- Named Best Florida Newspaper In Its Class -
VOL 26 No. 9
November 26, 2025
An Island Christmas
LESLIE LAKE | SUN
The Christmas season kicked off in Bradenton Beach with the Christmas on Bridge Street party that featured the city tree lighting at dusk. The Nov. 22 party was sponsored by the Bradenton Beach Merchants Association.
Male makes bomb, mass shooting threats on Anna Maria Island No explosives were found and ATF is assisting with the investigation.
The new restaurant pays tribute to The Rod & Reel Pier destroyed by Hurricane Milton in 2024.
BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
HOLMES BEACH – Police responded to two separate bomb threats and a mass shooting threat at the White Sands Beach Resort, 6504 Gulf Drive, on Nov. 21. “We’re doing everything we can to identify the suspect who called in the bomb threats,” Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer said. “We do not believe there’s any danger to the public at this time.” Tokajer said no explosives were located, no shooting occurred and a suspect has not yet been identified or apprehended. He said the first bomb threat was received Friday morning with the
Page 20
The Rod & Reel restaurant sets sail BY JOE HENDRICKS SUN CORRESPONDENT | jhendricks@amisun.com
JEN CITTI | SUBMITTED
HBPD Officer Adam DeSantis stood watch near the resort and the former Beach Bistro building. second received between 4-5 p.m. that day. “We had two bomb threats yesterday from the same guy. He also did another one yesterday in North
SEE THREATS, PAGE 17
HOLMES BEACH – The Rod & Reel restaurant is now open as a landlocked affiliate of the Rod & Reel Pier in Anna Maria that awaits replacement after its destruction by Hurricane Milton last year. Within 15 minutes of officially opening on Nov. 21 at 8 a.m., Oliver “Oli” Lemke’s new 60-seat restaurant at 3246 East Bay Drive was more than half full and many patrons were longtime Rod & Reel Pier regulars.
ROTARY/AMI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE business awards announced. 3
Anna Maria Island, Florida
The Island’s award-winning weekly newspaper
JOE HENDRICKS | SUN
The Rod & Reel Pier sign and some of the recovered pier planks hang inside the new Rod & Reel restaurant. Offering indoor and outdoor seating and serving breakfast until 11 a.m., The Rod & Reel is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. The menu is essentially the same as the old Rod & Reel Pier menu and
SEE ROD & REEL, PAGE 21
WHITMORE elected chair of Holmes
Beach Commission. 4
VOSBURGH retires from Bradenton Beach
Commission. 8
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