News & City Life

Fast Track

Jamal Crook Has Been Appointed Principal of Booker High School

Plus: SRQ's Airport Circle has been renamed Rick Piccolo Circle, and more.

6:20pm By Staff

Grant Report

Barancik Foundation Awards Nearly $7.1 Million in New Grants

Plus, the Community Foundation of Sarasota County awards more than $2.1 million in scholarships, and more.

5:56pm By Staff

The New New College

John Oliver Takes Aim at New College of Florida

"It's not going great," the late-night host said of the political takeover and institutional upheaval that have transformed New College's campus since 2023.

4:03pm By Kendall Southworth

Art News

Ringling Executive Director Steven High to Retire After 15 Years

High joined The Ringling in 2011 and stewarded the museum through major additions and restorations, including the opening of the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Center for Asian Art and James Turrell's Skyspace, "Joseph's Coat."

2:23pm By Staff

STARTING OVER

Community Leaders Experience Life After Lockup Simulation

A Sarasota nonprofit's immersive simulation compresses the first chaotic weeks after prison release into a single hour, revealing the obstacles many formerly incarcerated people face as they rebuild their lives.

12:00pm By Kendall Southworth

Sarasota History

Flashback: Friends at the Bradenton Beach Bathhouse, 1922

While bathing suit styles might have changed dramatically over the past century, our love of the beach hasn’t.

06/05/2026 By Megan McDonald

More Rosemary

Bayside North Moves Ahead in the Rosemary District

The second phase of the Bayside project will add 96 rental residences, 15 workforce housing units, eight furnished guest suites and a ground-floor restaurant near the bayfront.

06/02/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Suncoast Searchlight

Economist Warns Sarasota Commissioners of Looming Economic Threat

Florida is experiencing what Sean Snaith describes as a “ho-hum labor market.” Meanwhile, both bankruptcies and credit card delinquencies are on the rise.

06/01/2026 By Christian Casale/Suncoast Searchlight

Did That Really Happen?

Recent You-Can’t-Make-Them-Up Headlines From Sarasota and Beyond

Florida legislators have decided that you can still marry your first cousin, a woman recovers from a disastrous run-in with an alligator, Manatee County's "Monkey Whisperer" strikes again, and Saks Sarasota prevails in a game of corporate chicken—for now.

06/01/2026

Making a Splash

Meet Splash, America’s Only Underwater Recovery Otter

He sleeps in bed, throws hissy fits and helps when cadaver dogs and divers hit the limit.

06/01/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Stats

Sarasota County Libraries Offers Far More Than Books

It's a community hub that offers all sorts of learning services, from birdwatching backpacks, mobile hotspots, children’s Launchpads and more.

06/01/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Suncoast Searchlight

Developers Push Massive Data Center Complex in DeSoto County Amid Backlash

Florida-based DCIP Group has already secured rezoning approval for an initial 34-acre site at a decommissioned power plant near Arcadia, but company executives say the project could eventually expand to roughly 1,300 acres.

05/28/2026 By Alice Herman/Suncoast Searchlight

Rock Solid Recreation

Sarasota's First Climbing Gym Is Opening To The Public

The 24,000-square-foot facility includes a climbing gym, podcasting space, coffee bar, infrared sauna, and more.

05/27/2026 By Kendall Southworth

Suncoast Searchlight

Sarasota Fight to Save Century-Old Downtown Building Pits History Versus Development

The fate of a more than century-old downtown Sarasota building could be headed to court following a last-ditch effort from a preservation group trying to stop it from being razed for luxury condos.

05/26/2026 By Derek Gilliam/Suncoast Searchlight

Politics

USF Sarasota-Manatee Will Be Transferred to New College

That's despite major public outcry from the public, business leaders and state and national legislators.

05/26/2026 By Megan McDonald and Susan Burns

The Heart of Art

Artists Return to Burns Square Streets

Artists and community leaders are working to “bring the heart of art to the heart of the city” through daily public painting, spontaneous performances and community connection.

05/21/2026 By Kendall Southworth

Tourism Update

Sarasota Tourism Rose in March. Visitor Spending Didn’t.

More travelers came to Sarasota County during peak season, but shorter stays and softer restaurant and entertainment spending kept March’s economic impact nearly flat.

05/20/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Parking Pain

Update: Sarasota Will Implement Longer Paid Parking Hours Downtown

City commissioners approved a plan on Monday, May 18, that will extend meter enforcement to 8 a.m. through midnight, seven days a week—minus Sundays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.—and raise many fines.

05/18/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Suncoast Searchlight

Drought Drains Southwest Florida Water Reserves, but Officials Say Supply Is Secure

Environmental advocates, however, warn that continued withdrawals from the already depleted river could have lasting consequences for wildlife and native habitats.

05/15/2026 By Emily Andersen/Suncoast Searchlight

Don't Bug Out

Sarasota County Launches First-of-Its-Kind Malaria Surveillance

A new building in Nokomis puts Sarasota at the forefront of mosquito-borne disease prevention, launching what officials say is the first malaria surveillance program of its kind in the state—and maybe even the country.

05/14/2026 By Kendall Southworth