Daily Briefing: Former ballerina accused of murder claims self-defense

Ashley Benefield, 31, claimed she shot her estranged husband in self-defense and is looking to dismiss the case under Florida's Stand Your Ground law. Advertisement [eNewspaper]( | [Crosswords]( | [Horoscopes]( [Read in browser]( [Read in browser]( The Daily Briefing YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP Sat Jul 8 2023 [Former ballerina accused of murder claims self-defense]( [Ashley Benefield is accused of killing her estranged husband, Doug Benefield, and is attempting to have the case dismissed under Florida's Stand Your Ground law. The hearing on the justifiable use of force immunity defense began Thursday, July 6, 2023 at the Manatee County Judicial Center in Bradenton, Florida and is expected to last two days.]( Ashley Benefield, 31, claimed she shot her estranged husband in self-defense and is looking to dismiss the case under Florida's Stand Your Ground law. [READ MORE]( [The Sarasota Classic Car Museum is located on N. Tamiami Trail, just north of University Parkway, on land owned by New College of Florida. ]( [New College gives Sarasota car museum more time to move]( The school sent a May order to the museum to vacate the property by the end of June in a push to build an athletic program at the liberal arts school. [READ MORE]( [Erin M. Duggan will take over the role of president at Visit Sarasota County on Sept. 30, according to the news release. She joined Visit Sarasota County as a public relations manager in 2005. She's been in the position of vice president at the organization since 2016.]( [Visit Sarasota County selects new president to head organization]( The tourism marketing organization for Sarasota County chose its next leader on Thursday as the current president plans to retire in September. [READ MORE]( [Humane Society of Sarasota County volunteer Erin Clinton takes a moment to provide encouragement to Bowser, a dog who came to the humane society as a stray in June. Bowser is available for adoption.]( [Sarasota moving toward requiring animal shelters to be 'no-kill']( The term "no-kill" generally refers to shelters that try to have a live-release rate of at least 90%. [READ MORE]( [Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, left, and his wife, Casey DeSantis, are introduced during the annual Roast and Ride fundraiser for U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, Saturday, June 3, 2023, at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa.]( [DeSantis raises $20 million, allied super PAC collects $130 million]( DeSantis raised $20 million in the first six weeks of his campaign, while an allied super PAC raised $130 million since March. [READ MORE]( Advertisement TRENDING STORIES 1 [Chef Bobby Flay visits one of Sarasota's best restaurants Indigenous]( Celebrity chef Bobby Flay is best known for his work on the Food Network and is also the founder of the Bobby's ... [READ MORE]( 2 [Whale shark swims past Florida fishing boat in Instagram, TikTok video]( The biggest fish in the sea swam past a fishing boat off the Sarasota shore Monday and showed the crew. [READ MORE]( 3 [Best 4th of July fireworks, events Sarasota Bradenton Charlotte 2023]( Where to celebrate Fourth of July with fireworks displays, parades and other events locally on July 4 or the night ... [READ MORE]( 4 [For subscribers] [Nancy's Bar-B-Q restaurant updates closing, opening dates]( The barbecue restaurant is returning to the downtown Sarasota area after opening its first location there in 2011. [READ MORE]( 5 [Amid a malaria outbreak, here's how to avoid mosquitoes on July 4th]( Sarasota County recommends that you avoid being outside from after dusk to sunrise. If you are outside, wear ... [READ MORE]( Sign up for the news you want Exclusive newsletters are part of your subscription, don’t miss out! We’re always working to add benefits for subscribers like you. [SEE ALL NEWSLETTERS ➔]( [SEE ALL NEWSLETTERS ➔]( Advertisement SUBSCRIBE TODAY Our Reporting. Your Stories. Full access to subscriber-only content on all devices. Share bonus subscription with a family member or friend. The universal eNewspaper, the digital version of our print paper, plus bonus monthly magazines and hundreds of local papers. Original reporting of our hometown teams, from high school sports to the pros. [Unlock news for $1]( [SUBSCRIBE TODAY]( Follow Us Problem viewing email? [View in browser]( [Unsubscribe]( • [Manage Newsletters]( • [Terms of Service]( • [Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights]( • [Privacy Notice]( • [Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy]( • [Feedback](