Podcasts about wslr

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.

Coming up: Manatee County adopted a juvenile curfew - a broadly supported idea. But WSLR reporter Gretchen Cochran also heard the anxious voices of those who fear the effects of more policing.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.

Coming up: The Sarasota School Board will be changing the times of their meetings and many community members are not happy about it. Johannes Werner has the details. 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.

Coming up: The Sarasota legislative delegation met this week, and local officials and residents raised concerns about state proposals that could impact property taxes and local control. Johannes Werner and Klaus Obermeit have the details. 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.

Does climate change make you act like a deer in the headlight? A conference coming up tomorrow slices the big challenge into digestible portions - small enough for action. Gretchen Cochran gives us a preview.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.

New College has been DOGE'd by the state, and the results don't look pretty. The bad optics come at a time when the governor's and legislature's financial largesse could come to an end. We try to dig deeper.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.

The threat of for-profit operators taking over school buildings lit a fire under the Sarasota School District. The five school board members seem ready to approve this Friday a substantial reshuffle. We have the details.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.  

Coming up: Turning Point, the organization founded by recently assassinated conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, is getting help from the governor in their push into high schools. SEE Alliance, on the other side of the political spectrum, now has ambitious plans to do the same.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.  

Manatee County's state legislators opened yet another front in what many in the Republican county believe is a war against home rule: This time, it's about taking away local control over one of the area's biggest economic generators.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. 

For 24 hours, the City of Sarasota took down the hoops at a neighborhood park, after a neighbor made serious threats against teenagers playing basketball. We have the details. 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. 

Coming up: ICE is catching bad guys. That's the simple message Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem brought during a quick stop during her whirlwind tour of the United States. Ramon Lopez got to ask her a couple questions. 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. 

Coming up: He's home. A father of two and husband of a seriously ill mother is reunited with his family after he was released from ICE detention. This comes after the surprising ruling of an immigration judge. Ramon Lopez brings us this exclusive.  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.

It's going to be not one, but six. “No King” protests in Sarasota and Manatee County are taking shape this Saturday, and Klaus Obermeit has a preview.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.

Coming up: The former Israeli defense minister who was in charge of the first year of the war in Gaza is coming to Sarasota. And that's prompting pushback.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.

Wilkinson Elementary parents can breathe a sigh of relief. It looks like the neighborhood school will not end up being the first public school in Sarasota's history to close, after all. Dania Hefley has this report. 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.

Florida could make the difference in next year's congressional elections, which is why many here are concerned about early redistricting and gerrymandering. Brice Claypoole has this report. 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. 

Coming up: It used to be that you paid bail, and you're out of jail. Not anymore. Suncoast Searchlight brings us a report about ICE retainers, and how local jails are the first stop of a deportation pipeline for people held for minor infractions. 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.

The “Schools of Hope” law literally makes every public elementary and middle school in Sarasota and Manatee a takeover target for private, for-profit operators. WSLR News reporter Dania Hefley has the details.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.

The Sarasota County Emergency Management folks want you to know: Hurricane season is at its peak - not the time to let your defenses down.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. 

The Sarasota school district may end up closing down its first school since 1969. And Wilkinson Elementary is not the only Title 1 school that could end up disappearing, amid shrinking student numbers and budgets for public schools.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.

Selby Botanical Gardens found itself in the awkward position of having to field legal arguments to be allowed to cut down grand trees that enjoy special protections by the City of Sarasota. We explain.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.

The Sarasota County Commission rejected a big homebuilder's bid to build 156 homes on pasture land next to a bird sanctuary. On Thursday, DR Horton was back with a changed plan, asking the county to reconsider. Noah Vinsky reports.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.

The Van Wezel's lease on life seems to be expanding. Gretchen Cochran reports on the city's latest plans with the historic performing arts hall.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.

They did it after all: On Tuesday, Manatee County commissioners voted 6-1 to join a lawsuit against a controversial state law. that restricts counties' and cities' ability to control development.Then: The Sarasota County Sheriff presented a scaled-down version of a costly jail expansion project. But if current incarceration trends continue, the expansion will need an expansion in just 10 years.Next: It's trouble at Streets of Paradise, after the board of the non-profit for homeless Sarasotans fires a co-founder.Finally: A union candidate for state senator, a 100-year anniversary for stagehands, and plenty of protest - Ramon Lopez summarizes Labor Day action in Sarasota.

Expect your Sarasota County water bills to go up by nearly 10 percent. That's needed in part, the county says, because we have to spend upwards of $300 million to build infrastructure for the water needs of a growing population.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.

Coming up: The Sarasota County Commission approved Pat Neal's road in South Sarasota County, giving residents at his fast-growing Wellen Park development a straight shot to the beaches. Dania Hefley reports.  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.

City of Bradenton and City of Sarasota work crews are sandblasting art off sidewalks, to the dismay of artists. What's happening? Next up: Manatee County Schools have a new superintendent. Noah Vinsky tells us who the pick is.   Then: Suncoast Searchlight continues its series about the hidden costs of living in a privately run development: Josh Salman reports about trouble at a subdivision in Manatee County. Next: A luxury developer is proposing to tear down a 12-story office building in the heart of downtown Sarasota and replace it with a taller tower. We have the details. Finally: Some activists believe the historical Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall is facing death by neglect. But the City of Sarasota's interim manager told our reporter this ain't so.

The Manatee County Commission was set for a showdown this week with state authorities and developers over controls for new development. It did not happen, and WSLR News reporter Dania Hefley explains. 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.

The recently flooded Van Wezel got a few more years. The City of Sarasota is now taking steps to keep the historic performing arts hall in good shape, but there are many questions about the future of the Purple Cow. Next up: Layoffs at Sarasota County's largest manufacturing company seem to continue, after a merger last fall that resulted in the elimination of an entire shift. WSLR News reporter Noah Vinsky has the story of a struggling couple in North Port. Then: We continue to follow the deportation of a young woman from North Port. Today, Ramon Lopez brings us the third chapter of her journey: What does the future look like for Lulu Martinez in Mexico? And what are her legal options, if she tried to return to the United States? Then: Speaking of deportations - a protest is coming up in Sarasota this weekend.  Finally: Rob Lorei was not loud, but this Tampa Bay area journalist left quite the legacy. He passed away last weekend, and we bring you a eulogy.

After weeks of ICE detention, a young woman who grew up in North Port signed those deportation papers and walked across the Mexican border. She told WSLR News reporter Ramon Lopez what that was like. Next up: 400 million and growing - that's the cost of a new performing arts center in Sarasota. Suncoast Searchlight brings us a report that shows fundraising for that project is lagging.  Then: Downtown Bradenton is changing fast, with little public scrutiny. We bring you a report about a city council vote that will change a historic neighborhood nearby.  Next: Vaccination rates in Sarasota kindergartens have dropped below herd immunity levels. We bring you this Suncoast Searchlight investigative report. Finally: A plan for a family resource center connected to a school in Newtown is taking shape. But even before fundraising has begun, the project has mobilized hundreds of community members. 

Lulu Martinez grew up in North Port and graduated from college there just last year. Last week, she walked across a bridge to Mexico, and WSLR News interviewed her about the weeks at an ICE detention camp in Texas before that.  Next up: School board member Tom Edwards has been named executive director of Project Pride SRQ. Now the Sarasota Republican Party says this presents a conflict of interest and asks him to resign.  Then: The Manatee County School Board narrowed its search for a superintendent to two finalists. Who are they? Finally: Rents remain high across Sarasota and Manatee, outmatching wages for most renters. We bring you a Suncoast Searchlight analysis.

A local non-profit has tested the water quality in seven new locations in the bay, and what they've found is a lot of e. Coli. They recommend avoiding swimming at these spots. Next up: At a recent Republican gathering in Sarasota County, in-fighting within the GOP party reigned as a dominant theme.  Then: Minors in Manatee County will find themselves restricted by a new curfew. The County Commission also continues to push back against SB 180. Finally: Sarasota City Commissioners denied a rezoning request by a synagogue to build apartments next to the temple. 

Following whistleblower complaints about lack of financial transparency, the New College Foundation is coming under more scrutiny: This time it's about a donor who wants their money back. Mason Chambless explains.Next up: An analysis by Suncoast Searchlight reveals that buyers in this region have little choice but to live in neighborhoods controlled and taxed by real estate developers. Derek Gilliam reports. Then: Environmentalists and an indigenous tribe are suing state and federal agencies over the immigrant detention center in the Everglades. A Sierra Club organizer explains their reasons.Then: Reporter Noah Vinsky has the latest on Manatee Schools' superintendent search.Finally: The North Water Tower Park is one of Sarasota's best-kept secrets. Will it stay that way? 

The cold war between Manatee County commissioners and the DeSantis administration turned hot again at yesterday's commission meeting. Noah Vinsky reports. Next up: A Trump administration budget cut makes ripples before it has even begun. Suncoast Searchlight reports about the financial squeeze on a nearby rural hospital.  Then: We reported about the ICE detention of Lulu Martinez. The recent college graduate from North Port is now in Mexico, as Ramon Lopez reports. Then: Some protesters in Bradenton will express their rage at Rage Against the Regime, as Mason Chambless learned. Finally: Soon an open mic and yoga for the unhoused will be launching. Gretchen Cochran has that story. 

I spent an hour yesterday talking with Tom Walker, who was interviewing me for the Peace & Justice Report on WSLR community radio in Sarasota, Florida.