Manatee County, Florida -- Former Anna Maria Island Library Branch Manager Ava Ehde has been selected as Manatee County Library Services Manager with responsibility for the leadership and operations of the five libraries in the system.

Ehde has been the supervisor at the Anna Maria Island Library since 2003. Prior to coming to Manatee County, she was the Head of Reference and Systems at D'Youville College Library in Buffalo, N.Y.  Ehde earned a bachelor’s degree in History and German and a master’s degree in Information and Library Science from State University of New York at Buffalo where she also served as an adjunct faculty member for four years.  

Manatee County Neighborhood Services Director Cheri Coyea said Ehde was selected for her wide range of experience during an extensive career in libraries. Ehde has been employed by the Manatee County Public Library since 2002 and has been the Island Library branch manager since 2003. 

BRADENTON, FLORIDA-- New hires will be sworn-in, while several current Bradenton police officers will officially be promoted during a ceremony on Wednesday.

Four new recruits will be sworn-in.

Keith Davis and Warren Merriman will be promoted to captains, while Josh Cramer will take the title of lieutenant, and James Kaull will be named sergeant.

The ceremony is scheduled for 5 p.m. in city council chambers.

It is open to the public.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL -- Parts of the original Sunshine Skyway Bridge are about to be demolished. A project got underway today to remove dozens of aging spans of the old bridge, which were determined to be unsafe.

Still at question for many is what the project means for the estimated half-million anglers who have since come to use the old bridge as a fishing pier each year.

Officials say, for now, the western spans will remain open and people who fish there won't see much difference at all from the way it's been for the past three years.

Still, there are some who worry this project is a sign of things to come and may signal the eventual end of a local landmark.

The project will remove 75 spans, 48 to the south, 27 on the north end.