Critical Times

If you have a gunshot wound and no insurance, you're likely to spend significantly less time at Sarasota Memorial Hospital than insured patients. The hospital explains what's behind the discrepancy.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.

The Florida legislature has recently produced more than 50 laws that restrict local decisionmaking. The Suncoast's state legislators approved all of these unpopular bills - yet most of our local representatives and senators seem to be cruising to re-election. 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.

The national Democratic fundraising arm for congressional candidates declared a local district “in play”. We explain what that means. 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.

Today, Sarasota joined the fast-growing ranks of Florida counties slamming the brakes on data centers. 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.

Today, WSLR News is going underwater, with a report on turtle rehab at Mote Marine and another one about restoring oyster beds in the Manatee River. 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.

In a WSLR exclusive, our reporter Ramon Lopez interviewed a Canadian businessman who spent time at the now-shuttered Everglades immigrant detention center before he was deported. One of the moments Doug Dixon would rather like to forget: He witnessed the suicide of a 19-year old fellow detainee.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. 

The notorious immigrant detention center in the Everglades is shutting down for good. In a WSLR exclusive, our reporter Ramon Lopez interviewed a Canadian businessman who spent time at Alligator Alcatraz before he was deported.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.

Being seen as tied to developers is a big no-no in this election cycle. One of the most active anti big-development groups in Sarasota County just endorsed one candidate, and it's being taken to task for it.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.

Sarasota Public Hospital Board elections made headlines in 2024, when a slate of “Medical Freedom” activists was on the verge of taking control of Sarasota Memorial Hospital. They failed. But what about vaccination and mask skeptics in the upcoming elections? Nic Steinig reports.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.

The governor signed into law a Joe Gruters-sponsored insurance bill that will likely raise costs for condo dwellers and retirement home residents. The insurance industry had urged DeSantis to veto it, because it seems to heavily favor just one particular insurance business.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. 

Friday, high noon, was the candidate filing deadline for the upcoming elections. We were looking for last-minute drop-outs and add-ons, as well as at who is NOT running in Sarasota. 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.

New College got national exposure again - but not the kind it wants. 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.  

New College is facing what looks like a financial head-on collision. Nic Steinig brings us this story.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. 

 In-person neighborhood workshops are back in Sarasota County - developers who ask for exceptions from zoning rules now have to present their projects to actual neighbors again.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.

The City of Bradenton is trying to change the role of its mayor, limiting re-election and stripping them of a vote on the city council. But will it result in a weakened mayor? We're having a close look.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.

USF Sarasota-Manatee is no more. Republican state legislators made a deal that will close down the campus in a matter of months, even after thousands of area residents, students, and four chambers of commerce expressed their opposition. 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.

A historically Black cemetery in Palmetto may have been vandalized months ago, but efforts to make the city aware of it went nowhere.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.  

Booker High School is an anchor of Sarasota's African American community. Our reporter is gathering reactions to the appointment of a new principal. 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.

The drought has produced water restrictions. But they are not equally enforced. We have a Suncoast Searchlight report. 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.  

Despite a shift in voting by local legislators yesterday, the future of the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus still hangs in the balance.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.

The Sarasota County Commission surprised everyone Tuesday when it took back a vote from last year, picking up the collection fee tab for school taxes. But the debate of what to do with the fees is not over.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.

Yesterday, led by Tom Knight, the Sarasota County Commission surprised everyone by taking back a vote it made last year to charge the school district for tax collections.  The $2 million in fees withheld by the Sarasota Tax Collector had prompted the school district to sue Mike Moran and his office. 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. 

A Florida law that promotes affordable housing has put the Sarasota County Commission on a collision course with the state and developers. Suncoast Searchlight brings us a report about the apartment complex project that has prompted outrage and the commission's strong reaction.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.

Today's news: DR Horton is suing Sarasota County over their denial of a planned subdivision near the Celery Fields. 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.

In August, New College will be facing hearings before a state administrative judge over its campus plans, tree cutting, and more. Six neighbors have petitioned the state to look into what they believe are violations of plans and rules.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.

A controversial concrete crushing plant near downtown Sarasota apparently keeps operating, without permits. Noah Bookstein visited the plant to find out what's going on.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.

A $250 million  land preservation deal is ahead of Sarasota voters. We will find out how the County Commission is going about it. 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. 

The Sarasota County Sheriff is one of the most active Florida law enforcement agencies when it comes to ICE referrals. Kurt Hoffman suggests all the potential deportees are “criminals”. But are they? Ramon Lopez poured over hundreds of Sarasota County ICE referrals.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.

Grady Judd has been an advocate of strict immigration enforcement. That's why the Polk County Sheriff surprised many last week when he announced he would advocate with the Trump administration for a slowdown in mass deportations. Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman does not think much of Judd's initiative. Ramon Lopez has that story.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.

The panel included immigration lawyer John Dubrule and UnidosNow co-founders Kelly Kirschner and CJ Czaia. Here is an edited recording of the event this week at the Bradenton Central Library.

Will the Historic Downtown Village on Fruitville Road soon be history? Ed James III brings us a report on a superblock development that could do away with yet another piece of Old Sarasota.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.

A controversial concrete crushing plant continues to grind near downtown Sarasota. But now the city is getting ready to sue.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.

Shrinking student enrollment means less money, and that translates to tough decisions ahead for the Sarasota School District.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.

As early as July 1, the Sarasota-Manatee campus of the University of South Florida could be gone. USF boosters are trying to prevent that, and a rally on the campus is underlining their intent. Ed James III has the details.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.

Sarasota County is in the process of buying two high-profile properties for what could be upwards of $40 million. We have the details.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.

The community member with Somali immigration background describes how - even though most of them have U.S. citizenship - she feels the Somali community in Minneapolis was a key target of ICE enforcement during the soon-to-be concluded Operation Metro Surge. She also describes the community response around Signal neighborhood groups.

Coming up: The Trump administration's EPA wants to gut wetland protections. Brice Claypoole explores what that could mean for Sarasota.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.

Operation Metro Surge put Minneapolis in the national headlines, and the Somali immigrant community is at the center of that ICE storm. We interviewed a Somali immigrant who a couple years ago decided to move her family from Bradenton to Minneapolis. Here is our full-length interview with Lul Kassim.

It's a first for Sarasota, the city of arts: A sizable apartment complex offering long-term, affordable housing for artists. We have the details of the Artscape project.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. 

On Tuesday, the Sarasota County Commission slammed the brakes on a 9,000-home development that could have eviscerated the last big chunk of rural land in the area between North Port and Englewood.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.

A developer is marketing the affordable housing in their downtown Sarasota high-rise as short-term rentals. What gives? Suncoast Searchlight investigates.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.

The post-Larry Thompson era is in sight at Ringling College of Art and Design. We have the details about the first new president picked to take the helm of the private campus in Sarasota this century. 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.

If it is built, it would be one of the region's largest infrastructure projects in years: A cruise terminal at the foot of the Sunshine Skyway. We get local reactions to the big plans. 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.

Last Sunday, WSLR News reporter Ramon Lopez tagged along on a bus trip with a group of Sarasota clerics, worshippers and activists to a protest at the controversial immigration detention camp in the Everglades. Here is the report he filed.

Sarasota County commissioners voted on federal funding for affordable housing yesterday, and it's not good news for two high-profile projects near downtown Sarasota. 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.

A makeover of Sarasota's elementary and middle schools is moving at a fast pace, taking on a dynamic way beyond the original intent of repelling for-profit schools' takeover of buildings.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.

The Sarasota County Commission has a new chair. Also, at its strategic retreat, one of the commissioners suggested stormwater management should be planned with more intense storms in mind. WSLR News reporter Louise Machinist has the details.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.

MCR Health serves more than 100,000 low-income and under-insured patients in this area. WSLR News reporter Dania Hefley talked to its CEO, after the non-profit re-emerged from bankruptcy.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.

Coming up: The Manatee County Commission has a new chair, and we have the details.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. 

Near downtown Sarasota, a polluting plant may be on its way out, and truly affordable housing could be on the way in. The host of WSLR's The Detail interviewed the man behind the project.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. 

Coming up: This Thanksgiving, hunger is more widespread in Florida. What's going on? Our reporter talked to volunteers who distribute food, to find out.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.