As we head to the finish line of this year’s primary election season, campaigns are careening into absurdity, even by the standards of this bizarre decade of Manatee County politics. In the …
The American agricultural producer is facing the bleakest horizon for future farming potential than I believe any farmer ever has. Farmers have no labor force to draw from after migrant labor has …
As a resident of Manatee County for nine years, I have watched the explosive growth and unyielding control of the county commission by the local developers, which has been deeply concerning. …
The unexpected retirement of 20-year-veteran Republican Congressman Vern Buchanan has drawn three candidates vying for the party’s nomination: Sydney Gruters, Eddie Speir, and Ed Pope. We find Mr. …
As concern over microplastics grows, so do efforts to avoid consuming them. Drinking water is a primary entry point for …
Every election cycle, the same tired play unfolds: candidates who can’t defend their own record suddenly become experts on their opponent’s flaws. It’s the oldest trick in politics—and the …
The Republican Party of Florida’s attempt to exert total control over local Republicans should concern all of us. In 2024, local Republican voters sent a clear message: the state does not …
Too often, the public views DUI as an accident. However, the truth is, there is little that is accidental about its underlying cause. Basically, someone deliberately chooses to drink and makes the …
In the rapidly growing landscape of Manatee County, the role of a county commissioner is to balance the pressures of development with the needs of the constituents. As District 2 Commissioner Amanda …
The Manatee County School Board District 2 race is one of the most interesting local races in recent cycles. It features an incumbent, a former board member, and three candidates who work or have …
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is planning to amend its regulations governing federal health standards for radiation protection. The NRC will accept public comments until August …
According to the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), sea levels have been relatively well-documented …
As Manatee County voters are well aware, our delegation in Tallahassee has been unresponsive to voters' demands to end the assault on home rule through restrictive preemption bills. We need …
In the past decade, warming stripes have become increasingly well-known data visualization graphics representing abnormalities of annual, monthly or historical temperatures for a given location. The …
Carlos Beruff, as the applicant, has proposed a new development plan that would eliminate wetlands and erect an 8-foot-high wall along their edge. This no-wetland-buffer permit defies the …
Next month, Manatee County voters will go to the polls in what is sure to be another deeply consequential election. The question is whether voters remain as engaged as they were when they banded …
Manatee County has struggled with home‑rule erosion , as state lawmakers steadily take away local authority over wetlands protection, growth management, short‑term rentals, and …
Overfishing happens when fish are caught faster than they can be replenished, resulting in an overall depletion of the fish population. …
The Florida Congressional District 16 Democratic primary features four well-matched candidates—Glenn Pearson, Jan Schneider, Jon Harris, and Kelly Kirschner—vying for the nomination to fill a …
The Florida Congressional District 16 Republican primary features three candidates—Eddie Speir, Sydney Gruters, and Ed Pope—vying for the nomination to fill a seat that is being vacated by …