Sarasota County

More than half of the candidates running for Florida statehouse seats this year across Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties are self-reported millionaires.

Sarasota County arts organizations seeking a share of $2.1 million in public grant funding this year are facing a new requirement to sign an acknowledgment tied to Florida's restrictions on DEI initiatives. Some have signed despite deep reservations.

Who created and funds a purportedly national accountability institute whose only developed investigation functions like a Sarasota election apparatus?

Sarasota County will not even consider the notion of any large-scale data centers for at least a year, citing concerns over utility resources and environmental degradation.

It has taken eight years to get federal approval for the demonstration project. But it could be a while before the pens are constructed in the Gulf.

The vacation-home boom has collapsed. Second-home purchases fell nearly 68% in Sarasota-Bradenton since 2021, suggesting the pandemic-era rush into vacation properties has fully reversed.

The lawsuits come amid a rush of new Live Local applications before a July 1 deadline, after which new state restrictions will make it more difficult to build apartment complexes on rural land.

Recent rain showers coincide with the start of the annual fertilizer ban. Key nutrients from fertilizer runoff contribute to algae growth, which leads to murky, stinky waters and hurts marine life.

Local government officials are pushing back on a plan by Gov. Ron DeSantis to eliminate property taxes for many Floridians, saying the sweeping cuts would cripple basic services that range from classrooms to hospitals and libraries.

Since Donald Trump took office in January 2025, federal funding policies based on culture-war debates have created uncertainty around grants, contracts and other kinds of government support.

After years of using dogs to track the scents of missing people, a Sarasota County search-and-rescue group has added a new team member. It's a really social aquatic animal with thick fur and webbed paws.

Although fears of a recession over President Trump’s tariff policies did not come to fruition, UCF's Sean Snaith said Florida is experiencing a “ho-hum labor market.”