Suncoast Searchlight

A nonprofit newsroom whose mission is to produce investigative and explanatory journalism serving residents of Florida's Suncoast region.

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The lawsuits come amid a rush of new Live Local applications — including one by D.R. Horton to build near Celery Fields — before a July 1 deadline, after which new state restrictions take effect. https://t.co/zx8XDjcogh

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Nearly all said the showdown over property taxes is the clearest example yet of the state asserting power over local governments. They worry the ramifications will be devastating for years to come. https://t.co/bzZsVaLJ8P

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Since Trump's 2nd term, federal funding policies based on culture-war debates have created uncertainty for local nonprofits about grants, contracts and other kinds of government support they rely on to provide food, housing, and other critical services. https://t.co/ZOKcePGkYv

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This year, the county commission's District 2 seat, viewed as Democrats’ best chance at breaking the streak, is back on the ballot. The only problem is that no serious Democratic candidates are running in the race.
https://t.co/xLwxcYFaT7

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A fight between Sarasota County Schools and Tax Collector Mike Moran over millions in voter-approved school tax dollars has reached Tallahassee, where lawmakers are proposing a fix that could settle who pays the collection costs. https://t.co/4GCBErKKX2

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Florida lawmakers are poised to steer $10M toward a long-discussed boathouse project at Nathan Benderson Park after recently submitted appropriations requests pitched the facility as a regional storm shelter and emergency recovery hub. https://t.co/QChM5Cu8OV

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DCIP Group has promoted its push into rural DeSoto County as what could soon be “one of the largest data center projects on Earth.” https://t.co/S8ErFXE2BV

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The fate of a more than century-old downtown Sarasota building could be headed to court following a last-ditch effort from a preservation group trying to stop it from being razed for luxury condos. https://t.co/P3aScun0b5

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Amid stubborn inflation, the surging cost of living and constant angst at the gas pump, Sarasota has not been immune to the national trends that have pushed the economy into a downspin. https://t.co/l0vUa4stFp

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Anxious residents who live near flood-prone Phillippi Creek can expect at least some relief this storm season now that the county has removed 60 tons of sediment from the creek bed. But there is still a long way to go. https://t.co/wKVOue0Hnu

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Sarasota County finalized a plan to pay more than $2 million that Tax Collector Mike Moran withheld from Sarasota County Schools — but only until an ongoing lawsuit between Moran and the schools is resolved in court. https://t.co/dCKAZHBzSZ

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Standing on the wall of a reservoir the size of about four golf courses, it’s easy to see the impact of Southwest Florida’s extreme water shortage — the reservoir is built to hold 6 billion gallons of water. It is now half empty. https://t.co/mjbIktJYvB

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Critics say the proposal reflects a familiar pattern at Nathan Benderson Park: ambitious expansion plans backed in part by taxpayer dollars but heavily dependent on private fundraising that has yet to materialize. https://t.co/mPazOo0wZW

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Just days after the Sarasota County School Board sued Tax Collector Mike Moran over millions of dollars withheld from a voter-approved school tax, county commissioners Tuesday voted to reverse course and resume covering the cost of collecting the tax.
https://t.co/X7KXmVsWeR

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New signs posted at Publix stores now state: “Publix kindly asks that only law enforcement openly carry firearms in our stores.”
https://t.co/NJV2zk9dzB

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“I was having a mental health crisis, and I was having suicidal thoughts,” said Richard Freshwater, 36. “So they came, and they arrested me.” https://t.co/ywWQ8it2Nc

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The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is expanding its surveillance capabilities, tapping a state fund to purchase a software platform that offers AI-powered data analysis with the stroke of a key. https://t.co/4qSqptoEWb

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Three local Republican frontrunners in different congressional races will live in the same district under a new map drawn amid a push by Gov. Ron DeSantis to expand the GOP’s advantage. https://t.co/btLOJjri8M

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Sarasota Schools sued Tax Collector Mike Moran, alleging millions meant for classrooms were unlawfully diverted after a change in who pays school tax collection fees. https://t.co/fWfILzhImw

[Suncoast Searchlight @SunSearchlight]

A long-running battle over a proposed subdivision next to Celery Fields has taken a new turn, with D.R. Horton walking away from arbitration and suing Sarasota County instead. https://t.co/68JXdlNxKA