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STUDY COMMITTEE LEANS TOWARD NO REUSE FOR VAN WEZEL
FROM THE OBSERVER
Sarasota’s Purple Ribbon Committee, which has spent two years evaluating the future of the 50-year-old Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, appears poised to recommend against repurposing the aging waterfront venue once a new Performing Arts Center is built. The panel’s draft report favors limited maintenance — such as structural and mechanical upkeep — to preserve the building for the next 5–7 years, rather than overhaul it for a new use. With no local arts groups expressing interest in taking over the hall — and concerns about its coastal exposure and recent hurricane damage — the committee suggests transforming the site into parkland and storm-surge buffer space rather than preserving it as a performance venue.
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3 DECISIONS THAT COULD SHAPE THE FUTURE OF DEVELOPMENT IN MANATEE COUNTY
FROM BRADENTON HERALD
Manatee County leaders are weighing major changes to local development policy — including higher impact fees, stricter wetland protections, and limits on where new homes can be built — in response to concerns about rapid growth. The proposals have sparked debate among residents, developers, and state agencies over how best to balance environmental protection, infrastructure needs, and housing costs.
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FAMILY: DOCTORS HAVE REATTACHED HAND OF GIRL ATTACKED BY SHARK
FROM PORT CHARLOTTE SUN
The family of a 9-year-old girl attacked by a shark said doctors were able to reattach the hand that was nearly severed from her arm off a Boca Grande beach. Leah Lendel was swimming with family members in the Gulf of Mexico off a public beach when she was bitten by a shark Wednesday. She was airlifted to Tampa General Hospital, where doctors performed emergency surgery to reattach her hand.
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FIRED FLORIDA STATE PARKS WHISTLEBLOWER SUES STATE AGENCY FOR RETALIATION
FROM TAMPA BAY TIMES
The fired state employee who leaked plans to develop nine Florida state parks with golf courses, hotels and other amenities claims in a new lawsuit that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration retaliated against him. Whistleblower James Gaddis alleges in the lawsuit that he received “disparate treatment and retaliation” from DeSantis, the former head of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Shawn Hamilton, and the agency’s human resources director, Jake Vick, after he released information on the secret plans.
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A NEW CONDO LAW MAY OFFER OWNERS SOME RELIEF. IS IT ENOUGH?
FROM SARASOTA MAGAZINE
Nearly four years after the collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, which killed 98 people and sent shockwaves through Florida’s condominium sphere, state lawmakers have passed another round of reforms. House Bill 913, which aims to ease some of the financial pressures condominium owners have faced under Florida’s post-Surfside safety regulations, has passed both chambers of the Legislature but has not yet been signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. As of June 10, the bill is awaiting transmittal to the Governor’s office. If signed — or allowed to become law without his signature — it’s scheduled to take effect on July 1. But many in the industry say that while HB 913 is a step forward, it’s unlikely to resolve the affordability crisis that’s been building.
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HERE'S HOW TRUMP'S 'BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL ACT' COULD IMPACT MEDICAID FOR FLORIDIANS
FROM WUSF
Medicaid provides health care coverage to low-income families and individuals through a partnership of federal and state dollars. It also helps the elderly, people with disabilities, and pregnant women. However, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act," developed by House Republicans to support President Donald Trump's domestic agenda, stands to slash nearly $800 billion from the federal contribution over the next decade. In Florida, more than 4.3 million people are enrolled in Medicaid. But the bill could have bigger impacts on more than just the enrollees.
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A FLAMINGO WAS BLOWN FROM MEXICO TO FLORIDA DURING IDALIA. HE FOUND HIS WAY BACK HOME
FROM WUSF
After his tracker failed in 2023, Peaches the flamingo — originally tagged in Pinellas County after being blown off course by Hurricane Idalia — was recently spotted raising a chick on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, suggesting he had returned home. Researchers believe his journey, and the storm-driven arrival of hundreds of flamingos across Florida, points to a potential migratory link between Florida and Mexico. While Peaches moved on, more than 100 flamingos displaced by Idalia were still in Florida as of early 2024, with the largest group seen in Florida Bay and others scattered as far north as the Great Lakes.
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RIVERS CAN SUPERCHARGE GULF HURRICANES, USF STUDY FINDS
FROM THE TAMPA BAY TIMES
A USF researcher was studying harmful algal blooms in 2023 when Hurricane Idalia swept away his underwater research glider. The data from that device unearthed a surprising discovery: River water discharged into the Gulf of Mexico helped strengthen the storm into a mighty Category 4.
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MIAMI DEVELOPER PLANS 66-UNIT, 7-STORY BUILDING NEAR SELBY GARDENS
FROM SARASOTA HERALD-TRIBUNE
A Miami-based developer is using Sarasota's affordable housing program to build a seven-story condo building across the street from Selby Gardens, but only five of the 66 planned units would be considered “affordable.” Development plans submitted to Sarasota’s Development Review Committee (DRC) say the building would “increase affordable housing options” in the city and “diversify available housing types.” However, of the building’s total planned units, about 7.5% would be earmarked as affordable. “The remaining units will be offered at market rate for the area,” the plans said.
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