Next: The state of Florida is pushing school superintendents to keep “inappropriate” books out of school libraries. But culture warrior Bridget Ziegler gave her seal of approval to the Sarasota school district’s handling of library books.

Finally: Yesterday at Fogartyville Community Center, a book author explained the impact of mass deportation and the  “Border Industrial Complex”. The biggest takeaway from the event, though, were the stories of three local immigrant activists. Ramon Lopez was there.

Next: An estimated 2,000 Haitians in this area lost their temporary protected status two months ago and have become deportable. An event in Sarasota put the spotlight on their situation.

Next: The national Democratic Party put the Manatee County-centered Congressional District 16 into the “in play” category. But campaign money tells a different story.

Finally: Just as Banned Book Week begins, the DeSantis administration puts more pressure on school districts to remove books from their libraries.

Meanwhile, the developer behind Wellen Park is trying to get taxpayers to fund an expansion of Manasota Beach Road that would create a straight shot to beaches. One rural resident filed suit, but then dropped it. We find out what’s next for the resistance in and around historic Englewood.

Then: The contenders for the U.S. House District 16 seat faced off in the first - and possibly only - debate. Our reporter watched closely.

Finally: How to go about investing in a community that has been underinvested for decades? Clinton Engelberger with Suncoast Searchlight asked long-time boosters of Newtown, the minority-majority district covering the north of Sarasota.

Then: Florida’s attorney general just told the Sarasota school district to fire a teacher who allegedly bullied a conservative student. We have some reactions.

Then: In the face of possible property tax cuts by the state, the City of Sarasota wants to make sure its parks get properly funded. We tell you how.

Finally: Lowriders still exist, and they’re actually a big thing in Manatee County. Get ready to ride higher.

Then: Developer Carlos Beruff’s SeaSpray project in west Bradenton would erase one of the last natural stretches of Sarasota Bay’s coastline. We’re reporting on a regulatory hurdle the 2,000-home luxury project must clear.

Then: Crossing party lines is becoming a thing in Florida and local politics. We’re reporting on a Democrat who has recruited high-profile Republicans to endorse his run for office. 

Finally: WBCN, otherwise known as The People’s Radio in Boston, is the subject of a documentary. Our reporter talked to moviegoers in Sarasota to gauge how they relate to radio.

Then: Developer Pat Neal asked for, and got from the Sarasota County Commission, his Manasota Beach Road. But opponents will now have their day in court.

Next: Do you want to save Florida black bears from being hunted? Buy a hunting license. That’s activists’ newest jiu-jitsu tactic.

Then: Suncoast Women of Action will be honoring, well, women of action. We bring you the names.

Finally: Rhatia Murphy - AKA Caligal - dressed as a WSLR News reporter at Comicon Tampa last weekend. 

Then: Sarasota County’s possible purchase of a golf course has drawn the attention of the two contenders to replace Joe Neunder on the county commission.

Next: In a unanimous vote on Tuesday, the Sarasota City Commission kept a brownfield development project in Newtown alive.

Then: A documentary on the early days of a legendary Boston-based rock station is coming to Burns Court Cinemas. 

Finally: Rhatia Murphy - AKA Caligal - dressed as a WSLR News reporter at Comicon Tampa last weekend. 

Next: In North Port, the probably most conservative area in this conservative county, hundreds showed up last week to speak out against data centers. Our reporter listened closely.

.

Then: A $10 million project is underway to harden the Bay park against flooding. 

Next: Sarasota County is still considering buying the Gulf Gate golf course from a developer, to prevent more construction and improve stormwater systems.

Then: A youth movement was behind progressive wins in Sarasota County’s recent school board elections.  

Then: In a big win for transparency advocates, a court ruled that the digital records produced by a Sarasota Police investigation involving Christian and Bridget Ziegler are public.

Finally: An environmental watchdog group dropped its lawsuit against the operator of a concrete crushing plant near downtown Sarasota. 

Then: Kyle Rittenhouse, who was in the national limelight after the 2020 Kenosha shootings, moved to - you guessed it - Sarasota. We have details.

Next: Newtown Nation is trying to become a social service provider. We have the details on how the non-profit would like to help five families. 

Then: On Monday, the U.S. Supreme partially sided with a Trump plan to rein in vote-by-mail. What does it mean to local voters?

Finally: $30 million. That’s what Sarasota County decided to invest in flood resilience projects. We have the details.

Then: Speaking of local Democrats, reporter Ramon Lopez interviewed the chair of the Sarasota Democratic Party about his reactions to the primary elections and expectations.

Next: The Sarasota School Board’s turn away from conservative politics is making national news. So what are the expectations for the newly liberal board? Our reporters Ed James III and Rhatia Murphy watched and listened closely at the board’s first post-election meeting.

Then: Sarasota County’s new Administration Center officially opened today. Reporter Noah Bookstein has the scoop on the $100 million move away from downtown.

Then: One local activist filed a complaint with the IRS against the operators of a Wyoming-based non-profit that acted like a PAC in the primary elections.

Finally: A rising number of people in Sarasota and Manatee are on the brink of homelessness. Suncoast Searchlight brings us this story.  

A new luxury condo building has gone up near downtown Sarasota. That’s not news. The news is, it has been built where it’s not supposed to be, and we have the story.

Then: Florida’s immigrant dragnet is catching people that are not supposed to be caught. Suncoast Searchlight brings us this story.  

Then: Jimmy Glover’s strong performance in round 1 of the District 1 Sarasota School Board race is energizing Newtown. We have a report.

Finally: Democratic voters have picked Matt Montavon to be the one to try to oust Greg Steube from his congressional seat. Our reporter took Montavon’s pulse after his primary victory. 

A Sarasota City Commission candidate withdrew from the race this summer, citing reasons unrelated to her eligibility. But records show she wasn't eligible to run in the first place — and the system almost didn’t catch it. Noah Bookstein looks at whose job it was to verify her residency, and how the election safeguard nearly failed.

Live Local Act affordable housing projects have made waves, after a recent rush of applications that prompted the Sarasota County Commission to vote ‘no’ on seven of them. The rejection triggered lawsuits that are now unfolding in the courts. Community activists are now looking at how many Live Local project applications are pending in the county, as Ramon Lopez reports.

A PAC campaign most likely funded by local developers has attacked two Republican incumbents on the Sarasota County Commission. Ramon Lopez has a report from a press conference held by those two commissioners.

And on to election day. Ramon Lopez was at a precinct voting place in Sarasota this morning, and he brings us a few impressions.

Then: Republican primaries in this area feature the most heated battles this electoral cycle. Case in point: The two Republican candidates in the Sarasota County Commission District 4 race are whacking each other with PACs and cease-and-desist orders. 

Then: We continue with candidate profiles in the crowded District 16 congressional race. Today, we feature the Democratic candidate endorsed by the environmental and progressive caucuses.

Finally: Our reporter admired the sunset through a fence at the Indian Beach Park. The City of Sarasota is two years and $17 million behind in repairs to its parks after storm damage dating back to 2024. 

Next: Candidates Allen Spence and Matthew Montavon face off in a forum ahead of the primary for Florida’s 17th Congressional District. 

Then: We profile Tamika Lyles, who is running for Florida’s 16th Congressional District. 

Finally: Manatee County has been under the microscope following a recent state audit. We spoke with Commissioner George Kruse about the county’s spending and the findings of a local review. 

Then: Booker High has a new football coach after the abrupt dismissal of its previous coach and an uproar in the community. 

Next: The Sarasota County Commission has experienced over five decades of continuous Republican dominance. Where are the Democrats?

Next: The City of Sarasota’s wastewater treatment facility is under construction. We spoke with utilities director Verne Hall about the project. 

Finally: We profile Sydney Gruters, who is running  for US House on the Trump endorsement in a heavily gerrymandered District 16.

Then: There is a long history of flip-flopping when it comes to paid parking in the City of Sarasota. Well, the city is apparently about to change its mind again. 

Next: A controversial concrete crushing plant near downtown Sarasota has a new owner. We have the details.

Finally: A state audit made Manatee County’s growing budgets look bad. Now, an internal report adds more detail - and it puts the spotlight on one county department’s finances in particular.

Next: Hi Hat Ranch is set to be the biggest planned development in Sarasota County. The developer presented its first segment to neighbors at a community workshop this week. 

Then: City Commission candidates this week faced scrutiny over how they would make sure historic buildings in Sarasota will be preserved. 

Next: The Historic Downtown Village’s days are counted. But one small business owner wants to recreate something like it one mile east.

Finally: This is more than just a summer camp. Our reporter was at the final performance of YouthThrives in Newtown. 

Next: The makers behind the Bay Park project want a rezone. We explain why.

Then: Confused about the upcoming primary election? We have an explainer.

Then: The political vehicles that produce negative campaigning are showing up in  City of Sarasota politics. 

Finally: The New College Foundation, which is supposed to raise funds from alumni, voted today to dissolve its alumni association. 

Next: Bulldozers are rolling on Gracewater Midtown, a big development - not in the boonies, but right next to historic Newtown. Ed James III is gathering community reactions. 

Then: Speaking of housing projects: This developer lawsuit against Sarasota County is different - it actually tries to hold commissioners personally responsible for their “no” vote. 

Then: A last-ditch effort to save the historic US Garage building is winding its way through the courts. 

Finally: Rounding out our series on City of Sarasota Commission candidates, today we present Rob Rominiecki.

Next: This developer lawsuit against Sarasota County is different - it actually tries to hold individual commissioners responsible for their “no” vote. 

Then: In a surprise, last-minute vote Tuesday, the Sarasota School Board reversed course on a controversial vote it took just a few months ago.

Next: The City of Sarasota will spend millions to expand its wastewater treatment plant, and to underground utility cables on the keys. We explain.

Finally: He is the only incumbent on the Sarasota Public Hospital Board facing a challenger in the upcoming elections. We have a profile of Brad Baker.

Next: Expect worker shortages at rehab facilities, in homecare, and retirement homes soon. Next Friday, thousands of Haitian immigrants working in care jobs will likely drop out.

Then: An upscale business wants to move to Sarasota’s Gillespie Park - and it actually got a warm welcome in a neighborhood workshop.

Next: A state board is telling community colleges to ban undocumented students. We have a report with local reactions.

Finally: He served time. Then he got a law degree, and he got Florida to change its constitution. Now, he is running for governor, as an independent. We have a profile of Desmond Meade.

Next: School districts are in a budget squeeze, and that has consequences. On the table in Sarasota now are price increases for school meals.

Then: PACs are popping up in a growing number of down-ballot races. We explain what these campaign vehicles do, and what role they’re playing in local races.

Next: The Sarasota Police Department just finished a gun return program. What’s the upshot?

Finally: Kelly Kirschner is a former mayor of Sarasota. He is now running for Congress, and we put the spotlight on his candidacy.

Next: We continue our series of candidate profiles. Today, we’re focusing on Eddie Pope, a Republican running for Congress in District 16.

Then: Journalists sometimes venture into fiction. Scratch that - faction. That’s the literary genre where facts and fiction overlap. The editor of the Bradenton Times just published a novel titled “Fish Kill”, and our reporter is probing how Mitch Maley walks that fine line.

Finally: It was simple, it was sturdy, and it was one of the most iconic weapons in the arsenal of the United States’ epic Antifa effort, otherwise known as World War 2. We’re talking about the Jeep, and one local guy’s way of honoring the vehicle’s history.

Next: One rural resident has an issue with being charged by the county for rainwater that does not end up in the county’s ditches, channels or canals. She may have a case. 

Then: Like many districts in Florida, Sarasota Schools is facing a budget crisis and cuts. The driver is shrinking student enrollment.  Our reporter Rhatia Murphy is taking a deeper dive.

Finally: Eddie Speir’s campaign for Congress is grassroots driven. We have a profile of the cowboy-hat wearing candidate who channels Teddy Roosevelt.

But before that, we have a report on how the world’s biggest vacation rental company is helping fund Byron Donald’s campaign for governor. 

Then, we bring you a story about a small business owner who takes the unusual step of passing on his company to employees. 

Next: The Trump administration is switching its approach to tackling homelessness from “Housing First” to “Treatment First”. Our reporter gathers local reactions.

Next: Today is the day New College officially absorbs the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus. Yesterday, the New College board of trustees met, and our reporter was there to find out more on the college’s budget challenges that are ahead. 

Then: Yevgheni Khodorkovsky filed last-minute to run for the Sarasota City Commission. We bring you a profile of a tech guy who wants the city to operate more efficiently. 

Next: The foul-mouthed blue cartoon character that made a big difference in the outcome of the last Manatee County Commission elections is due for a court hearing this Tuesday. Or rather, the cartoon’s creator is. 

Then: Neighbors worried about high asthma incidence in north Sarasota, want the city to shut down a concrete crushing plant. Now, they unearthed a decades old ordinance that seems to give the city a tool to do just that. But don’t hold your breath.

Finally: Worried about flooding? Sarasota County is trying to figure out how to reduce the damage next time around, and it needs your help.

Next: Julie London is the sole Democrat in this election cycle running for a seat in the Sarasota County Commission. We have a profile.

Then: Even though it seems wildly unpopular, the development project known as 1899 Fruitville is advancing fast through the approval process the City of Sarasota has in place for downtown. Our reporter explains how the process called “administrative review” works.

Next: Change is afoot at the Sarasota School Board in the upcoming elections. Two powerful drivers of pandemic-era school politics will be gone or barely be visible after Aug.18. We put the focus on Bridget Ziegler and Moms for Liberty.

Finally: Laughter yoga is no joke, as our reporter learned.

Then: A local activist launched a statewide petition for a moratorium for all rezoning.  Noah Bookstein reports.

Next: Candidate forums offer an opportunity for compare-and-contrast. Our reporter has a close look at one featuring five Sarasota County Commission candidates.

Next: Juneteenth is upon us, and we have a roundup of local events.

Then: 1899 Fruitville, a controversial residential project planned to fill two blocks near downtown Sarasota, took a big step towards groundbreaking. 

Next: Angie Nixon, the progressive candidate for US Senate, was at the radio station this week. We’ll bring you a teaser of a one-hour interview that will air on Rap Sessions, a new political podcast produced at WSLR.

Then: At a candidate forum in Newtown, issues were eclipsed by a sense of urgency about voter engagement.

Next: We are continuing our series of candidate profiles. Today, we offer a close look at Jim DeNiro, the Republican candidate for Sarasota County Commission challenging the Republican incumbent. 

Then: Investors want to build Planet Earth’s biggest data center just 40 miles from Sarasota. But they might have to overcome a hurdle or two when it comes to water use. 

Next: It’s a fact now: After 50 years, the Florida Legislature shut down the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus. Reporter Nic Steinig has a close look at the ripples.

Finally: Next week is Juneteenth, and our reporter raises the curtain on a special celebration.

Next: Half a year ago, a buyer spent more than $1 million on a historically designated home in the Hudson Bayou neighborhood near downtown Sarasota. Now, they are asking the city to allow a tear-down. What gives?

Then: Do you feel overwhelmed by new development? But you feel your voice does not count and resisting is not worth your time and energy? Local neighborhood organizers disagree. Our reporter was at a CONA meeting yesterday.

Next: It’s election season, and you need to know about the candidates. Today we bring you Flo Entler, running for Sarasota City Commission, and - double feature - Joe Neunder, the incumbent for the district 4 seat of the Sarasota County Commission.  

Then: Four out of 10 Floridians support or sympathize with Christian Nationalism, and we have a U.S. administration that is pushing the envelope. An event in Sarasota is trying to raise awareness of what many Americans perceive as a danger to democracy.  

Next: Jen Ahearn-Koch wants to be re-elected - again - as Sarasota City Commissioner. We have a profile.

Our next candidate profile: Kristina Sargent is challenging incumbent Mark Smith for the District 2 seat of the Sarasota County Commission. 

Then: Two recent, high-profile road deaths of bicyclists in the region have stirred up biking activists. 

Next: Frank DiCicco seeks to fill the Sarasota school board seat left by Robyn Marinelli. Ed James the Third brings you a profile.

Then: Measles are on the rise again, but Sarasota has one of the lowest child vaccination rates. 

Finally: We have a report on the power ladies that shaped Sarasota’s history.

Then: One of the area’s oldest Black cemeteries has been in a state of neglect, and some graves have been vandalized. Our reporter Brice Claypoole found that history is repeating itself.

Next: To make way for a block-filling twin-tower condo project downtown, the city is allowing a developer to tear down a unique, century-old structure - without public review. Suncoast Searchlight brings us this story.

Then: Hurricane season begins Monday, and we have an update on forecasts - and on drones.

Then: Planet Earth’s biggest data center may be built some 40 miles from Sarasota. Suncoast Searchlight brings us that story.

Next: Another Suncoast Searchlight report: While in budget negotiations in Tallahassee, a local legislator is trying to permanently end a fight between the Sarasota School District and the Sarasota Tax Collector. 

Next: John Harshman wants to be your next Sarasota city commissioner. We will bring you a profile of the long-time commercial realtor.

Finally: Staying with candidate profiles: You may have got to know Michelle Pozzie as a passionate anti-masking and medical freedom advocate. She is now running for a Sarasota School Board seat.

Next: Developers are pushing a massive data center project in rural DeSoto County. Will the pushback stop it?

Next: A Bradenton museum exhibition celebrates the history of Latino involvement in baseball and American culture.

Next: We are continuing our profiles of local candidates. Today: Megan Tennimon, who is running for Sarasota School Board.

Finally: A conscious listening effort in Manatee County brought together both sides of the aisle.  

Next: The Sarasota County Commission yesterday took back part of its recent surprise vote to cover expenses of school tax collections, conditioning it on the outcome of a lawsuit. 

Then: Paid parking on Sundays brought upon the City of Sarasota the wrath of downtown churches.

Next: The shallow Phillippi Creek has triggered a lot of anxiety, after the waterway flooded dozens of homes in the epic 2024 storm season. But Sarasota County now has completed Phase 1 dredging of the waterway, complying with a major demand of nearby residents.

Zander Moricz is at it again. This week, the youth organizer and viral debater was in Oxford to discuss the prompt “Youth activism is primarily performative”. We were at the debate watch party of his SEE Alliance in downtown Sarasota.

Greg Steube sailed to re-election twice, easily. In November he will again face a Democratic challenger, but in the last races, Steube did not think it was necessary to ever address his challengers. We bring you a profile of Steube, the incumbent candidate.

Our final candidate profile today is of Mark Smith. He is the incumbent in the District 2 race for Sarasota County Commission.  

Then: Two Democratic challengers are trying to take the U.S. House seat held by Greg Steube in the Sarasota district. Today, we bring you a profile of Allen Spence.

Next: The Old Memphis graveyard in Palmetto, a historically Black cemetery, has been vandalized. We tell you what happened.

Then: If you’re wondering about that growing dirt pile on the parking lot of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, we have some answers. 

Finally: A group of Jewish community activists launched an organization on the Suncoast that they say is more free to take on local issues. We’re trying to understand how they are not just another Jewish Federation.

Next: Booker High School is an institution in Sarasota’s African American Community, and picking the next principal is a high profile issue. Ed James III was there for a candidate event.

Next: Two Democratic challengers are trying to take the U.S. House seat held by Greg Steube in the Sarasota district. We begin with Matt Montavon.

Finally: NOAA’s hurricane hunters made a stop at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.

Next: In another rather unexpected vote two weeks ago, the Sarasota County Commissioners tried to rein in a state law called the Live Local Act. The move set the county on a confrontation course with the state, and the commissioners are now trying to understand the legal implications.

Then: Three times was NOT the charm for the developer of what could be the tallest tower in downtown. The Sarasota City Commission rejected a modified proposal of the Obsidian, again.

Then: 27 years. That’s how long Larry Thompson has been in charge of Ringling College of Art & Design. He has three weeks left on the job, and our reporter sat down with him for an exit interview. 

Next: It’s Round 3 for a controversial proposal to build downtown Sarasota’s tallest tower, on a quite small lot.

Then: The controversial concrete crushing plant on the edge of downtown has a new operator. But it does not have the permits it needs to actually operate. 

Next: The revenue-strapped Sarasota School District is suing the tax collector, and Suncoast Searchlight tells us why.

Finally: In times of division, one Sarasota group tries to bring us diversity, solidarity - and harmony. Ed James III tells us more about that.

Then: Sarasota County Democrats are apologizing for a viral social media post following an gunman opening fire at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner.

Next: An event held by Sarasota United For Responsibility put the spotlight on officials on the big gap for youth mental health services.

Then: A controversial construction plant is under new management, but could it just be more of the same? 

Finally: Sarasota County has launched a new affordable legal counseling program, connecting potential clients to lawyers in their field of need.

Then: We continue our dive into the District 1 race for Sarasota School Board. Today, we will have a close look at candidate Teresa DeWitt and Heidi Brandt.

Next: Research to mitigate Red Tide is blooming in Sarasota. Will it make a difference in the next outbreak? Suncoast Searchlight tries to find answers. 

Then: Every three years, one of the biggest funders of non-profits in this region is going through a deep listening exercise. We’ll tell you what 1,500 people on the Suncoast said were their biggest concerns.

Finally: A group of Sarasota and Manatee high school students is learning about history where it happened: In Selma, Alabama.

Then: The Sarasota Property Appraiser heads a PAC in support of gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds. What gives? Suncoast Searchlight brings us this report.

Next: The Sarasota School Board yesterday passed a set of new policies, including one that punishes student protest during school hours. Ramon Lopez brings us the details.

Speaking of Sarasota schools:  We are putting the focus on the race for the school board seat held by Bridget Ziegler. We begin our profiles of District 1 candidates with Jimmy Glover.   

Then: It’s Earth Day, and Gretchen Cochran brings us the report about a merger between two non-profits that now cover the whole food cycle - from seed to compost.

And our final tribute to Earth Day comes from WSLR staffer Reiña Phair: It’s a call to move away from bottled water.

Next:  180 teachingl positions in Sarasota County schools are on the chopping block, due to a budget shortfall within the district. Suncoast Searchlight brings us this story.

After that: The one-year anniversary of the “Hands off our Social Security" protest. What has been accomplished in the past 52 weeks? Where do organizers see the movement going?

Next: How did folks on the right side of the aisle feel about the nationwide “No Kings Protests”? 

Finally: “Fish Fry & Fellowship”, a locally made documentary focused on late Palmetto icon Coach Eddie Shannon premieres this Saturday. 

Next: ICE is looking for office space in Florida, including in Sarasota. Suncoast Searchlight brings us this story.

Then: Sarasota Senator Joe Gruters’ parting gift to his constituents is an insurance bill that could raise the cost of those living in condos, apartments and retirement homes. It also sets up a major contributor to Republican campaigns to make a windfall.

Finally: ‘No Kings Day’ mobilized thousands in Sarasota County. A trio of WSLR News reporters bring us their observations.

Next: Expect thousands of opponents of the Trump agenda to rally this Saturday along the Suncoast for another “No Kings Day”. Ed James III has a preview of local events.

Then: The Sarasota School Board approved a new student protest policy. Ramon Lopez reports.

Then: So the City of Sarasota committed to safeguarding the historic Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall. But that’s a quite complex undertaking, and it’s not happening overnight. Gretchen Cochran talked to a city engineer.

Next: Traffic calming in neighborhoods is high on the City of Sarasota’s agenda. Rhatia Murphy reports.

Finally: Kelly Franklin and Ron Kashden’s community organizing has made an impact. This weekend, the Sarasota power couple was recognized for that.

Next: The State of Florida seems to have the power to shut down a controversial concrete crushing plant near downtown Sarasota. But will it? Jackson Rothman is looking for answers.

Then: Mark Vengroff has become a household name on the Suncoast as a developer and manager of workforce housing. Suncoast Searchlight reporter Kelly Kirschner profiles Vengroff’s rise.

Finally: Three years after the political takeover of New College of Florida, a documentary about the events and their impact on students and teachers is hitting the film festival circuit. Brice Claypoole brings us the details.

Next: On the board of New College, a culture war crusader is out, and a football coach is in. We’re taking a close look at what Urban Meyer has to say about education.

Then: An agreement with a large commercial developer to run their golf courses is creating anxiety at one of Sarasota’s oldest planned developments. 

Next: If you live in the City of Sarasota, you have rented one of those e-scooters at least three times. Statistically, that is. Ed James III puts the spotlight on our fast-growing micromobility and the conflicts that come with it.

Finally: Our reporter Rhatia Murphy will take you on a stroll through the area’s farmers’ markets.

Then: The Sarasota City Commission gave a nod to a scaled-down proposal for a new performing arts center, but it’s happening under a cloud of bigger financial uncertainty.

Then: Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport has been disaster-free since 2000. But is SRQ ready when planes crash?

Finally: "Through Womens Eyes" will kick off Friday. We focus in on that film festival.

Then: On Monday, City of Sarasota Commissioners will be presented with an updated and scaled down proposal for a new performing arts center. Parking should be a key part of that presentation, but it probably will not, as Gretchen Cochran reports.

Next: The Torch troubles started with a bang and ended in a whimper this week. Our reporter Klaus Obermeit interviewed Pine View high school journalists who put together the Torch student newspaper, to find out what they learned from their principal’s incrimination of two articles.

Finally: Sarasota’s Booker schools are home to Scratch Made. That’s a program that steers students to professional kitchens and careers in gastronomy. Jackson Rothman gives us a taste.

Next: Owning a home in a developer-controlled neighborhood can come with hidden costs and other pitfalls. A pending bill in the Florida legislature seeks to rein in these private governments. Suncoast Searchlight brings us that story.

In young Sarasota, the Leonard Reid House is among the oldest. The non-profit that runs the cultural center in that building in Newtown will be celebrating its centennial this weekend.

Finally: Sarasota - meet the Freedge. Community fridges that are stocked with fresh food for the taking are a national phenomenon, and one of them just opened in one of Sarasota’s food deserts.

Next: Who will be the next Sarasota city manager? The commissioners boiled down the field of applicants to six, and a front runner has emerged.

Next: A controversial affordable housing project run by the City of Sarasota is back. Suncoast Searchlight brings you the details.

Finally: Immigration enforcement is on everyone’s mind. A WSLR panel this Saturday will feature two sheriffs and an immigrant advocate.

Next: In the race for District 4, the recent past chair of the Sarasota County Commission, Joe Neunder, will be facing a Republican opponent in the primaries. Jim DeNiro is a cop. 

Then: A Florida tip line that is supposed to provide leads about law enforcement not doing a good job on immigration has turned into a snitch line for neighbors.

Finally: Minneapolis is making national headlines with Operation Metro Surge, and Somali immigrants are at the center of that ICE storm. Lul Kassim decided to move from Bradenton to Minnesota, because she believed it was a better place to raise her children. We have her story. 

Next: Last week, the Sarasota School Board narrowly passed a resolution promising full cooperation with ICE. But what does this actually mean? Alice Herman with Suncoast Searchlight tries to find answers.

Then: An investigative report by Suncoast Searchlight and the Bradenton Herald showed a trend of rising abuses by teachers in the Manatee County school district. Josh Salman brings us a follow-up report about how the district pledges improvement.

Finally: Trump is imposing an energy blockade on the island to our south. Massive blackouts in Cuba are becoming increasingly likely.

Then: Florida’s Live Local Act is meant to produce affordable housing. But one Sarasota County Commissioner has problems with that law. Ramon Lopez has that story.

Finally: The killing by ICE agents of a nurse in Minneapolis is making waves in Sarasota, too, where a couple hundred people gathered yesterday. Jackson Rothman reports.

Next: The grandchildren of the family whose name is on the Van Wezel shocked some in Sarasota when they endorsed the project of a new performing arts center. We have a report with more details about their rationale and the design changes that convinced them.

Then: Public speakers at the first Sarasota City commission meeting this year were getting pushback from Mayor Debbie Trice. Suncoast Searchlight has a report.

Next: The Amaryllis Park Neighborhood Association in Newtown is putting the focus on crime and restorative justice. Ed James the Third reports.

Finally: Amid the Trump Administration’s crackdown, immigrants are easy prey to legal scammers. Suncoast Searchlight reports.

Then: Sarasota School Board member Bridget Ziegler got her way: Her proposed resolution pledging full cooperation with ICE and other law enforcement triggered a protest, more than four hours of public comment at yesterday’s school board meeting, and a narrow vote in favor of the resolution.  

Next: More developer control - a bill filed in the state legislature would give the Suncoast’s biggest private landowner taxing authority. That raises a lot of questions, as Suncoast Searchlight reports.

Finally: This year’s theme of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebrations in Sarasota was “uniting nations in a peaceful way”. Ed James the Third reports for WSLR.

Next: Immigration enforcement continues to make ripples. For one - an estimated 1,000 protesters rallied in Sarasota, Venice and Englewood this weekend, responding to the killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis.

Then: The water war at a developer-run community in south Sarasota County’s Wellen Park has been settled - but some of the plaintiffs have been thrown under the bus. Suncoast Searchlight brings us this report. 

Finally: The Van Wezel family has been opposed to plans to put the Purple Cow out to pasture. But now, the proponents of a new performing arts center have managed to get the Van Wezels’ grandchildren on their side. We will tell you why they changed their mind.

Then: Enrollment at two historic schools in Sarasota’s historic African American neighborhood has dipped, while enrollment at a new charter school has gone up. We have a report why - despite this - there’s excitement in Newtown about the future of those schools.

Next: A big commercial development in Venice is winding its way through the approval process, and we have the details. 

Then: More affordable housing for seniors in walking distance to downtown took a step towards construction in the Sarasota City Commission - but not without controversy.

Finally: Many Venezuelans in Florida are elated about the U.S. intervention in their country. We interviewed one who is not.

Next: Trump’s EPA is trying to redefine “wetlands”. If passed, a big chunk of Florida wetlands could lose their protection. Brice Claypoole has this report. 

Next: The Manatee County school district has seen a spate of teacher misbehavior recently, and the handling of the cases has contributed to the dismissal of a superintendent. Suncoast Searchlight brings us that story.

Then: Between storms, flood and drought and resulting financial strain, Florida farmers are under duress. The “Mind Your Melon” program is trying to help. WSLR News reporter Gretchen Cochran explains.

Finally: Immigrant families are in distress, too. This weekend, not just one, but two vigils in Sarasota will send a signal of support.

Then: Rattlesnake Key was just sold to a private buyer. WSLR News reporter Brice Claypoole tries to find out what that means for what is the longest stretch of natural coastline in Manatee County.

Next: Just five years ago, a pair of Trump followers and election deniers on the Suncoast launched Defend Florida, and the outfit saw a meteoric rise in influence. But now, Florida legislators are distancing themselves. Suncoast Searchlight brings us that story.

Suncoast Searchlight also has a story on how Sarasota County got tied up in a new legal battle over rights to beach property and access.

Next: The arts community in Sarasota is still reeling from the erasure of hundreds of pieces of sidewalk art in September. Will a lawsuit be filed? Dania Hefley has a report.

Then: The Trump administration is saber rattling around Venezuela. We interviewed a close observer who will be talking at a World Affairs Council event in Sarasota tomorrow.

Finally: WSLR reporter Ramon Lopez took a close look at an unusual theater production. It’s about a school shooting, and some of the actors are school students. 

Then: Decades after a military contractor polluted the groundwater in a majority African American community in Manatee County, the cleanup is slow to come. WSLR News reporter Ramon Lopez brings us Part 3 of his series on Tallevast.

Next: Sarasota County has come up with a new way of killing mosquitos: By applying pesticides from drones. 

Then: Artists on the Suncoast who produce public art are coping with erasure. Our reporter talked to a painter of murals whose art was erased not once, but twice.

Next: Her four-year old twin sister died during Josef Mengele’s concentration camp experiments with twins. She survived. Our reporter talked to Sora Vigorito, who will be coming to Venice.

Finally: The hosts of WSLR's Our Changing Environment interviewed an expert of wild turkeys.

Then: The Trump administration wants to expand oil drilling in the Gulf closer to Florida shores. It’s no surprise that has prompted pushback here - but the pushback comes from both sides of the political aisle.

Next: There’s a ceasefire in Gaza, but the dying continues. A Sarasota activist responds by organizing a fundraiser for Palestinian children.

Finally: For 15 years, Unidos Now has worked to move immigrants towards the mainstream. The Sarasota non-profit celebrated with a big Quinceañera party in Palmetto.

Then: Sarasota Commissioners voted down a comprehensive plan amendment that could have transformed Siesta Key. Ramon Lopez reports.

Next: A community advocate is bringing a countywide coalition of neighborhood groups back to life. She told the hosts of WSLR’s Our Changing Environment all about it.

Then: A local group that helps put immigrants on the path through college is celebrating 15 years of work. Johannes Werner learned about the group’s plans for the future.

Then: We break down how the controversial SB 180 is creating new friction between state lawmakers and grassroots Republicans over local control. Alice Newman with Suncoast Searchlight brings us the report. 

Next: In Manatee County, the planning commission approved a big  Lennar housing project, moving forward under a trade-off that dedicates funding for infrastructure but neglects to include affordable housing. 

Finally:  Shifting to local education, the controversial Schools of Hope law is heating up in Sarasota, as two different for-profit operators simultaneously filed to occupy space on the same two public school campuses. Derek Gilliam shares the facts.

Then: Sarasota was a global pioneer a quarter century ago when it became home to one of the first canopy walkways. Now, an effort is on to preserve and improve it. Brice Claypoole reports.

Next: A busload of Sarasota clerics and activists took a ride to the Alligator Alcatraz, and our reporter Ramon Lopez tagged along.

Then: Community Development Districts - the developer-controlled entities that tax homeowners, often with little to no representation - have received a not too flattering spotlight. The Manatee County Commission just approved two more CDDs.

Next: Should Sarasota County have a recurring funding source for its land preservation efforts? Securing the future of this program will be up to you, as this will be a ballot question next year.

Then: Low school enrollment in Sarasota seems to respond more to demographics than to performance. Occupancy at Sarasota charter schools is as low as in public schools, the Suncoast Searchlight found. 

Next: Publix decided to invite customers who openly carry firearms. Many disagree that this will make grocery shopping a pleasure. Lynn Aragon has that report.

Then: Using incentives for developers, Manatee County has produced more than a thousand units of what is called workforce housing. But rents for these apartments are still out of reach for most working people. So the county commission tomorrow will discuss changing tack.

Finally: Clergy have been among the most outspoken critics of the crackdown against immigrants. Sarasota has been a hotspot of religious resistance, as Ramon Lopez reports.  

Then: A for-profit charter operator is asking the Sarasota School District for free access to a school for the disabled. That raises questions, and Suncoast Searchlight is seeking answers. 

Next: A religious coalition in Sarasota this Sunday is joining a national action in support of immigrants called Disappeared in America. We have the details.

Then: A Sarasota police investigation found a neighbor who sent threatening texts about basketball playing kids in the majority black Central-Cocoanut neighborhood is not a danger to the community. The hoop is back up. But what’s next? We interviewed neighbors and activists.

Finally: Is the ambitious Sarasota Performing Arts Center plan alive? The non-profit behind the $400 million project is planning a gala fundraiser, and Gretchen Cochran tried to find out what it’s about.  

Next: The Schools of Hope law forces districts to hand over buildings of underused schools to private operators. That, in turn, has prompted the Sarasota school district into a flurry of reorganization plans to fill school buildings with low enrollment. But now, the superintendent retracted a consolidation plan - the second turnaround within a week. 

Then: Jon Thaxton was an unusual recent addition to the Sarasota County Planning Commission. The former county commissioner and long-time environmental activist was expected to change the public perception that this appointed advisory board is a rubber stamp for developers. But his first vote took many by surprise.

Finally: At a film screening and panel discussion about the war in Ukraine, we asked the panelists about their reactions to Trump’s peacemaking efforts. 

Next: The Sarasota Sheriff’s Office seems eager to cooperate with ICE in the crackdown against immigrants. This comes from Suncoast Searchlight.

Then: A New College professor was denied emeritus status by the administration - a case of political retribution?

Next: The future of the historic VanWezel Performing Arts Center looks brighter now. We explain why.

Finally: Our reporter was there when Sarasota first responders practiced how to handle active shooter situations. 

Next: Noem’s visit came 48 hours after No Kings protests brought thousands to the streets in this area. Klaus Obermeit has that report. 

Then: The Sarasota School district is under pressure to prevent Schools of Hope takeovers of public schools here.  But students and parents are pushing back against consolidation plans.

Next: The Sarasota County Commission rejected a scaled-down project by a national homebuilder. We have the details.

Finally: The City of Sarasota wants to bury power lines on barrier islands that were flooded during last year’s storms. 

Next: The Bay - the big park project near downtown Sarasota - is expanding north, into the next two phases. We have the details. 

Then: Gotta go? Hopefully not during a city commission meeting. Suncoast Searchlight brings you breaking news about plumbing at Sarasota City Hall.

Finally: Manatee County is opening up public use of a big chunk of county-owned agricultural land near Lakewood Ranch.

Next: Phillippi Creek flooded many homes during last year’s storm season. One year later, Sarasota County will soon get dredging underway. 

Then: Groundwater contamination keeps spreading at the historically African American community of Tallevast. They have been in a two decades-long David-vs-Goliath fight with Lockheed Martin, and going. Ramon Lopez brings you Part 2 of our three-part series.

Finally: A local theater brings actual voices of immigrants on stage. We have this report from Suncoast Searchlight.

Next: It’s raining private takeover notifications. The same for-profit school operator that wants to occupy three public school buildings in Sarasota has notified the Manatee County School District it wants access to two schools there.

Then: We get an update from one of the lead plaintiffs in a case that could shut down the immigrant detention camp in the Everglades.

Then: Sarasota County decided not to sell the land on which the Hermitage Artist Retreat stands. But how will it finally be fixed? Noah Vinsky brings us the details.

Finally: The historic African American neighborhood of Tallevast is still dealing with the fallout of decades of soil and groundwater contamination. Ramon Lopez brings us Part 1 of a three-part series.

Then: The race for Bridget Ziegler’s school board seat is heating up. Brice Claypoole reports.

Next: The non-profit in charge of developing The Bay park near downtown Sarasota picked a politically connected family business to run a yet-to-be-built waterview restaurant. Gretchen Cochran has the scoop.

Next: At a packed community meeting this weekend about flooding and stormwater management, one county commissioner admitted to “sins of the past”. Ramon Lopez has that story.

Finally: The architect of U.S. holocaust indemnification agreements is in Sarasota for a talk tomorrow. We talked to Stuart Eizenstat, to get his views on how to avoid a repeat of fascism and the Holocaust, on Trump and diplomacy, and on the Carter administration’s achievements.

Then: Distress is spreading amid the immigrant crackdown. Many are unable to go to work, stuck at home, or sick. A group of Sarasota churches is stepping in with help. Ramon Lopez reports.

Next: Wilkinson Elementary could be the first public school ever in Sarasota to close. But many more could end up on the chopping block, as Suncoast Searchlight reports.

Next: Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo wants to end all vaccination mandates and ban one type of vaccines. His predecessor speaks out against this. We bring you excerpts of a WSLR interview with Scott Rivkees.

Finally: It’s Hispanic Heritage Month, and the Ringling Museum of Art is providing a big platform to local Hispanic artists. We have the details about Nuestro Vaivén, an exhibition that’s much more than just paintings on walls. 

Then: It’s Hispanic Heritage Month, and the Ringling Museum of Art is providing a big platform to local Hispanic artists. We have the details about Nuestro Vaivén, an exhibition that’s much more than just paintings on walls. 

Next: It used to be that eating local and growing organic food was the realm of old hippies and tree huggers. Our reporter found that the chair of the all-Republican Sarasota County Commission is now a spokesperson for Eat Local Week.

Then: It’s been two years since a young man in Palmetto lost his life while in police custody. His mother is putting together an event this Friday to remember Breonte, and to prevent more deaths like his.

Finally: Suncoast demographics and parks make the crossover possible: A teenager from Bradenton is conquering the pickleball pro rankings. Partner station WMNF has that profile.

Next: Open Carry is upon us, and WSLR News reporter Brice Claypoole is looking at the implications. One thing is certain: There’s uncertainty. Even sheriffs seem to disagree over what you can and cannot do.

Next: A construction debris recycler is stirring up dust in the Cocoanut-Central neighborhood near downtown Sarasota. Partner station WMNF has a report.

Then: A Bradenton family is going public about how deportation is tearing them apart and threatening a mother's life. Ramon Lopez reports about at a press conference. 

Finally: The Sarasota County-owned Hermitage Artist Retreat on Casey Key was seriously damaged by hurricanes last year, and it’s still being fixed. This week, county commissioners talked about its future, and WSLR News’ Noah Vinsky reports.

Next: ICE is increasingly mining Florida jails for undocumented immigrants to arrest. That leaves in limbo many who have been arrested on minor charges. Suncoast Searchlight brings us this report.

Then: Today, the Florida Board of Education discussed how to implement a new law that would allow charter schools to take over public schools and their buildings. We have a report on the first school in Sarasota that may close - in anticipation of "Schools of Hope" enforcement.

Finally: He’s an illustrator, he wants to publish a book about hats - and he actually makes hats, too. WSLR News was at an exhibition opening in Sarasota featuring Oliver Dominguez’s art … and hats. 

Next: The Sarasota County Planning Commission has long been seen by activists as a rubber stamp board for developers. But at least one recent appointment could be changing that perception.

Then: That same board will be weighing a 1,000-unit project on agricultural land by a prominent developer. We have the details.

Next: The ongoing immigration crackdown has thrown one Bradenton family into extreme distress. Ramon Lopez talked to a mother of two who is homebound facing a serious health challenge.

Then: Sarasota clerics are organizing weekly prayer vigils in support of immigrants. We have the details. 

Next: Free speech on campus is in the spotlight. We talked to a watchdog group that ranks universities’ free speech environment, to find out why Florida colleges are not looking good.

Then: A small business owner in Sarasota ended up in a social media tornado, after she reposted an Instagram post on Charlie Kirk. We talked to her.

Next: Florida schools are failing teenagers when it comes to sex education. Dania Hefley has that report.

Finally: A first-responder ceremony in Sarasota reminded us of September 11, and Ramon Lopez has a report reminding us of this area’s close ties to the events of that day in 2001.

Next: Sarasota County is committing to keeping Midnight Pass open, after last year’s hurricanes blew open that inlet on Siesta Key. But that comes at a risk and cost.

Then: New vaccine policies are creating confusion. Our reporter helps you understand what it now takes to get a COVID booster shot. 

Next: After nearly 70 years, Sister Cities International is as American as apple pie. But in today’s political environment, that people-to-people organization is facing headwinds. Our reporter talked to the diplomat who chairs the Sarasota chapter of Sister Cities about the challenges.

Finally: Clergy in Sarasota are beginning weekly prayer vigils and protests against the treatment of immigrants.

Next:  If you’re a homeowner in Sarasota County, there’s more rising cost: The stormwater fee on your annual property tax bill. The county commission met Friday  to discuss stormwater management.

Next: Here’s another radical idea coming out of New College of Florida: Privatize it. Suncoast Searchlight brings us this report.

Then: David Jolly is a former Republican running as a Democrat for governor of Florida. Ahead of a visit to Sarasota next week, he answered a few questions from our reporter Brice Claypoole.

Finally: Mark Vengroff’s One Stop Housing is on a roll. His workforce housing projects are multiplying in the area, and we bring you excerpts of a one-hour interview he gave to WSLR’s Peace and Justice Report this week.

Next: Responding to an ultimatum by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the City of Bradenton removed paintings off sidewalks at Village of the Arts. Brice Claypoole reports. 

Then: It’s Labor Day this Monday, and we have union news. For one, City of Sarasota employees voted overwhelmingly last week to continue to be represented by the Teamsters. In other Teamster news, hundreds of warehouse workers in Sarasota got their first contract ever, and that comes with a big bump in hourly pay. We have the details.

Finally: Did you know? One union in Sarasota is turning 100 this year. They will celebrate with a cake on Labor Day, and we will tell you which union it is.

Next up: Everybody is riled up about flooding. WSLR News reporter Ramon Lopez got Sarasota County’s new stormwater management czar in front of his microphone, and he asked Ben Quartermaine a few questions.

Then: After hand-wringing about runaway spending and a possible deficit opening up in a few years, Sarasota County Commissioners agreed to hold a fifth budget workshop this week. It ended with few, if any, cuts, as Suncoast Searchlight reports.

Finally: A Miami judge just upended the immigrant detention center in the Everglades set up by the state government. We get local reactions.