Sarasota News Leader
January 18, 2013
County health officials also are advising pet
owners to take precautions when bringing
animals to the beach. Dogs that lick their fur
or paws after swimming in red tide areas and
those that eat dead fish on the beach may
experience gastrointestinal illness or other
symptoms from ingesting toxins, the release
points out. "Pets should not be allowed to consume or play with dead fish and they should be
rinsed with clear water after a beach swim,"
the release says.
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as conditions can change daily," Tom Higginbotham, Sarasota County Health Department
environmental health administrator, says in
the release.
The Mote Marine Laboratory's Beach Conditions Report is updated twice a day; it can be
accessed online at www.mote.org/beaches.
Residents and visitors also may register to
receive email reports about specific beaches.
For telephone updates, call 941-BEACHES
(232-2437) and press "1" for Sarasota County
County officials were hopeful that a cold front beaches.
predicted for Thursday, Jan. 17, would result
in a change in wind patterns that would re- For the latest red tide status reports and
duce the effects of red tide over the weekend, general information about red tide, visit the
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Comthe release notes.
mission's website at MyFWC.com/Research.
"Beach-goers are encouraged to check the The FWC-Mote Cooperative Facebook page
Mote beach report before they go to the beach, is www.facebook.com/FLHABs.
EFFORTS ENHANCED TO GUARD AGAINST UNLICENSED CONTRACTORS
The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office has enhanced "Legitimate Sarasota County businesses are
its efforts to protect citizens from unlicensed con- being undercut by unlicensed contractors,
tractors, the office announced this week.
but that is not the only reason people need to
make sure they hire licensed professionals,"
Two detectives are working closely with
Sarasota County Code Enforcement and the said Sheriff Tom Knight in the release. "Using
Florida Department of Business and Profes- a licensed contractor protects consumers fisional Regulation (DBPR), a Sheriff's Office nancially, shields them from potential litiganews release says. The detectives investigate tion and ensures their safety because shoddy
claims against people who engage in contract- work can only be detected during the inspecing work without proper licenses, permits or tion process," he adds.
certification. A first offense usually results To check a Sarasota County license, call Code
in a civil citation by Code Enforcement, but Enforcement at 861-6126. To report someone
subsequent violations lead to misdemeanor or you suspect is acting as an unlicensed confelony criminal charges the release points out.
tractor or performing work without a permit,
In the first six months of this program, some 20 call Sarasota County at 861-5000. For more
individuals were criminally charged and anoth- information visit the web page for Planning &
er 23 people received citations, the release says. Development Services.
