community and is located on the west side of Manatee County which is across Tampa Bay and southeast of St Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells said the victim homeowner’s surveillance camera detected motion on the side of the home and told his wife to find a safe place and grabbed his gun The homeowner and his wife had been enjoying their night at home when the husband got an alert from the home security cameras He told his wife to get to a “safe place” before grabbing his firearm and walking into a bedroom where he was “immediately” confronted by one of the masked invaders already inside his home The homeowner fired three shots in the bedroom from a semi-automatic 9 mm pistol who was still climbing through the window to enter the house Manatee County Sheriff’s Deputies reported that they tracked the fleeing suspect with K-9 units was transported to a local hospital for minor K-9 bite injuries according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Michel Soto-Mella is believed to have migrated from Chile into California a few months ago Police authorities in Florida identified the male offender who was shot and killed as Jorge Nestevan Flores-Toledo identified in Florida as a 27-year-old from Mexico Police indicated that the suspect also uses an alias of Anibal Miller-Valencia the Illinois-convicted offender was known as Anibal Miller-Valencia the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office became aware that Miller-Valencia had an active warrant out of DuPage County Illinois and the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) for parole violation Identified in Illinois as South American immigrant from Chile in 2023 — accused of being the getaway driver for an accomplice involved in a home invasion and residential burglary Anibal Miller-Valencia was sentenced four years in the Illinois Department of Corrections as a criminal involved in home invasion and residential burglary but he was paroled in just under six months Anibal Miller-Valencia (5’03” 158 LBS) was released on parole in Illinois on November 22 and was shot dead just over one month later in the Florida home invasion DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin and Oak Brook Chief of Police Brian Strockis announced that bond was set Monday morning 2023 for a South American immigrant accused being the accomplice connected to a break-in home invasion at an Oak Brook home in January 2023 2023 where Judge Joseph Bugos set bond at $1.5 million with 10% to apply Miller-Valencia has been charged with one count of Home Invasion (Class X Felony) and one count of Residential Burglary (Class 1 Felony) he faced a penalty of between six to thirty years in the Illinois Department of Corrections the South American immigrant served almost 6 months in jail for residential burglary and home invasion before being released on parole on November 22 officers with the Oak Brook Police Department responded to a call of a home invasion on Luthin Road officers spoke to a female juvenile who was home alone at the time of the incident Following an investigation into the matter it is alleged Miller-Valencia and two unknown accomplices drove to a nearby forest preserve parking lot and parked their car the two unknown accomplices left the vehicle while Miller-Valencia waited behind Miller-Valencia’s unknown accomplices then went to the home on Luthin Road broke a rear glass door and entered the home the juvenile hid behind a door and that after a short time the two individuals fled into a nearby wooded area officers found Miller-Valencia in the forest preserve parking lot seated in the driver’s seat of the car with the car running “I can’t imagine the terror this young victim must have felt when she heard glass breaking and unknown voices in her house while she was home alone Everyone has a right to feel safe in their own home that sense of safety has now been shattered The type of violent behavior alleged in this case also has a crippling effect on the entire community Thanks to the quick response of the Oak Brook Police Department one of the individuals suspected in this case is now in custody and if found guilty is facing a significant amount of time behind bars I thank the Oak Brook Police Department for their outstanding work on this case as well as the multitude of other agencies that assisted I also thank Assistant State’s Attorneys Helen Kapas Alyssa Rabulinski and Thomas Elsner for their efforts in assisting with the investigation and preparing a strong case against Mr — DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert B “Oak Brook Police Officers work diligently on a daily basis to keep our community safe A person’s home should be their safe haven and this incident violated that space I’m incredibly proud of our response to this incident and coordinated efforts of twenty-one other police agencies that responded to assist I’d like to thank all the agencies that responded with officers I’d also like to thank our detectives who worked tirelessly throughout the weekend with State’s Attorney Bob Berlin and his office to secure charges.” — Oak Brook Chief of Police Brian Strockis Miller-Valencia’s next court appearance was scheduled for February 6 for arraignment in front of Judge Ann Celine O’Hallaren Walsh Members of the public are reminded that this complaint contains only charges and is not proof of the defendant’s guilt A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial in which it is the government’s burden to prove his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt — DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office South American immigrants account for a fraction of all immigrants from Latin America with populations from Mexico and Central America significantly larger South American immigrants in the United States from Chile in 2019 were calculated at 94,000 in 2019 The top three immigrant counts from South American countries are Colombia (808,000) Home invaders ransacked a home in Oak Brook over the weekend, taking valuables while a teenage girl was still at home. YouTube Tips ⓘ Fraud by Omission: Village of Mount Prospect Omits Important Details from Battering Case of Teens Using Gay Dating App to Lure Victims “Someday soon we’ll stop to ponder what on earth’s this spell we’re under.” so don’t waste it living someone else’s life Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual.” Subscribe for unlimited digital access to the news that matters to your community by Robert Anderson | Be the first to comment Manatee County is nearing completion on a nearly 18-month-long sewer project along Gulf Drive South in Bradenton Beach County public information officer Bill Logan said public works would complete its final walk-through this month involved the installation of a mile of new 10-inch and 8-inch gravity mains 21 sewer holes and around 100 6-inch laterals extending to homes on the side streets from Sixth Street South to 13th Street South along Gulf Drive The goal was to minimize the risk of pipe failures and leaks The result was an almost daily north-south traffic snarl during peak traffic from and to Longboat Key and Coquina Beach A county update June 21 said repaving on Sixth Street South and Seventh Street South was complete and the roadways were open to traffic Residents now have access to their driveways Logan said the project as of June 24 was 2-3 months ahead of schedule Gulf Drive South from Sixth Street South to 13th Street South underwent paving and reopened to traffic June 19 The project also included the installation of new rectangular rapid-flashing beacon crosswalks at 11th Street South and Ninth Street South which are expected to be operational later this month The county advises pedestrians to use activated crosswalks at Fifth Street South and south of 13th Street South near the Coquina North Boat Ramp The remaining project phases will focus on side-street improvements and restoring parking areas on the west side of Gulf Drive South To advertise here, please visit our rates pageor contact us at:sales@islander.orgPhone: (941) 778-7978Fax: (941) 778-9392 View Results Sign up to receive FREE email alerts when we update our site with news and classfieds For general information: info@islander.org Site design & maintained by Wayne Ansell 07:01 Bradenton Beach braces for onslaught of Hurricane Milton as Helene's scars remain fresh FOX Weather Correspondent Robert Ray shows the lingering destruction along Bradenton Beach from Hurricane Helene's storm surge amid forecasts of storm surge reaching several feet higher with Hurricane Milton Ron DeSantis visited Bradenton Beach to assess damage He held a press conference Saturday afternoon Officials from the Florida Division of Emergency Management and FEMA also arrived Over 457,000 Floridians remain without power and crews from energy providers are actively working to restore totals access to barrier islands is still limited or prohibited Utility crews are actively working to restore water to Bradenton Beach GRAND OPENINGS: Center in South Bradenton provides 24-hour emergency careSarasota Herald-TribuneHCA Florida South Bradenton Emergency is open and ready to deliver emergency services to residents in Bradenton and the neighboring communities offering board-certified emergency physician coverage 24 hours a day HCA Florida South Bradenton Emergency is a department of HCA Florida Blake Hospital and will provide the same level of emergency services available at the hospital’s main campus The 11,500-square-foot facility is equipped with advanced medical technology laboratory and pharmacy services on-site to ensure efficient In addition to delivering emergency medical care HCA Florida South Bradenton Emergency will contribute significantly to the local economy by creating approximately 32 full-time positions The team will include skilled professionals such as nurses pharmacy technicians and housekeeping staff This project represents an investment of more than $15 million with an estimated annual salary and benefits impact of more than $3 million which operates dozens of hospitals along the path of Hurricane Milton released this list of the statuses of hospitals in Tampa Bay and beyond The following medical centers are not open - HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors North Emergency part of HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital It’s unclear when these hospitals will resume normal operations. Real-time status updates on all HCA Florida hospitals can be found here 5 things to know about the 2024 hurricane season, according to forecasters. Forecasters predict ‘extremely active’ 2024 hurricane season. Here’s why. Could Tampa Bay flood insurance rise after a hurricane? A warning from Hurricane Ian Want to know what areas are flooding in Tampa Bay? Here’s where to look Checklists for building all kinds of storm kits. Justine Griffin is the economy and growth editor. She can be reached at jgriffin@tampabay.com. The Braden River Branch Library opened in 1997 as a permanent 15,000 sq later expanding in 2021 with an additional 4,000 sq and bay windows overlooking its four-acre site and garden and community events extends its services beyond the library walls Located on State Road 70 and east of Highway 301 Five (5) study rooms are available to reserve at Braden River Branch Library. For more information: Library Study Rooms by Robert Anderson | Be the first to comment A parking lot in the 200 block of Gulf Drive South in Bradenton Beach was partially under water July 11 and the lot’s owner was facing city scrutiny Bradenton Beach building official Darin Cushing said the lot at 219 Gulf Drive S. the site of the former Joe’s Eats and Sweets has an artesian well that was not permanently capped was leaking water onto the lot and down Third Street South toward Sarasota Bay Cushing outlined three issues the owner must correct to bring the lot into compliance and avoid a shutdown of the parking lot: The lot was constructed after the demolition of the building to make way for a planned 106-room resort that will include seven other properties between Bridge Street and Third Street South The 32-space lot was allowed by the city as a temporary use “This parking lot has been in operation for five months now during which time we have had to continually address the well issue,” Cushing wrote in the notice “We’ve also asked multiple times for a site plan to be prepared and turned in.” Cushing said a deadline for the completion of the tasks was July 12 and the lot would be closed and the area barricaded Kaleta responded to July 11 inquiries from The Islander via text saying “I was made aware this week that the well on my property sprang a leak The well had been previously repaired by a licensed well company.” so I have made the decision to have the well professionally capped This Could Help Forecast Hurricane Intensity Sign up for the Morning Brief email newsletter to get weekday updates from The Weather Channel and our meteorologists streets and homes were flooded and power lines and trees knocked down as H​urricane Milton made landfall Wednesday night on Florida's West Coast The storm roared ashore in the Sarasota County community of Siesta Key and beaches often ranked among the best in the U.S The area just south of Tampa Bay was under a mandatory evacuation order ahead of the storm and residents countywide were told to shelter in place as Milton moved in (MORE: Hurricane Milton Tracker | Latest Forecast For Milton) Here are our live updates from Wednesday into Thursday: Milton maintained hurricane strength early Thursday as it moved across Florida EDT update from the National Hurricane Center Milton was a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph It was located about 40 miles southwest of Orlando A falling crane hit the building housing the offices of the Tampa Bay Times around 10 p.m It apparently fell from a nearby construction site Hurricane Milton caused chaos hours before landfall, sparking a house fire and sinking several boats on Florida’s West Coast The home in South Bradenton caught fire amid power flashes from Milton’s outer bands Several boats also sank in nearby waters of Manatee County More than 2 million customers have lost electricity in Florida More than half of the outages are concentrated in Pinellas was ripped apart by Hurricane Milton on Wednesday Numerous social media posts showed the roof in tatters after Milton’s Category 3 winds tore through the area The stadium is home to baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson confirmed “loss of life” after at least one tornado ripped through Spanish Lakes Country Club Village Wednesday afternoon we are going through the rubble…we are trying to provide any help that we can,” Pearson said in an interview All emergency services in Sumter County have been suspended until conditions improve and it is safe to respond according to the Sumter County Board of County Commissioners Emergency officials there say these hazardous conditions make it extremely dangerous for responders to navigate the roads putting both their safety and that of individuals in need at risk More than 1.2 million customers have lost electricity in Florida From weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Belles: Milton's landfall in Sarasota County was a bit of a hybrid landfall The hurricane was gathering energy from both the warm Gulf of Mexico and from a nearby jet stream that will help launch Milton into the Atlantic This means that the effects of rainfall flooding and storm surge flooding will be bisected by the storm's path Parts of Southwest Florida are inundated by onshore flow while Tampa Bay to Orlando may see 10+ inches of rainfall through the night The landfall was the strongest landfall for the region in decades Milton will now cross Central Florida with tropical storm force winds and extremely heavy rainfall before getting into the Atlantic early Thursday Conditions will rapidly improve for the remainder of the week Taylor Swift has donated $5 million to Feeding America for Hurricanes Helene and Milton relief efforts The contribution will help communities rebuild water and supplies for those affected by the recent storms businesses and other customers are without electricity in Florida Here’s a breakdown of current numbers by county: H​ere's a look at some of the highest wind reports so far: -A gust of 96 mph at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport -​An 89 mph gust at Albert Whitted Airport which sits directly on Tampa Bay in downtown St Emergency services in many areas along Milton's path stopped responding to calls for service hours ago due to high winds Others will likely follow suit as the night goes on That means anyone who needs medical attention or rescue has to wait until the storm passes and conditions improve N​ote that this can be true in areas with or without mandatory evacuations Among the areas where some or all emergency services are suspended: including Anna Maria Island and the cities of Bradenton including the cities of Sarasota and Venice M​ore than 300,000 homes and businesses are now without electricity in Florida About half of those are in the Tampa Bay area including Pasco Outages are also widespread on the state's East Coast in Indian River A​n extreme wind warning is in effect for the metro Tampa area Gusts more than 100 mph are possible as Milton moves closer to landfall along the southwest Florida Gulf Coast The warning stretches from Palm Harbor south to near Sarasota and from the barrier island east to Plant City and Duette V​ideo shared to social media shows what the poster says is damage to a Sheriff's Office facility in St A rash of tornadoes and severe weather has been reported across the Florida Peninsula ahead of Milton's landfall on the West Coast R​esidents in Pinellas County just got an emergency alert telling them to "Shelter in place NOW." A social media update from the city said the city turned off power at two sewer treatment plants in order to protect employees and equipment from storm surge T​he Weather Channel's Jim Cantore is live in Charlotte Harbor where storm surge is starting to spread into waterfront parking garages and into streets businesses and other utility customers are without electricity in Florida The outages are in several counties on both sides of the state H​urricane Milton is about 60 miles west southwest of Sarasota according to the National Hurricane Center's just-released 5 p.m The storm is moving northeast at about 17 mph F​rom weather.com meteorologist Danielle Banks: M​ilton is growing in size which means more people will feel the storm’s impacts Tropical storm force winds or higher stretch about 250 miles across W​inds higher than 110 mph are possible in the Tampa Bay area and points south down to around Naples Winds greater than 74 mph are possible across Central Florida to the state's East Coast A​ wind gust of 68 mph was already reported in Fort Myers Beach W​ith Hurricane Milton spawning tornadoes ahead of landfall, it's important to know the meaning of a tornado warning vs. a tornado watch a tornado warning means it's time to take action A tornado has been seen or indicated on radar and it's time to move to shelter A​ watch means conditions make a tornado possible It should be considered a heads-up to pay closer attention to the weather The National Weather Service had this to say about tornadoes so far today: "It was really difficult to capture just how many cells have been spinning and capable of producing tornadoes" Milton is already taking power away from some customers in Florida. More than 70,700 outages are reported in the state, according to PowerOutage.us About 9,500 of those outages are located in Hillsborough County Another 8,500 are centralized in Lee County and 8,000 in Manatee County A 7-11 convenience store sustained damage after an apparent tornado in Cape Coral Photos show a knocked-over ice machine and a damaged awning For more photos, click through our slideshow here M​ajor arteries into and out of Tampa Bay's largest cities are now closed. The state Department of Transportation announced about an hour ago that the Sunshine Skyway, the Howard Frankland Bridge, Gandy Causeway and Courtney Campbell Causeway are all shut down says people who plan to stay in mandatory evacuation zones should write their names on their bodies with markers for identification purposes The dire warning is clear: Those who aren’t evacuating are in danger M​ilton will likely strike Florida as a major hurricane. That would make it the 10th Category 3 hurricane or higher to hit the U.S T​he deadly and destructive streak started with Hurricane Harvey's landfall near the Texas Gulf Coast on Aug. 25, 2017. The most recent was Hurricane Helene which caused damage up Florida's Gulf Coast before making landfall in the state's Big Bend region These storms have caused damages tallying up to more than $450 billion and caused the deaths of at least 550 people according to weather.com meteorologist Jennifer Gray R​ead her full write-up here Many residents there are now fleeing Milton we had about 6 feet of water inside our home and they're predicting the surge to be about 10 to 15 feet So it's going to be tough to come back to," Karina Kobil "And we're very scared about what's going to happen with our home So we were fearful that we were going to lose power for too many days And that's why we drove down here." (WATCH: St. Petersburg Family Flees To Miami) A​ webcam at the Naples Pier showed water washing high up onto the beach about 45 minutes ago Tide gauges showed levels were about 1.5 feet above normal at the time F​orty-six of Florida's 67 county school districts are closed Most also plan to remain closed Thursday and some have already announced closures for Friday T​he list of school closures includes five of the 10 largest school districts in the nation The tornadoes were located near the Miccosukee Service Plaza along I-75 There was another potential tornado in Florida City/Homestead From weather.com senior meteorologist Chris Dolce: “Tornadoes often occur with hurricanes approaching landfall especially in rain bands on the right side of where the circulation center is tracking.” Read more here about today's tornadoes so far Several major airports in Florida are closed resulting in hundreds of canceled arrivals and departures Closures include airports in Orlando and the Tampa Bay area Among the most impacted airlines according to FlightAware.com are Southwest Stores and businesses are closed in areas across the state About 500 of the 871 Publix stores in Florida are closed or operating on modified hours Wednesday and possibly through at least Thursday Walmart lists some stores open even in areas in the storm’s path The NWS in Miami confirmed a large and dangerous tornado west of Clewiston labeling it a “particularly dangerous situation.” Flying debris may be deadly to those caught without shelter and vehicles is likely and complete destruction is possible,” NWS warned Florida has opened 149 emergency shelters with the capacity to house nearly 200,000 people only about 31,000 evacuees are currently sheltering at these locations DeSantis is still urging residents to evacuate saying there is still a little time for people to get to a safe place they are flowing,” he said in a morning press conference “But the best option would probably be just to evacuate within your own county to one of the shelters.” NWS Miami posted on X that a tornado was crossing I-75 shortly after 10 a.m The twister was near the Miccosukee Service Plaza Another tornado was confirmed near the town of Weston A tornado watch is issued for virtually all of South Florida until 9 p.m Pinellas County is texting residents warning about the dangers of Milton THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO GET OUT BEFORE THE STORM,” the mass text read It continued: “Deadly storm surge expected.” Mandatory evacuations are in effect for zones A Evacuees and residents can find shelter info, storm resources and sign up for alerts like this by visiting disaster.pinellas.gov Rain is already spreading across parts of Florida well ahead of Milton’s landfall Photos show dark clouds and wet streets in Tampa and South Pasadena The hurricane is expected to bring 6 to 12 inches of rainfall, with catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding to the central and northern Florida Peninsula GasBuddy data reports that 22.8% of Florida’s gas stations are out of gas The largest percentage of outages is in the Tampa and St where more than 46% of gas stations are out of gas GasBuddy.com has a Gas Station Outage Tracker focused on the storm and Florida drivers can find gas by state and city through the website Florida’s Office of The Attorney General has received more than 200 complaints about price gouging as residents evacuate Most of the complaints are about the price of fuel and water and the top three areas of concern are Pinellas spokesperson for the state’s attorney general said Other callers are reporting the prices of overnight accommodations including an Airbnb listing for a “room in Tallahassee” priced at nearly $6,000 per night The Tampa area had the most reports of price gouging during Hurricane Helene and the state is deciding to crack down during Milton Millions of residents in areas vulnerable to Milton’s wrath Sarasota and Fort Myers are under mandatory evacuation orders Tampa residents were advised to be in a safe place by 7 a.m The mass exodus slowed highway traffic to a crawl Monday and Tuesday have set up additional fueling stations and recommended evacuees not travel further inland than necessary to try to free up evacuation routes but roadways still saw 150% of normal traffic Monday I​t's not just Florida's west coast – a "high risk" of flash flooding has been issued for areas all the way to the Atlantic coast through tomorrow morning Some areas in the red shading could see more than a month's worth of rain from Hurricane Milton T​he National Weather Service's Tampa Bay office mentioned these key tidbits in its 7 a.m - The track of Hurricane Milton continues to be a worst-case scenario for the Tampa Bay region southward to Charlotte - Confidence is increasing that landfall will take place somewhere in the Tampa Bay region south to Sarasota as a Category 4 storm - Negative surge can occur north of the landfall location but the average forecast error at this time is 40 miles and this is why values have not lowered as much around Tampa Bay Milton is sending moisture into South Florida and the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center warns that a few tornadoes could be spawned Residents in this area should activate severe weather alerts on their smartphone and have at least one other way to receive alerts Three people were injured when a small plane crashed into Tampa Bay Tuesday after taking off from Albert Whitted Airport in downtown St The three, plus one other person and a dog onboard, were evacuating ahead of Milton The dog and the other passengers were rescued by a good Samaritan The six-passenger plane sank to the bottom of the bay N​OAA's GOES-16 satellite captured this jaw-dropping image of Hurricane Milton late Tuesday night and the storm largely looks the same this morning Members of the Bradenton Police Department spent Tuesday moving 41,000 pieces of evidence from their headquarters which sits adjacent to the Manatee River on the south side of Tampa Bay They also moved equipment and records from their building “These items are secured off-site, with 24-7 security. No matter what Milton brings, we can ensure our community that we won’t miss a beat,” a social media post from the department read Cape Canaveral Hospital in Brevard County is closing and evacuating at 11 a.m The area is across the state from where Milton’s worst impacts are expected but it sits on a narrow causeway between two barrier islands the hospital is often evacuated when hurricanes are a threat At least 16 other Florida hospitals are also evacuating M​ilton remains a "catastrophic" Category 5 hurricane as of the 5 a.m advisory from the National Hurricane Center and despite some slight wobbles in the storm's track it remains on a path of destruction for Florida's west coast T​he storm surge forecast remains 10-15 feet from Tampa Bay into areas just south of there "Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida," said the NHC in its forecast discussion this morning Weather.com reporter Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather We recognize our responsibility to use data and technology for good We may use or share your data with our data vendors The Weather Channel is the world's most accurate forecaster according to ForecastWatch, Global and Regional Weather Forecast Accuracy Overview Sign up for the Morning Brief email newsletter to get weekday updates from The Weather Channel and our meteorologists streets and homes were flooded and power lines and trees knocked down as H​urricane Milton made landfall Wednesday night on Florida's West Coast (MORE: Hurricane Milton Tracker | Latest Forecast For Milton) Hurricane Milton caused chaos hours before landfall, sparking a house fire and sinking several boats on Florida’s West Coast The home in South Bradenton caught fire amid power flashes from Milton’s outer bands More than 2 million customers have lost electricity in Florida Numerous social media posts showed the roof in tatters after Milton’s Category 3 winds tore through the area The stadium is home to baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson confirmed “loss of life” after at least one tornado ripped through Spanish Lakes Country Club Village Wednesday afternoon “Search and rescue teams are on their way we are going through the rubble…we are trying to provide any help that we can,” Pearson said in an interview it is going to be a fatal storm,” he said All emergency services in Sumter County have been suspended until conditions improve and it is safe to respond More than 1.2 million customers have lost electricity in Florida From weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Belles: Milton's landfall in Sarasota County was a bit of a hybrid landfall This means that the effects of rainfall flooding and storm surge flooding will be bisected by the storm's path Taylor Swift has donated $5 million to Feeding America for Hurricanes Helene and Milton relief efforts Here’s a breakdown of current numbers by county: H​ere's a look at some of the highest wind reports so far: -​An 89 mph gust at Albert Whitted Airport Emergency services in many areas along Milton's path stopped responding to calls for service hours ago due to high winds N​ote that this can be true in areas with or without mandatory evacuations M​ore than 300,000 homes and businesses are now without electricity in Florida Outages are also widespread on the state's East Coast in Indian River A​n extreme wind warning is in effect for the metro Tampa area V​ideo shared to social media shows what the poster says is damage to a Sheriff's Office facility in St A rash of tornadoes and severe weather has been reported across the Florida Peninsula ahead of Milton's landfall on the West Coast R​esidents in Pinellas County just got an emergency alert telling them to \\\"Shelter in place NOW.\\\" -​First responders are now off the roads -​Settle into a safe place and stay put T​he Weather Channel's Jim Cantore is live in Charlotte Harbor H​urricane Milton is about 60 miles west southwest of Sarasota according to the National Hurricane Center's just-released 5 p.m F​rom weather.com meteorologist Danielle Banks: M​ilton is growing in size which means more people will feel the storm’s impacts W​inds higher than 110 mph are possible in the Tampa Bay area and points south down to around Naples Winds greater than 74 mph are possible across Central Florida to the state's East Coast A​ wind gust of 68 mph was already reported in Fort Myers Beach W​ith Hurricane Milton spawning tornadoes ahead of landfall, it's important to know the meaning of a tornado warning vs. a tornado watch a tornado warning means it's time to take action A tornado has been seen or indicated on radar and it's time to move to shelter A​ watch means conditions make a tornado possible \\\"It was really difficult to capture just how many cells have been spinning and capable of producing tornadoes\\\" Milton is already taking power away from some customers in Florida. More than 70,700 outages are reported in the state, according to PowerOutage.us For more photos, click through our slideshow here M​ajor arteries into and out of Tampa Bay's largest cities are now closed. The state Department of Transportation announced about an hour ago that the Sunshine Skyway, the Howard Frankland Bridge, Gandy Causeway and Courtney Campbell Causeway are all shut down The dire warning is clear: Those who aren’t evacuating are in danger M​ilton will likely strike Florida as a major hurricane. That would make it the 10th Category 3 hurricane or higher to hit the U.S T​he deadly and destructive streak started with Hurricane Harvey's landfall near the Texas Gulf Coast on Aug. 25, 2017. The most recent was Hurricane Helene which caused damage up Florida's Gulf Coast before making landfall in the state's Big Bend region R​ead her full write-up here and they're predicting the surge to be about 10 to 15 feet So it's going to be tough to come back to,\\\" Karina Kobil \\\"And we're very scared about what's going to happen with our home (WATCH: St. Petersburg Family Flees To Miami) A​ webcam at the Naples Pier showed water washing high up onto the beach about 45 minutes ago F​orty-six of Florida's 67 county school districts are closed T​he list of school closures includes five of the 10 largest school districts in the nation From weather.com senior meteorologist Chris Dolce: “Tornadoes often occur with hurricanes approaching landfall of where the circulation center is tracking.” Read more here about today's tornadoes so far Among the most impacted airlines according to FlightAware.com are Southwest Walmart lists some stores open even in areas in the storm’s path The NWS in Miami confirmed a large and dangerous tornado west of Clewiston labeling it a “particularly dangerous situation.” “You are in a life-threatening situation and vehicles is likely and complete destruction is possible,” NWS warned they are flowing,” he said in a morning press conference “But the best option would probably be just to evacuate within your own county to one of the shelters.” THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO GET OUT BEFORE THE STORM,” the mass text read It continued: “Deadly storm surge expected.” Evacuees and residents can find shelter info, storm resources and sign up for alerts like this by visiting disaster.pinellas.gov Rain is already spreading across parts of Florida well ahead of Milton’s landfall The hurricane is expected to bring 6 to 12 inches of rainfall, with catastrophic and life-threatening flash flooding to the central and northern Florida Peninsula GasBuddy data reports that 22.8% of Florida’s gas stations are out of gas GasBuddy.com has a Gas Station Outage Tracker focused on the storm Florida’s Office of The Attorney General has received more than 200 complaints about price gouging as residents evacuate spokesperson for the state’s attorney general said including an Airbnb listing for a “room in Tallahassee” priced at nearly $6,000 per night The Tampa area had the most reports of price gouging during Hurricane Helene Millions of residents in areas vulnerable to Milton’s wrath I​t's not just Florida's west coast – a \\\"high risk\\\" of flash flooding has been issued for areas all the way to the Atlantic coast through tomorrow morning Some areas in the red shading could see more than a month's worth of rain from Hurricane Milton T​he National Weather Service's Tampa Bay office mentioned these key tidbits in its 7 a.m and the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center warns that a few tornadoes could be spawned The three, plus one other person and a dog onboard, were evacuating ahead of Milton N​OAA's GOES-16 satellite captured this jaw-dropping image of Hurricane Milton late Tuesday night “These items are secured off-site, with 24-7 security. No matter what Milton brings, we can ensure our community that we won’t miss a beat,” a social media post from the department read Cape Canaveral Hospital in Brevard County is closing and evacuating at 11 a.m The area is across the state from where Milton’s worst impacts are expected At least 16 other Florida hospitals are also evacuating M​ilton remains a \\\"catastrophic\\\" Category 5 hurricane as of the 5 a.m and despite some slight wobbles in the storm's track it remains on a path of destruction for Florida's west coast T​he storm surge forecast remains 10-15 feet from Tampa Bay into areas just south of there \\\"Milton has the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida,\\\" said the NHC in its forecast discussion this morning Weather.com reporter Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather \\nThis Could Help Forecast Hurricane Intensity Your browser is not supported for this experience.We recommend using Chrome Dive into Southwest Florida history, arts, and nature in Bradenton on Florida’s Gulf Coast, about 30 minutes south of St. Petersburg Go to Old Main Street and shop at the Bradenton Market, which offers fresh produce, lively music, and free family activities, and the Manatee Village Historical Park where visitors can see historic buildings from Manatee County’s founding period of 1840 to 1918 Visitors looking for outdoor adventures can fish from the Riverwalk pier, get on the nature trails at Robinson Preserve, take a kayak tour at De Soto National Memorial Park, and visit the area’s beaches Plan your trip at Bradenton Gulf Islands The Brandenton area is home to a number of beautiful Gulf beaches Families with children will enjoy The Bishop Museum’s manatee habitat and planetarium and area beaches and parks offer plenty of outdoor fun and watch live orchestra and theater performances Grab a bite or a drink with your four-legged best friend The Bradenton area offers a number of accessible experiences and attractions Bradenton restaurants offer riverfront dining Shop for local art and check out boutiques in downtown Bradenton See where the Pittsburgh Pirates come for spring training and tee up at the area’s best golf courses Whether you want to book a vacation rental you can find it in Bradenton and the surrounding areas HOW TO DO FLORIDA How to Do Florida host Chad Crawford takes his family to the greater Bradenton area for a vacation — including a stop at.. and an arts village distinguish Bradenton as a great Florida destination- a cultural scene that's both ancient.. Bradenton's islands are among the finest in the world Beauty and Elegance Longboat Key is an enigmatic blend.. Copyright © document.write(new Date().getFullYear())2021 VISIT FLORIDA. All rights reserved. VISIT FLORIDA® is a service mark of the Florida Tourism Industry Marketing Corporation, d/b/a VISIT FLORIDA, registered in the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. | Contact Us HCA Florida Blake Hospital broke ground Dec. 4 on a free-standing emergency department in south Bradenton at 6215 14t Street West, roughly a month after it started construction on a new free-standing ED in Palmetto. Both Manatee County emergency departments are anticipated to open in the summer of 2024 HCA is currently celebrating the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Blake Medical Center which it purchased in 1980 and rebranded in 2022 The facility will feature 12 exam rooms and is part of the 383-bed HCA Florida Blake Hospital in Manatee County “We are excited to expand our emergency services into South Bradenton and the Bayshore community,” Steve Young “HCA Florida Blake Hospital continues to grow to meet the needs of the communities we serve and to ensure residents can receive quality health care services close to home.” The 11,500 square foot  facility will be on the east side of 14th Street just south of Saunders Road – which becomes Bayshore Gardens Parkway on the west side of U.S The South Bradenton ED will be relatively close to the main campus of State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota How will it be staffed?The $15 million facility will offer full-service emergency care It is expected to serve more than 10,000 patients annually The facility expects to add 32 new full-time positions including nurses The annual impact of the salary and benefits of these new positions is estimated at more than $3 million annually (WWSB) - The Florida Department of Health in Manatee County has issued a water quality health advisory for Palma Sola South in Bradenton and Bayfront Park in Anna Maria July 31 show that the water quality in these locations does not meet the Florida Department of Health’s recreational water quality standards for bacteria The DOH-Manatee advises against any water-related activities at these locations due to an increased risk of illness This advisory will continue until bacteria levels are below the accepted health level. Test results are available at FloridaHealth.gov/HealthyBeaches For more information call 941-741-3962 or visit www.Manatee.FloridaHealth.gov Located in the Cedar Hammock section of south Bradenton Bayshore on the Lake is a condo community with nearly 800 The neighborhood takes its name from the fact that more than half of the buildings wrap around a large central lake offering spectacular views to many of its residents There are also a few buildings that lie east of Lake Bayshore Drive which runs along the back of the waterfront units “It’s great for people who want to buy and not spend a lot of money,” said Judy Durant “You can own a part of Florida and still have your home up north.” There are two points of access to the neighborhood which winds north from Cortez Road by the Smuggler’s Cove Adventure mini golf course The other is at the intersection of 38th Avenue West and 24th Street West where a simple white name sign indicates the entrance to the community close to shopping and restaurants,” said Judy Dunn and the Sarasota-Manatee Airport are all within easy driving distance the area became a place for truck farming early in the 20th century By the time Bayshore on the Lake was developed from the 1970s to 1980s the vicinity had become increasingly residential The builder had considerable experience with condo construction having created Bayshore Gardens a decade earlier 4- and 5-story buildings instead of two-story dwellings and had the screened-in lakeside lanais run the entire widths of the apartments Development took place in three phases with single letter names for each building section – B Several have their own private clubhouses and swimming pools Condo fees run from $225 to $245 per month depending on the association Most of the condos have two bedrooms and one or two bathrooms with 900 to 1,350 square feet of living space 1-bath units with around 750 square feet under air The lakeside apartments command the highest prices “A lot of the units have been updated and upgraded,” said Judy Durant She has two active listings and a pending sale in Bayshore on the Lake 2-bath unit at 4145 Heron Way #E208 with 1,144 square feet of air-conditioned space it has newer kitchen appliances and ceramic tile flooring throughout The screened-in lanai overlooks a grassy area with a beautiful shade tree Judy Dunn’s listing at 3198 Lake Bayshore Dr #404 an updated kitchen and hardwood laminated floors,” she said “My building has a very engaged group of residents with a very active clubhouse,” she added “It also shares a fishing dock and kayak rack with another building.” about a third of the owners live in Bayshore by the Lake year-round Demographics are older because all but one of the condo communities are 55+ Only the “C” building accepts residents of all ages some of the associations decided to put strict rental rules in place,” Durant explained “You have to wait two years after purchase before you can rent your unit out Then it’s one time a year with a minimum 3-month lease.” the neighborhood has more stable residents than many condo developments on the keys people decide to sell their properties up north and move here permanently,” Durant said “For people who want a small place that keeps its value Bayshore on the Lake is a terrific opportunity,” she continued “There is always a continuous market there are only four units for sale – half of them one-bedroom condos; the others two-baths – ranging in price from $59,000 to $109,990.  55+ condo community off 59th Street West in West Bradenton Meadowcroft South provides affordably priced homes in attractive surroundings central location makes it popular with buyers and residents More: MARKET SNAPSHOT: Bradenton's Bayshore on the Lake is an affordable condo community More: MARKET SNAPSHOT: Samoset neighborhood in Bradenton has pleasant, eclectic vibe From the main entrance a mile north of Cortez Road 29th Avenue West provides the southern boundary of the community boulevard-like roadway has an abundance of palm trees in the center median Gently winding its way through two adjacent neighborhoods it leads to another entrance of 75th Street West “The neighborhood is lush and has well-maintained tropical landscaping,” said Cathy Cahill who has sold a number of homes in the neighborhood single-story condo complexes with up to 10 attached villas in each “There are lots of ducks and geese and other water birds,” said Cahill The condos are 1- and 2-bedroom residences in traditional Florida ranch design Shingled roofs extensions cover open parking spaces it gives you the feeling of being in your own home,” said Cahill Living space ranges in size from 765 to 1,248 square feet Property values start around $130,000 and go as high as the upper $180,000s Cahill’s pending sale at 6352 29th Street West 2-bath unit with 1,080 square feet under air and a sales price of $144,900 screened lanai offers a scenic view of the pond “It’s a perfect spot for a winter retreat or as a retirement residence,” Cahill commented The demographics of Meadowcroft South are a mix of seasonal and year-round residents Regulations require a minimum of a one-month lease easy-going atmosphere – mornings and evenings you can see people out walking,” said Cahill Meadowcroft East has a heated swimming pool and spa surrounded by a paver deck and a large covered area with tables and chairs Association fees of $397 a month cover all exterior maintenance of buildings and common areas Bray Park across the street is considered Manatee Countee’s recreational hub The West Bradenton branch of the YMCA is within walking distance south on 59th Street West “It’s five miles to Bradenton Beach on Anna Maria Island – with sidewalks all the way so you can bicycle there if you want to,” said Cahill Restaurant and shopping opportunities abound on Cortez Road and Manatee Avenue Blake Medical Center is less than a mile away Downtown Bradenton and the Sarasota Bradenton Airport are within easy driving distance there are no active listings in Meadowcroft South Cahill’s unit was on the market for less than a week before it sold “If you’re looking for villas or condos in Bradenton and you pause to think about making an offer someone else will have beaten you to it,” said Cahill MANATEE COUNTY — Two company-level officers and a staff sergeant are being kicked out of the Army because of a crash that killed Bradenton Spc In November 2019, Panipinto, 20, died in a training accident at Camp Humphreys in South Korea when his Bradley Fighting Vehicle overturned during a road test He had received only six hours of training and no classroom instruction on the vehicle He was killed when the track on the right side of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle came off lightly armored transport to roll over A lack of medical services on base and significant delays in the medical response to the scene of the crash contributed to Panipinto’s death According to Military.com the Army has ordered changes to its driver training program in addition to the involuntary separations of the company commander Current Army regulations require three days of classroom instruction and two days of hands-on driving experience before military personnel are given licenses to drive Bradleys According to a report by the Congressional Research Service 32% of active-duty military deaths were the result of training accidents only 16% of service members were killed in action nearly four times as many service members died in training accidents than were killed in action has offered to testify before Congress concerning her son’s death But she is not satisfied with the discharges of three low-ranking company commanders “I don't think they had another option honestly,” Weaver said of the separations “I had already researched enough to have documentation just on my own to prove those things They didn’t have another option but to say they were at fault “I don’t know how so many failures can fall on just three people.” Weaver said an investigation of her son’s death that was presented to her did not include vehicle inspection reports Weaver said the vehicle was reportedly returned to Fort Hood Military.com reported that all 37 companies in the 3rd ABCT were “ordered to reassess their driver’s training programs and to back brief battalion commanders on the status of the programs ensuring that all driver training programs .. are enforced to Army standard,” according to a briefing slide from the meeting Camp Humphrey lacked a hospital or ambulance to quickly transport Panipinto and a medevac helicopter responded to the last location Forces-Korea investigation into the incident is ongoing You could exhaust yourself cooking for your guests or you could wisely suggest everybody dine out and recommend a place that is impressive here are 10 of the most renowned restaurants in Sarasota and Manatee counties including one that will be open Christmas Day They feature a couple of James Beard-nominated chefs and have appeared on various lists by sites such as Yelp and OpenTable ranking the top restaurants in Florida as well as the nation You will find the oldest restaurant in Sarasota as well as a pair that opened last year including two with gorgeous waterfront views should leave a memorable impression on your friends and relatives or simply make for a great date night during the holidays 10 best restaurants in downtown Sarasota Here are my favorites, from fancy to casual Best waterfront restaurants with outdoor seating in Sarasota and what to eat, drink there! Ticket Newsletter: Sign up to receive restaurant news and reviews plus info on things to do every Friday Château 13535 13th St. W., Bradenton; 941-226-0110; chateau-13.com Best romantic restaurants in Sarasota and Bradenton area, from Venice to Anna Maria Island Best restaurants in downtown Bradenton Here are 10 of my favorites, from fancy to casual 411 St. Armands Circle, Sarasota; 941-388-3987; columbiarestaurant.com are among the most essential dishes in Florida while their tapas classics include the Ybor City Devil Crab Croquettes offering its regular menu as well as dine-in and takeout specials Best Cuban sandwich restaurants: Where to go and what to order in Sarasota 412 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key; 941-383-0102; drydockwaterfrontgrill.com Ticket Editor: Best waterfront restaurant in Sarasota named among most popular in U.S. 2801 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; 941-960-1212; forkandhenssrq.com Better than Chick-fil-A: 12 best restaurants for fried chicken in Sarasota and Bradenton 239 S. Links Ave., Sarasota; 941-706-4740, indigenoussarasota.com including fish sandwiches and a "Cobia Hot Dawg," at the new taproom of Sarasota brewery Calusa New restaurants 2023: 38 that opened this year in Sarasota and Bradenton area 1920 Hillview St., Sarasota; 941-444-7692; meliorarestaurant.com Restaurant review: Meliora for red snapper, gnocchi, raw scallop, Japanese milk bread, 'orange creamsicle' and craft cocktails 2605 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key; 941-383-8088; themaisonblanche.com Restaurant news: Celebrated Longboat Key chef, owner to lead new restaurant inside Sarasota car dealership 12306 46th Ave. W., Cortez; 941-794-1243; starfishcompany.com 3 Sarasota, Bradenton restaurants make Southern Living’s 15 Best Seafood Dives in Florida 525A U.S. 41 Bypass N., Venice; 941-303-5073; tikkaindian.com If you're in Venice, this restaurant should be on your very short list of places to visit for lunch or dinner. Serving authentic Indian cuisine, Tikka placed second on Yelp's Top 100 Florida Restaurants 2023 list modern presentations of authentic North and South Indian dishes — from clay-oven-baked meats to biryani rice blends." 4144 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota; 941-921-4605; waltsfishmarketrestaurant.com It's Florida stone crab season, and there's no better place in Sarasota to feast on the delectable claw meat than at the century-plus-old Walt's (Fourth-generation owner and fisherman Brett Wallin recommends pairing stone crab with their Linda’s Margarita or perhaps a locally brewed beer.) Don't feeling like eating crabs All the seafood is fresh and smartly prepared at Walt's with a personal favorite being the Square Grouper Sandwich 12 best restaurants in Sarasota and Bradenton for Florida stone crab and fresh Gulf seafood soldier from Bradenton was killed in South Korea last week after his armored vehicle overturned died from injuries sustained when the Bradley Fighting Vehicle overturned at Camp Humphreys on Nov Panipinto deployed as an infantryman with the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team 1st Cavalry Division to South Korea in July 2019 The brigade will hold a memorial for Panipinto on Friday as a way for the unit to "say farewell to their brother in arms and honor his service to the nation," the Army said Ryan McLane and I send our heartfelt condolences to family "Nicholas was a dedicated and essential member of the Ghost Battalion and Greywolf Brigade We are all deeply saddened by the loss and will keep his family in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time." three soldiers from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team were killed after their Bradley Fighting Vehicle rolled over into water during training at Fort Stewart in Georgia MANATEE COUNTY – Karina Lopez said her father told her to be careful coming home from work Thursday because utility crews were working on a broken gas line The next call she received came from a hospital worker who said her house had exploded and her brother and father had been hurt “I called my mom to see what was going on,” Karina Lopez said “I was trying to call my brother and my dad and they weren’t responding I got really scared at work and left.” but neither she nor her mother had been able to visit them in the hospital both because of COVID-19 concerns and because their burn injuries pose a high infection risk Cedar Hammock Fire Department said in a news release Thursday that Tampa Electric was attempting to find and contain a gas leak at 11:30 a.m in the 2900 block of Ninth Street West in the South Bradenton neighborhood an explosion occurred at 2921 Eighth St later identified by Karina Lopez as her brother and father, were taken to Blake Medical Center by Manatee County EMS with unknown injuries and one Cedar Hammock firefighter was taken to Manatee Memorial Hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening was also inside the house at the time of the blast More than 57 units from several Manatee County agencies responded to the fire Tampa Electric representatives were then able to stop the gas leak that was traced to underground sewer lines Manhole covers were removed for blocks around the home to relieve pressure Karina Lopez and her mother waited beside dozens of neighbors two blocks from their ruined home for firefighters to secure their house The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office had used its reverse 911 system and gone door to door on Thursday urging residents to evacuate. The Red Cross provided assistance to displaced residents Karina Lopez said most of the damage occurred in the rear of the two-bedroom stucco house and lay in splinters in the front yard Lopez said Tampa Electric had been working on gas lines in the neighborhood for the past week They were told the work wasn’t dangerous Francisca Lopez said she and her family were not told to evacuate although their neighbors across the street were but were nonetheless standing outside because they could smell a gas leak the three had gone back inside to use a restroom and grab something from a room when the blast happened but the father and son were in another room “They ran in (to the kitchen) all burnt,” Lopez said of her brother and father whose Bradenton-based law firm specializes in personal injury held a press conference Friday outside the destroyed Lopez home Czaia said he has represented a lot of burn victims “Their personal belongings have been blown up Czaia questioned if the Lopezes and neighbors were given proper notice “This should have been preventable,” he said “It’s very preventable.” Karina Lopez and her mother hoped to visit Friday no because of the wounds of the burns,” said Karina Lopez of the hospital’s visit restrictions We don’t want anything like that to happen tomorrow we will be able to see them through the window.” Francisca Lopez could not travel in the ambulance because of COVID-19 restrictions “It’s really sad because we just want to know that they are OK at least to see them,” said Karina Lopez who was told they would be able to talk to them by phone The younger Adrian Lopez is described by his sister as “very smart” and a student at University of South Florida in Tampa he’s just a great person,” Karina Lopez said The Lopezes are asking for prayers for their family “They (Tampa Electric) should have let us know it was dangerous,” Karina Lopez said “They could have prevented this from happening and they never reached out to us.” “It’s definitely a tragedy,” Karina Lopez said “2020 hasn’t been easy for anyone and this just made it worse 2023 at 11:29 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A South Florida man drove to Manatee County Nov 14 on business and hasn’t been seen or heard from since (Courtesy of Manatee County Sheriff's Office)MANATEE COUNTY FL — The search continues for a South Florida man who visited Manatee County for business earlier this month according to a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office news release His vehicle was found in the 4500 block of U.S There have been no reported sightings of him or contact between him and his family for a week Detectives are looking at his recent business dealings and what led up to his disappearance Investigators shared images of Hallin at a Public in Doral just before he left for Manatee County The photos show him in the clothing he was last seen wearing: a black long-sleeved shirt Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact the sheriff’s office at 941-747-3011 Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Everybody’s favorite extinct creatures will be on display beginning this week in downtown Bradenton New Ideas,” is from the American Museum of Natural History and offers a look at what living It’s also being described as showing how current thinking about dinosaur biology has changed and even explores the idea of how dinosaurs’ descendants might be among us Exhibit opens Saturday with a preview reception at 5:30 p.m Bradenton; 941-746-4131; southfloridamuseum.org the record-setting manatee that chomped lettuce entertained school field trips and served as the official mascot of Manatee County The 69-year-old icon had been trapped underwater The discovery closed the South Florida Museum's aquarium for the day and saddened many who visited him as kids or with kids of their own His birthday Friday was the last in the longest recorded life of any manatee kept in captivity In their morning check through Snooty's tank Parker Manatee Aquarium staff found him stuck underwater in an area used to access plumbing provost and chief operating officer of the museum A hatch blocking off the small underwater hallway had come loose were able to enter and exit back into their main tank Snooty may have been unable to turn around "It appears that Snooty was able to get into the area but he was not able to extract himself from that situation," Rodgers said TIMELINE: The long history of Snooty the manatee PHOTOS: Snooty remained lovable over the years Snooty's charisma left an impact both on one-time visitors and long-time companions who now lives in Maryland and works for the U.S used to teach science at Southeast High School in Bradenton and wanted to learn more about how manatees hear One brief experiment became a long research project and Patton became close with Snooty in the 1980s and '90s "I had a lot of fun interacting with Snooty," he said remembered going to the museum with her dad and "feeling like we knew him better than everybody else who was there." Lawson had to explain to her 6-year-old son why she was crying Both she and Patton said the manatee was part of their family with manatee merchandise lining the gift shop and yearly birthday celebrations featuring "cake" made of pineapples "It doesn't take a whole lot to realize the impact Snooty had on this community vice president of the museum's board of trustees "He's been a part of the very fabric of our lives." MONUMENT? Could a Snooty statue replace a Confederate monument SMH? People online are calling Snooty the 'new Harambe' The museum's web site featured a live "Snooty Cam," tracking the animal during museum hours. Rodgers said the camera would not have shown Snooty's death, as they turn it off overnight, but that they would examine other security footage. Manatees are mammals which can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes when sleeping, but then must come to the surface for air, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Subscribe to our free DayStarter newsletter You’re all signed up!Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started. James Powell, a Sarasota manatee biologist, said Snooty leaves a legacy at the aquarium and for manatees in general. "He's been a manatee ambassador forever, and I think he actually had done his part in terms of increasing people's awareness and love for this creature that has helped contribute to their own conservation," he said. Patton agreed, calling Snooty a "groundbreaker." Brynne Anne Besio, the museum's CEO, called the death a "heartbreaking accident" in a press release. "Snooty was such a unique animal, and he had so much personality that people couldn't help but be drawn to him. As you can imagine, I — and our staff, volunteers and board members — considered him a star." In a Facebook post, manatee care specialist Tara Whitcomb promised, "We will continue in manatee conservation in Snooty's honor." The aquarium closed Sunday, as workers cut off visitors at the entrance, giving adults the news to pass on to their children, Rodgers said. Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells offered condolences on Twitter, writing, "Sad day around Manatee County as we lost Snooty, a true icon and our beloved mascot." Rodgers said the underwater hatch is typically bolted shut, and the manatees had never gotten into the area before. The three manatees sharing Snooty's tank suffered no injuries, he said. A statement from museum spokeswoman Jessica Schubick said the accident is still being investigated, and Snooty will undergo a necropsy at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Marine Mammal Pathobiology Laboratory in St. Petersburg. Snooty has lived in Bradenton since April 1949, after a donation from the former Miami Aquarium before his first birthday. Watch the museum's press conference below: Contact Langston Taylor at ltaylor@tampabay.com. Follow @langstonitaylor. Langston TaylorData Editor 2015 at 11:09 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The war is far from over but the state of Florida has announced it is gaining ground in its ongoing battle against a creepy crawly invasive species that’s known to carry disease and chomp its way through crops and even stucco Since Florida declared war on giant African land snails more than 159,000 of the creatures have been eliminated Florida’s commissioner of agriculture announced Wednesday “Giant African land snails threaten the crops and we’ve gone to great lengths to find and eradicate them,” Putnam said “We’ve eliminated more than 159,000 of these invasive pests but only with the continued help of the residents of South Florida can we completely rid Florida of the giant African land snail.” GALS are giant mollusks that were first discovered in Florida about four years ago They are known to eat more than 500 different types of plants and also seem to have a taste for plaster and stucco the creatures can carry a parasite that’s been linked to the spread of such human diseases as meningitis the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs reports the numbers of snails collected has dropped from thousands a week to single digits The state has created two teams of snail-sniffing dogs to ferret out the creatures and also relies on residents to report them whenever they are seen GALS are native to East Africa and are considered one of the largest snails in the world they can grow up to 8 inches in length and have a lifespan of about 9 years The critters are especially difficult to eliminate because they have no natural predators Breeding snails are able to reproduce at an alarming rate of more than 1,000 snails a year the state has set up a hotline for reporting sightings residents are advised to only handle them personally with gloved hands and place them in zip-top bags “Do not touch the snails or release them in a different location,” the state warns Earlier this year, the USDA awarded Florida a $7.3 million grant to help remove invasive species To find out more about GALS, visit the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ website Photo courtesy of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services 2012 at 1:43 am ETEver go to a museum and just itch to touch one of the exhibits Well tonight's your chance to touch a piece of history — and the opportunity comes free of charge The South Florida Museum and Bishop Planetarium is opening an exhibit that is 4.5 billion years in the making the museum will be open for free and visitors will be allowed to touch feel and experience the oldest object they will ever likely encounter a fragment of the Campo del Cielo meteorite dubbed “FeNi” based on its composition of mostly Iron and Nickel The Campo del Cielo is composed of 92.6% iron a large meteoroid blazed through earth's atmosphere the violent entry shattered the massive chunk of metal into countless fragments The pieces rained down on northern Argentina in an area now called Campo del Cielo – the Field of Heaven More than 100 tons of the Campo del Cielo meteorite have been recovered including this fragment that weighs 138 pounds The meteorite's composition reveals extensive information about the earth's core because it was in the process of becoming a planet before it crashed into the earth's atmosphere Earlier this week Rodgers showed off a slice of the meteorite that reveals melting points and cooling patterns in the way it is finished The meteorite also connects to the earth's history and culture in many other ways from what happened to the dinosaurs to native Americans use of the materials in tools and jewelry An exhibit has been built around all of those connections so that children and families can see how this ancient piece from space affected civilization "It's a fascinating nexus of science and culture," Rodgers said "It shows that there are so many ways to think of something." The first 500 kids at the event will receive free meteorite dust to take home science demonstrations and cosmic-themed activities and games for kids and families The timing for this exhibit couldn't be better Stargazers will be able to view two meteor showers this month — starting Sunday night when the Draconids will be visible in the northern sky It is one of the few meteor showers visible before midnight Start watching for the showers about an hour or so after sunset in the new Riverwalk Park will preview the Orionides meteor showers expected to peak on Oct The Bradenton Juice professional baseball team will move 15 games to the road due to scheduling conflicts with Manatee Community College at Wynn Field Manatee Community College had previous commitments for its annual summer camps and IMG Academy Wood-Bat League that current Juice officials were unaware of because of management changes "We are focusing on the future now and on providing good old fun and family entertainment to our fans for the remainder of our home games," Juice General Manager Wayne Yopp said in a printed statement People can follow the Juice on the road by listening to games through 1220 News Talk Radio by going to www.newstalk1220.com and clicking on the "listen live" link Juice games will be delayed until the end of the Rays game The Juice will travel to Anderson and Aiken and South Georgia before heading home June 21-23 to play Macon Music at Wynn Field just south of 57th Avenue on 34th Street South Tickets to home games for ages 13 and older are $6 reserved and $4 general admission New College hosts Duke TIP recognition party More than 300 seventh-graders from eight area counties attended the May 30-31 Florida Recognition Ceremony for the Duke University Talent Identification Program The 27th annual seventh-grade talent search more commonly known as the Duke TIP program recognizes students who scored at or above the 95th percentile a grade-level achievement test though not all attended one of four separate local recognition ceremonies educational organization designed to identify and support academically talented youth more than 1.8 million students have taken part in Duke TIP The organization runs two talent searches annually: one for fourth- and fifth-graders and one for seventh-graders weekend and online educational programs for gifted students in seventh through 12th grades and has developed numerous independent learning resources for fourth- through 12th-grade students students and educators interested in the programs can call (919) 668-9100 Area students invited to the Duke TIP are: