- Named Best Florida Newspaper In Its Class -
VOL 20 No. 2
October 23, 2019
Standing water was a familiar sight on Anna Maria Island on Saturday. BY JOE HENDRICKS AND CINDY LANE SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com SUN STAFF WRITER | clane@amisun.com
Post-Tropical Cyclone Nestor affects Anna Maria Island
ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Post-Tropical Cyclone Nestor caused high surf, rip currents, wind gusts and flooding Friday and Saturday on Anna Maria Island as it churned in the Gulf of Mexico, making landfall in Florida’s Panhandle on Saturday. While Polk County to the north experienced a highly-destructive tornado touchdown Friday night, when Nestor was still a tropical storm, Manatee County escaped forecast tornadoes. By Saturday afternoon, couples were strolling the windy beach, walking as far as they could before being stopped by newly-exposed rocks and seawalls. Rip currents persisted all day Saturday, moving anchored buoys to new locations, and parents held tight to their children’s hands as they ventured into rushing ankle-deep water in the Gulf. A tour of the Island late Saturday morning and early Saturday afternoon revealed a little flooding in Bradenton Beach and heavy flooding in areas of Holmes Beach and Anna Maria, mak-
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
A portion of Crescent Drive in Anna Maria was covered with water Saturday afternoon after 4.4 inches of rain fell in the city.
SEE NESTOR, PAGE 24
WMFR welcomes Rigney, says goodbye to Sousa WMFR staff and their families recognized incoming Chief Ben Rigney and outgoing Chief Tom Sousa in a Change of Command ceremony Oct. 17. BY KRISTIN SWAIN SUN STAFF WRITER | kswain@amisun.com
BRADENTON – It was a day of sadness and celebration Oct. 17 as West Manatee Fire Rescue’s staff said goodbye to retiring Chief Tom Sousa and welcomed new Chief Ben Rigney in a combined retirement and change of command ceremony held at Station 1. As Sousa passed the ceremonial pike
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to Rigney, officially passing command of the fire district to his successor, several well-wishers stepped up to the podium to honor both men, including former WMFR Chief Andy Price, WMFR board Chair David Bishop and East Manatee Fire Rescue Chief Lee Whitehurst. Two of the most poignant moments of the evening were when Rigney’s grandfather, Hugh Holmes, pinned the chief’s badge on his grandson and when, after Sousa gave his final comments as chief, a ceremonial radio call went out announcing his official retirement from the district. Price, as the guest speaker for the event, said that he was honored to be SEE WMFR, PAGE 13
KRISTIN SWAIN | SUN
West Manatee Fire Rescue’s retired Chief Andy Price, right, celebrates the installation of Chief Ben Rigney, center, and the retirement of Chief Tom Sousa, left, at Station 1 on Oct. 17.
ELIZA Ann’s Chef
SCOTT MOORE named to
Baselici cooks up fried green tomatoes. 17
Agrucultural Hall of Fame. 4
Anna Maria Island, Florida
THE Feast restaurant celebrates 10
years. 11 The Island’s award-winning weekly newspaper www.amisun.com