News & City Life

Did That Really Happen?

Recent You-Can't-Make-Them-Up Headlines From Sarasota

Truth is stranger than fiction.

11/04/2025

Stats

Sarasota County School Vouchers and Their Impacts

The state-funded scholarships have cut enrollment in public schools, which decreases state funding for each district, affecting teachers, administrators and students..

11/04/2025 By Lauren Jackson

Burning Question

What Does Florida’s New Beach Access Law Mean?

Coastal rights attorney Pepper Uchino weighs in on the sand wars.

11/03/2025 By Isaac Eger

SNAP Aid

Where to Find Free Food And Donate in Sarasota and Manatee Counties

With SNAP benefits paused during the federal shutdown, here’s where to find free meals, groceries, and support—and how to give back.

11/03/2025 By Kim Doleatto

The 1920s

Sarasota and the Roaring '20s

Historian Jeff LaHurd describes the transformational decade that shaped Sarasota forever.

11/03/2025

School Style

Architect M. Leo Elliott Designed Four Iconic Sarasota Schools in 1926 and 1927

Elliott was a well-known Tampa architect.

11/03/2025 By Jeff LaHurd

Well Platted

The Birth of Venice

Even before the land boom hit Sarasota, world-renowned orthopedic surgeon Fred Albee saw the potential for development in Nokomis and Venice.

11/03/2025 By Jeff LaHurd

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

In Their Own Words

Public Media Host Dalia Colón Is Always Hungry for Stories

"Sometimes all roads lead to Sarasota.”

11/03/2025 By Lauren Jackson

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

Haunting Grounds

Sarasota's Most Haunted Places

A spine-tingling tour of ghostly spots.

10/31/2025 By Lauren Jackson and Sarafina Murphy-Gibson

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

Fast Track

Michael Quillen Named Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association's Restaurateur of the Year

Plus, Dr. David Dexter is named medical director at Lakewood Ranch Medical Center's wound center, and more.

10/27/2025 By Staff

Grant Report

Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation Receives $20,000 Grant from Newtown CRA

Plus, the Sarasota Ballet is awarded a $75,000 grant from the Barancik Foundation, and more.

10/27/2025 By Staff

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

Grant Report

Community Foundation of Sarasota County Directs $1.2 Million in Grants to Youth Literacy Programs

Plus, Gulf Coast Community Foundation grants $50,000 to Embracing Our Differences, and more.

10/20/2025 By Staff

Fast Track

Michelin-Trained Chef Drew Adams Joins CW Prime at The St. Regis Longboat Key Resort as Head Chef

Plus, Premier Sotheby's International Realty appoints Kayla Fleeman as senior regional marketing director, and more.

10/20/2025 By Staff

Suncoast Searchlight

Most Suncoast Lawmakers Quiet as Charter School Expansion Fuels Local Upheaval

The same lawmakers who voted earlier this year to let charter schools move into underused public campuses have stayed quiet as a Miami-based charter operator’s early push to occupy local schools set off confusion and concern among parents and educators.

10/20/2025 By McKenna Oxenden/Suncoast Searchlight and Derek Gilliam/Suncoast Searchlight