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Shore Point Hospital in downtown Venice, Florida has a new owner, but he identity of the company that bought the ShorePoint Health Venice hospital building is unclear. It is rumored that the intention is to reopen it, probably but not definitely for health care services, and not as a hospital.

A Sarasota business with nearly four decades of history in the area has been voted the best buffet restaurant in the country. The Der Dutchman Restaurant in Sarasota has been chosen as the No. 1 buffet in the country as a result of voting by the readers of USA TODAY in the publication's 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards contest conducted during the month of May.

VENICE, Fla. (WWSB) - Northbound lanes of I-75 near Venice was closed for several hours Thursday morning after a semitrailer caught fire, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The truck, hauling produce, was traveling north on Interstate 75 south of the River Road exit at about 2 a.m., when the driver noticed smoke coming from trailer and steered onto the shoulder.

NORTH PORT, Fla. - A North Port woman is recovering in the hospital after a rattlesnake bite nearly killed her. It happened as she was hiking in Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park. Within minutes, she went into anaphylactic shock, and at one point, doctors told her family to say their goodbyes, but thankfully, she is making major progress in her recovery.

The big story: Gov. Ron DeSantis has made education culture wars a centerpiece of his administration, and his presidential campaign. The issue is gaining plenty of attention across the nation as non-Floridians assess his policies and philosophy. Sarasota County, with its DeSantis-based school board majority, is being used as a...

Sierra Lynn was hiking in Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park when she was bitten by a rattlesnake. Doctors administered 58 vials of anti-venom, the most they say they've ever done for a snake bite.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The University of North Florida Police Department was notified of a death on campus on Tuesday afternoon. Police responded to Building 2 where they found a member of the Physical Facilities staff dead. UNF said the staff member died of natural causes. Family members and coworkers...

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Beginning June 1, the Sarasota County Area Transit Reduced-fare 30-day Bus Pass will increase in price from $25 to $30. The Reduced-fare 30-day Bus Pass is set to be phased out and the price change is phase two of this plan. On November 15, 2022, the...

The self-proclaimed "Annuity King" of Sarasota has been found guilty on multiple counts of wire fraud and mail fraud, as well as conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Middle District of Florida. Phillip Roy Wasserman, 66, faces a maximum penalty of...

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - A tropical disturbance labeled 91L by the National Hurricane Center is located about 250 miles west of Sarasota. The hurricane hunters are scheduled to investigate this area on Thursday afternoon if it still looks healthy. This will be the first mission of the season if they deem it necessary to check it out. June 1st. marks the official beginning of the 2023 hurricane season which runs through November 30th. The system only has a 20% chance of developing over the next few days.

NORTH PORT – HCA Florida Healthcare recently closed on an $11.1 million purchase of almost 30 acres of property on the south side of Tamiami Trail in Wellen Park, a move that would expand the reach of HCA Florida Englewood Hospital into North Port. The parcel is on the...

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Sarasota County has announced some schedule changes after road work was postponed. Work scheduled on the Albee Road Bridge was initially scheduled for May 24 and May 25 were cancelled due to rain. They were planning on doing an epoxy overlay. The County decided not to...

A fast-growing food chain recently opened another new store location in Florida. Read on to learn more. On Friday, May 19, 2023, the popular and fast-growing food chain Crumbl Cookies celebrated the grand opening of its newest Florida store location in North Port, according to an event post on the company's Facebook page.

Sarasota and Manatee counties can expect between two and three inches of rain over the next couple of days from an advancing storm front, according to the National Weather Service. “We’re going to have periods of rain over the next two days, generally around two to three inches of rainfall...

Dispute: A motel guest taking an excessive number of paper plates resulted in a dispute with an employee who called police for assistance. The employee stated the guest took too many paper plates from the complimentary breakfast, and when confronted became irate. The employee said she would like the officer...

Health officials in Florida's Sarasota and Manatee counties have issued a warning about mosquito-borne illnesses after confirming a case of malaria. The infected person spent a lot of time outdoors and has recovered after prompt treatment. The type of malaria, known as P. vivax, is less fatal than other types.

The Florida Lottery announced a Charlotte County woman won millions in Powerball drawing held on December 31, 2022.

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - Police are releasing more information on a shooting that occurred in Sarasota on Sunday, May 28. The shooting happened just after 5 p.m. in the 1800 block or 34th Street near the intersection of John Rivers Street. The victim was shot in the abdomen and drove themselves to Sarasota Memorial Hospital and has since been discharged.

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - A two-vehicle crash closed U.S. 41 south of Webber Street for hours Thursday morning, Sarasota police say. The crash happened near the intersection of U.S. 41 and Rose St. One person has life-threatening injuries, police said on Twitter. One vehicle caught fire. At about 3:30 a.m.,...

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Torrential rainfall prompted a flood advisory Wednesday for parts of the Tampa Bay area and is making a mess of the evening commute. As of 5 p.m., about 2 to 4 inches of rain has fallen in parts of the St. Petersburg area, according to the National Weather Service. It's possible another 1 to 3 inches of rain could fall.