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Sarasota Magazine

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Derek Gilliam/Suncoast Searchlight

Suncoast Searchlight

Sarasota County Blocks ‘Live Local’ Law, Risking Clash With Developers

Commissioners said they were reacting to a steady barrage of concerns from residents over the impact of the proposed developments.

04/13/2026 By Derek Gilliam/Suncoast Searchlight and Michael Barfield/Florida Trident

Suncoast Searchlight

Scientists to Discuss Suncoast Environmental Threats at Free Sarasota Panel

The conversation will offer a chance to hear directly from the scientists and advocates studying the region’s most pressing environmental challenges, from microplastics in local waters to the loss of natural habitats.

04/13/2026 By Derek Gilliam/Suncoast Searchlight

Suncoast Searchlight

Golf Deal Fallout Deepens Divisions in the Meadows

Weeks after a controversial vote to lease hundreds of acres of golf courses and green space to a subsidiary of Benderson Development, divisions inside The Meadows have deepened beyond the deal itself.

03/27/2026 By Derek Gilliam/Suncoast Searchlight

Suncoast Searchlight

Less Sunshine, More Secrecy as Florida Limits Public Records Access

Florida lawmakers introduced more than 50 bills this session to limit access to public records, but fewer than 10 passed. Still, open government advocates say the measures that did clear the Legislature could significantly restrict transparency.

03/23/2026 By Derek Gilliam/Suncoast Searchlight and Alice Herman/Suncoast Searchlight

Suncoast Searchlight

Sarasota Erased Downtown Art Without Public Notice. Now Artists Are Seeking Damages.

Nine artists have filed claims against the city of Sarasota, alleging their rights were violated when officials removed pavement art in response to a state directive from the Florida Department of Transportation.

03/20/2026 By Derek Gilliam/Suncoast Searchlight and Carrie Seidman/ArtsBeat.org

Suncoast Searchlight

Judge Rejects Challenge to Controversial Siesta Key Land Swap

The ruling clears the way for a home to be built on property the county once bought to preserve.

02/20/2026 By Derek Gilliam/Suncoast Searchlight

Suncoast Searchlight

Florida Bill Would Give Benderson Development Its Own Taxing District at UTC

House Bill 4091 would give Benderson the ability to finance and oversee future expansions of the shopping hub, as well as the rowing park.

01/17/2026 By Derek Gilliam/Suncoast Searchlight and Christian Casale/Sarasota Herald-Tribune

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

Suncoast Searchlight

Pam Ames Takes on Arcadia’s Toughest Job: Saving Main Street

Twenty years ago, Arcadia boasted more than two dozen antique stores that sustained the economy. Today fewer than half remain, after one of the roughest summers in memory.

10/13/2025 By Derek Gilliam/Suncoast Searchlight

Suncoast Searchlight

‘Hostile Takeover’: Charter Operator Files to Occupy Three Sarasota Schools

In three nearly identical two-page notices, the charter school laid out plans for takeovers at Brookside Middle, Emma E. Booker Elementary School and Oak Park School, a K-12 campus that serves students with disabilities.

10/09/2025 By Derek Gilliam/Suncoast Searchlight, Alice Herman/Suncoast Searchlight, and Josh Salman/Suncoast Searchlight

Suncoast Searchlight

Sarasota County Seeks Stormwater Rate Increase, but Audit Finds Millions Available

New Stormwater Director Ben Quartermaine, who has proposed raising annual rates by more than one-fourth, on average—but the recommendation contradicts a newly released audit

09/05/2025 By Derek Gilliam/Suncoast Searchlight and Michael Barfield/Florida Trident

Suncoast Searchlight

Sarasota’s Performing Arts Center Stalls as Other Major Cultural Projects Race Forward

The performing arts center's future is tangled in politics, environmental concerns and slow fundraising.

08/20/2025 By Derek Gilliam/Suncoast Searchlight

At Sarasota Magazine, we celebrate Sarasota’s vibrant culture, rich history, and bright future with award-winning, high-quality content that captures the spirit of our community.

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