Criminal Corner 17: Bloody body found under motel room bed leads to murder charges for Bradenton man
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Criminal Corner 17: Bloody body found under motel room bed leads to murder charges for Bradenton man

A 24-year-old Bradenton man is being charged with second-degree murder in the death of a woman whose body was found under a motel room bed by motel staff, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. Steven Cozens was arrested for the crime just after 8 p.m. on Aug. 28, the same day the body was…

Vanessa Baugh, A County Commissioner Looks Ahead
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Vanessa Baugh, A County Commissioner Looks Ahead

Vanessa Baugh was elected, in 2012, county commissioner for District 5, Manatee County. Vanessa and her husband moved to Manatee County in 1999 and they opened Vanessa Fine Jewelry which is located on Main Street in Lakewood Ranch.  I spoke with Vanessa after the Republican primary which saw the election of new members to the…

Scott Hopes, Changing The Way Manatee County Works
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Scott Hopes, Changing The Way Manatee County Works

Manatee County is a growing economic powerhouse and is making a name for itself in the economic development world. Our county has experienced tremendous growth over the past few years. Northeastern states with high taxes, excessive business regulation and Covid-19 protocol insanity have caused the rate of migration to our county to intensify.  Recent elections…

Criminal Corner 16: Bradenton woman breaks into a church – to have sex
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Criminal Corner 16: Bradenton woman breaks into a church – to have sex

Manatee Herald Staff Report A 31-year-old Bradenton woman broke into a church located at 1300 17th Ave. W. just after midnight on Aug. 25 with the sole intention of having sex with her boyfriend, according to the Bradenton Police Department. Police say they responded to an alarm call at the church and met staff on…

Tales from the Mark Side: Red wave hits Manatee County on primary day
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Tales from the Mark Side: Red wave hits Manatee County on primary day

Tales from the Mark Side The Conservative Voice in Manatee County Red wave hits Manatee County on primary day By Mark Young mark.young@manateeherald.com It was quite the election night in Manatee County and signals that the hard work of Conservatives paid off in a big way. I congratulate the candidates, the hard-working Conservative groups, Republican…

Rahn Wins District 4 Race in a Landslide
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Rahn Wins District 4 Race in a Landslide

Mike Rahn won a landslide victory in the Republican primary for District 4 Manatee County commissioner. Rahn captured 62% of the vote against incumbent commissioner Misty Servia. Rahn said Tuesday evening that “the enormity of the victory was truly humbling.”  Rahn concluded that “District 4 was looking for a change that would result in less…

Bellamy Wins Democratic Primary in District 2 in a Landslide
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Bellamy Wins Democratic Primary in District 2 in a Landslide

Incumbent District 2 Commissioner Reggie Bellamy won the Democratic primary in a landslide over former County Commissioner Charles Smith. Bellamy won 63% of the vote and will now face Amanda Ballard in the general election. The victory for Bellamy was much larger than when he faced Smith in the 2018 Democratic primary.  Bellamy, the sole…

A Tsunami Hits Manatee County Politics
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A Tsunami Hits Manatee County Politics

The reverberations are being felt across Manatee County as Republican voters supported candidates that believed and acted like their leader Governor Ron DeSantis. Long-time commissioner Carol Whitmore was soundly defeated by newcomer Jason Bearden. Whitmore has served Manatee County since 2006 and has been instrumental in funding the Premier Sports Complex at Lakewood Ranch. Whitmore…

Tales from the Mark Side: Last chance to vote Manatee County!
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Tales from the Mark Side: Last chance to vote Manatee County!

Tales from the Mark Side The Conservative Voice in Manatee County Last chance to vote Manatee County! By Mark Young mark.young@manateeherald.com Are you feeling the effects of election exhaustion yet? Yeah, me too and at least Tuesday will mark the conclusion of one of the most intense primary seasons I’ve ever seen in Manatee County….