News, sports and weather for Bradenton, FL| Bradenton Herald & Bradenton.com

Featured

What to do this weekend? Check out Weekend!

Here are some things to do this weekend in Manatee and Sarasota counties.

Check out our Click! photos

Did our photographers catch you out and about at social events in Manatee County?

Local News

Donny Combs, a tree-trimmer for the county, is paying back more than $600 after an error in the process of awarding promotions and corresponding pay raises. PAUL VIDELA/Bradenton Herald

Pay raise was nice, but now Manatee County officials are taking it back

Manatee County officials erred when they gave 25 workers promotions and raises, and now, the workers must give the raises back.

Crime

Shawn Lyerly, possession stolen property, pawn fraud, $9,000 bond

PHOTO GALLERY | Inmates booked in at Manatee jail on July 10, 2014

Some of the latest arrivals at the Manatee County jail.

Sports

Miami Heat's LeBron James pauses on the court during the first half of Game 1 of the 2014 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 5, 2014. AL DIAZ / MIAMI HERALD STAFF

The waiting game continues as LeBron James’ choices likely whittled down to Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers

This business of waiting on LeBron James is more suspenseful than the actual games he plays. 16 minutes ago

Sea Force IX, a custom builder of luxury yachts located near Port Manatee, is nearing completion on a $15 million order for 26 aluminum power boats that will be used by a South American oil company to ferry workers to oil rigs.

Opinion

Diverging diamond interchange: safer, faster

Fear of adapting to change and something entirely new appears to be of lessening concern after several hundred residents and business owners viewed videos and diagrams of the diverging diamond interchange plan for University Parkway and Interstate...

Living

Dick Vitale, 2008 National Basketball Hall of Famer and Lakewood Ranch resident, is doused with water by Leah Secondo, left, and Cardinal Mooney girls basketball players Thursday at the First Watch in Lakewood Ranch. Vitale and Secondo were doused for Chillin4Charity's fundraiser for the Kay Yow Foundation and the V Foundation. TIFFANY TOMPKINS-CONDIE/Bradenton Herald

Dick Vitale bathed in buckets of cold water to support cancer research

#Chillin4Charity Challenge with Dick Vitale in LWR.

Entertainment

A dragon breathes fire from atop Gringnotts Bank during a preview of Diagon Alley at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando, Thursday, June 19, 2014, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

10 things to love about Diagon Alley

In honor of this week's opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Orlando, we share 10 favorite things about the new attraction.