Adaure Achumba

1 week ago | wtsp.com | Adaure Achumba

SARASOTA, Fla. — A new public mural in Sarasota is helping to highlight a piece of the city’s early Black history. Local artist Kaitlyn Ramirez, also known as "Swirly Painter," recently completed a mural featuring Irene and Lewis Colson, two of Sarasota’s first Black residents. Lewis Colson helped plat the city in 1885 and donated land for its first Black church. His wife, Irene Colson, served as a midwife, providing critical care to the Black community for decades.

1 week ago | wtsp.com | Adaure Achumba

MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — The Manatee County School District is under continued scrutiny after the parents of two students announced their intent to sue the district over alleged sexual misconduct by teachers. The families have retained legal representation and issued a formal notice of intent to sue, citing negligence, liability and violations of their children's civil and constitutional rights.

1 week ago | wtsp.com | Adaure Achumba

MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Emergency repairs have begun at the Lake Manatee Dam after inspections last month revealed surface cracks and signs of deterioration. Manatee County Commissioners recently approved $3 million in emergency funding to fast-track the repairs in light of what's expected to be an active hurricane season. Officials said the cracks were found during a professional engineer's inspection and were likely worsened by the intensity of last year's storms.

2 weeks ago | wtsp.com | Adaure Achumba

BRADENTON BEACH, Fla. — The city of Bradenton Beach is taking proactive steps to avoid a repeat of Memorial Day's parking chaos with an emergency declaration ahead of the Fourth of July weekend. The declaration, which covers July 4–6, activates an administrative process that allows city officials to deploy extra law enforcement, authorize overtime pay and mobilize public works crews to manage the surge in beachgoers expected for the holiday weekend.

2 weeks ago | wtsp.com | Adaure Achumba

TAMPA, Fla. — Jury selection is now in its second day in the first-degree murder trial of Ronny Tremel Walker, the man accused of killing 14-year-old Nilexia Alexander in May 2022. The case has drawn widespread attention across the Tampa Bay area and reignited conversations about repeat violent offenders. Walker is facing the death penalty, with prosecutors arguing he shot the teenager multiple times in the head before leaving her body in a vacant lot on West Floribraska Avenue.