Sarasota County staff, working with the Sarasota County Sheriff's Work Offender program, is scheduled to begin clean up operations to remove dead fish on Manasota Beach, 8570 Manasota Key Road, Manasota Key on Friday. The dead fish are suspected to be the result of a red tide bloom located off shore in the Gulf of Mexico.

SARASOTA COUNTY - Recent beach water samples collected by the Sarasota County Health Department and analyzed by Mote Marine Laboratory for the algae red tide (Karenia brevis) show a marked increase over test results from last week.

SARASOTA – A recent survey has declared Sarasota County as one of the healthiest counties in Florida. Of the state's 67 counties, Sarasota ranks 5th. So what goes into these numbers?

Sarasota County staff members working with non-violent offenders from the Sarasota County Sheriff's Offender Work Program have been deployed to Caspersen Beach, 4100 Harbor Drive, Venice, to remove dead fish that have washed ashore. Cleanup efforts also have been scheduled today for county-owned beaches, including Manasota Beach, Blind Pass Beach, Venice Beach and others. The suspected cause of the fish kill is a red tide bloom located offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.

ENGLEWOOD - Dead fish are causing a stink and respiratory problems at Blind Pass in Englewood.

SARASOTA COUNTY - Two Sarasota County capital improvement projects have garnered statewide awards and a third project has won a national award for excellence.

SARASOTA COUNTY - All Sarasota County government offices, including libraries, recreation centers and the Sarasota County History Center will be closed Monday, Nov. 12, in observance of Veterans Day.

SARASOTA, FL - Trash collection schedules will be modified due to the Thanksgiving holiday. There will be no waste collection Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 22.

Sarasota County staff, working with the Sarasota County Sheriff's Work Offender program, is scheduled to begin clean up operations to remove dead fish on Blind Pass Beach, 6725 Manasota Key Road, Manasota Key on Thursday and Friday. The dead fish are suspected to be the result of a red tide bloom located off shore in the Gulf of Mexico.

Captain Jonnie Walker - A resident of Sarasota since 1956, and a professional fishing guide since 1974 in the Sarasota Bay area. He has been appearing on ABC 7 since 1994 and promotes taking kids fishing, hence the closing line "Take a kid fishing because someday he may take you".

SARASOTA COUNTY - Sarasota County Parks and Recreation's popular "Say I Do Again" wedding vow renewal event returns to America's No. 1 Beach, Siesta Beach, 948 Beach Road, Siesta Key, at 6 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 14.

Most Sarasota County government offices and services will be closed Monday, Dec. 24, and Christmas Day, Tuesday, Dec. 25, for the holiday.

Officials say winds and waves overnight Thursday pushed more dead fish onto nearly every beach in Sarasota County.

SARASOTA, FL. - Even though Siesta Key Beach was named the Best Beach in America in 2011, the area around it has some problems that the county says needs improving.

New restrooms and a concession stand are going in at North Jetty Park in Nokomis.

SARASOTA - We know Siesta Key Beach is famous for having the most beautiful sand in the country. And on Saturday morning you're invited to hit the beach and see what you can build out of that sand. And it's not just for kids; there'll be some serious competitors out there.

SIESTA KEY, Fla. -- Nearly 1,000 runners and walkers hit the beach to help endangered and threatened sea turtles during Mote’s 27th Run for the Turtles today, April 6, on Siesta Public Beach.