WSLR News

The week before Thanksgiving, amid what still looks like a boom for window and door makers, local manufacturer PGT Innovations laid off 225 workers in Tampa, and then another 150 in Venice. The layoffs came after PGT was taken over by Miter Brands, a Pennsylvania-based company. Johannes Werner talked to one Venice worker who says he and his wife lost their jobs the same day.

The newly constituted Sarasota City Commission went through a test on Monday. That test came about when Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch made a motion to take back a vote the outgoing commission made a month earlier. At issue was a downtown street the city handed over to a developer, before even seeing the developer's site plan. Ahearn-Koch wanted more discussion on how the developer's yet-to-be-known project would benefit the public.

On Tuesday, a state panel unanimously approved a $1.2 billion dollar storm recovery package for Florida Power & Light. This allows FP&L, come January, to hike the average monthly electricity bill by 12 dollars. This is pretty much routine, and it will keep the corporation in the black and its investors happy. But one public advocate spoke against approval at the Public Service Commission meeting in Tallahassee. Johannes Werner spoke to Jordan Luebkemann, an attorney representing Florida Rising and Earthjustice.

As the national affairs correspondent for the Nation magazine, John Nichols views national politics through a progressive lens. He will put the election in perspective during a presentation and discussion at the Fogartyville Community Center this Saturday, 7 pm. WSLR's Peace and Justice Report host Tom Walker interviewed Nichols this morning.

New rules for condos 30 years and older will take effect in one month. It will make life for hundreds of people in Sarasota-Manatee much more expensive, if not impossible. Della Hale investigates.

Then: President-elect Trump has promised mass deportations. How will this play out in Florida, home to one out of 10 undocumented immigrants? Surreal News host Lew Lorrini asked an immigrant advocate.

Next: The president of New College removed two members from the board of the foundation that coughs up most of his compensation. Florence Fahringer reports.

Finally: Crearte Latino is a well-established player in the local culture scene. They are moving to new digs, and Noah Vinsky lets us know about the why and how.

Even though business seems to be booming, one of the largest private employers in Sarasota County is laying off up to 150 workers. We have the details.

Next: Thanksgiving is approaching, and - in the wake of an intense hurricane season - more people in the region are going hungry.

Then: How did Black Friday sneak up on us as a Thanksgiving tradition? A WMNF reporter is looking for answers.

Then: How are flooded homeowners reacting to disaster? Noah Vinsky talked to two of them, trying to understand their thinking and decision-making.

Next: Megaprojects and climate change don't mix well. In the wake of historic flooding, Sarasota just postponed the next step to build a costly performing arts center. An hour north, the stakes for the new Rays stadium are even higher.

Next: Voters' worries about schools have produced an electoral upset in a small Florida county. Cathy Antunes of The Detail on WSLR interviews an observer about how this happened.

A Sarasota County board stacked with pro-development characters voted down a housing proposal. To everyone's surprise. A sign of change?

Next: Sewage has been in a lot of people's noses and on many people's minds during the recent flooding. So when the Sarasota County utility director talks about wastewater, WSLR listens closely.

Next: Transit rarely gets much attention by the Sarasota County Commission. Raising fares for an on-call service did on Wednesday. We have the details.

MCR Health has fallen on hard times and has filed for bankruptcy. How will this affect their 100,000 uninsured patients?
 
Then: A new Sarasota County Commission was sworn in on Tuesday. We are looking for signs of change - and found them.
 
Next: Affordable housing was on the Sarasota County Commission’s agenda. An annual report prompted a scolding. 
 
Finally: A local theater is telling the true stories of immigrants.

Climate change and human health are closely linked - think along the lines of heat stroke, mosquito bites, and your and my sanity after this storm season. Florence Fahringer was at a conference in Sarasota, and we'll have her report.

Then: So your home has been flooded. What's next? Noah Vinsky talked to one homeowner on a barrier island, and one near a river, to find out how they're holding up, and what their thoughts and plans are for the future.

Less than 100 hours after U.S. voters returned Donald Trump to the White House, and two citizen-initiated amendments in Florida failed, a bunch of teenagers and twenty-somethings assembled at a church in Sarasota to plot their next steps. We have a report about what's called Forward Together.

Then: The flooded VanWezel Performing Arts Center. Handing over a downtown street to a developer. And is 10 percent affordable housing enough in a big new mixed-use project? WSLR reporter Della Hale followed up on three important City of Sarasota stories that got lost in the election noise last week.

Next: A Florida study shows that people here must work way more than the standard 40 hours to afford housing. Partner station WMNF has a report on this.

After hurricane Milton, a black teenager who walked through his own neighborhood in suburban Sarasota in search of a phone signal was harassed by neighbors. Now, the Sarasota Sheriff's Department announced it dropped its investigation into assault charges. But they did more than that, and Jamee Kerber has a report about why that upsets community advocates.

Then: We interview a close observer about the election results in Manatee County. He is not surprised about the Republican sweep, but within that sweep, there were several surprises.

Next: A hydrologist points his finger at a dike breach as the reason for unexpected flooding during Tropical Storm Debby. One county official responded this week. Actually, he evaded the question, and we have a report.

Next: Democrats failed to even challenge the Republican supermajority in the state legislature. Della Hale has a look at two state house races in Sarasota.

Finally: The Sarasota Charter Review Board and the Hospital Board were part of the Republican sweep. Noah Vinsky talked to two of the winners.

First, we'll bring you a summary of the most important results statewide, with a take by one of the few winning Democrats in the state.

Then: The balance of the Sarasota City commission may have changed yesterday. Florence Fahringer tells you why.

Next: The closest partisan race in Sarasota brought us Mike Moran as the next Tax Collector. We are looking at Moran's recent clashes with tax collectors in Florida, and his role at the PACE funding agency.

Finally: Gretchen Cochran has a peek under the hood of the local elections machine.

Mobile home park residents are usually among those hardest hit by hurricanes. But this storm season has been particularly hard, as Della Hale reports.

Next: Sarasota County commissions an annual survey, and for the fifth year in a row, overdevelopment is the top concern of people living in Sarasota. We talk to a community activist.

Then: For six years, Greg Steube has represented Sarasota County and portions of Charlotte and Lee in the U.S. House of Representatives. Manny Lopez is the underdog challenging the pro-gun, anti-immigration, and anti-abortion congressman. Florence Fahringer had a conversation with Lopez.

Finally: Nancy Simpson is a floodplain expert. And she's now running for office, challenging James Buchanan - the son of U.S. Representative Vern Buchanan -  for the seat representing District 74 in the Florida House. Noah Vinsky talked to Simpson.