An Appreciation

The Founders of WSLR and Fogartyville Are Stepping Down. Their Impact on Sarasota Has Been Immense.

Arlene Sweeting and Dave Beaton have been community fixtures for decades. Now they're moving on.

04/18/2024 By Stacey Altherr

Unity Awards

Michele Redwine Shines a Spotlight on Black Artistry

“We will not allow what’s happening in Tallahassee to take away who we are—and I believe the arts play a strong part in making that happen.”

01/01/2024 Photography by Megan McDonald

A Visit to the Aiki Shrine

The Aikido Master of Myakka

How Sarasota played a major role in bringing aikido from Japan to the United States.

10/16/2023 By Bethany Ritz

Listening to Diverse Voices

City Commissioner and Lawyer Erik Arroyo on His Journey to Success

The first Hispanic, immigrant mayor of the City of Sarasota talks about fitting in, and fulfilling his ambition against all odds.

08/24/2023 By Kim Doleatto

Listening to Black Voices

Chandra Bivens Carty on Reclaiming Her Family's History

Carty's great-great-grandfather was enslaved at Manatee County's Gamble Plantation. Carty is working to establish a memorial that honors him and the other 150-190 enslaved people who worked at the plantation.

08/15/2023 By Heather Dunhill

Eyes on the Street

Mark Wiseman Is Making a Name for Himself in the Emerging World of 'Calligraffiti'

Calligraffiti is a worldwide phenomenon that began appearing in streets and has increasingly migrated into galleries around the planet.

05/03/2023 By Kevin Coval

R.I.P.

Remembering Legendary Talk Show Host Jerry Springer

The longtime Sarasota resident died Thursday after a brief illness.

04/27/2023 By Cooper Levey-Baker

With Arms Wide Open

Sarasota Churches Offer Sanctuary and Hope to LGBTQ Christians

We spoke to leaders of five local LGBTQ-affirming churches to learn about their histories, congregations and the ways they’re maintaining hope amid anti-LGBTQ bigotry and political assaults.

03/01/2023 By Hannah Wallace

Love is in the Air

Six Local Couples Share Their Love Stories

With Valentine’s Day approaching, these dynamic duos share the stories of how they met.

02/02/2023 By Laura Paquette

Unity Awards

Arlene Sweeting Gives a Voice to Underrepresented Communities

In 2004, Sweeting partnered with the New College Student Alliance and 96.5 WSLR was born.

01/09/2023 By Isaac Eger

Unity Awards

Andrea Blanch Uses a Trauma-Informed Approach to Solve Social Conflict

“My career has been about empowering other people to see their own strength and giving tools away so that people have what they need to make change happen."

01/09/2023 By Bethany Ritz

Best of the Year

Our Favorite Photos of 2022

From emotional portraits to striking natural beauty to one hilarious lemur, here are some of the best photos we ran in 2022.

12/29/2022 By Staff

Art for all

Will You Be The Free Little Art Gallery's Next Curator?

Sarasota's Free Little Art Gallery is closing its tiny doors on Dec. 25. Founder Judy Robertson is looking for its new home.

12/19/2022 By Kim Doleatto

New Kids on the Block

Four New Arts Leaders Shaping Our Future

All of them are charged up to enhance our cultural landscape.

11/13/2022 By Kay Kipling

New Wave

Drug Overdoses Are Rising Again. Why?

There have been 134 overdoses in Sarasota and 309 in Manatee since just this May, and the numbers keep growing.

09/16/2022 By Allison Forsyth

Fast Track

Dr. Washington Hill Receives National Medical Association 2022 Distinguished Service Award

Plus, Suncoast Waterkeeper hires Dr. Abbey Tyrna as its new executive director and Beth Graves is named marketing and communications director at WBTT.

09/02/2022 By Staff

Vote!

How to Vote in Sarasota County

Everything you need to know—from how to register to how to track your vote-by-mail ballot.

08/10/2022 By Staff

New Day Rising

Pine View Graduate Zander Moricz Challenged His School and His State Over LGBTQ Rights

Pine View’s decision to censor Moricz's graduation speech if he mentioned his activism brought him national media attention, including profiles in Rolling Stone and on NBC.

06/13/2022 By Elizabeth Djinis