DeSoto County

On "Florida Matters: Live & Local," Mayhew discussed the plight of DeSoto Memorial, the challenges and benefits remote hospitals present and how mergers with larger systems can be a lifeline.

Guests include the Florida Hospital Association's Mary Mayhew and U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor. The topics: saving small-town hospitals, real impacts of government gridlock and Clearwater’s inclusive mission.

Facing with an uncertain financial landscape for rural hospitals, the hospital board voted to hear competing presentations from Tampa General Hospital, AdventHealth and NorthStar.

All state lawmakers representing Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties voted for the “Schools of Hope” expansion . Now that a Miami-based charter operator has filed early notices to occupy several local schools, most of those lawmakers have declined to answer questions about the law or its local impacts.

The lifelong Arcadian and former shop owner has become the driving force behind efforts to revive the city’s fading downtown. She's working to unite business owners, beautify the historic district and keep residents engaged despite daunting challenges.

DeSoto Memorial Hospital has issued a request for proposals that could lead to new ownership as rural hospitals across the country face mounting challenges.

Suncoast Searchlight studied property appraisals and tax bills for more than 300 homes across these special districts to create a first-of-its-kind dataset comparing their annual fees to the property taxes they pay for city and county services.

A Sarasota-area community’s effort to save its golf course by forming a special-purpose government district and issuing $24 million in public bonds has devolved into a bitter, yearslong feud over cost, governance and transparency.

In some cases, districts have financed extravagant projects like a beach-style swimming lagoon or even a baseball stadium for the Atlanta Braves. Yet if the housing market sours or a project fails, it’s the homeowners — not the builders — who are left footing the bill.

Here's a look at how state funding is allocated, how much each district receives, and the ways school leaders are spending those funds.

After successfully ending the practice of spreading biosolids, Desoto residents brace for the possibility it may return

Breakfast and lunch again will be served at no cost to students in all schools in Lee, Hendry, Glades, and DeSoto county schools as well as in 43 of Sarasota County's 53 schools.