Suncoast Searchlight

The largest private landowner in the district would control its own local government to finance and oversee future expansions of the shopping hub, largely composed of commercial retail around the mall and rowing park.

There is a trend of con artists posing as attorneys claiming they can help undocumented people secure work permits and bilking them of thousands of dollars.

Mayor Debbie Trice twice interrupted speakers during the public input portion of the commission’s Jan. 5 meeting, warning them that they could not make “personal attacks” or refer to commissioners by name.

An analysis of data shows teacher vacancies across the state have declined recently, but gaps remain — and limitations in the data make it difficult to compare districts or identify where shortages are most acute and how they are affecting students and classrooms.

After a three-year legal fight over sharply higher irrigation rates, residents of Gran Paradiso agreed to a settlement with their developer-controlled government that restores the possibility of water service — but only after major concessions critics describe as punitive.

A proposed land swap is now on hold after Siesta Key activist Lourdes Ramirez filed a legal challenge alleging violations of county development codes and improper disposal of public land.

Trustees voted to raise out-of-state tuition by 15% beginning in fall 2026. The school plans to sign the "compact," which would provide priority federal funding in exchange for adopting a range of policies, including a five-year tuition freeze.

He used a closed-door campaign stop in Sarasota to signal that education will be a central focus of his bid, calling for reforms to the state’s expanded school voucher system, significant teacher pay increases and a renewed investment in public schools.

Over the past two years, Manatee County schools have been rocked by a string of teacher-misconduct cases. A joint investigation by Suncoast Searchlight and the Bradenton Herald found that red flags in applications were overlooked.

Defend Florida, a Sarasota-founded election denial group, has seen its political clout collapse as Republican lawmakers distance themselves from its conspiracy-fueled demands for tighter voting rules.

Local officials, attorneys and community leaders gathered in Venice to warn that state preemption and developer influence have eroded meaningful local control over growth, citing laws like SB 180 that limit regulation and weaken environmental protections.

Sarasota County’s bid to end a years-long legal battle over beach access on Siesta Key might have backfired, igniting a new lawsuit and allegations of a costly giveaway of taxpayer-owned parkland.