Weekly Newsletter

Friday, April 25, 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:

Delayed ID, missed arrest, downgraded charge: How Piccolo avoided jail for months

Fred Piccolo Jr., the former New College communications director accused multiple times of indecent exposure, avoided arrest for months due to identification delays, a missed opportunity by a deputy to act on arrest authority and the prosecutor’s decision to downgrade a recommended felony charge.

Records and interviews reviewed by Suncoast Searchlight and The Florida Trident shed new light on how the case unfolded — offering a fuller picture of what law enforcement knew, when they knew it and how decisions by deputies and the state attorney shaped the response.

NEW FROM SUNCOAST SEARCHLIGHT:

Mental health funding grew 157% since Parkland, but Suncoast schools still stretched

Seven years ago, Florida lawmakers responded to the deadly school shooting in Parkland with a pledge: more money for student mental health. Since then, the state’s Mental Health Assistance Allocation has more than doubled, sending over $175 million to school districts this academic year alone.

But school officials say the rising need is outpacing resources.



In Sarasota County, school leaders recently voted to end a contract with a long-standing provider of elementary school therapists, citing a need to stretch limited dollars further. In Manatee County, the district mental health coordinator says state funding has helped but they don’t always have enough time or personnel to serve every student in-house. And in DeSoto County, where funding is leaner but stretches further, even having one mental health staffer at each school could be considered a milestone.

NEW FROM SUNCOAST SEARCHLIGHT:

New College’s background check missed 3 exposure charges before hiring Piccolo

When New College of Florida hired Fredrick Piccolo Jr. as communications director in December, he had already been charged three times with indecent exposure — a criminal history that the school’s background check failed to uncover, records obtained by Suncoast Searchlight and WUSF show.

The background check, run on Jan. 8 through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Criminal History Services, came back clean, stating there were “no relevant criminal records.” 

But public records show that Piccolo had been charged three separate times with first-degree misdemeanors for “exposure of sexual organs.” 

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HERE'S WHAT ELSE WE RECOMMEND READING THIS WEEK

WELLEN PARK PROTEST PLANNED; GRAND PARADISO RESIDENTS WORRIED ABOUT FIRE SAFETY WITH IRRIGATION WATER TURNED OFF

FROM THE DAILY SUN

With the region's dry season underway and irrigation lines turned off in Gran Paradiso, residents are turning toward state lawmakers and taking their concerns to the streets. A protest is planned for Friday afternoon. “As residents of Wellen Park and the West Villages District, we are exercising our constitutional right to free speech to share our concerns regarding certain actions by the master developer, Mattamy Homes, and the West Villages Improvement District," resident Eric Johnston stated in a message to The Daily Sun. "We believe these actions may affect the well being and future of our community.”

READ THE STORY HERE

CELEBRATORY PHOTO FUELS SCRUTINY OVER $7.5M GRANT

FROM THE FLORIDA TRIDENT

​A photo of Jon Mast, CEO of the Building Industry Institute (BII), wearing a "$7.5 Million" T-shirt while smoking a cigar and holding a drink, raised questions about a $7.5 million federal disaster recovery grant awarded to his startup nonprofit by the Sarasota County Commission last fall. The grant, intended for post-Hurricane Ian workforce training, faced criticism due to BII's lack of experience, high projected costs per trainee and conflicts of interest — Mast's wife, Teresa Mast, serves on the commission and recused herself from related votes. Shortly after the story was published on Tuesday, the commission voted 3-1 to reallocate the funds to other hurricane recovery needs.

READ THE STORY HERE

SARASOTA COUNTY'S JAIL HAS BEEN OVERPOPULATED FOR 20 YEARS. VOTERS WILL DECIDE ITS FUTURE

FROM SARASOTA HERALD-TRIBUNE

​Sarasota County is confronting a longstanding issue of jail overcrowding, with its facility operating beyond capacity for over two decades. The jail's average daily population reached 1,129 this year, surpassing both its operational capacity of 773 and rated capacity of 909. Contributing to this problem are a growing county population, increased arrest rates, extended pretrial detention periods and aging infrastructure. It would cost between $650 million and $700 million – and a successful voter referendum – to build a new facility, a price commissioners called shocking. But officials warn that without expansion, the county may need to transfer inmates to other facilities, which could cost $10 million to $20 million.

READ THE STORY HERE

AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT FOR MANATEE WORKERS CLEARS MAJOR HURDLE. WHAT'S NEXT?

FROM BRADENTON HERALD

A new affordable housing complex in Bradenton is one step closer to construction. At a recent meeting, Manatee County commissioners approved a $5.6 million loan to One Stop Housing. The company plans to build 155 affordable housing units at its Forest Cove property at 1478 45th Ave. Circle W., just south of Cortez Road West. Forest Cove currently has 36 affordable apartment units, but One Stop Housing is partnering with 12 local employers to expand its offerings. Employers including Oysters Rock Hospitality, Cirrus Aviation, Goodwill Manasota, Spirit Movers and Saint Stephen’s are contributing $300,000 toward the project to help their employees secure affordable housing.

READ THE STORY HERE

SCIENTISTS SAY NOAA CUTS BY TRUMP UNDERMINE IMPROVEMENTS IN HURRICANE FORECASTS

FROM WUSF

Weather and climate research are among the programs seeing big cuts by the Trump administration. Hundreds of employees at NOAA — the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — who work at offices and research centers have been fired. The administration also wants to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for everything from weather satellites to climate research. The cuts may slow or end the progress that's been made in developing weather and climate models.

READ THE STORY HERE

NEW GOVERNMENT RELATIONS DEPARTMENT PROMOTES MANATEE COUNTY

FROM THE OBSERVER

Out of 67 counties in Florida, only 16 have dedicated Government Relations departments, and Manatee County now is part of that group. Stephanie Garrison, director of the newly formed Government Relations department, was hired in January. Garrison formed her team by pulling in 45 current employees from five different departments — County Administration, Financial Management, Public Safety, Development Services and Natural Resources.

READ THE STORY HERE

'CITIZENS TO PROTECT THE RINGLING' TOWN HALL DRAWS A BIG CROWD

FROM WSLR

In February, news broke that the budget proposal submitted by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the legislature includes funding to move the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art under the umbrella of New College. That prompted the creation of Citizens To Protect the Ringling. Made up mostly of former board members of the foundation supporting the museum, the organization held a crowded town hall meeting Tuesday. The uncertain fate of the Ringling Museum brought over 400 people to the sanctuary of the Sarasota Unitarian Universalists. There was cheering, clapping, booing, laughter and united support in opposition to the New College takeover. Speakers provided the background information and talked about steps to take.

READ THE STORY HERE​

DID YOU MISS LAST WEEK'S NEWSLETTER?

HERE'S WHAT WE SHARED:

Gran Paradiso battle reveals how developers control Florida’s fastest-growing communities

In one of Sarasota County’s most manicured neighborhoods, a bitter dispute over irrigation water has laid bare the power of Florida’s developer-controlled governments.

What began as a fight over a 100-year contract that doubled residents’ water fees has escalated into a legal and political standoff between residents and the West Villages Improvement District that oversees their community. It's a fight that could cost homeowners their landscaping, drain their wallets and fracture their neighborhood.

What’s happening in Gran Paradiso isn’t just a neighborhood dispute over water; it’s a window into who holds the power in Florida’s fastest-growing communities and what happens when the homeowners organize to push back.

Across the Suncoast, more and more neighborhoods like Gran Paradiso are governed not only by city and county officials, but by community development districts and other government bodies created, and controlled for years, by the real-estate developers profiting from these projects.

“This is a classic David and Goliath case,” said Joseph Herbert, an attorney representing Gran Paradiso residents. "There’s nothing they can do at the local level to stop West Villages.”



Sarasota Schools dispute reporting on mental health program — but records back it up

Sarasota County Schools officials publicly disputed recent reporting on the end of a mental health contract with The Florida Center for Early Childhood.

But records confirm the numbers in question came directly from the district itself.

The controversy centers on the termination of a program that placed full-time therapists in elementary schools, with administrators defending a shift toward in-house staffing and broader interagency partnerships.

While leaders say the change will improve oversight and continuity of care, parents and community members worry the district is taking an untested gamble on student mental health.

Several spoke out at Tuesday's school board meeting, during which the board approved an interagency agreement with The Florida Center, which will allow the district to refer students to the agency for services but not directly pay its therapists to be in the elementary schools as before.



New College communications director charged for exposure of sexual organs – again

Fred Piccolo Jr., at the time the communications director for New College of Florida and a longtime political operative, was arrested and charged on Tuesday with exposure of sexual organs.

Piccolo, 47, was accused of stopping his car while naked from the waist down and exposing himself to a woman in Manatee County.

It was his second subsequent offense, according to the charge.

The arrest follows three similar indecent exposure incidents at Sarasota retail stores in 2024. Records also reveal a 2022 civil lawsuit in which a former state lawmaker accused Piccolo of sending sexually explicit messages while managing her campaign.

Piccolo’s attorney says his behavior is linked to side effects of Parkinson’s medication, which he said can cause compulsive behavior and hypersexuality.

Piccolo has wielded significant influence in Florida political circles, deploying to manage high-stakes communications for DeSantis and his allies. 

Piccolo served as spokesperson for the Florida Speaker of the House when Corcoran held the role from 2016 to 2018, and remained in that position under Republican state Rep. Jose Oliva.

Sarasota, Manatee home values tumble, marking one of the biggest drops nationwide

The red-hot housing market that defined the Suncoast during the pandemic is now cooling — fast.

New data show home values in Sarasota and Manatee counties have dropped more sharply than nearly any of the other large counties in the United States, reversing years of double-digit growth and sparking concerns about the region’s economic health.

In Sarasota, home values fell 7% over the past year; in Manatee, the drop was 5%. That’s a stark contrast to the national trend — where most counties actually saw home prices increase — and suggests that the Suncoast is entering a significant market correction.

Experts point to a range of factors, from high interest rates to low consumer confidence. Retirees and seasonal buyers, who make up a large share of the local market, are pulling back amid financial uncertainty. At the same time, a new state condo law is compounding the problem by forcing major repairs in aging buildings — and pushing many condo owners to sell at steep discounts.

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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.

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