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

Politics

Sarasota's Joe Gruters Named Chair of Republican National Committee

Gruters is a fourth-generation Sarasotan who's directly tied to Donald Trump's rise to power.

08/25/2025 By Staff

The New Sarasota

Is Sarasota Changing for Good?

Our region is becoming more populated, more conservative and more polarized, and many residents are wondering: Is it for the best?

01/17/2024 By Elizabeth Djinis

Best Restaurants

The Best Restaurants in Sarasota

Where to eat right now—and what to order when you're there.

11/07/2023 By Lauren Jackson

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