More News & City Life

Black History

In the 1920s, Sarasota Was Small, Southern and Segregated

But the very inequities meant to contain the Black community spurred a parallel world—self-sustaining, rooted and determined to endure.

11/03/2025 By Kim Doleatto

Circle of Dreams

John Ringling's Vision of St. Armands Circle Lives on Today

Ringling planned to turn the tiny, isolated archipelago into a grandiose European-style residential and shopping destination.

11/03/2025 By Jeff LaHurd

The 1920s

The Land Boom Decade That Changed Sarasota Forever

Promises of paradise, get-rich-quick promotions, buying, developing and reselling are the threads that weave throughout the entirety of the Sunshine State’s history, including Sarasota’s.

11/03/2025 By Jeff LaHurd

The Return of the Atala

Against All Odds, Florida’s Iridescent Atala Butterfly Makes a Triumphant Comeback

The Atala was considered extinct as recently as 50 years ago, the ill-timed consequence of urbanization and the overharvesting of its host plant. Now it's back—and thriving.

11/03/2025 By Kendall Southworth

Shore Scares

The Ultimate Guide to Your Most Spook-tacular Sarasota Halloween Ever

There are fall festivities for everyone—even your four-legged friends.

10/31/2025 By The Undead-itors

Tropical Update

Keep Your Eyes on the Tropics, Just in Case

It's too early to tell what will happen with Tropical Storm Melissa, but it's peak hurricane season for the Suncoast.

10/23/2025 By Megan McDonald

Namegate

Gulf of Mexico Drive Will Keep Its Name

The Town of Longboat Key Commission unanimously voted to keep the road's name, citing overwhelming public sentiment and potential administrative strain.

10/20/2025 By Kim Doleatto

Kibble Economy

Sarasota Gets an ATM—for Dogs

Cash? No. Kibble? Yes. Sarasota’s newest ATM is designed for customers with four legs, wagging tails and zero credit history.

10/15/2025 By Kim Doleatto

You're Invited

Join Us and the Region’s Top Changemakers for 'Powered by Philanthropy' at the St. Regis Longboat Key

On Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, Powered by Philanthropy will celebrate our region’s signature spirit of giving.

10/13/2025

Suncoast Searchlight

Pam Ames Takes on Arcadia’s Toughest Job: Saving Main Street

Twenty years ago, Arcadia boasted more than two dozen antique stores that sustained the economy. Today fewer than half remain, after one of the roughest summers in memory.

10/13/2025 By Derek Gilliam/Suncoast Searchlight

Coming Home

One Year After Milton, ALSO Youth Reopens at a New Location

The LGBTQ+ youth organization’s return coincides with the hurricane’s anniversary and World Mental Health Day, underscoring the stakes for young locals navigating politics, identity and belonging.

10/09/2025 By Kim Doleatto

Pier Review

Rebuilding of Anna Maria Island's City Pier to Begin Soon

Construction on the pier will begin within the next two months—with test pilings installed in the next two weeks—and the pier will be "substantially complete" by April 2026. 

10/09/2025 By Megan McDonald

Water World

Mote's New Science Education Aquarium Is Open

Years in the making, the $132 million facility includes 1 million gallons of aquatic exhibitions, including  sharks and stingrays, manatees, otters, penguins, a giant octopus, sharks, otters and more, plus three state-of-the-art STEM teaching labs.

10/08/2025 By Megan McDonald Videography by Joshua Bodkin

Rolling in the Deep

Political and Civic Heavyweights Gather for Ribbon-Cutting at Mote's New Aquarium

The new aquarium opens to the public on Oct. 8, marking a milestone not just for Mote, but for the region's identity as a hub for marine science and innovation.

10/06/2025 By Kim Doleatto

Hurricane Helene

Today Is the One-Year Anniversary of Hurricane Helene's Landfall

Catastrophic storm surge, fierce winds and billions of dollars in damages left Sarasota and Manatee struggling to rebuild in the storm's wake.

09/26/2025 By Megan McDonald and Kim Doleatto

Suncoast Searchlight

She Paid His Bond. ICE Took Him. Bradenton Family's Saga Shows How Florida Jails Fuel Deportations

In Florida, the jail-to-deportation pipeline is one of the main engines of Trump’s mass-deportation push. Routine arrests, even for minor charges, are a direct gateway into ICE custody—the most frequent method of immigration arrests in the state.

09/19/2025 By Kara Newhouse/Suncoast Searchlight and Alice Herman/Suncoast Searchlight

Traffic

Temporary Lane Closures on the North Trail Start Today

Utilities crews are beginning work on a multi-phase, $30 million water main improvement project that's expected to be completed in 2028.

09/15/2025 By Staff

Making a Splash

Randy and the Dolphins

Marine scientist Randall Wells knows Sarasota’s dolphins better than anyone in the world. Just don’t ask him to read their minds.

09/05/2025 By Isaac Eger

Suncoast Searchlight

Streets of Paradise Co-Founder’s Firing Sparks Turmoil at Sarasota Homeless Nonprofit

Greg Cruz did not found the organization alone, but his personal history and visibility made him inseparable from the group’s identity.

09/05/2025 By Carrie Seidman/Suncoast Searchlight