December 13, 2024 Edition TOP STORIES: City Planning Board agrees on 3-2 vote that Bay Plaza residents are aggrieved party and therefore have right to appeal city staff approval of 1260 N. Palm Residences project Jan. 21 County Commission workshop on flooding produced by Tropical Storm Debby to focus on consultant’s and staff research into reasons behind devastation in specific areas County improvement project involving Bee Ridge Water Reclamation Facility earns national distinction akin to LEED certification Between unincorporated county areas and Sarasota city limits, storm debris contractors tally more than 2.4 million cubic yards through Dec. 9 Storm impacts — including mail disruptions — cited for lower-than-expected ‘bed tax’ figures for October Dec. 6 City of Sarasota spill of about 10,000 gallons of raw sewage reported to FDEP ‘Wall Street Journal’ places Phase One of Selby Gardens Downtown Sarasota Master Plan on Best Architecture list for 2024 Sarasota Police Department investigating 15th Newtown shooting of year County receives nearly $352,000 more from state to pay for renourishment efforts on south Siesta Key beach in 2016 and 2023 About 2,000 gallons of fully treated wastewater spills after contractor cuts into county pipe OTHER NEWS (free): Disaster Recovery Center relocating from Municipal Auditorium in Sarasota to Venice Community Center, as of Dec. 16 150 underprivileged children to be paired with Sarasota police officers for ‘Shop with a Cop’ event on Dec. 14 Conservation Foundation of Gulf Coast rebranded as Big Waters Land Trust SMH-Sarasota named among ‘Best Hospitals for Maternity Care’ by ‘U.S. News & World Report’ Erin Minor named vice president of community leadership at Gulf Coast Community Foundation