Free Republic

BRADENTON BEACH, Fla. — A tiny bottle with a message inside traveled from Hawaii in ocean currents before being washed ashore in Bradenton Beach on Sunday and found by a girl visiting from Michigan. “It was in this tiny little glass bottle with cute little origami birds,” said Paris Hoisington, 31. “She was so surprised. Came running right towards me on the beach.” Hoisington said it’s every kid’s dream to find a message in a bottle at the beach. Her daughter, Josie Law, 11, said at first she thought it was a piece of trash floating in the water. “Then...

Bradenton Beach police officer spotted a strange incident while on patrol at Coquina Beach on the morning of Nov. 5 that left him scratching his head with far more questions than answers. “I saw a Coast Guard plane flying over the bay, then I watch them turn back toward the Gulf. I thought what the heck is that as I look up and saw a big black thing in the sky,” Bradenton Beach Police Officer Charles Morose said. “I’m estimating based on the size of the plane in the sky, it was at least the size of a car, or...