Suncoast Searchlight

Residents seemed equal parts enthusiastic about the investments being made in their Sarasota community but skeptical about how this promised change could attract outside developers.

More than 100 unhoused people are affected by a Sarasota zoning dispute that has forced a church to suspend some of its services.

Sarasota County wants to turn the closed Gulf Gate golf course into a regional stormwater facility and wildlife habitat, but the county and developer remain far apart over the land’s value.

An administrative law judge has narrowed the roughly 25 allegations raised in their petitions, leaving claims involving issues such as proposed athletic fields near Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, development of land planned for the Education Freedom Institute, tree removal in the Uplands Preserve and vehicle access from Uplands Boulevard.

The Live Local Act was pitched as a way to fast-track affordable housing near urban centers by cutting through red tape to build large-scale apartment developments.

The results flipped control of the school board, which has for years been at the center of explosive fights over LGBTQ+ inclusion and national political topics, from a narrow conservative majority to four out of five seats held by liberals.

The 43-page report at the center of the dispute was commissioned by Sarasota County Schools and completed in April by the law firm Hultman + Joshi. It concluded the district failed to properly handle three separate complaints of teacher misconduct at Riverview High School.

North Port officials moved to join elected leaders in Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties who have put new data center proposals on hold in recent months, as packed crowds have rallied against such projects sweeping across Florida.

Officials discussed options for fixing the parking division’s projected shortfall of about $2.6 million by 2028.

The Sarasota County Commission approved $32 million in stormwater projects Tuesday to help prevent future floods at Bahia Vista, St. Armands and Celery Fields following the severe storms in 2024.

Ranchers and agricultural experts say an influx of cheaper imports could depress cattle prices, discourage producers from rebuilding their herds and drive more ranchers out of the industry — potentially weakening the domestic beef supply without providing much relief for consumers.

Commissioners approved $2.1 million in county support to 33 organizations. Urbanite Theatre, which declined to sign a DEI acknowledgement circulated by the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, was the lone exception.