Weekly Newsletter

Friday, March 13, 2026

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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:

HOW MARK VENGROFF BECAME A MAJOR FORCE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON THE SUNCOAST

A few years ago, Sarasota affordable housing developer Mark Vengroff tried to buy the Magic Castle Inn and Suites in Kissimmee.

Made famous in the 2017 film “The Florida Project,” the faded purple motel a few miles from Disney World served on screen — and in real life — as a last refuge for struggling families living on the edge of homelessness.

For decades, properties like that were the backbone of the Vengroff family’s approach to affordable housing. Mark’s father, Harvey Vengroff, built a business buying aging motels, renovating the rooms into efficiency apartments and renting them at prices low-income tenants could afford.

The Magic Castle would have fit the model perfectly.

But the deal never happened.

“We couldn’t make the numbers work,” Mark Vengroff told Suncoast Searchlight during a wide-ranging interview at his office on North Tamiami Trail, where another former motel he converted now operates as affordable apartments.

Today, Mark Vengroff is moving away from the motel conversions that defined his late father’s legacy and toward a different strategy: building new affordable apartment complexes from the ground up, often financed through a patchwork of public subsidies and philanthropic support. 

In the process, Mark Vengroff, 61, has emerged as one of the most active affordable housing developers and landlords on Florida’s Suncoast.

Join us for this installment of our ongoing public records series, presented in partnership with Gulf Coast Community Foundation, as we walk through real stories shaped by public records and explore how documents, delays and discoveries become accountability reporting.

March 31 | 12:30pm

Manatee Community Foundation

2820 Manatee Ave W, Bradenton, FL 34205

Free community event

Have a story of your own? We’ll also invite a few attendees to share public records requests they’ve submitted or are considering.

Seats limited, save yours today

HERE'S WHAT ELSE WE RECOMMEND READING THIS WEEK

WILL NEW FLORIDA BILL BLOCK MANATEE CRUISE PORT? SOME SAY THE FIGHT'S NOT OVER
FROM BRADENTON HERALD

Florida lawmakers say a bill they just passed will help block a controversial proposal for a mega-sized cruise ship terminal in coastal Manatee County. The bill, SB 302: Coastal Resiliency, received unanimous support in the Florida House this week after passing in the Senate last month. It includes an amendment by state Sen. Jim Boyd, R-Bradenton, that limits the types of dredging and development than can occur in Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve. It now goes to Gov. Ron DeSantis for approval or a veto.

READ THE STORY HERE

WHAT WILL URBAN MEYER BRING TO THE NEW COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES?
FROM WSLR

Christopher Rufo is out on the New College Board of Trustees, and Urban Meyer is in. On Tuesday, the football coach bowed at a public event on the stage of Sainer Auditorium. WSLR News tried to gauge why Meyer joined the board and what his ideas for the college are.

READ/HEAR THE STORY HERE

MEDICAID WORK REQUIREMENTS DIDN'T WORK IN OTHER STATES. FLORIDA CONSIDERS TRYING IT ANYWAY
FROM FLORIDA TRIB

Florida lawmakers are considering a proposal to add work requirements to what is already one of the most restrictive Medicaid programs in the country – and one that a federal judge recently found is severely understaffed and overwhelmed. Experiments with work requirements in other states have cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars, with little to show for it besides costly consultant contracts, and those who keep an eye on Florida’s lead family welfare agency question how the troubled bureaucracy can handle another regulatory hurdle.

READ THE STORY HERE

BRINGING OYSTERS BACK TO THE MANATEE RIVER
FROM SARASOTA MAGAZINE

On a quiet stretch of the Manatee River, just east of the U.S. 41 Green Bridge, hundreds of dome-shaped concrete structures sit on the riverbed, slowly disappearing beneath a growing layer of marine life. Within months of being installed, the hollow reef balls began attracting oysters, barnacles and crabs — the first signs that a long-lost ecosystem may be returning to the river. The structures are part of a five-year experiment led by the City of Palmetto to restore oyster habitat and improve water quality in the Manatee River. If the Palmetto Bay Oyster Restoration Project succeeds, the oysters growing on those reef balls could eventually filter thousands of gallons of river water each day while also rebuilding a natural habitat that once covered large sections of Florida’s Gulf Coast estuaries.

READ THE STORY HERE

FEBRUARY COLD SNAP TAKES FATAL TOLL ON FLORIDA MANATEES
FROM FLORIDA TODAY VIA SARASOTA HERALD-TRIBUNE

Frigid weather in January and February killed 35 manatees in Florida, almost triple the five-year average of 13 sea cow deaths at this point in the year from the stress of cold water. But it's uncertain what long-term impact the early February cold snap will have on Florida's manatee population.

READ THE STORY HERE

SUNCOAST COUPLE SEEKS HELP AFTER SNAKE BITE LEADS TO STAGE 4 LUNG DISEASE, NEED FOR DOUBLE LUNG TRANSPLANT
FROM ABC7

A love story that began with sunset walks and kayaking adventures on Florida’s Suncoast has taken an unexpected and heartbreaking turn for one local couple. For David and Sharyn Linton, their relationship seemed almost destined. David says the moment he met Sharyn, he felt an immediate connection. “And she drew me right to her. And I was like, I got to get to know her,” David said. But during their honeymoon in Floral City, their lives changed forever. While kayaking, David was suddenly bitten by a cottonmouth snake. “When I saw him jump 10 feet in the air -- ‘Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, something just got me!’” Sharyn recalled. The venomous bite launched David into a long and complicated medical journey that he is still battling today.

READ/WATCH THE STORY HERE

FLORIDA LAWMAKERS PUSH VOTER CITIZENSHIP VERIFICATION BILL
FROM WUSF

The Florida Senate has teed up a bill that would create new voter identification requirements Republicans say will strengthen election integrity, but voting rights advocates and Democrats warn it will make voting harder. “This is about the integrity of our elections and proving that you are a United States citizen in order to vote in them,” said Sen. Erin Grall, R-Fort Pierce, a bill sponsor. Federal and state law already prohibit noncitizens from voting. One of the most debated provisions of the broad election package, HB 991, would require the state to verify voters’ U.S. citizenship using driver’s licenses and in some cases other government records like birth certificates and passports.

READ/HEAR THE STORY HERE

VACATION RENTAL RULES EXPAND TO SARASOTA'S DOWNTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD ZONE DISTRICT
FROM SARASOTA OBSERVER

When Sarasota city commissioners approved expanding the city's ordinance governing vacation rentals from the barrier islands to citywide in February 2024, they were under the impression the ordinance included all single-family residential neighborhoods. Because the ordinance is zone-based rather than applicable to specific neighborhoods, though, the expansion excluded the mixed-use Downtown Neighborhood Zone (DTN), which includes the Gillespie Park and Park East neighborhoods. On March 2, the City Commission remedied that omission.

READ THE STORY HERE

FLORIDA UTILITY COMPANIES' LOBBYING LINKED TO RISING ELECTRIC BILLS
FROM TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS VIA SARASOTA HERALD-TRIBUNE

Electric bills are increasing and Florida's large privately owned utility companies are growing more profitable. It's not a coincidence that these companies also spend millions of dollars on lobbying and campaign contributions, according to a recent report by the nonprofit, nonpartisan CLEO Institute. Four of Florida’s investor-owned utilities — Florida Power & Light Co., Duke Energy Florida, Tampa Electric Co. Energy and Florida Public Utilities — spent more than $80 million on lobbying and campaign contributions over the past four election cycles, the CLEO report said.

READ THE STORY HERE

AGAINST HISTORY AND THE ODDS, AZARA BALLET SETS A NEW STANDARD

FROM ARTSBEAT

Since ballet’s inception centuries ago, a career in the art form has been reserved for a rarified breed of human beings. You had to have long limbs and specific body proportions, be unusually flexible and unnaturally thin, and project an aura of fragility while performing feats requiring enormous strength. So it is particularly unusual — and refreshing — to watch dancers of the Azara Ballet, a Sarasota company founded in 2022 by dancers Kate and Martin Flowers, rehearsing for their upcoming season-finale performances March 20 and 21 at the Riverview Performing Arts Center. There are dancers taller, shorter and heavier than you might be used to seeing in a ballet company.

READ THE STORY HERE

DID YOU MISS OUR PREVIOUS NEWSLETTER?

HERE'S WHAT WE SHARED:

FIGHT ERUPTS OVER PLAN TO HAND SARASOTA GOLF COURSES TO DEVELOPER

A plan to lease hundreds of acres of golf courses and green space in The Meadows to Benderson Development Co. for nearly 50 years has sparked a lawsuit over the future of one of Sarasota’s oldest and largest communities.

The Meadows Community Association board voted 6-3 last month to authorize its president to sign the contract. The deal would transfer control of 500 acres — including three, 18-hole golf courses and vast expanses of open space — to a subsidiary of Benderson Development, which owns and operates the nearby Mall at University Town Center.

The lease comes after years of operating losses pushed the country club into bankruptcy and forced two of its courses to close. Under the deal, Benderson would pay off the mounting debts and work to reopen the courses.

But the agreement has divided residents.

Some homeowners say the negotiations were conducted with too little transparency and fear the deal gives the developer too much control over land long seen as the heart of the community. 

One of them, Donald Breece, filed a lawsuit arguing the contract goes far beyond a simple golf lease. Instead, his suit says, it allows long-term and potentially permanent changes to the land that defines the 3,500-home community without a vote of property owners.

'ON EDGE': POSSIBLE CITIZENSHIP VERIFICATION HAS MANATEE COUNTY NONPROFITS SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS

Local nonprofits fear a provision under consideration in Manatee County to prohibit them from serving undocumented immigrants could jeopardize millions of dollars in funding, causing gaps in critical family services. 

Manatee County commissioners are expected to consider a plan to update funding agreements with nonprofits in response to a federal law that bars undocumented immigrants from receiving state and local benefits. 

Nonprofits that don’t comply would lose their county funding, which goes toward programs like early childhood development, adult shelters, dental services, sexual assault advocacy and drug addiction recovery. 

Reviving a proposal first pitched in September, commissioners contend taxpayer dollars are paying for services for those living in the country without authorization, but haven’t outlined any details about how nonprofits are expected to comply or whether they'll receive additional resources to do so.

Suncoast Searchlight and the Bradenton Herald spoke to leaders at five community nonprofits who all expressed concern and frustration with the proposal. Three asked to remain anonymous due to the political stakes.

They fear the ambiguity of the provision means that without additional support, they won’t have resources to verify the immigration status of everyone they serve – an extra step that could delay crucial help from reaching those in need.

If approved, the updated language would impact at least 86 organizations that receive more than $26 million annually from Manatee County Government.

FEELING OVERWHELMED BY MISINFORMATION ONLINE? SARASOTA PANEL SAYS SLOW DOWN

An Internet scammer posing as Taylor Swift to sell cookware sets. An audio clip of what appears to be then-President Joe Biden telling Democrats not to vote in the New Hampshire primary. Photos of President Donald Trump tussling with law enforcement during a court arraignment.  

All went viral. None were real. 

In an era of AI-generated deepfakes and algorithm-driven feeds, distinguishing fact from fiction has grown more difficult — and more important — than ever.

That reality drew dozens of residents to Selby Library last week for a community forum hosted by Suncoast Searchlight called “Asking Questions in a Noisy World.” The event focused on helping residents navigate an increasingly confusing digital information landscape.

For the first time, more Americans last year reported receiving their news from platforms like Facebook, YouTube and TikTok rather than from television broadcasts or traditional news websites. In an environment designed to capture attention and provoke emotion, half-truths often travel faster than corrections — and trust in journalism has fallen to historic lows.

“Each individual person now has the burden of saying: ‘Is that true? How do I know that’s true?’ And that’s exhausting and sometimes impossible,” said Joy Mayer, founder of Trusting News, a Sarasota-based national nonprofit organization that helps journalists earn trust with their audiences.

HOW NEW COLLEGE TURNED HOUSING DOLLARS INTO A FUND FOR ATHLETICS

At a time when New College of Florida faces a longstanding housing shortage for students, the school is planning to shift $2.5 million earmarked for dorms to instead fund a baseball field.

The move stems from a landmark National Collegiate Athletic Association settlement this summer allowing universities to pay student athletes.

After the NCAA settlement in June cleared the way for schools to begin sharing revenue directly with college athletes, universities across the country faced a new financial challenge: how to pay for it. In response, the Florida Board of Governors moved to temporarily allow universities to transfer “auxiliary” funds — money generated by student fees for operations like campus bookstores, dining and housing — into athletics. 

The rule change was designed to give schools with major athletic programs like the University of Florida, the University of South Florida and Florida State more flexibility to cover those new costs and remain nationally competitive in recruiting and retaining athletes.

Now, New College is invoking the rule change to divert money from its auxiliary housing fund to break ground on a baseball field as it seeks to build its athletics program. 

The move reflects its push to foreground athletics in its student offerings. At the same time, the school has sought to reshape itself as a conservative institution.

It also comes as the school faces an ongoing housing shortage after a 2023 mold outbreak in its historic I.M. Pei dormitories forced students into hotels, dorms on the nearby University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus and even briefly, portable trailers. 

FLORIDA HOUSE APPROVES SCALED-BACK UTC DISTRICT THAT BENDERSON WOULD CONTROL

The Florida House of Representatives unanimously approved a scaled-back bill Wednesday to create a special district around the booming University Town Center area — a proposal that would still give one of the region’s largest developers significant influence over the new entity spanning more than 1,400 acres across Sarasota and Manatee counties.

If the bill becomes law, Manatee County-headquartered Benderson Development Co., which owns much of the land inside the proposed district, would hold a majority voting interest in the new government entity, according to the developer’s Tallahassee lobbyist.

Initially, the bill, which was introduced by state Rep. Bill Conerly, R-Lakewood Ranch, in January, would have allowed the district to levy property taxes and exercise broader government powers across the area.

But lawmakers narrowed its scope as it moved through subcommittees. 

Among the changes: Land owned by Sarasota Memorial Hospital was removed from the district, though Sarasota County-owned Nathan Benderson Park — which makes up about a third of the district’s footprint — remains included.

Lawmakers also stripped the district of its ability to levy property taxes on landowners.

WINDOW CLOSING TO ROLL BACK FLORIDA SB 180 HOME RULE LIMITS

The Florida Legislature has just days in the current session to kill controversial provisions in a state law limiting local jurisdictions from regulating growth. 

Senate Bill 180, which passed with nearly unanimous approval last year, limits cities and counties from advancing any measures deemed more “burdensome or restrictive” on development in the wake of major storms. The law spurred backlash from local governments that had spent months — in some cases years — crafting planning policies, only to see them struck down by the state. 

“When a local government doesn't have the ability to respond to things like hurricanes in a meaningful way, we just continue to make the same mistakes,” said Kim Dinkins, the Policy and Planning Director of 1000 Friends of Florida, an advocacy organization focusing on growth management and conservation that has sought to reverse parts of SB 180.

In Manatee County, where voters elected a slate of commissioners in 2024 who ran on a platform of curbing sprawl, SB 180 had immediate impacts. When commissioners advanced measures to restore wetlands protections and raise impact fees on developers, the Florida Department of Commerce threatened litigation. 

Citing fears that Gov. Ron DeSantis would remove them from office, commissioners backed off.

Now, the state Senate has passed a bill largely reversing that preemption on local planning. But the Florida House of Representatives has not moved on a companion bill — with the end of the legislative session looming. 

Dinkins spoke with Suncoast Searchlight this week about the group’s efforts to overturn aspects of SB 180 and how the law has impacted local governments.

SUNCOAST SEARCHLIGHT HIRES VETERAN INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST JOHN DUNBAR

Suncoast Searchlight is pleased to announce that veteran investigative journalist John Dunbar will join the newsroom as its newest watchdog/investigative reporter.

Dunbar brings more than 25 years of experience as an investigative reporter and editor, including 15 years at the nonprofit, award-winning Center for Public Integrity in Washington, D.C., where he ultimately served as CEO. During his tenure, the organization won numerous national honors, including a Pulitzer Prize for its work on the Panama Papers project.

Over the course of his career, Dunbar has written, edited and managed major projects on the influence of money in politics, on financial regulation and on government accountability. Most recently, Dunbar served as executive editor of the Daytona Beach News-Journal, where he led statewide investigative efforts and newsroom training initiatives.

Earlier in his career, he worked at Bloomberg Industry Group, The Associated Press in Washington, D.C., and, closer to home, The Florida Times-Union.

In a statement, Dunbar reflected on the role of nonprofit journalism in a time of political division and shrinking local newsrooms: "I don't know that there is a perfect journalism model out there, but I'm pretty certain ... the staff and the board at Suncoast Searchlight have got something special going on here, and I am incredibly honored to be a part of it."

JUDGE REJECTS CHALLENGE TO CONTROVERSIAL SIESTA KEY LAND SWAP

A judge this week rejected a last-ditch effort to unwind a controversial Siesta Key land deal, clearing the way for a home to be built on property the county once bought to preserve.

The legal challenge, filed in December by Lourdes Ramirez of the nonprofit Protect Siesta Key, sought to block a key provision in a settlement between Sarasota County and Siesta Key businessman Michael Holderness. 

Under that agreement, the county would trade its preservation parcel at 162 Beach Road — valued at $2.8 million — for Holderness’ four beachfront lots valued at less than $100,000 combined. The deal also would let Holderness build a 5,000-square-foot house on the county-owned lot despite the county having denied similar requests when the land was privately owned; that’s because it sits behind a coastal setback line. 

The agreement was made to end a federal lawsuit Holderness had filed against the county over property rights tied to his four beachfront parcels near Beach Access 3. In that case, he argued that public beach access signage near his property invited trespassers and that the county infringed on his rights as a waterfront land owner. 

By trading those parcels to the county, he said, they would become a part of the public beach. In exchange, he would get a lot on which he could build a house.

But Ramirez and other petitioners argued the county had no legal authority to give up land it bought for preservation and allow a house to be built. 

Circuit Judge Hunter Carroll ruled Tuesday that Ramirez and the other plaintiffs did not have legal standing to challenge the county’s decision.

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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