WSLR News

Flooding and winds have caused more than $1 billion in damage in Sarasota-Manatee this year. How will we rebuild? WSLR reporter Mark Warriner is asking the hard questions, and we will air part one of his three-part report now.

Next: NASA has been watching Sarasota from space. The idea: Identifying local hotspots in a heating climate. NASA has series of recommendations, and two representatives will present them at a sustainability workshop next week.

Then: Big Mama's Collard Green Festival is indestructible. The hurricanes did postpone it, but still turned out to be one of the social highlights of of the year for Newtown and Sarasota. Ramon Lopez was there. 

What caused a quite new subdivision in suburban Sarasota to be under water after Tropical Storm Debby? An expert found a smoking gun, and he has a series of recommendations for Sarasota County on how to prevent similar damage during the next floods. Ramon Lopez has the details.

Next: Two hundred and sixty five warehouse workers in Sarasota scored one of the biggest wins for private-sector unions in decades in this region. 

Then: The Sarasota County commission wants to steer millions of federal disaster relief dollars to a developer-led training program. That has stirred up pushback by people who want the funding to go to public schools instead.

Finally: Sarasota's LGBTQ community has been hit hard by the recent storms. Noah Vinsky tallies the damage.

Sarasota City Commissioners were going to get a presentation about water quality in the Bay after recent storms. But Dr. Dave Tomasko went beyond that and made the commissioners look at the big picture: Climate change.

Then: Red Tide is looming again for Southwest Florida.

Next: Dunes are a first line of defense for beach communities. But following back-to-back hurricanes, the dunes along the coastlines in Southwest Florida experienced significant damage. 

Then: The recent storms caused serious disruptions in the lives of Sarasota County residents. How will that factor into the Nov. 5 elections? Ramon Lopez has a look.

Next: One of the presidential candidates is far ahead in a recent Florida survey. 

Then: Vote-by-mail and early voting turnout seems to be shattering records in Florida. Meghan Bowman with partner station WMNF tells us how and why.

Finally: Sarasota County has the only elected Charter Review Board in the state. We give you a look at the issues and candidates.

On Thursday, the governor stopped in Sarasota again, to talk about robust hurricane response and school reopening. We asked Ron DeSantis about climate change and the lack of flood insurance.

Next: A video has gone viral about a black teenager being harassed by neighbors when he went searching for a phone signal in his gated Sarasota neighborhood after Hurricane Milton. Jamee Kerber has the details.

Then: 250 warehouse workers at a big food distributor in Sarasota are voting this week to join a union. Amid the hurricane chaos, the company suspended, without pay, two employees who are key organizers. We talked to one of them.

Then: The hurricane has wrecked restaurants and hotels on the barrier islands, and hundreds of restaurant and hotel jobs have been lost. Dayana Melendez is looking at relief efforts for those workers.

Next: A solar entrepreneur in Sarasota is proud about how her devices held up during and after the storm. Noah Vinsky plugs you in.

Finally: Schools have reopened, after clearing some hurdles.

A week after the direct hit, WSLR News reporter Ramon Lopez brings you a roundup of the area's robust recovery after Milton.

Next: At a protest in St. Petersburg, elected officials and community activists press Gov. Ron DeSantis to recognize climate change as a fact of life. Partner station WMNF reports.

Then: Insurance is on everybody's mind. We have a look at FEMA application lines, and we talked to an adjuster while he was stuck in traffic to the islands as well as to an advocate for insurance reform.

Then: Debris removal has been a bottleneck and hazard before Milton hit, and now double-whammy mountains are piling up in front of homes. WSLR reporter Della Hale has the latest on Sarasota County efforts.

Finally: Milton wrecked the Lido Beach condo building that is the main residence of a couple in their 80s. Do they see a future in Sarasota? Ramon Lopez asked them. 

Coming up: A summary of Milton's impact.

Then: WSLR reporter Ramon Lopez made it to Casey Key, after its second flooding.

Then: We talk to community organizer Lourdes Ramirez whose home on Siesta Key was flooded twice.

Next: Water service is essential, but it has been interrupted in several areas of the region during the storm.

Then: WSLR reporter Ramon Lopez puts the focus on airports.

Then: WSLR reporter Noah Vinsky has the latest on traffic, roads and bridges.

Finally: A bit of normalcy - Florida Studio Theatre is back in business.

Not just two, but six constitutional amendments will be on the ballot in Florida on Nov. 5. We'll give you a roundup of the four state-initiated amendments, plus we'll talk about the chances the two citizen-initiated amendments have of making it.

Next: One of Sarasota's biggest and oldest retirement communities would like to build a major expansion. But they would like to do that near an area that was completely under water during the recent storm. Ramon Lopez has the details.

Then: A national organization is ringing the alarm bells about exploding numbers of book bans in Florida. WSLR reporter Noah Vinsky talked to a former New College student who is watching that issue.

Finally: In the race for the Sarasota Hospital Board, it's now down to mainstream Republican versus Democratic candidates. Even though all "Medical Freedom" activists were eliminated during the Republican primaries, clear choices are emerging. Florence Fahringer reports.

If it happens, a new performing arts center would be the most expensive project in the history of the City of Sarasota. The project took another step closer to becoming reality this week, and our reporter Della Hale has the details. 

Next: In the City of Sarasota's weak-mayor system, the city manager plays a key role. The city is facing a difficult transition after Marlon Brown's surprising retirement announcement, and Ramon Lopez is updating us on this.

Then: Helene, Debby, and before that, another thousand-year rain event - how is Sarasota Bay holding up? The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program director talked to WSLR about the bigger environmental picture.

Finally: Amid storms and flooding, a bit of relief: A ribbon cutting for a neighborhood park in Sarasota, complete with a drum line and speeches.

Hurricane Helene sideswiped us at a good distance in the Gulf. But that's little consolation to thousands of barrier island residents here who suffered flooding from a historic storm surge. We have a first damage assessment.

Next: WSLR News reporter Florence Fahringer puts the focus on the storm surge, talking to victims and experts.

Then: An environmental group lauds the achievements of former Governor Bob Graham for planning in Florida. That nostalgic view of past achievements contrasts with recent and current trends in planning in the state, as WSLR reporter Noah Vinsky found.

Finally: In what could change the neighborhood-vs-developer balance of the City of Sarasota commission, Mayor Liz Alpert is facing challenger Ron Kashden in the upcoming elections. Ramon Lopez has a close look at both candidates.

First, we’ll hear how New College student and alumni journalists are launching an independent newspaper; next, an incumbent city commissioner answers criticisms from his challenger; then, we’ll learn how Sarasota schools are dealing with staffing shortages; next, we’ll share why a new docuseries is bringing animal rights activists back to Sarasota; and finally, we’ll get a look at early designs for a new performing arts center.