
New Ferry | Mixon’s Closes | IMG Sale: 2023 Top Bradenton News
Seasonal & Holidays
Couple Sexually Abused Kids | Lululemon Thief | New Detwiler’s | Scott Baio Moves To FL | Rep. Will Robinson Duped: 2023 Top Bradenton News
Posted Sun, Dec 31, 2023 at 3:25 pm ET

BRADENTON, FL — With 2023 coming to a close, here are some of the top news stories in the Bradenton area:
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Source: patch.com
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Bradenton police warn of ‘funeral home scam’

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At least two cases of a so-called “funeral home scam” were reported in the last 24 hours.
Source: wtsp.com
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‘I’m a fighter’: Bradenton welder gets help from Season of Sharing amid a life of recovery

Kimberly Jackson remembers the powerful calm that settled over her the first time she manipulated metal.
She was 18 and giving welding a try in Job Corps.
It was her auntie who had sent her there, to Kentucky – the same strong-willed, big-hearted woman who had pulled Kim out of a troubled home and raised her since she was 3.
For a while, Kim thrived under her aunt’s loving care. But by 16, Kim wanted to live with her own mom, who had long struggled with a drug habit. In that world, in New Jersey, Kim’s life went downhill, she’d recall. She started using drugs too, and ran with a rough crowd.
That’s when her aunt rescued her again – and put her on the bus for Job Corps.
“She’s the only one I know who will set me straight.”
At first, in her training, Kim was tasked with sanding down cars. But she was far more fascinated with the work being done by the guys in fatigues.
When Kim tried on one of their helmets, it was the greatest sensation in the world. And then she started the torch, which felt even better.
All the turbulence and noise inside her seemed to come to a halt, replaced by a quiet calm.
“Once I knew you could join two metals together,” she said, trailing off, shaking her head at the wonder of it. “It’s amazing, I’d never seen it being done.”
After two years in the Job Corps, she moved to Bradenton to be with her aunt. For years she got good welding jobs at the shipyards or on railcars.
But through her 20s, she continued to be stalked by addiction.
Her aunt prodded her to get help. Kim had endured something traumatic as a child, her aunt told her. It was best she discover it herself.
“You need to go to therapy and see what happened to you,” her aunt would say.
By then Kim was a mother of two toddlers – a girl and a boy – and tried 12-step programs but backed away from counseling anytime it got too deep. She relapsed over and over until her aunt showed up on her doorstep again. This time she was there to rescue Kim’s kids. And Kim, beaten down by her addictions, let her – both ashamed and relieved for her children, given her state.
“I love her,” she said of her aunt. “She raised me and for her to take in my kids – that’s the biggest blessing there is.”
By then her aunt had moved to Apopka and Kim would drive there to visit the kids, playing with them on the local bike trails. It broke her heart. She felt she failed them and feared what they must think of her. But she was happy to see them doing so well in the structure of her aunt’s home, raised with the help of her cousin and attending private schools – something they didn’t have with her.
Back in Bradenton, her life remained a constant struggle with addiction into her 30s. She held down jobs, but on Fridays she would blow through much of her paycheck for weekend binges – leaving her bouncing between housing.
“I was living pillar to post,” she said.
In her mid-30s, she hit rock bottom. She was tired of waking up to a life in shambles. With the help of Metropolitan Ministries, she got completely clean and remained that way for more than two years.
“I had to stay away from old contacts,” she said.
She attended meetings and worked her jobs.
As always, welding was the one place she could slip into a zone of concentration and relax. It was a reprieve from the torment swirling inside.
“My mind is always going a mile a minute,” she said.
Then 18 years ago, when she was 36, she had another son. With him, she vowed not to make the same mistakes.
As he grew older, several times she tripped up, but each time she clawed her way back to sobriety.
Then four and a half years ago, she landed a job at Sarasota’s Artistic Metal Works, which made spiral staircases and gates for million-dollar homes.
Her boss and tight-knit work crew became like a second family to her. They teased her for the loud and festive holiday music she played at her station and gave her rides home when she lost her license due to a DUI.
She could be having the worst day, but as soon as she crossed through those work doors, a smile graced her face.
“I’d just be happy.”
But the decades of drug use had taken a toll on her health. Hospitalized with chronic pancreatitis and missing work, she fell behind on her rent.
The last thing she wanted was for her youngest son, by now a teen, to experience life on the streets.
She reached out to Step Up Suncoast, which turned to Season of Sharing to help her last year with a little more than $1,300 to catch up on back rent.
Help your neighbors in need:Support Season of Sharing
Since then, Kim saved to buy a mobile home. She and her youngest son moved in during the summer. There is a special added space for him so he feels like he has an apartment all his own.
She pays $650 in lot rent. Little by little, she plans to decorate.
“I love it,” she said.
Her housing and work both stable now, she is trying to find the same peace in her personal life.
Recently, when her mother died of a heart attack, Kim was comforted by a dream in which she visited and told Kim she loved her before driving off.
Kim, long at war with her mom, has come to realize the shame and pain she must have felt to watch her daughter go down the same path. Kim still carried her own pain, regarding her two oldest kids.
But when her older son graduated from the Army basic training, it was Kim – not her aunt, as she assumed it would be – who he chose to “tap” him out as part of the traditional release from formation at the ceremony when graduates are touched or embraced by a loved one.
Standing before the young man in his uniform – his face locked in stony composure – Kim could see the tears welling in his eyes.
“I just hugged him,” she said.
She is grateful to her aunt and cousin for the vibrant lives her oldest two children lead: her older son, 25, now a sergeant in the military, and her daughter, 27, a chef and cosmetologist.
Kim won’t rest until her youngest son, now 18, graduates high school and also lands on solid ground.
Recently troubled by the crowd of friends around him, Kim talked to her boss at Artistic Metal Works, who agreed to take her youngest under his wing as an apprentice.
This month, Kim started showing her son the ropes – and he loved it. On his second day, he was up first, rousing her long before the start of their 7 a.m. shift:
“Mom, wake up! We gotta get to work.”
Kim, now 54, doesn’t know what’s next for her.
For the moment, she attends 12-step meetings online when she can and leans heavily on her faith in God.
“He’s the reason I’m still here.”
Many days she feels tired, after the life that she’s led, but she thinks there’s a lot more God wants her to do. As many times as she has fallen, she has no plans of giving up.
“I’m a fighter.”
How to help
Season of Sharing was created 22 years ago as a partnership between the Herald-Tribune and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County to get emergency funds to individuals and families on the brink of homelessness in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties. There are no administrative fees and no red tape – every dollar donated goes to families in need to help with rental assistance, utility bills, child care and other expenses.
You can donate to Season of Sharing by going to cfsarasota.org or calling 941-556-2399. You can also mail a check to Season of Sharing, Community Foundation of Sarasota County, 2635 Fruitville Road, Sarasota, FL 34237.
This story comes from a partnership between the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. Saundra Amrhein covers the Season of Sharing campaign, along with issues surrounding housing, utilities, child care and transportation in the area. She can be reached at samrhein@gannett.com.
Source: heraldtribune.com
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This Week in Local Government: 12/31/23 – The Bradenton Times

by Dawn Kitterman
BRADENTON — It will be another quiet week in local governments with all government sites closed on Monday in observance of the New Year. The Manatee County School District (all sites) will remain closed through January 4, 2024.
Happy New Year from The Bradenton Times!
Editor’s Note: This Week in Local Government lists scheduled meetings of the Manatee County Commission, Manatee County Planning Commission, Tourist Development Council and Port Authority, as well as the Manatee School Board, Sarasota-Manatee MPO, Bradenton City Council, and Palmetto City Commission. For other meetings, including island governments, downtown development authorities, CRA, fire boards, historical councils, code enforcement boards, and nuisance abatement boards, etc, please refer to the specific municipality’s calendar on their official website.
Source: thebradentontimes.com
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One Bradenton restaurant doesn’t want you dining alone on holidays

BRADENTON, Fla. — Patricia Lambert has been eating at Mean Dean’s since the restaurant first opened three years ago. She loved taking her husband, even after he was diagnosed with vascular dementia. It is also the place where she always takes her visiting family or friends.
But Lambert’s husband died last August, so she was going to be alone for the first time this Thanksgiving. Her daughter urged her to fly out to Arizona to be with her family.
Yet, despite buying an airline ticket, Lambert decided to stay home.
“I decided I really wasn’t in the emotional frame of mine to be in that big of an environment,” she said.
Instead—remembering their Thanksgiving turkey special – she emailed her favorite restaurant, Mean Dean’s local kitchen in Bradenton. But the response was more than she expected.
Co-owner Michele Angell wrote her back, inviting her to join her own mother and others to eat Thanksgiving Dinner together. The reservation for the “Singles” table would be “Pilgrim.”
“It was one thing I could do,” Angell said.
She had also shared with Lambert that her own mother was also recently widowed. The idea of Lambert eating alone made her think of her mom.
“I don’t think you really understand it until you have gone through it in your family,” Angell said.
She never intended for the attention her idea got.
“To be honest, I did not even go through the responses to the Facebook post because it was really emotional for me to post that,” she added.
Meanwhile, for Lambert, it was a struggle just to get up some days and find purpose. A retired surgical nurse for more than 40 years while raising four children, she had taken care of her husband for years when he was first diagnosed with dementia. During that time, she had become isolated.
“It took courage for me to get ready and go, and it was almost like that day that I made the decision,” Lambert said. “I am going to show up.”
Lambert, Angell’s mother and another woman did share a Thanksgiving dinner together.
The women enjoyed it so much that it was Angell’s mother who first extended the invitation for Christmas dinner. That time, the reservation was under “Frosty,” and a fourth woman joined them.
“Her inviting me that time, telling me about it, it opened something in me that at least I can get out, see people, get out of the house, meet people, and do things,” Lambert said.
But it was easier to feel comfortable because Lambert always felt welcome at Mean Dean’s and loved the freshly cooked meals.
“You feel like you’re in a home, not a restaurant,” she explained.
Mean Dean’s hopes the communal table continues to grow and that other restaurants start doing the same thing.
“It felt good to just be able to do a little something for someone, and then hopefully create memories, create connections so maybe the holiday aren’t so lonely after this for some folks,” she said.
The four women are now connected – by phone – and they are planning on getting together once a month, not just on holidays.
Angell’s message to anyone considering joining: “They may be strangers now, but to me, they are just friends you haven’t met yet.”
To Angell and Donnelly, it’s not just about business.
“We really love what we do, and we really love the community, so we would not choose to be anywhere but here,” she said.
Anyone interested in joining the table for New Year’s Day or any future holidays can call Mean Dean’s at 941-251-5435 and ask to be added to the “Champagne” table reservation.
Source: abcactionnews.com
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BOYS BASKETBALL: Venice blows lead, drops heartbreaker to Bradenton Christian

BRADENTON — This was one the Venice boys basketball team had in its clutches.
Up 55-48 with two minutes to play, the Indians looked primed for a matchup with Braden River in Saturday’s Chick-fil-a Classic championship game at Bradenton Christian School.
Source: yoursun.com
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New Ferry Service From AMI To Bradenton Has Start Date: Manatee County

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — Service for the Gulf Islands Ferry, which will shuttle passengers between Anna Maria Island and downtown Bradenton, will launch Jan. 12, according to a Manatee County news release.
Visitors and residents can catch a ride on the water Friday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Ride times between stops will range from 25 to 40 minutes.
Tickets can be purchased here.
The two catamarans hold 49 passengers and will have two crew aboard to ensure smooth transport to and from each port.
The initial route of the two 50-foot open-air catamarans, Miss Anna Maria and Downtown Duchess, will take riders from the day dock in downtown Bradenton located just east of the Green Bridge and directly off Bradenton Riverwalk, to the Anna Maria City pier.
The Historic City Pier at Bradenton Beach will be added to the route system as soon as some minor enhancements are completed, the county said.
Source: patch.com
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17-year-old injured in deputy-involved shooting in Manatee County

BRADENTON, Fla. — A deputy-involved shooting early Friday morning in Bradenton left a 17-year-old injured, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
MCSO said in a press release that it happened before 2 a.m. as deputies responded to The Grove Mobile Home Park over reports of someone breaking into cars.
Sheriff Rick Wells said deputies responded on foot and in the air after the 911 call came in around 1:30 a.m. Wells said the air unit flew over the park and saw the teenager going from vehicle to vehicle.
The unit in the air relayed the information to deputies on the scene. Wells said a deputy with a K9 engaged the suspect, who ran and fired at the deputy. According to the sheriff, the suspect fired at least three shots at the deputy and two at the K9.
Wells said authorities knew “exactly what happened” thanks to the video from the unit in the air.
The deputy fired back and hit the suspect in the leg. MCSO said deputies secured the suspect and gave him aid before EMS arrived. He was taken to the hospital, where he remains in custody.
No one else was injured in the shooting, authorities said.
The suspect, who has not been named, will face two counts of attempted murder while engaged in a felony, use of a deadly weapon on a police animal, and armed burglary, MCSO said.
The deputy who shot the suspect is on paid administrative leave while the shooting is investigated.
Source: abcactionnews.com
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Sheriff: Teen hospitalized after exchanging gunfire with deputies in Manatee County

BRADENTON, Fla. — A 17-year-old is in the hospital after exchanging gunfire with Manatee County deputies and getting shot, the sheriff’s office said.
When they arrived in the neighborhood, deputies say they saw a 17-year-old boy get into a car. When a K-9 unit tried to confront the teen, deputies say the teen fled on foot.
As the teen was running away, the sheriff’s office said he fired multiple shots at deputies. Deputies returned fire, ultimately hitting the teen in the left leg.
The teen was given aide until first responders arrived to take him to the hospital for treatment. The teen is currently in custody at the hospital, the sheriff’s office says.
No deputies, K-9 or other people were hurt in the shooting, the agency said.
The 17-year-old is expected to face pending charges of two counts of attempted murder while engaged in a felony, use of a deadly weapon on a police animal and armed burglary.
Source: wtsp.com
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17-year-old shot after firing gun at Manatee County deputies, sheriff says

BRADENTON, Fla. (WFLA) — A 17-year-old was hospitalized in a shootout with Manatee County deputies early Friday morning, according to authorities.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said at about 1:30 a.m., deputies investigated a report of someone trying to enter vehicles at the Grove Mobile Home Park on 47th Avenue Drive East in Bradenton.
When they arrived, deputies found a 17-year-old trying to enter a vehicle. The sheriff’s office said the teen suspect ran off after a K9 unit issued verbal commands.
As he ran off, the suspect fired at the deputies’ multiple times, but a deputy returned fire and shot the teenager in the leg, officials said.
Sheriff Rick Wells said the shooting happened in close range.
People living at the mobile home park woke up to the chaotic scene.
“Lot of screaming outside, helicopters, a helicopter overhead, a K9 dog and six gunshots, five of which went into our house,” said Mike Lovy.
Mike Lovy and his wife are hosting their friend, Denise Bendocchi, and have spent several nights staying up late, catching up.
“We weren’t even going to bed until 2 a.m., so this time we went to bed at midnight, and this happened an hour later and I don’t know, we’ve got to be glad we’re alive,” said Bendocchi.
The Lovy’s home was left with bullet holes in it’s windows, doors, walls, and even their TV.
“Lots of police cars, lots of activity, a guy lying down on the ground here in handcuffs, shot, bleeding, in a lot of pain,” said Lovy.
The sheriff’s office said the suspect was hospitalized and remained in custody on two counts of attempted murder while engaging in a felony, use of a deadly weapon on a police animal, and armed burglary.
No law enforcement officers or K9s were injured in the shootout. The deputy who shot the suspect is on paid administrative leave, per standard police while an internal investigation is held on the matter.
Source: wfla.com
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