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astheworldterns. 6 grand jury indicts 4 for murder. 3
RoadWatch.
Sailboat extracted from cortez Bridge
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HB closes doors to curb virus’ spread. 4
Meetings. 4 Shipwreck cleanup continues. 5
Opinions. 6 10-20 Years ago
Looking back. 7
nfL scout works from ami. 8
Save a date. 10
aBoVe: Pelicans circle Jan. 12 as workers contracted by the florida fish and Wildlife conservation commission remove a vessel that had broken its anchor and was lodged under the cortez Bridge in november 2020 following the passage of tropical Storm eta in the gulf of mexico. the state reported that there was no damage to the bridge. islander Photo: chrisann allen
Happenings announcements. 11
testing on calendar. 12 center rings in new year with fundraising surge. 13
Q&a 012021
Left: the mast of a submerged sailboat is lodged under the cortez Bridge near the Bradenton Beach side of the bridge since nov. 11, 2020, after the boat broke anchor during high winds and choppy surf produced by tS eta nov. 11-12. islander file Photo
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Where’s tuna Street? 16-17
Gathering. 18
Obituaries. 18-19 Streetlife. 20
island police ‘honored,’ called to serve covid cases fall off, at Biden-Harris inauguration vaccine drained By ryan Paice islander reporter
After the insurrection at the Capitol Building Jan. 6, tensions surrounding Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration are high. county seeks $$ to So is the need for tight and skilled secuimprove boat ramp. 22 rity on Inauguration Day, which is Jan. 20. Law enforcement in Washington, D.C., will have a handful of Anna Maria Island’s manatee casualties con- finest to help. Six island officers were headed to the tinue. 23 nation’s capital this week to help the U.S. adult sports kick off. 24 Secret Service, the federal coordinator for security at the inauguration. Pompano rewards. 25 Officers Roy Joslin and Devon Straight are the Bradenton Beach Police Departisland bank 4 sale. 26 ment’s choices to attend, according to BBPD Chief Sam Speciale. CLASSIFIEDS. 28 Sgt. Mike Walker and Officers Christine PropertyWatch. 30 LaBranche, Lee Diehl and Adam DeSantis from the Holmes Beach Police Department BIZ CAL: also are to attend the inauguration, according to HBPD Chief Bill Tokajer. Tokajer told The Islander Jan. 13 that he puzzle. HB approves arts-crafts shows. 21
NYT
is excited for his officers to participate. “It is an honor,” Tokajer said. “It’s pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the officers. …Just being able to participate in something like an inauguration is an honor.” “The fact that we can help out from our small little part of the world is something we’re very happy with,” he added. “It’s definitely an honor,” Joslin said about being selected as one of BBPD’s attending officers. “I was very surprised and excited when I was asked. And it’s definitely a privilege.” However, Joslin expressed “mixed feelings” about serving as security amid the political turmoil that led to the insurrection Jan. 6 and the loss of life, including the deaths of two U.S. Capitol Police. “Obviously, I’m happy to be there but, then again, I don’t want something major to go down,” Joslin said. “If something happens to me and Officer Straight … with only
turn to POlice, Page 2
By chrisann allen islander reporter
The local numbers dropped in the past week. But not by much. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of seniors awaited notice of vaccine appointments in Manatee County and apparently the supply of vaccine doses has been drained. Between Jan. 8-15, 1,430 new cases of the novel coronavirus were reported to the Department of Health-Manatee County, a decrease from the week prior, when 1,586 new cases of the novel coronavirus were documented. As of Jan. 15, 146 people in Holmes Beach, 61 people in Bradenton Beach and 43 people in Anna Maria had tested positive for the virus — an increase of nine cases for islanders compared with the week prior. According to metrics provided by the DOH, as of Jan. 15, 25,743 people had tested positive for the virus in the county, with 454 turn to vaccine, Page 2
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