News & City Life

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

Q & A

John Brothers Leads By Listening

The incoming president and CEO of the Barancik Foundation talks about philanthropy, proximity and finding his place in Sarasota.

10/14/2025 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

Philanthropy

Barancik Foundation Names Next President and CEO

John Brothers, who most recently served as president of the T. Rowe Price Foundation and T. Rowe Price Charitable, succeeds the Barancik Foundation's outgoing president and CEO Teri Hansen.

10/13/2025 By Staff

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

Suncoast Searchlight

‘Hostile Takeover’: Charter Operator Files to Occupy Three Sarasota Schools

In three nearly identical two-page notices, the charter school laid out plans for takeovers at Brookside Middle, Emma E. Booker Elementary School and Oak Park School, a K-12 campus that serves students with disabilities.

10/09/2025 By Derek Gilliam/Suncoast Searchlight, Alice Herman/Suncoast Searchlight, and Josh Salman/Suncoast Searchlight

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

Grant Report

Hugh Culverhouse Jr. Matching Challenge Results in $707,938 in Contributions to Florida Humanities

Plus, the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation celebrates $100 million in philanthropy, and more.

09/29/2025 By Staff

Fast Track

Cannons Marina Acquired by Ingman Marine

Plus: the Barancik Foundation honors five educators, the City of North Port names a new city attorney and finance director, and the Sarasota Chamber's 2026 Youth Leadership class.

09/29/2025 By Staff

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

Room to Breathe

At Booker Elementary, Revamped Sensory and Motor Rooms Offer Students a Way to Rest and Reset

The updated rooms give children short breaks to regulate their nervous systems so they can return to class ready to learn—tools that many schools struggle to provide.

09/25/2025 By 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

Seeding Knowledge

Sarasota County Schools Has Launched Its Newest Education Initiative: a Working Farm

The $8 million agricultural complex sits on 39.1 acres next to McIntosh Middle School, where county students can get down and dirty while learning about agriculture.

09/18/2025 By Lauren Jackson

Campus Memorial

New College of Florida Plans Statue of Charlie Kirk

The Sarasota school is commissioning a privately funded monument to the slain activist as other campuses weigh tributes following his murder in Utah.

09/16/2025 By Kim Doleatto

Mo' Mote

Mote's New Science Education Aquarium (SEA) Is Set to Open Oct. 8

The $130 million, 146,000-square-foot aquarium marks Mote Marine Laboratory’s 70th anniversary and ushers in a new era of science education, research and public engagement.

09/16/2025 By Kim Doleatto