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Sarasota Magazine

Politics

So Long, Smoke

Smoking at Sarasota County Parks and Beaches Is Now Banned

Citing safety and environmental impacts, the Sarasota County Commission created a new ordinance to ban cigarettes in county-owned spaces.

10/02/2023 By Kim Doleatto

Ukraine 2023

A Sarasota Photojournalist's Latest Images From Ukraine Depict Both Devastation and Resilience

Allan Mestel has traveled to Ukraine repeatedly since last year's Russian invasion. In a new interview, he discusses his most recent photographs.

09/29/2023 By Kim Doleatto

Beach Battle

In 1990, Sarasota Waged War on Thongs, Leading to Outrage, Protests and National Media Attention

Three decades ago, the city was divided in two by a narrow wedge issue: bare bottoms on beaches.

09/29/2023 By Kim Doleatto

Elections

New Voting Rules Prompt Workarounds in Sarasota, Manatee

Critics of SB 7050 say the new law creates unnecessary hurdles for voters, including increasing penalties for clerical errors made by third-party voter registration groups and forcing voters who want to vote by mail to reapply before every election.

09/18/2023 By Jim DeLa/Community News Collaborative

Strike Up the Banned

Bookseller Tiffany Razzano Relishes Dealing in Banned Titles

Razzano's store, This Bookstore Kills Fascists, has set up shop in Sarasota with a selection of “anything they don't want you to read in school.’’

08/31/2023 By Jim DeLa/Community News Collaborative

Q & A

A New Nonprofit Wants to Rehabilitate Hundreds of Acres of Local Oyster Habitat

“Anything I can do in my power to improve the fisheries and water quality, I’m pushing hard to do it,” says Oyster River Ecology founder and executive director Damon Moore. “We’re not aiming small."

08/14/2023 By Matthew Gutierrez

Generation Climate

A New Organization Is Recruiting Florida Retirees to Fight Climate Change

With the launch of the Florida chapter of an organization called Third Act, older Americans are taking action to preserve our state's natural resources.

08/08/2023 By Matthew Gutierrez

Fast Track

The Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative Adds Two New Team Members

Plus: Manatee County has a new acting administrator, Selby Gardens selects a new chief operating officer and more new hires and promotions.

08/07/2023 By Staff

Affordable Housing

New State-Wide Affordable Housing Act Draws Doubts from Local Experts

Key incentives include height and density bonuses and speeding up the application process for developers.

07/06/2023 By Kim Doleatto

Hot Topics

What Florida's Six-Week Abortion Ban Means for Women

Physicians say the new law, if enacted, will prevent pregnant women from receiving needed care.

07/05/2023 By Elizabeth Djinis

Popular Content

    Goodbye to USF Sarasota-Manatee—and New College

    Arts Groups to Share $20 Million as DeSantis Vetoes More Funding

    Adam Johnson, the Smiley Guy Who Grabbed Nancy Pelosi’s Lectern on Jan. 6, 2021, Is Running for Manatee County Commission

    Sarasota County Blocks Hyperscale Data Centers for at Least One Year

    John Oliver Takes Aim at New College of Florida

    What Does Florida’s New Beach Access Law Mean?

No Go

School Board Rejects Proposal for Consultant Review

School board members voted 3-2 to not move forward with a contract with Vermilion Education, a fledgling company with conservative political ties.

04/19/2023 By Kim Doleatto

Fair Food

Sarasota's Fair Food Standards Council Was Featured on Last Week Tonight With John Oliver

Its work was highlighted on an episode about the plight of migrant workers.

04/18/2023 By Isaac Eger

In Memoriam

Remembering Sarasota County Commissioner Nancy Detert

The longtime Florida politician passed away this week at age 78.

04/06/2023 By Kim Doleatto

Politics

New College Joins Other Florida Universities in Banning TikTok on Campus

The move was announced on the same day that California Gov. Gavin Newsom visited with some of the school's staff and students.

04/05/2023 By Isaac Eger

Politics

A Massachusetts College Is Offering Admission to New College Students

In the wake of recent events, Hampshire College says it will welcome New College transfers and match students' current cost of tuition.

03/15/2023 By Megan McDonald and Elizabeth Djinis

Book ban

Shelf Indulgence Is Starting a Mobile Bookstore That Will Feature Banned Books

Shelf Indulgence is fighting statewide book bans by providing access to censored literature.

02/27/2023 By Isaac Eger

Politics

Manatee County Ditches Plan to Restore Confederate Monument—For Now

The monument in question was removed from outside the downtown Bradenton courthouse in 2017.

02/01/2023 By Isaac Eger

Politics

A Look at New College's Cloudy Future

With a new conservative majority on its board of trustees, the college is poised to undergo major changes, and many affiliated with the school are worried it could lose what makes it special.

01/30/2023 By Elizabeth Djinis

Image Is Everything

What the New City Seal Says About Sarasota's Possible Future

Reading the tea leaves of the city's new look.

01/04/2023 By Isaac Eger

Top 10 in 2022

10 Great Reads From a Year Full of Them

Our editor-in-chief picks some of his favorite stories from 2022.

12/28/2022 By Cooper Levey-Baker

Latest Issue

July-August 2026

The Summer Splurge Issue

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