Weekly Newsletter

Friday, Oct. 17, 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:

MOST SUNCOAST LAWMAKERS QUIET AS CHARTER SCHOOL EXPANSION FUELS LOCAL UPHEAVAL

The same Suncoast lawmakers who voted earlier this year to let charter schools move into underused public campuses have stayed quiet as a Miami-based charter operator’s early push to occupy local schools set off confusion and concern among parents and educators.

Mater Academy, one of Florida’s largest charter school networks, filed notices last week to co-locate inside five Sarasota and Manatee county schools — part of a broader wave of early filings across the state that districts say were submitted prematurely. According to officials, charter operators must wait until Nov. 11 to submit a notice.

The filings were made under Florida’s “Schools of Hope” law, which allows charter operators to move into existing public schools with unused space, regardless of academic performance. When that happens, districts must continue paying for utilities, busing, custodial services and even meals for the new charter students — all at no cost to the charter operator.

Suncoast Searchlight first reached out Friday to state legislators from Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties, continuing to call, text and email them and their aides through publication time this week. But nearly all declined to answer questions about the measure or its local implications.

Those who did respond offered little clarity.

NEW FROM SUNCOAST SEARCHLIGHT:

GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY EXPERT DAVID CUILLIER ON ICE 'CLOAK OF SECRECY'

Masked federal agents descending on city streets. Elected officials denied access to detention centers. Scores arrested without a trace.

As President Donald Trump pursues his plan of deporting immigrants at a massive scale, the federal agency tasked with rolling out the policy — Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — is limiting access to information about its extensive operations in Florida and across the country.

“We have to sound the alarm and let everybody know that this is a threat to democracy,” said David Cuillier, a scholar whose work has focused on journalism and government transparency.

A member of the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Advisory Committee, Cuillier has worked as a newspaper journalist and currently serves as director of the University of Florida’s Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project. He described ICE’s efforts to shield its operations from public view as an alarming trend.

“Everybody needs to voice their concern about this,” Cuillier said. Suncoast Searchlight spoke with Cuillier about government secrecy in immigration enforcement — and why it should alarm noncitizens and citizens alike.

NEW FROM SUNCOAST SEARCHLIGHT:

WHEN YOU GOTTA GO ... DON'T GO TO SARASOTA CITY HALL

Gotta go, gotta go, gotta go right now? 

If you’re inside Sarasota’s City Hall building, better hope you can hold it. 

For more than a year, the city’s first-floor bathrooms have been out of order — and for months now, every toilet in the historic building has been shut down as crews rip out and replace its crumbling plumbing. 

The $1.2 million fix has forced city employees, commissioners and visitors to make do with outdoor restroom trailers, a walk to the annex next door or a trek across the street, turning a basic human need into a daily inconvenience — and a smelly symbol of how long-overdue maintenance can hit people right where it hurts: the potties.

Last July, officials grew wary about City Hall’s aging pipes when plumbing stopped working properly, forcing the first floor bathrooms to close. When construction began on the bathrooms in August, officials worried about possible water line ruptures and closed the second floor bathrooms.

NEW FROM SUNCOAST SEARCHLIGHT:

DESOTO MEMORIAL WEIGHS OFFERS FROM MAJOR HEALTH SYSTEMS AS CHALLENGES MOUNT

Facing a challenging and uncertain financial landscape for rural hospitals, the DeSoto Memorial Hospital board voted Thursday night to hear presentations on three competing proposals for the institution’s future.

The options include a 49-year lease to Tampa General Hospital for an investment of $45 million over five years and rent of $10 per year; a sale to AdventHealth, one of the nation’s largest health care systems, for about $52 million; or a management services agreement with NorthStar Hospitals Inc., a health care management and investment company based in Andover, Massachusetts, with an undisclosed capital commitment.

All three organizations would commit to keeping the 49-bed hospital in the community and retaining staff who meet professional criteria. Presentations from the organizations will occur in a public meeting on a date to be determined by hospital administrators.

“We’ve been presented with two very good opportunities. Quite frankly, we’re blessed to have these opportunities,” said DeSoto Memorial CEO Vince Sica, referring to the lease and sale options. “I think both have a lot of resources that could help us maintain ourselves now and into the future.”

The board issued a request for proposals for sale, lease or partnership in late June. During a special meeting in July, Sica cited a slew of difficulties for DeSoto County’s only hospital: difficulty recruiting physicians and nurses; an aging staff and the loss of expertise as they retire; and services being reimbursed at less than actual cost for patients with Medicare and Medicaid.

HERE'S WHAT ELSE WE RECOMMEND READING THIS WEEK

FLORIDA CFO SLAMS MANATEE BUDGET GROWTH AFTER FAFO AUDIT

FROM BRADENTON TIMES

Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia held a press conference at Pier 22 on Thursday, delivering the long-awaited results of his Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight audit of the county budget. The results, according to Ingolia, were less than stellar. "We've crunched the numbers," said Ingolia. "Once we took the budget, brought it forward, indexed for inflation and population to find out what Manatee County's general fund budget should be reasonably at this time, they blew past that number by $112 million."

READ THE STORY HERE

USF CROWD GETS BEHIND-THE-SCENES STORIES FROM 'STRANGER THINGS' STAR

FROM THE ORACLE

After almost 10 years battling supernatural forces on “Stranger Things,” actor Gaten Matarazzo faced a different kind of crowd on Tuesday — a room filled with USF students eager to hear his story. With the fifth and final season of “Stranger Things” coming out this year, Matarazzo reflected on past seasons since he couldn’t share much about what’s next. Matarazzo talked for an hour at the Marshall Student Center Ballroom for this semester’s University Lecture Series. With his mom, Heather Matarazzo, in the front row, the actor brought attendees on a journey from his first rejections to landing a role in a Netflix production.

READ THE STORY HERE

WILL DATA CENTERS DRIVE UP FLORIDA ELECTRIC BILLS? THIS CASE COULD DECIDE

FROM TAMPA BAY TIMES

For the first time in Florida, utility regulators are mulling how to handle data centers — the energy-guzzling facilities that house computer equipment needed to power artificial intelligence and other tech programs. Data centers in other parts of the country have already skyrocketed some Americans’ electric bills, as utilities must rapidly build more power plants and transmission lines to compensate for the soaring demand. The issue has come up as part of the complex rate case of Florida Power & Light, giving state utility regulators the chance to set guardrails that could set a precedent for Duke Energy Florida and Tampa Electric.

READ THE STORY HERE

SARASOTA COUNTY CAN NOW MOVE FORWARD WITH DREDGING PHILLIPPI CREEK

FROM ABC7

Residents in Phillippi Creek are one step closer to getting flood relief. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has given Sarasota County a permit to dredge Phillippi Creek, a request that was originally denied three months ago. Residents said they are relieved because Phillippi Creek is the most populated watershed in Sarasota County, spanning more than 55 square miles of neighborhoods, with floodwaters impacting dozens of homes. The county’s stormwater director said during an Oct. 8 County Commission meeting, there is not a start date yet, but he hopes in 4-6 weeks, they can begin the first step in dredging.

READ/WATCH THE STORY HERE

AN ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP IS SUING OVER SARASOTA BAY POLLUTION

FROM WUSF

The environmental group Suncoast Waterkeeper says it intends to sue a concrete recycling plant for polluting Sarasota Bay. It claims U.S. Recycling Company is letting pollutants run off into Hog Creek, which flows into the bay, during heavy rains. It says the company — which recycles concrete by crushing it — is violating the federal Clean Water Act. The group claims it found elevated levels of pollutants such as aluminum and iron exceeding federal guidelines for industrial facilities. These pollutants can harm fish and wildlife and degrade water quality.

READ THE STORY HERE

EAT LOCAL WEEK CONNECTS COMMUNITY TO FOOD PRODUCED NEARBY

FROM WSLR

"Rooted in Our Local Foodshed” is the theme of Community Harvest SRQ’s 14th Eat Local Week, which includes everything from soil to table. I hope that the Nov. 1-9 “week” of workshops, walks and dinners will deepen the community’s sense of connection to the Sarasota-Manatee area. Food is such a central cultural piece, and Community Harvest SRQ is working to help people see it all tied together in the local foodshed.

READ THE STORY HERE

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS LOOKING FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT SPACE IN TAMPA, OTHER FLORIDA CITIES

FROM WUSF

The federal government is looking for new office space in Tampa and other U.S. cities to house law enforcement operations. A post on the government's contracting website from the General Services Administration (GSA) sought lease proposals in nineteen cities, including Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers and Jacksonville. Although the post itself did not specify which law enforcement agencies are behind the request, GSA employees told NPR and the Washington Post that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement approached the agency about finding 300 properties across the U.S. to lease by this winter.

READ THE STORY HERE

SCHOOLS OF HOPE: SCHOOL BOARD MULLS IDEAS TO COMPETE AGAINST CHARTER SCHOOLS

FROM VENICE GONDOLIER

To get ahead of the charter schools vying for empty seats and classrooms, Sarasota County Schools has devised a plan. For now, the plan is just an idea, part one of a phased approach that is scheduled to be voted on by the School Board at its Nov. 18 meeting. The plan calls for a new vision for public education — micro-schools and district-managed schools for the trades, business, dual language and classical education — all proposed to compete with charter schools edging their way in. If the district doesn’t act soon, Superintendent Terry Connor said, repercussions would arise if a charter school gets its hands on an underutilized piece of school property. For Sarasota County, the matter is no longer if but when.

READ THE STORY HERE

MANATEE COUNTY INCHES TOWARD INITIATING STORMWATER FEES

FROM EAST COUNTY OBSERVER

After years of flooding and failed fixes, Manatee County is again weighing whether to launch a countywide stormwater management program — this time with a proposed fee of about $15.60 a month per homeowner to fund $41 million in drainage improvements. The plan, revived after public opposition killed a similar effort in 2019, has split county commissioners: Some argue residents shouldn’t face new taxes when reserves remain high, while others and flood victims say they’d gladly pay to prevent future damage. County staff will refine the proposal through 2026 with public meetings and aim for a commission vote next fall.

READ THE STORY HERE

BARANCIK FOUNDATION NAMES NEXT PRESIDENT AND CEO

FROM SARASOTA MAGAZINE

The Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation has announced that John Brothers will become Barancik Foundation’s next president and CEO. Brothers succeeds outgoing president and CEO Teri Hansen, who announced her retirement earlier this year, after 13 years helming the foundation. He most recently served as president of the T. Rowe Price Foundation and T. Rowe Price Charitable, the philanthropic arms of the Baltimore-based global investment management firm. In those roles, he oversaw more than $750 million in combined assets and over $150 million in annual giving, working with a global network of grantees, donors, and community partners while also developing innovative initiatives at the local community level.

READ THE STORY HERE

DID YOU MISS OUR PREVIOUS NEWSLETTER?

HERE'S WHAT WE SHARED:

‘HOSTILE TAKEOVER': CHARTER OPERATOR FILES TO OCCUPY 3 SARASOTA SCHOOLS

Mater Academy Inc., a Miami-based charter school operator, has submitted notices to occupy three Sarasota County public school campuses, marking a sharp local escalation of the state’s newly expanded “Schools of Hope” law, which allows charters to take over public school facilities.



The notices, submitted early Wednesday, target Brookside Middle, Emma E. Booker Elementary and Oak Park School, a K-12 campus that serves students with disabilities. They are among similar notices sent to school districts statewide this week, according to Sarasota County Schools officials.

“We have significant concerns about the impact these proposals would have on students, staff, and programs currently in place at these schools,” said Sarasota County Schools Superintendent Terry Connor in a statement to Suncoast Searchlight. “These are established district-operated campuses that serve important roles in their communities.”

The district has 20 calendar days to submit objections to the proposals on grounds of “material impracticability,” according to a Florida Department of Education rule that was amended on Sept. 24. 

“I want to rally all of Sarasota and say Tallahassee is out of line," said Tom Edwards, a school board member. "We need to get the entire school district fired up.” 

AS MANATEE TARGETS ILLEGAL CASINOS, OTHER COUNTIES' CRACKDOWNS PAID OFF

Marion County was riddled with storefront gambling dens — until it passed a local ordinance in 2021 that gave deputies more power to shut them down. Within months, the slot-machine parlors vanished.

Sumter County saw similar results after adopting its own rules that same year. The 13 gambling businesses once scattered across the rural county are now gone, local officials said.

Now Manatee County is preparing to follow their lead. Commissioners voted this week to move forward with a proposal modeled on those counties’ ordinances, hoping to replicate their success in wiping out illegal “arcades” that have long operated with little consequence.

Responding to a recent investigation from Suncoast Searchlight and the Bradenton Herald, Manatee County Commissioner Tal Siddique pitched the regulations this month as a way to go beyond the limitations of broad state statutes that have failed to get a handle on the spread.

The investigation from the two newsrooms found that lax state laws and weak penalties leave little risk for illegal game rooms, which routinely dodge enforcement — closing on one block only to reopen on another.

PAM AMES TAKES ON ARCADIA'S TOUGHEST JOB: SAVING MAIN STREET

Pam Ames set out the donuts, stacked red clipboards in a neat pile and draped T-shirts across the tables, hoping at least half of the 100 volunteers she needed would appear that sunny Saturday in mid-September.

As executive director of the Arcadia Main Street Program, Ames had landed one of AARP’s coveted Community Challenge grants — $25,000 to help revive a downtown that has been fading for decades. But the grant was about more than money. To keep it, Ames had to prove she could rally her neighbors, show that Arcadia still had enough faith in itself.

That remains her hardest work.

Ultimately, about 30 volunteers showed up at the Main Street office downtown. Armed with the clipboards and Ames’ instructions, they fanned out for the “community walk audit” — marking cracked sidewalks, broken curbs and spots that could use benches — the next step for future improvements.

Though the turnout fell short of what she had hoped, Ames has learned to measure progress in steps. Next month, she’ll try again — more donuts, more clipboards, more T-shirts.

For the past two years, Ames, 57, has led Arcadia Main Street, a nonprofit tasked with marketing and revitalizing the 18-block historic district between Hickory and Magnolia streets.

As part of that job, she has taken on the challenge of improving a downtown straining from aging infrastructure, limited resources and the repeated blows of hurricanes that have drained businesses and tested residents’ resolve.

AS DEPORTATIONS RISE, SUNCOAST THEATER GIVES VOICE TO IMMIGRANT FEARS AND HOPES

On Monday evening, Perla Avalos, 46, stood at a music stand in a small rehearsal room, practicing lines from a monologue of a local immigrant woman.

Reading through round tortoise shell glasses, Avalos took on the voice of a woman whose son had been charged with a DUI after a party and subsequently detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Since then, he’d been transferred to ICE facilities in Texas and Colorado. Despite him being a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipient, the woman feared her son would be deported to Mexico.

“En este momento no tenemos esperanzas de que salga,” Avalos recited. We currently have no hope for his release.

As Avalos spoke, her castmates in Voces de Inmigración 2 listened from a row of conference chairs and glanced at their own scripts. The show is a production of CreArte Latino Cultural Center that features true stories of immigrants living in the Suncoast. It will be performed in Spanish with English surtitles at CreArte Latino’s performance space on Northgate Boulevard in Sarasota next weekend.

Voces de Inmigración 2 follows a first iteration of the show last November but with all new stories and a different cast. 



MANATEE COUNTY MOVES FORWARD WITH NEW ARCADE REGULATIONS TO 'REDUCE CRIME'

Manatee County officials are pursuing new rules to tighten regulations on illegal slot gambling machines that have become a widespread problem in the Bradenton area. 

Commissioner Tal Siddique shared his proposal Tuesday at the Board of County Commissioners meeting, directing county staff to draft an ordinance based on Marion County’s similar rules. Siddique said the new policy is in response to a recent investigation by the Bradenton Herald and Suncoast Searchlight. 

“Other counties, including Marion, Sumter, Seminole and Osceola, have acted to regulate them,” Siddique wrote in the agenda memo. “To reduce crime, revitalize neighborhoods and attract business, Manatee County must adopt its own local regulations.”

Commissioners directed county staff to review Marion County’s ordinance related to illegal gambling devices, like slot machines that fill “adult arcades” continuing to pop up throughout Manatee County.

“The problem we’re trying to solve is, one, public safety, and the increasing proliferation of businesses that are operating…simulated gambling devices illegally,” Siddique said. 



CHARTER EXPANSIONS JEOPARDIZE SARASOTA'S WILKINSON ELEMENTARY. OTHERS COULD BE NEXT.

Sarasota County Schools announced preliminary plans last month to shutter Wilkinson Elementary and shift students to other public schools to stave off a charter operator from moving in to fill empty space.

If approved, the closure of Wilkinson — currently a C-rated school and the only one in the county that’s nationally STEM-certified — would be Sarasota County’s first public school closure in half a century.

The proposal has sparked widespread outcry from Wilkinson parents who packed emergency meetings, petitioned lawmakers to unwind aggressive state charter expansions and lobbied the School Board of Sarasota County to find an alternative.

School board members now say the plan is not final, hinting that Wilkinson may survive after all.

But Wilkinson is not the only Sarasota County school in jeopardy.

Despite countywide population growth, a Suncoast Searchlight review of state enrollment data found that more than 20 other Sarasota schools have steadily lost students for more than a decade, including some of the district’s most prestigious and top-ranked campuses, like Pine View School for the Gifted.

If the numbers don’t improve by January, any of them could become the next target forced to roommate with an unwanted charter school.

This comes in the wake of a new state law allowing charter schools to move into public campuses if the facilities have any unused space.

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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