News & City Life

Loop de Loop

Photo of the Week: A Bird's-Eye View of St, Armands Circle

 Surrounded by palm-lined streets, charming shops and beautiful coastal scenery, it's a perfect blend of relaxation and sophistication, says photographer Damon Powers.

06/26/2026 Photography by Damon Powers

A PORPOISEFUL TRANSITION

Sarasota Dolphin Research Program's Influential Director, Randy Wells, Is Retiring

Dr. Katie McHugh will succeed Wells when he steps down after 56 years on July 1.

06/24/2026 By Kendall Southworth

FIFA via Florida

10 Sarasota Experiences World Cup Tourists Would Absolutely Lose Their Minds Over

International soccer fans are already going crazy for America’s free refills, giant drinks and ranch dressing. Naturally, we started wondering what they’d make of Sarasota.

06/23/2026 By The Editors

Fast Track

Gulf Coast Community Foundation Announces 2026-2027 Board of Directors

The foundation's president and CEO, Phillip Lanham, also renewed his contract through 2031.

06/18/2026 By Staff

Historical Holiday

How to Celebrate Juneteenth in Sarasota and Manatee Counties

One June 19, 1865, enslaved people in Texas learned they were free—two years after Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

06/18/2026 By Chloe Nelson

Suncoast Searchlight

Sarasota County Sued Over Live Local Projects

Sarasota County's attempt to stop thousands of apartments from being built in rural communities is now facing the legal challenge the county attorney warned was likely all along.

06/15/2026 By Derek Gilliam/Suncoast Searchlight

Simply the Best

Vote for Your Favorites in the Best of Sarasota 2026!

From your go-to coffee shop to the hidden gems you tell your friends about, it’s time to celebrate what makes Sarasota so special.

06/12/2026

Electric Wings

A Small Sarasota Team Hits a Big Electric Flight Milestone

Helios Horizon’s first human-piloted solid-state battery flight happened in Zephyrhills, but the breakthrough was built by a Sarasota-based team trying to push electric aviation beyond the prototype stage.

06/10/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Main Squeeze

Sarasota Wants Your Say on Main Street’s Next Look

Three concepts—traditional, historic and coastal—are on the table for Main Street’s Complete Streets project. The public has until June 19 to weigh in.

06/09/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Awards

Sarasota Magazine Wins 15 Florida Magazine Association Awards

The magazine was recognized for writing, design, photography and digital excellence.

06/09/2026

Fast Track

Jamal Crook Has Been Appointed Principal of Booker High School

Plus: SRQ's Airport Circle has been renamed Rick Piccolo Circle, and more.

06/08/2026 By Staff

Grant Report

Barancik Foundation Awards Nearly $7.1 Million in New Grants

Plus, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County awards more than $2.1 million in scholarships, and more.

06/08/2026 By Staff

The New New College

John Oliver Takes Aim at New College of Florida

"It's not going great," the late-night host said of the political takeover and institutional upheaval that have transformed New College's campus since 2023.

06/08/2026 By Kendall Southworth

Art News

Ringling Executive Director Steven High to Retire After 15 Years

High joined The Ringling in 2011 and stewarded the museum through major additions and restorations, including the opening of the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Center for Asian Art and James Turrell's Skyspace, "Joseph's Coat."

06/08/2026 By Staff

STARTING OVER

Community Leaders Experience Life After Lockup Simulation

A Sarasota nonprofit's immersive simulation compresses the first chaotic weeks after prison release into a single hour, revealing the obstacles many formerly incarcerated people face as they rebuild their lives.

06/08/2026 By Kendall Southworth

Sarasota History

Flashback: Friends at the Bradenton Beach Bathhouse, 1922

While bathing suit styles might have changed dramatically over the past century, our love of the beach hasn’t.

06/05/2026 By Megan McDonald

More Rosemary

Bayside North Moves Ahead in the Rosemary District

The second phase of the Bayside project will add 96 rental residences, 15 workforce housing units, eight furnished guest suites and a ground-floor restaurant near the bayfront.

06/02/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Suncoast Searchlight

Economist Warns Sarasota Commissioners of Looming Economic Threat

Florida is experiencing what Sean Snaith describes as a “ho-hum labor market.” Meanwhile, both bankruptcies and credit card delinquencies are on the rise.

06/01/2026 By Christian Casale/Suncoast Searchlight

Did That Really Happen?

Recent You-Can’t-Make-Them-Up Headlines From Sarasota and Beyond

Florida legislators have decided that you can still marry your first cousin, a woman recovers from a disastrous run-in with an alligator, Manatee County's "Monkey Whisperer" strikes again, and Saks Sarasota prevails in a game of corporate chicken—for now.

06/01/2026

Making a Splash

Meet Splash, America’s Only Underwater Recovery Otter

He sleeps in bed, throws hissy fits and helps when cadaver dogs and divers hit the limit.

06/01/2026 By Kim Doleatto