North Port, Fla. -- This soup tasting and pottery event will benefit All Faiths Food Bank on their mission to fight hunger in the community.
On March 4, from noon - 3 p.m. at the North Port City Center, attendees will receive a handcrafted ceramic bowl to keep and be able to enjoy three...more soup tastings donated by local restaurants and organizations for a $25 donation. The event will also include entertainment, beverages, breads, pastries, cookies and a raffle.
Volunteers are needed! Vision North Port and All Faiths Food Bank are looking for volunteers to help with this event. Volunteers are needed to help with serving, registration, parking, setting up, breaking down and more. If you are interested in volunteering, send an e-mail to info@visionnorthport.com.
Sponsors and raffle items are also needed. For more information or to volunteer, contact Aundria or Fran with All Faiths Food Bank at (941) 379-6333.

North Port, Fla. -- The Sarasota County Health Department has announced that local low-income and uninsured children from five North Port elementary schools will soon be receiving preventive dental care through a three-year $95,000 grant award the department received from the Blue Cross and...more Blue Shield of Florida Foundation (BCBSF).
“A healthy smile is the hallmark of good health. We are thrilled to have the funding available for this program which will begin in April,” said SCHD School Health Supervisor Linda Glover. “Second-grade students whose parents provide consent will be transported from North Port area elementary schools to the SCHD’s North Port Health Center to get a dental exam and receive dental sealants. These plastic coatings, which act as a barrier protecting the teeth against decay-causing bacteria, are usually applied to chewing surfaces of the back teeth.” 
Last year, Glenallen Elementary School served as a test site for the program, which allowed local

Sarasota County, FL -- The Florida Highway Patrol will be conducting a DUI Wolfpack detail this Friday, Feb. 17.
Troopers will be on the roads beginning at 10 p.m. monitoring traffic in an effort to maximize their visibility and effectiveness in removing impaired drivers from roads in Sarasota and Charlotte counties.

North Port, FL -- The Heron Creek Community Foundation is having another food drive within Heron Creek Golf and Country Club to collect food for the North Port High School's needy and homeless children.  
The food drive will be held Saturday, Feb.18, 2012.
The collection point will be...more the Welcome Center at Heron Creek Golf and Country Club between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. For more information, visit www.heroncreekfoundation.org.

Venice, FL -- As part of the City of Venice 85th Anniversary celebration, a beach bash will take place at Venice Beach on Saturday, Feb. 18 from 11 a.m. - sunset.
Entertainment will include music by the Cry'n Shames and Jimmy Mazz. The Drum Circle will begin around 5 p.m. for the sunset....more  
Demonstrations will take place throughout the day beginning with yoga at 11 a.m., paddle boarding at noon, sailing at 1 p.m. and kayaking at 2 p.m.  Exhibits will include the city's recently restored 1926 American LaFrance fire engine, Old Betsy; photos of historic Venice; sharks' teeth and fossils, with a sharks' teeth dig for kids; and a Model T.
Admission is free. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. A bounce house for children is $2 for the day.
Sponsors include the City of Venice, Sarasota County, Walmart, Sertoma Club of Venice, and Landshark. Sponsors of the band tent are BrightStar of South Sarasota; Ann Thompson, Attorney at Law; and Venice

The National Weather Service in Tampa Bay has issued a freeze watch that includes Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties for Sunday evening through Monday morning. Sarasota County Emergency Management officials are reminding residents to be prepared and use caution both indoors and outside....more Pets should not be left outside during the cold weather.
The lower than normal temperatures combined with strong winds could produce dangerous wind chills. Citizens who need to be outside overnight or during the early morning hours are encouraged to dress in several warm layers and limit skin exposure to the wind.
“Temperatures are projected to drop rapidly below freezing Sunday evening, particularly in inland areas. It is important that the community prepare for colder than usual conditions by taking precautions to protect their homes, families and pets,” stressed Sarasota County Emergency Management Chief Ed McCrane.
For those needing shelter, cold weather shelters are being

 
Sarasota County, FL -- Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s 2012-13 scholarship application is now available online at GulfCoastCF.org.  The deadline for submitting a completed application is March 21, at 4 p.m.
Gulf Coast offers scholarship opportunities for local students of all ages...more who will be pursuing higher education in 2012-13. Applicants must be residents of Sarasota County, Charlotte County, or Boca Grande, and they must be accepted to or attending an accredited postsecondary vocational school, college or university, or graduate institution.  Scholarships are awarded from more than 40 scholarship funds managed by Gulf Coast.
Students may complete the entire Gulf Coast scholarship application online.  They need submit just one application to be considered for all scholarship opportunities for which they are eligible.  Eligibility requirements, answers to frequently asked questions, and a sample application can be found on the Gulf Coast Web

Venice, FL -- Island Village Montessori School (IVMS), Venice Theatre, and the IVMS Choraliers are proud to announce their collaborative production of the musical Rock the World! by Gianna Campo.
IVMS after-school students will perform on Venice Theatre’s MainStage Saturday, Feb. 25 at 1...more p.m. The IVMS Choraliers will present a pre-show at 12:30 p.m.
A donation of $8 in exchange for tickets can be given at the school in Jan Pearman’s office or by calling (941) 484-4999 ext. 224. Any remaining tickets will be available at the theatre beginning one hour before the performance. Discounts are not available at the door.
Coined “IMAGINE”, the partnership between IVMS and Venice Theatre (VT) is in its eighth year. Jan Pearman, director of the IVMS after-school program, sees theatre as an opportunity to challenge her students while catering to a variety of curriculum levels.  Candace Artim and Sandy Davisson of Venice Theatre’s Education and Outreach Department have worked

Venice, FL -- Brohard Paw Park, located at 1600 Harbor Drive South in Venice, will be closed on Thursday, Feb. 9, for necessary repairs to the boardwalk and routine maintenance.

The park will reopen for business as usual on Feb. 10.

For more information, contact the Sarasota County Call Center at 941-861-5000 and ask about Sarasota County Paw Parks.

Sarasota County, Florida -- It's time to clean out the garage, get rid of old household items and gather up yard waste.
Sarasota County will hold its annual community cleanup in the Nokomis area from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11.
Dumpsters will be provided at three...more locations:Nokomis Community Center, 234 E. Nippono Trail (south parking lot) River Boulevard at Adriatic Street (west side)Colonia Lane at Shadylawn Avenue (south side)
Residents can dispose of any non-hazardous waste such as household items, scrap material, unbundled yard waste and other material during this free event. Sarasota County employees will be available at each site to offer assistance.
Paint, pesticides, auto parts, televisions, computers and other hazardous materials will not be accepted. Hazardous waste may be taken to Sarasota County's chemical collection centers at the Central County Solid Waste Landfill Facility, 4010 Knights Trail Road, Nokomis; the north county center at 8750

NORTH PORT, Florida (AP) - A southwest Florida high school principal accused of using hypnosis on students will avoid jail time on two misdemeanor charges.

As part of a deal with Sarasota County prosecutors, 52-year-old George Kenney pleaded no contest to practicing therapeutic...more hypnosis without a license. He was sentenced to one year of probation.

Leave a comment: Would you be ok with someone hypnotizing your child at school?

Officials say Kenney hypnotized two North Port High students before the two, independently of one another, committed suicide last year. Officials say Kenney had been warned by his boss to stop using such one-on-one hypnosis with students. Kenney's attorney has said that the principal's supervisor only expressed concern and never gave him a written directive to stop the hypnosis.

Kenney is currently on administrative duty not at the school. The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports that Kenney applied for retirement in