Sarasota Patch Readers: Thank You For Helping Us Grow

SARASOTA, FL – It’s been nearly eight years since Patch launched its hyperlocal online news site in Sarasota.

Since that day on Dec. 1, 2010, Sarasota Patch has developed into one of the most vigorous Patch sites in Florida, thanks to the warm welcome and support of Sarasota County residents.

The tech-savvy Sarasota community was quick to embrace this dynamic online source of local news.

We’ve been growing steadily since launching Sarasota Patch, and we have you to thank for that success.

In August, more than 36,000 people looked to Sarasota Patch for their local news on their laptops, tablets, cell phones and through the Patch app, as verified through Google Analytics.

Here’s some other facts about Sarasota Patch:

· We have 3,622 Facebook followers

· We’ve added 280 Sarasota Patch daily newsletter subscribers this year (Wait? You don't get our email? Click here and we'll hook you up.)

· So far in 2018, 13,165 readers have turned to Sarasota Patch’s calendar to find out what’s happening in the community

· And since the beginning of the year, 46 Sarasota Patch readers have used our online news site to post upcoming events, stories, announcements and opinion pieces

Here are 10 of the most-read articles on Sarasota Patch this year:

Road Rage Leads To Arrest of Sarasota Man

Cardinal Mooney High Closed Monday Due To Social Media Threat

Sarasota Man Charged With 11 Counts Of Child Porn Possession

Sarasota Ranked As No. 1 Best Place To Retire: U.S. News & World Report

Marine, That Ring You Lost At Siesta Key Has Been Found

Seffner Man Killed By Lightning On Siesta Key Beach

Black Millionaire Guest Finds Racist Note In Sarasota Hotel Room

Missing North Port Toddler Found Dead In Canal

3 People Rescued After Nearly Drowning On Lido Beach

Sarasota Rescue Units Remove Man From 6-Foot Hole In Road

I’m D’Ann Lawrence White, your local editor.

Beyond being a journalist in Tampa Bay for 30 years, I’m also a mom and wife, a homeowner, a pet owner, a volunteer, a voter and a consumer.

So, the same issues that are important to you are important to me as well. Like you, I’m concerned about school safety, crime in our neighborhoods, decisions by government that impact my wallet and my quality of life, and severe weather that may threaten my home and the safety of my family.

I’m also interested in the more light-hearted local news -- what new restaurants are opening, the scores of the Friday night high school football games, the starting lineup for the next Bucs game and weekend festivals, concerts and other happenings I can attend with my family.

The stories I write reflect those concerns and interests.

At the same time, it’s impossible for me to know everything that’s going on in my community. That’s where you come in. I depend on Patch readers to be my eyes and ears – to send me news tips, to alert me to issues of concern, to post upcoming events on our calendar and announcements on our bulletin board, and, yes, to correct me when I get it wrong.

Sarasota Patch wouldn’t exist without the support of our readers. I'm always anxious to hear from you. Please send your tips, ideas for improving and questions to me at dann.white@patch.com or you can message me on the Patch Facebook page.

We’d also like to remind you that it’s easy to post your events and announcements on Sarasota Patch. You can easily to sign up for a free user profile. As a Patch user, you can post articles, events, jobs and announcements. And the "rules of Patch" are easy to follow: "no abusive content, no commercial spam, keep it local, and be awesome."

If you own a business and are interested in getting your message on Sarasota Patch or our nearby Patches, please visit the page and tell us what you need. One of our sales reps will be in touch.

Here's a fun fact about Patch: Did you know that Patch is among the 100 biggest websites in the United States? Patch ranks 91st on the most viewed websites in the country, according to Alexa.

Sarasota Patch is part of a broad network, with 39 other Patch sites in Florida more than 1,200 across the United States. That's a lot of local news!

Many news websites are limiting access to free articles, but Patch articles and events by our journalists and our users are always free to view. We might not have the resources of local newspapers or TV stations, but you can look to us for the latest breaking news alerts and coverage of important local issues across Sarasota County.

Image via Visit Sarasota