Good morning, Sarasota.

The Lakewood Ranch Rotary Club launches its rebranded Suncoast Food and Wine Fest on Nov.

14 at Premier Sports Campus at Lakewood Ranch, featuring updated logos and top local chefs and sponsors like Publix + Lakewood Ranch Medical Center with proceeds directed to local nonprofits.

Buffalo Wild Wings GO and Jimmy John's will open the nation's first co-branded restaurant near Sarasota on Tuesday, Aug.

18 at 5241 69th St. East in Palmetto (operated by Quality Foods Restaurant Group). A ribbon-cutting at 11 a.m. will launch free food for the first 100 eligible guests.

Historian Jeff LaHurd recalled Sarasota's 1910 wooden streets when trains arrived at a station now on Lemon Avenue — a time marked by horse-drawn buggies, fires and evolving inns such as the Belle Haven Inn.

His account shows how early challenges shaped the town’s growth.

Local photographer Damon Powers captured a striking meteor streak with the Milky Way at Lido Beach on Aug.

12 during the Perseids meteor shower. He spent over two hours waiting for the perfect shot.

Sarasota Bay Watch invites water lovers to help monitor the bay’s health as volunteers snorkel from boats and kayaks on Aug.

22 at Sarasota Sailing Squadron and on Aug. 23 at Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant + Pub during the 2026 Great Scallop Search eco event.

On Anna Maria Island, 55 dead baby sea turtles were found on a roadway after artificial lights confused them from following the ocean’s glow.

Experts reported over 3,000 hatchlings have been disoriented this season (141 have died) and urge residents to turn off bright lights at night.

Sarasota County Commissioners Joe Nuender and Mark Smith say recent online ads targeting them in the Aug.

19 primary may be fueled by out-of-state developers who oppose their votes against rapid development — over $20,000 has reportedly been spent on the effort.

Sarasota residents, businesses and visitors can share input on a citywide sound study through an online survey available until Aug.

31 at SarasotaFL.gov/Soundscape. Field observations and technical measurements collected over the summer will be reviewed by the City Commission in September.

The Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County issued a water quality advisory for North Lido Beach today because high levels of enterococcus bacteria pose a health risk; visitors should avoid water activities until levels drop to safe limits.

Wellen Park High School's Eagles won their first ever football game by beating the North Port Bobcats 45-7 on Friday night—an historic win that sets the stage for regular season play next week.

The Herald-Tribune named the top 12 Sarasota-Manatee high school football specialists for 2026, with noted punters Brandin Gallaway (Palmetto) and James Reynolds (Venice) among the nominees.

Voters can cast their pick online until 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19.