Weekly Newsletter

Friday, Aug. 15, 2025

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We’re here to keep you informed on the local issues that matter most. Each week, we share our latest in-depth reporting, along with the most important stories from around the region, so you stay connected and up to date with what’s happening in your community.

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NEW FROM SUNCOAST SEARCHLIGHT:

SARASOTA'S PERFORMING ARTS CENTER STALLS AS OTHER MAJOR CULTURAL PROJECTS RACE FORWARD

Seven years ago, Sarasota unveiled an ambitious plan for its bayfront — a reimagined 53-acre waterfront park crowned by a state-of-the-art performing arts center to replace the aging Van Wezel, funded equally by private donations and public dollars.

The announcement came during a boom in other big-ticket cultural projects. Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium was planning a new facility near Interstate 75. Marie Selby Botanical Gardens unveiled a three-phase campus overhaul. And Sarasota Orchestra set its sights on a purpose-built concert hall. 

Today, three of those visions are well on their way — Mote’s $130 million Science Education Aquarium is nearly complete; Selby, having raised $115 million so far, recently moved into its second phase; and the orchestra has secured a $14 million site and raised $70 million toward its new concert hall. 

The performing arts center, by contrast, remains relatively stalled, its future tangled in politics, environmental concerns and slow fundraising. The plan calls for two elevated buildings — a 2,700-seat main theater and a smaller multipurpose venue — linked by raised walkways. 

The estimated price tag: $407 million.

So far, the Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation — formerly the Van Wezel Foundation — has secured just over $23 million in announced donations, barely more than 10% of its needed goal. 

At the current fundraising pace, it would take more than six decades to get there.

NEW FROM SUNCOAST SEARCHLIGHT:

MANATEE HOMEOWNERS BATTLE RISING COSTS, NEPOTISM IN HARRISON RANCH DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT

Classic convertibles with candy paint sitting on white walls parked as props for the entrance. Inside, musicians entertain guests as they walk the red carpet to the luxury clubhouse. Retirees dressed in their finest pose for pictures with manikins set up as decorations.

The event was no wedding or upscale fundraising gala. It was a private party hosted and funded through a special purpose government that used homeowner assessments to help foot the bill.

Residents in a Manatee County special development district are pushing back against district leaders who have hired family members for top staff jobs, awarded no-bid contracts to other relatives and hosted lavish private parties on the district’s dime.

When they approached the district board about the apparent nepotism — then began circulating a neighborhood petition to other homeowners — they said they were then silenced.

The growing uproar at Harrison Ranch is the latest local example of unchecked power at these special purpose governments, including community development districts, which have the authority to levy fees, enforce rules and process liens on those who don’t pay.

NEW FROM SUNCOAST SEARCHLIGHT:

FACT BRIEFS

Suncoast Searchlight is partnering with Gigafact to produce weekly fact briefs — concise, 150-word news stories that take real claims circulating online and fact check them. Each brief offers a direct “yes” or “no” answer to the question or claim, followed by a clear explanation backed up by credible, high-quality sources.

READ THIS WEEK'S FACT BRIEFS:

• Did the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office website remove its warrant search feature?

• DeSantis says Republicans surged past Democrats in Florida voter rolls. Is that true?

HERE'S WHAT ELSE WE RECOMMEND READING THIS WEEK

ICE DETAINEE DESCRIBES WHAT IT'S LIKE IN LOCKUP

FROM WSLR

Last week, Lulu Martinez walked across a bridge to Mexico. She is a 22-year-old recent college graduate who grew up in Sarasota County, and she ended up in ICE detention in Texas after hometown police arrested her in June after a wrong U-turn in North Port. WSLR News reporter Ramon Lopez had an extended interview with her in which she described her experience in ICE detention: "I was really scared. I didn’t even want to use the bathroom. I didn’t take a shower either. We had to get used to it, like by using the bathroom, take a shower with other girls—I tried to get used to it. I was scared of the detainees. When we first got there, I remember they started yelling. I heard one of the girls. She said that we were fresh meat. They try to scare the new girls."

READ/LISTEN TO THE STORY HERE

PROJECT PRIDE SRQ ANNOUNCES SARASOTA SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER TOM EDWARDS AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

FROM SARASOTA HERALD-TRIBUNE

Sarasota County School Board member Tom Edwards is stepping into a new spotlight as the next executive director of Project Pride SRQ, a nonprofit that champions LGBTQ+ inclusion and celebrates diversity through high-profile events, community programs and year-round advocacy. Edwards, who has represented the Venice community as the District 3 representative since 2020, spent more than four decades as an entrepreneur, building a staffing company that placed over 2,000 workers daily.

READ THE STORY HERE

SARASOTA REPUBLICANS CALL FOR TOM EDWARDS' RESIGNATION, BUT HE BRUSHES THAT OFF AS A DISTRACTION

FROM FLORIDA POLITICS

Sarasota County School Board member Tom Edwards just joined a nonprofit promoting diversity programs. Now, local Republicans say he should resign his public office, but the incumbent brushed that off as a desperate attempt to distract from other bad news for the GOP. “Tom Edwards can do whatever that he wants in his private life. But this position leverages him as a School Board member to push programs in the public, taxpayer-funded schools of which he has enormous influence. He cannot hold this position and look out for the well-being of all students. He clearly is incentivized to prioritize a small minority.” Edwards made clear he has no intention of stepping away from his new work.

READ THE STORY HERE

NEW REPORT SHINES LIGHT ON HOW MANATEE DEVELOPMENT, HURRICANES IMPACT MANGROVES

FROM BRADENTON HERALD

New data released by Suncoast Waterkeeper shows the effect of hurricanes on mangrove ecosystems, and strengthens the argument for increased mangrove conservation. Suncoast Waterkeeper, a local environmental group, recently finished its second year of the “Mangrove Ranger” program, which aims to more efficiently survey mangrove ecosystems. The group’s overall mission is to use community engagement and environmental monitoring to bolster protection and restoration efforts for local waterways.

READ THE STORY HERE

CULVERHOUSE DONATES $25,000 TO SARASOTA TEEN COURT

FROM SARASOTA OBSERVER

Prominent Sarasota businessman and philanthropist Hugh Culverhouse Jr., a former practicing attorney, has donated $25,000 to Teen Court of Sarasota, a nonprofit youth diversion program that gives juvenile offenders an opportunity to avoid the long-term consequences of a criminal record. During the past six years, Teen Court has served more than 3,900 local youth, with participation increasing by more than 110% since 2020. In 2024, 829 teens went through the program, diverting them from traditional prosecution while saving Sarasota County an estimated $4.2 million in juvenile justice costs.

READ THE STORY HERE

FLORIDA CITIES AND COUNTIES LINE UP TO DEFY NEW PRO-DEVELOPER STATE LAW

FROM FLORIDA PHOENIX

All over the state, local governments are pushing ahead on common-sense changes to their growth plans, wetlands protection, and impact fees. They’re doing so despite warnings from big, bad opponents that what they have in mind will violate a new pro-developer state law that limits city and county governments’ authority on new land-use or development regulations. It’s happening in big counties like Orange and small cities like Edgewater. And everywhere it’s happening, it’s bad news for Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature, because it shows that local governments are tired of being pushed around by developers and their toadies and are ready to push back. Manatee County Commission Chairman George Kruse via Manatee County “This is one of those tipping points,” Manatee County Commission Chairman George Kruse said.

READ THE STORY HERE

SARASOTA SHERIFF'S OFFICE REQUESTS $225 MILLION BUDGET, BUT WHAT IS IT GOING TOWARD?

FROM SARASOTA HERALD TRIBUNE

Faced with rising costs, an expanding population, tourism growth and complex economic crime, Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman is asking county commissioners for a 12% budget increase. But what is that money going toward? The sheriff's office proposed budget of more than $225 million includes more than $160 million for personnel costs, $50 million for corrections, $11 million for courts and $2 million for internal county service charges. Sarasota County commissioners will host one more budget workshop on Aug. 19, a public hearing on Sept. 10 and a final public hearing on Sept. 24 before adopting the county's total proposed $2.5 billion budget.

READ THE STORY HERE

THE HYATT REGENCY SARASOTA IS BEING TORN DOWN. YOU CAN OWN A PIECE OF IT.

FROM SARASOTA MAGAZINE

Sometimes, when one door closes, you can buy it and take it home with you. That’s what’s happening at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota right now, which is having a massive liquidation sale ahead of being torn down this year. The sale, which began Aug. 5 and will continue until everything is sold, is being run by Ohio-based International Content Liquidations. Currently, it’s offering free dressers and buy-one-get-one deals on certain items, including chairs, lamps and even mattresses. It’s a consignment lover’s dream.

READ THE STORY HERE

THE BEAUX ARTS BALL IS BACK: A STYLISH RETURN IS PLANNED FOR SARASOTA'S COSTUME EXTRAVAGANZA

FROM WUSF

For decades, Sarasota's Beaux Arts Ball was the city's social event of the year. By the 1950s, it had become so popular that it had to be moved from the Lido Casino to the Municipal Auditorium so spectators could buy tickets and watch the gala from the balcony. As part of its centennial celebration, Art Center Sarasota is bringing back the extravaganza next year. "In the '40s and '50s, the Beaux Art was an event held by the Sarasota Art Association," noted Art Center Sarasota executive director Kathryn Ceaser. "This event at one point drew a thousand guests. This was a huge costume ball. So part of our paying homage to our legacy, we are relaunching this ball this March." The costumes weren't just lavish. They were over the top. In 1955, Judy Axe had to enter the Municipal Auditorium on hands and knees to fit her peacock costume through the doorway. Ceaser hopes the costumes for next year's Beaux Arts Ball will be just as extravagant.

READ THE STORY HERE

BRADENTON SCHOOL ZONE SPEED CAMERAS CATCH 50 ON THE FIRST DAY

FROM ABC7

Monday, Aug. 11, was the first day of school for students in Sarasota and Manatee counties. It also meant photo-enforced speed cameras in school zones were watching. And quite a few drivers in Bradenton found that out the hard way. On the first day of the 2025-2026 school year, those cameras in Bradenton recorded 50 violations, the Bradenton Police Department said Wednesday. Those drivers were exceeding the posted speed limit by more than 10 mph during school hours, which means the registered owners of these vehicles should expect $100 violation notices in the mail.

READ/WATCH THE STORY HERE



DID YOU MISS OUR PREVIOUS NEWSLETTER?

HERE'S WHAT WE SHARED:

Sarasota kindergarten vaccine rates plummet — and doctors fear speaking out

As childhood vaccination rates plummet across the Suncoast and measles cases resurge nationwide, Sarasota County faces a critical threat to public health. Roughly 82% of kindergarteners in the public school system were fully immunized against the disease this year — well below herd immunity.

That’s roughly the same rate as in Gaines County, Texas, the epicenter of a measles outbreak that has killed two children and infected hundreds this year. And across all vaccine types for both public and private schools, Sarasota County’s kindergarten immunization rates have dropped to their lowest point in decades.

Yet the medical professionals best suited to sound the alarm are largely silent. Doctors and public health leaders are unwilling to speak publicly, fearful of political retribution, online harassment and pressure from state officials and activists who have cast doubt on established science.

Among more than 20 pediatricians contacted by Suncoast Searchlight, only one agreed to speak on the record about the risks of measles and the importance of childhood vaccination. Others declined, citing a range of concerns — from professional risk to threats from anti-vaccine activists — that have made even routine public health messaging feel dangerous.

The silence extends beyond individual doctors. Sarasota Memorial’s physician group declined to state outright that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and effective. The Sarasota County Health Department also declined to grant an interview and, in a written response, did not offer any direct endorsement of childhood vaccination — even as measles cases rise nationwide.

Priced out: Suncoast renters now must earn $35 an hour to afford a two-bedroom

Across the Suncoast, one full-time job is no longer enough to cover basic rent and utilities for a growing number of residents, who must take on extra hours or side gigs to keep a roof over their heads, according to a new report.

The fair market rent for a modest two-bedroom apartment in Sarasota and Manatee counties is now $1,846 a month, according to a new National Low Income Housing Coalition’s “Out of Reach” report. To cover that cost comfortably, a renter would need to earn more than $35 an hour.

Yet the typical renter here falls 40% short, earning just $21.81 an hour.

That gap is pushing tens of thousands of households into unstable situations, paying more than half of their income on rent, the threshold at which housing is considered “severely cost-burdened” under federal standards. It leaves little room for essentials like food, childcare or healthcare.

“You have to have two jobs,” said Tyler Gervasi, who moved back in with his mom to make ends meet. “And then what’s the point of having your own place when you have to spend all your time at work?”



HOA or Big Brother? Suncoast neighborhoods use controversial technology to fine speeders

A motorist driving a small Toyota hatchback turned into the Laurel Oak neighborhood off Bee Ridge Road in Sarasota County on an afternoon in late February.

As the driver made his way through the community entrance, a camera inside the private subdivision captured the car going 39 mph. The speed limit was only 25 mph. Within a month, an unusual citation arrived in the mail demanding $125 — issued not from police or the sheriff’s office, but from the neighborhood HOA that controls the street.

The Laurel Oak Estates and Country Club homeowners’ association has begun issuing speeding fines using automated license-plate readers and speed-capturing cameras, penalizing not only residents but anyone who drives through the neighborhood.

This HOA’s practice — part of a growing national trend encouraged by private technology companies like Flock and Traffic Logix — raises questions about privacy, the delegation of law enforcement powers to private entities and the broader implications of surveillance technology in everyday life.

Laurel Oak is not the only area HOA sending tickets. The Landings in Sarasota and Rosedale in East Manatee County have similar programs, joining a growing trend in neighborhoods across the state.

“I share some of those concerns,” Sarasota HOA attorney Scott Petersen said. “Where does this information go? It’s a private company. So I have a lot of sympathy with folks who have privacy concerns. None of us really understand how far and wide the data is shared.”



Right-wing activists rage at Florida GOP during Sarasota County gathering

On a muggy afternoon in late July, roughly 200 right-wing activists gathered at a Venice country club to plot a course of action.

The meeting, organized by the group Defend Florida, was billed as both a rally and strategy session — a place where grassroots conservatives could learn how to coordinate campaigns to oust establishment Republicans from local government and party leadership roles. It also spotlighted a growing rift within the Florida GOP, between far-right rank-and-file activists and some party leadership.

With Trump back in the White House, that MAGA faction has doubled down on efforts to remake the party in their image — not by challenging Democrats but by targeting their own. Through meetings like this one, they’re mapping out how to purge establishment Republicans from local power and install ideologically aligned candidates in their place.

Its influence has drawn backlash from GOP leadership. In an email to local party leaders ahead of the event, Bill Helmich, executive director of the Republican Party of Florida, warned that Defend Florida posed “a matter of growing concern that directly impacts the unity and integrity of our organization,” and urged members to distance themselves from the group.

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Suncoast Searchlight is a 501c3 nonprofit news organization whose mission is to produce investigative and explanatory journalism that serves and empowers the residents of Florida’s Suncoast region (Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties). We shine a light on critical issues affecting our community. Through independent reporting and collaboration with diverse media partners, we foster transparency, accountability and an informed citizenry, ensuring that all voices are heard and that the public has access to the information they need to drive meaningful change.

CONTACT US:

Suncoast Searchlight

PO Box 99 Sarasota, FL 34230

(941) 724-4450