WSLR News

Taxpayers in St Petersburg and Pinellas County will pay $600 million for a project that, despite our love for baseball, is not without controversy. Chris Young with partner station WMNF reports. Then: The Sarasota School Board voted yesterday to spend money on a consultant to ponder redistricting - just two years after last going through that same exercise. Supporters of one candidate fear she may end up being districted out, and none of the public speakers supported this. Ramon Lopez has the story. Then: New College Interim President Richard Corcoran is giving job talks on the campus tomorrow to make his million-dollar post permanent. He was the sole presenter at an event in Tampa on Friday, gave hints of what he wants to achieve, and got into heated exchanges with some questioners. Partner station WMNF recorded the whole thing, and we have excerpts for you. Next: She was fired as New College president, and now she is raising her voice. WSLR reporter Emy McGuire listened to what Patricia Okker had to say at a forum yesterday. Finally: Sarasota County’s library system offers help for those of us who struggle with things technical. The Community News Collaborative’s Eric Garwood recently checked out the Tech Navigator program.

A tale of two counties: While Manatee County is edging towards adding more than 1,000 units of workforce housing this year, developers in Sarasota seem to be unable or unwilling to respond to the needs of working people. Two rental apartment projects by commercial developers in Manatee County and in the City of Sarasota cleared major hurdles this week. Our news team compares and contrasts. Then: The mushrooming of short-term rentals is boosting rents in an already unaffordable market. Ever-changing neighbors, noise, and the trend towards construction of "hotel houses" in residential areas adds to the anxiety. The state of Florida keeps close reins on any restrictions to property owners. So what's a city to do? WSLR News' Ramon Lopez reports. Then: Hurricanes are becoming more intense and frequent, and federal dollars are playing an increasingly important role here. WSLR News reporter Sarah Malickson is looking into how acronyms such as “FEMA” and “HUD” are creeping into the everyday vocabulary of insurance-challenged Sarasotans. Finally, we have reports on rising COVID hospitalization rates, on how a local health institution deals with low insurance access in a nearby rural county, and on how a local organization tries to keep up its mission in the face of higher obstacles to voter registration. 

When a New York-based foundation proposed Manatee County to invest 20 million dollars in building affordable housing for veterans, in return for a county-owned piece of land, it looked like a home run. But the project is turning into a base-to-base struggle now, as at least two county commissioners continue to raise obstacles. WSLR News reporter Dania Hefley explains the latest twist. Then: Sarasota County could soon receive some $200 million in federal funding for recovery from Hurricane Ian. That's a big chunk of money, and that prompted one commissioner to try to shift money to his priorities. He didn't get far: There are strings attached to the federal dollars. We get you the details. Then: Fixes to the affordable housing crisis are always controversial. Apparently, the City of Sarasota has found one solution that isn't. Ramon Lopez will tell you more on that. Next: ERIC is a nationwide system that helps maintain clean and accurate voter rolls. Florida dropped out of that system in March - to the chagrin of one Republican supervisor of elections in our region. Our news team brings you more on that.

Suburban sprawl is steamrolling the rural east of Manatee and Sarasota counties, and local politics reflect that. On Thursday, news broke that one candidate for Sarasota County commission dropped out of the race. Our news team puts the spotlight on how that affects grassroots activists trying to stop big developers.

Then: Angry neighbors in Venice have sued developer Pat Neal over his plans to build a shopping plaza on a piece of land he had presented to them as a wetland preserve. Now he's trying what looks like an end-run around a possible ruling against him. WSLR News reporter Ramon has that story. 

Next: Environmentalists in Manatee County briefly disrupted the routine of turning agricultural land into more subdivisions. Our news team listened to the proceedings of a Manatee County commission land-use meeting in downtown Bradenton Thursday.

Finally: The process to install the next president of New College is underway again, after Hurricane Idalia forced a delay. WSLR News reporter Dania Heffley talked to some of the players, and she puts her finger on one important issue that has received little public mention: money.

Developer giveaway or cure for the affordable housing crisis? City of Sarasota commissioners voted unanimously yesterday to allow developers to add more apartments and condos to downtown, if they build workforce housing. Then: The struggles at New College continue, in the wake of the state's takeover early this year. WSLR News' Emy McGuire has a look at how students and faculty members are turning to the feds for help. Next: The Sarasota hospital board took a big step towards approving a 1.7 billion dollar budget for next year. There was no public comment, which is newsworthy, given that medical freedom activists have called for the privatization of Sarasota's public hospital as recently as February. Next: Sarasota County is planning yet another improvement to the popular Legacy Trail. The Community News Collaborative's Eric Garwood reports. Then: A couple that is fighting suburban sprawl in their rural neighborhood in east Sarasota County has sat through days of hearings before an administrative judge. WMNF's Chris Young reports who they are now awaiting a ruling. Finally: Josh Holton with partner station WMNF was with Joe Biden when he toured the disaster zone where Hurricane Idalia made landfall. The president zeroed in on the rising cost for Floridians, and the fact that climate change is increasingly hard to ignore 

An apparent intimidation attempt involving a white supremacist group in Bradenton this July resulted in a complaint with the Manatee Sheriff's Office. Anything came of it? WSLR reporter Dean Gallo is following up. Then: Garbage fees are spiking throughout this region. What's going on? WSLR reporter Sophia Brown is looking for answers. Next: The new superintendent of Sarasota Schools had a tough first two weeks on the job. Yesterday, the new schools chief resumed his listening tour, and WSLR's Ramon Lopez is following him. Next: The chair of the Sarasota School Board, which is in charge of public schools in this county, also is a paid employee of an organization that trains conservative activists to advocate - among others - for school privatization. Ramon Lopez has a look at how Bridget Ziegler's dual-track approach is drawing both scrutiny and praise. Then: Arcadia is still picking up the pieces left by Hurricane Ian. The Community News Collaborative’s Sarah Owens traveled to rural DeSoto County seat to see how they fared against the impacts of Hurricane Idalia. Finally: Pinellas County was spared a direct hit from Hurricane Idalia, but was subject to widespread flooding. Chris Young from partner station WMNF was there as the county assessed damage from the hurricane the morning after.

Southwest Florida dodged a bullet when it comes to the winds of Hurricane Idalia - but flooding remains a big headache. Sarasota County communications director Jamie Carson gives us an update. Next: WSLR reporter Sophia Brown talks to Manatee County's emergency management about the aftermath. Then: WSLR reporter Ramon Lopez was out and about in Sarasota during the buildup of the hurricane. Then: Hurricane season is at its peak now, but thousands of people in rural DeSoto County are still without proper shelter, a full 11 months after Hurricane Ian. Jim De La of the Community News Collaborative covers that story. Next: Boys and Girls Club locations in North Port and Arcadia are getting new facilities. The Community News Collaborative's Sarah Owens reports that, in the case of North Port, it's reconstruction from Hurricane Ian. Then: More connectivity for bikers and walkers in Sarasota. The Legacy Trail is expanding, and that opens up new perspectives for thousands here. The News Collaborative's Eric Garwood is looking at the bigger picture. Then: The News Collaborative's Eric Garwood puts his eyes on three projects on Longboat Key that could change life on the barrier island. Finally: The state government is reviewing whether it should merge some of its judicial circuits. Chris Young from partner station WMNF reports on the backlash from politicians and lawyers.

WSLR live interview with Jamie Carson, Sarasota County communications director, Tue., Aug. 29, 8:30 am

It's now two for Siesta Key activist Lourdes Ramirez, zero for the Sarasota County commission. The second ruling in recent months against the county's approval for big-hotel projects on a barrier island is sending a new kind of signal to an industry used to dominating our region's economy and politics. WSLR's Sophia Brown talked to Ramirez to find out what's next. Then: The Siesta Key hotel lawsuit is not the only one against Sarasota County over their approvals for big developments. Another one filed by residents of the county's rural east could stop construction of thousands of new luxury homes on pasture land. Our news team has the latest on that. Next: Working people are leaving the City of Sarasota in droves. So the city commissioners voted last fall to allow developers to build at higher density in and near downtown and along major thoroughfares, if their project includes affordable housing. Will it work? The devil is in the detail. Ramon Lopez was at a community event yesterday promoting these changes. Then: Sometimes, it's complicated. Pinellas County has been offering a new high-frequency bus service for free, but that has attracted many homeless people, and now neighbors of SunRunner stops in St. Petersburg asked to end the free service. Josh Holton with partner station WMNF has that story. Florida higher-education officials voted Wednesday to approve a rule requiring college students and employees to use the bathroom corresponding to their sex assigned at birth. Chris Young with partner station WMNF has the details. Then: A new study shows that the state's anti-trans policies are driving LGBTQ people away from Florida. Chris Young with partner station WMNF reports. Finally: self-defense skills for women are apparently in high demand. Sarah Owens of the Community News Collaborative found proof of that in North Port.

Benderson Development, the most active commercial developer in the region, has benefited from a tax loophole. State auditors want to close it, but Benderson is now suing Florida to keep the loophole open. WSLR's Sophia Brown got her hands on the legal filings and talked to their lawyer. Then: A listening event in Venice for the new Sarasota Schools superintendent turned into a channel for anxiety, after a 12-year old was taken into custody because he is believed to have been planning to kill teachers at his former elementary school. Ramon Lopez was in Venice yesterday night. Next: In a rare moment of shared enthusiasm, all Sarasota City Commissioners voted for a public-art plan that recommends doubling the fee charged to developers for murals, sculptures and the like. The WSLR news team has that story. Then: As many New College students are fleeing the conservative makeover of their small campus in Sarasota, they are getting a helping hand from New England. Jim DeLa of the Community News Collaborative reports. Finally: Florida higher-education officials voted Wednesday to approve a rule requiring college students and employees to use the bathroom corresponding to their sex assigned at birth. Chris Young with partner station WMNF reports.