Top Sarasota News In 2021: COVID-19, Record Home Prices, Brian Laundrie, Gabby Petito

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL — As residents await the arrival of a new year, here are some of Sarasota County's top headlines from 2021.

20 Years Later, 9/11 Principal’s Legacy Lives On

A former student — and the principal’s son — recalled President George W. Bush’s visit to Sarasota’s Emma E. Booker Elementary School on Sept. 11, 2001 for the 20th anniversary of the attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon.

Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic

Coronavirus continues to affect the everyday lives of Sarasota residents and visitors. The number of COVID-19 cases in Sarasota County skyrocketed during the summer’s surge, which was driven by the delta variant. In August, the number of cases increased tenfold in a matter of weeks.

An outbreak hit the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office hard in August. About 100 employees — approximately 10 percent of the agency’s workforce — were out at the same time because they had COVID-19 symptoms or tested positive for the virus.

Sarasota County Schools also joined the statewide face mask policy fight. The district enacted an emergency mask mandate at the start of the school year because of the growing number of cases.

The Florida Department of Education threatened to withhold salaries for members of the Sarasota County School Board because of the mask requirements for students, staff, visitors and vendors.

The district fought back, though, with a letter from their attorney to Richard Corcoran, the state’s education commissioner, maintaining that its mask policy “is both lawful and compliant” with Florida law.

The temporary 90-day mask mandate was repealed by the school board in October before its expiration date of Nov. 23.

The policy angered many parents in the district and the school board hosted lengthy meetings with parents, guardians and medical professionals speaking both for and against masks.

One parent, Martin Hyde, a challenger to U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan in 2022, frequently spoke against masks at these meetings and a clip of him commenting to the board even made a video compilation released by The Lincoln Project, a group of GOP leaders who object to the direction former President Donald Trump has taken the party. The video includes clips of people sharing anti-mask and anti-vaccine views at school board, city council and other municipal meetings around the country.

Another father was so angry about the district’s mask requirement that he showed up at his child’s school, Ashton Elementary School, putting it into lockdown.

Meanwhile, led by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the state banned “vaccine passports,” prohibiting businesses from asking customers for proof of their COVID-19 vaccination. A Sarasota bead shop sued Florida’s surgeon general over this ban, claiming that it violated their First Amendment free speech rights, and asked for the law banning vaccine passports to be declared unconstitutional. A judge in Leon County ultimately struck down the lawsuit.

Big Plans for Sarasota Bradenton International Airport

Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Sarasota Bradenton International Airport saw significant growth in 2021. It was only September when the airport reached 2 million travelers, breaking its annual passenger record before the year was even over.

SRQ added numerous flights this year and has an expansion plan. To address itsgrowth, the airport will spend more than $100 million on expansion and renovation projects in coming years.

The priority project is the construction of a new $25 million five-gate terminal on the east end of the airport over the next 18 to 24 months, Piccolo said. This addition is a single-story, ground-loading terminal that will have passengers walk out to a ramp and load the plane.

Parking lot and fuel farm expansion projects were recently completed. The airport will also expand its existing terminal wing to increase its holding space and concession offerings and also expand its baggage claim area, a $50 million project, within two years.

A new ground transportation center to handle pick-ups and drop-offs by rideshare service, taxis and shuttles will be built within the next year and the security checkpoint will be expanded, as well. The airport will also consolidate the rental car and maintenance facilities in the next two to three years.

Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito

A “van life” couple who had been living in North Port made international headlines for months after they both went missing and were, eventually, found dead.

Laundrie and Petito, both Long Island, New York, natives living with his family in Florida, were traveling across the country visiting national parks this summer, documenting their trip on social media, when she disappeared at the end of August. Her body was found weeks later near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. An autopsy concluded that she died of strangulation and that it was a homicide.

Laundrie returned home alone to Florida in Petito's van Sept. 1 and was reported missing by his parents Sept. 17.

Authorities searched for Laundrie for more than a month. His skeletal remains, including a portion of his skull, were found Oct. 20 in the Carlton Reserve and the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in Sarasota County, along with several of his belongings, after more than a month of searching for him. The FBI used dental records to match the remains to Laundrie.

No cause of death could be determined after an Oct. 22 autopsy, and Laundrie's bones were sent to a forensic anthropologist for further examination.

The medical examiner’s office ultimately determined that Laundrie, a person of interest in the death of his fiancé, Gabby Petito, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Mayor’s Anger Over Vaccination Video Focus of Complaints

Alarmed by then-Mayor Hagen Brody's anger over a video recorded during a March 29 vaccination event at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and shared to the city of Sarasota's social media sites, several city employees filed written complaints to the Human Resources department in May.

The video featured Mary Bensel, Van Wezel's executive director, and the mayor was upset the focus of the video was on her and the performing arts hall.

Blaming the city's communications manager, Jan Thornburg, Brody went to City Manager Marlon Brown's office to complain, demanding to speak with him despite Brown being in a Zoom meeting and unavailable.

Carlie Brucia’s Killer Dies in Florida State Prison

Joseph Smith, who was on death row for the 2004 kidnapping, rape and murder of 11-year-old Carlie Brucia in Sarasota, died in custody of the Florida Department of Corrections in July.

The 55-year-old inmate was being held at the Union Correctional Institution in Raiford since 2006, according to FDC records. No cause of death was provided.

Political Pie? Sarasota Residents Devour Profane Joe Biden Pizza

A Sarasota pizzeria made national headlines after getting political with its toppings.

This fall, Solorzano’s Pizzerias, which has six locations throughout Sarasota County and a few opening soon in Tennessee, added the "FJB" pizza to its menu as an insult to the president.

The pizza features a large "FJB" written in pepperoni. That stands for "F--- Joe Biden," said the outspoken local pizza chain's founder and owner, Phil Solorzano.

English Man’s Replica Sarasota Police Car Turns Heads in Scotland

Caleb Keogh, an English car enthusiast who recently moved to Scotland, draws a lot of attention in his replica Sarasota police vehicle. He believes the Chevy Impala was used in some Marvel films before he bought it.

Wanting a replica of a working American police car, he began transforming the Impala by restoring its police features, such as lights and sirens, so they were operating again.

Originally, Keogh wanted to replicate its use as a U.S. Air Force police vehicle, but the military branch's design was just "a very plain and basic white vehicle," he said.

He researched American police departments that use the Chevy Impala as their main police interceptor and discovered the Sarasota Police Department used that make and model between 2006 and 2020.

Save Siesta Key Group Explores Barrier Island’s Incorporation

After years of living with decisions being made for them by Sarasota County leaders, some Siesta Key residents have had enough and are pushing for the barrier island's incorporation.

"We recognize the county has 427,000 people in it and we're a small portion of that," Tracy Jackson, chair of the communications and media committee for Save Siesta Key, an organization exploring the possibility of incorporation for the tourism hotspot, said. "We just believe that we are the best stewards of our island."

Accolades Keep Pouring in for Sarasota

There’s a reason so many people have been flocking to Sarasota in recent years. This year, the city made multiple “best” lists.

Time magazine included it on a list of the “World’s 100 Greatest Places of 2021.”

It made the top 10 list of “Best Places to Live in the U.S.,” which was put out by U.S. News & World Report. It also topped the publication’s list of “Best Places to Retire in the U.S.”

WalletHub ranked Sarasota as one of the “Best Beach Towns to Live in” near the ocean.

Revolving Door at Sarasota Police Department

Sarasota Police Department saw three police chiefs leading the agency in 2021.

Former Chief Bernadette DiPino stepped down in January after coming under fire for a joke she made about using a Taser on a mentally ill homeless man.

The man heckled officers during a Nov. 18, 2020 Sarasota Opera performance outside Sarasota police headquarters. As officers walked back into the building after the opera performance, DiPino reportedly said, "Anybody have a Taser they can give me so I can get rid of him?"

An officer who overheard the comment filed a complaint and the city's human resources department was assigned to look into it.

Next up was Chief James Rieser, a longtime member of the department who replaced DiPino. He retired in August due to “unexpected health issues.”

Now, former Deputy Chief Rex Troche has stepped up to the role of interim police chief as the city looks to fill the position permanently.

Sarasota Swimmer Makes It to the Olympics

In a stunning upset, 19-year-old Sarasota swimmer, Emma Weyant, outswam three former Olympians in the 400-meter individual medley to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics. She went on to bring home the silver medal.

Deputy’s Family Escapes Afghanistan, Taliban with Sheriff’s Help

As the recent Taliban takeover of Afghanistan unfolded this summer, Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman worked behind-the-scenes in Florida to help the family of a new deputy and former Afghan interpreter escape the country.

Deputy Mubarak, whose first name wasn't provided, was born in eastern Afghanistan and worked as an interpreter and combat linguist helping the U.S. Army and U.S. Marines for many years. His father encouraged both him and his brother to take on this role.

Art in Common Places Brings Poetry, Visual Art to Ordinary Spaces

Sarasota is known for its vibrant arts community, but the work isn't always accessible to the average person, say the founders of a new nonprofit.

The women behind Art in Common Places — arts enthusiast Cynthia Burnell, visual artist Leslie Butterfield and poet Teresa Carson — came together to find a way to bring the arts front and center in unlikely spaces throughout the community.

The group pairs poets and writers with visual artists to create posters — high-quality designs they refer to as "broadsides" — that they display throughout the community in spaces where people might not otherwise have the opportunity to view art: laundromats, shops, restaurants, markets, salons, apartment complexes, carwashes, libraries.

Sarasota Commissioner Involved in Christmas Eve Bar Fight

A Sarasota city commissioner who was involved in a bar fight told police he was attacked while trying to help a friend, but others say he was the aggressor.

Patch received a heavily redacted version of the Sarasota police report from this incident in early January but refrained from reporting on it because not all of the parties' names were released at that time. A police spokesperson said there were no charges in the incident.

The report now identifies Sarasota City Commissioner Kyle Battie as being part of a downtown bar fight outside Café Epicure on Christmas Eve in 2020.

Home Prices Reach Record Highs as People Clamor to Move to the Sarasota Area

It’s been a big year for home sales in Sarasota County. November saw the highest-ever recorded median prices for single-family homes and condos.

And seven of the top 10 "Hottest Neighborhoods of 2022" in the United States are located in the Sarasota area, according to a Redfin analysis.

The annual list from the real estate website ranks U.S. ZIP codes by reviewing year-over-year growth in listing views on the site. It also looks at the Redfin Compete Score, which measures the difficulty of buying a home in a ZIP code based on number of days on the market, number of homes that sold about their listing prices and sale-to-list price ratio, Redfin said. This year's list used data from September.

Rumble, a Conservative YouTube Alternative, Opens Florida Headquarters

In November, online video-sharing platform Rumble announced it will open a U.S. headquarters in Longboat Key. The platform, a YouTube alternative, is based in Toronto and popular among conservative influencers and right-wing viewers.

Former President Donald Trump turned to Rumble after being banned from multiple social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also regularly uses the site to shares state news with residents. Other prominent figures on the site include U.S. representatives Matt Gaetz and Devin Nunes, Sen. Rand Paul, former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Sean Hannity, and Ben Shapiro.

Rare 6-Inch Megalodon Shark Tooth Found by Venice Boat Captain

A Venice diver and charter boat captain made the discovery of a lifetime when he found a rare 6-inch megalodon shark tooth off the coast of Sarasota County Oct. 14.

Michael Nastasio, owner of Black Gold Fossil Charters, told Patch that finding the massive shark tooth is "every fossil hunter's dream."

Sarasota Memorial Health Care System Spent $1 Billion on New Medical Facilities in 2021

Despite a "year of hardship, challenge and growth," Sarasota Memorial Health Care System spent $1 billion on bringing new medical facilities to the community, the health care system said.

In the midst of a global pandemic, Sarasota Memorial opened Sarasota Memorial Hospital - Venice, a 65-acre medical campus and new 110-bed hospital in Venice Nov. 4. That same day, it unveiled the heart of its new Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute, an eight-story oncology and surgical tower on its Sarasota campus.

The health system has also paved the way for construction to begin on a new, state-of-the-art mental health facility, the Cornell Family Behavioral Health Pavilion, in the new year.

Grill Stolen from Georgia Firefighters Found at Sarasota Restaurant

Three years after being stolen from volunteer firefighters in Decatur County, Georgia, a homemade grill and smoker worth thousands of dollars was found at a Jamaican restaurant in Sarasota.

Investigators from Georgia were able to eventually track down the grill to Florida and worked with Sarasota police to get it home.

Investigator Terry Phillips with the Decatur County Sheriff's Office and Capt. Sam Hughes with Decatur County Fire & Rescue coordinated with Sarasota police Detective Dominic Harris to pick up the beloved smoker in June.

Neck Restraint During Arrest Prompts Investigation of Two Officers

Two Sarasota police officers were investigated after a video of a June arrest of a 32-year-old man wanted on a felony warrant out of Manatee County was shared to a public social media account and drew public criticism for the use of a neck restraint.

Sheriff Attended Events Featuring QAnon, Refused to Meet with Anti-Gun Violence Group

Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman spoke at three events organized by the Sarasota Patriots for Trump that included followers of the online conspiracy theory site QAnon, said Kaitlyn Perez, community affairs director for the sheriff's office.

QAnon is a far-right conspiracy group that believes a secret cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles oversee the "deep state" and plotted against former President Donald Trump in his re-election bid.

He also refused to meet with the Sarasota chapter of Brady, a gun control and anti-gun violence group, in March. In a letter to the organization, Hoffman said he was familiar with the group's gun control platform and he has "fundamental differences regarding nearly every objective of Brady."