Critical Times

At Piney Point in Manatee County, hazardous waste water collects and threatens to overflow with each rainy season. On Tuesday, March 9th, the Manatee County Commission recommended construction of an injection well to prevent flooding, but this may be too little, too late. Becca Hadwen spoke with Glen Compton from Manasota88 to learn about the impending disaster and possible ways to handle it.

As Sarasota prepares for the potential legalization of marijuana, the city commission has adopted a forward-looking role by decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of cannabis. Omar Guerrero details several issues regarding Sarasota Police not complying with the ordinance, and the Commission's contradictory position on regulating recreational use of the drug.

Coming up on March 8 is International Women's Day, and UN Women USA is celebrating with the annual Through Women's Eyes International Film Festival. The festival will feature 34 films which includes 12 features and 22 shorts. Claire Thomas has more information on this year's festival.

Sam Freitas discusses the candidates for the district 1 seat of the North Port City Commission.

On January 29th, Sarasota City Manager Marlon Brown appointed a new chief of police. Becca Hadwen spoke with Brown to learn more about his decision, and with Chief Jim Rieser on where he will take the department.

On Tuesday, the Manatee County Commission meeting teemed with drama, including disclosures of extramarital affairs, accusations of blackmail, and potential Sunshine Law violations. All this resulted in a vote to once again pursue firing County Administrator Cheri Coryea.

On February 1st, This is my Brave will air the second volume of “Stories from the Black Community.” This two-part series creates a platform for Black Americans to share their experiences regarding mental illness and recovery. I spoke with Kyaien Conner on the role of storytelling in fighting stigma.

Sarasota county rolled out a new COVID 19 vaccination appointment system at noon on January 20th. As of January 21st, over 70,000 people had registered to receive the COVID 19 vaccine and 1,000 people have been vaccinated at Twin Lakes park.

On January 13th, Sarasota County Commissioners voted to pare down affordable housing requirements. Instead, developers now have incentives.

The rocky start of vaccine distribution in Manatee County led to website shutdowns and complaints about accessibility. On January 7th, Manatee County launched a new system for vaccine registration. Cheri Coryea and Jacob Saur explained the changes in the January 6 County Commission meeting.