Anna Maria Island Sun November 18, 2020

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- Named Best Florida Newspaper In Its Class -

VOL 21 No. 6

November 18, 2020

Tropical Storm Eta impacts Anna Maria Island The storm dumped heavy rains and brought strong winds to AMI and is being blamed for one fatality. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

JOE HENDRICKS | SUN

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – The Island escaped widespread serious property damage from Tropical Storm Eta last week. However, one person was killed in a storm-related incident and several boats sank near the Bridge Street Pier in Bradenton Beach. On Wednesday evening, longtime local insurance agent Mark Mixon was electrocuted at a home he was working on at 211 Bay Drive N. According to Bradenton Beach police, Mixon was killed while standing in about 3 inches of water in a storage room with a washer and dryer. A friend tried to pull him out of the storage area but felt electricity surging through the water and called 911. By the time FPL turned off power to the area, emergency workers declared Mixon deceased.

Clockwise top, this home along North Shore Boulevard had standing water in the yard Thursday morning. The intersection of Poinsettia Road and Fern Street was still flooded last Thursday morning. A Manatee County employee removed broken Australian pine branches from the Kingfish boat ramp in Holmes Beach.

‘Sacrificial sand’ the primary goal of beach renourishment Beach renourishment’s primary goal is to protect coastal homes, properties, roads and infrastructure. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Before the arrival of Tropical Storm Eta, Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Director Charlie Hunsicker shared his thoughts on the anticipated loss of the sand that would occur on Anna Maria Island’s recently renourished beaches. After the Tuesday, Nov. 3 county commission meeting ended, Hunsicker discussed the public criticism that sometimes accompanies the stormrelated loss of renourished beach sand.

“Many people who follow beach renourishment see the sand go away during a storm and say, ‘It all washes away. It’s a waste of money.’ I want everyone to understand the sands there are sacrificial. The beaches are intended to wash away. Mother Nature will come in with the energy she has and extract the sand, or take something from the Island. If it’s not the sand, it’s homes, roads and utilities,” Hunsicker said. “Many people look at that as a waste of money, but that’s exactly the plan. Sacrificial sand is what we put there. Recreation is an added attribute, but its first and foremost job is to protect the Island. That’s why it’s done and that’s what it does,” Hunsicker said. SEE RENOURISHMENT, PAGE 11

INSIDE NEWS COAST LINES OUTDOORS CASTLES IN THE SAND REAL ESTATE CROSSWORD CLASSIFIEDS

4 15 18-19 22 22-26 29 30-31

FIND ALL things matrimonial in our Wedding Guide. 20-21

Anna Maria Island, Florida

SEE ETA, PAGE 25

Anna Maria Island reaches 100 total COVID-19 cases Sixteen new COVID-19 cases were reported on Anna Maria Island between Nov. 9 and Nov. 16. BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – The number of COVID-19 cases reported on the Island has reached 100. The cases date back to the beginning of the pandemic in March through Monday, Nov. 16, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management daily COVID-19 data report, which reports cases according to patients’ home zip codes. As of Monday, there were 52 COVID-19 cases reporting in Holmes

Beach, 36 in Bradenton Beach and 12 in Anna Maria since the pandemic began. As of Nov. 9, there had been 84 COVID-19 cases reported on Anna Maria Island – with 41 cases reported in Holmes Beach, 34 cases reported in Bradenton Beach and nine cases reported in Anna Maria since the pandemic began. Between Nov. 9 and Nov. 16, 11 new cases were reported in Holmes Beach, two in Bradenton Beach and three in Anna Maria. As of Monday, there had also been 50 total COVID-19 cases reported in the Manatee County portion of Longboat Key and eight in Cortez dating back to March. SEE COVID, PAGE 14

ISLAND LOCAL killed during

Tropical Storm Eta. 3 BOATS SUNK, Bridge Street Pier,

day dock damaged during Eta. 4

The Island’s award-winning weekly newspaper www.amisun.com


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Anna Maria Island Sun November 18, 2020 by Anna Maria Island Sun - Issuu