Podcast

As far as wind goes, we dodged a bullet, but we’re still struggling with flooding from Hurricane Idalia. Sarasota County Communications Director Jamie Carson gave WSLR News an update on the aftermath.

Manatee County was harder hit than Sarasota by Hurricane Idalia. The intense storm surge closed many bridges and roads, and about 100 residents are currently unable to travel safely home.

WSLR reporter Ramon Lopez was out and about after a state of emergency was declared on Monday, where figures like Sarasota Mayor Kyle Battie and Senator Rick Scott urged the city to prepare.

Jamie Carson: Don’t stare at the cone – think about the potential. And beware of the storm surge.

It’s now two for Siesta Key activist Lourdes Ramirez, zero for Sarasota County in an ongoing legal battle over two high-density hotels approved to be built on the barrier island.

Vast areas of pasture land in rural east Sarasota County are at stake. 

Last fall, the Sarasota City Commission voted to allow developers to build at higher densities in certain areas if their projects include affordable housing. But will it work?

Get caught up on how you can get involved this week with our latest Activist Calendar.

Benderson Development, probably the most active commercial developer in the region, has benefited from a tax loophole to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Now state auditors want to close it, but Benderson is suing Florida to keep the loophole open. 

On his listening tour throughout Sarasota County, Superintendent Terrence Connor responded to anxieties and fear over a 12-year-old public school student suspected of planning to cause harm to his former teachers.