News & City Life

Grant Report

Community Foundation Raises Nearly $9 Million in Eight Weeks for Season of Sharing, Disaster Recovery

Plus, New College receives a $1 million gift from homebuilder Carlos Beruff for a new baseball field, and more.

12/23/2024 By Staff

Hurricane Relief

City of Sarasota Storm Debris Collection Concludes Tomorrow

The city’s storm debris collection contractors have collected 318,404 cubic yards, or 445,766 tons, of storm debris since the hurricanes made landfall.

12/19/2024 By Staff

2024 Year in Review

A Look Back at Some of Our Best Stories of 2024

Editor in chief Cooper Levey-Baker selects his personal favorites.

12/19/2024 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Q&A

Meet Ciera Coleman, the City of Sarasota's New Public Art Administrator

We caught up with Coleman, a Sarasota native, to learn more about her background and the future of the city's public art plan. "The arts bring and keep people here," she says.

12/12/2024 By Kim Doleatto

Ask Me Anything

Transgender Activist India Miller Can’t Wait to Take Your Questions

“I’m hoping to enlighten some people not already sensitive to our plight,” she says.

12/09/2024 By Andrea González

Fast Track

Jennifer Mitchell Named President and CEO of Circus Arts Conservatory

Plus, Conservation of the Gulf Coast rebrands as Big Waters Land Trust, Selby Gardens is recognized by the WSJ, and more.

12/08/2024 By Staff

Grant Report

Paychex Founder Awards $85 Million in Major Gifts to Southwest Florida Nonprofits

Plus, the Barancik Foundation grants $3.2 million in funding, and more.

12/08/2024 By Staff

Play Ball!

Spring Training Tickets Are on Sale Now

Grab your tickets for Orioles, Pirates and Braves games.

12/06/2024 By Staff

Flashback

The Pinecraft Eat'n House Served Coffee, Fried Chicken and Pies to the Community

The restaurant was one of several businesses that sprang up on Bahia Vista Street in the 1950s.

12/06/2024 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Still Laughing

What Happened to the Central Cocoanut Neighborhood's Laughing Buddha During the Hurricanes?

After surviving Hurricanes Helene and Milton and getting a golden makeover, Sarasota’s Laughing Buddha will soon be back in his spot in the Central Cocoanut neighborhood.

12/03/2024 By Kim Doleatto

Stay Warm

Sarasota County Is Opening a Cold Weather Shelter in North Port Tonight and Tomorrow

Good-bye, hurricane season—hello, winter?

12/02/2024 By Staff

Q & A

Project 180 Founder Barbara Richards Reflects on Helping Former Prisoners Rebuild Their Lives

Richards is stepping down from her role with the organization she founded.

12/02/2024 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Only in Sarasota

After the Hurricanes, Heavy-Duty Earth Movers Cleared the Roads

On Anna Maria Island, tractors pushed sand that had washed over the island’s main arteries into giant piles.

12/01/2024 Illustrations by John Pirman

Pie Day!

Celebrity Chef Marvin Woods Helps Local Students Make Thanksgiving Pie—With an Educational Twist

Woods, the first chef to launch former First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move!" cooking series, taught students at Visible Men Academy how to make a delicious apple pie from scratch.

11/26/2024 By Lauren Jackson

Just Keep Swimming

Mote Aquarium Will Reopen Tomorrow—and Introduce Lou, a New Manatee, to the Public

After eight weeks of closure due to the back-to-back hurricanes, Mote will open its City Island aquarium tomorrow at 9 a.m.

11/21/2024 By Megan McDonald

Funding Fallout

State and Local Leaders Cut Funding for Arts Organizations This Year. Will Things Be Any Better Next Time Around?

Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed $32 million in funding for the arts in June due to concerns over content, and the Sarasota County nixed grants to three arts organizations a month later.

11/21/2024 By Kay Kipling

Comeback Story

After Back-to-Back Hurricanes, the Local Tourism Industry Focuses on Recovery

The hospitality industry was devastated by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, but business owners and employees say they’re on the mend.

11/20/2024 By Lauren Jackson

Still Standing

After an Unprecedented Hurricane Season, Residents Say They're Determined to Come Back Stronger

We're sharing stories of tragedy and resilience and talking to residents and business owners about how the storms have upended their lives, their finances and their plans for the future.

11/20/2024

Information Overload

Why Was There So Much Disinformation After Hurricanes Helene and Milton?

Rumors and untruths proliferated as Hurricanes Helene and Milton destroyed communities. Why do we keep falling for them?

11/20/2024 By Megan McDonald

The Climate Connection

Climate Change Is Making Extreme Weather More Common and More Dangerous

This year's storms were the latest in a string of extreme weather events that have struck our area in recent years.

11/20/2024 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Sarasota Magazine