Weekly Newsletter

Friday, March 28, 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.

NEW FROM SUNCOAST SEARCHLIGHT:

New College fires Chinese professor under controversial Florida ‘countries of concern’ law

A New College of Florida professor was abruptly fired this month under a controversial state law that limits public universities from employing people from so-called “countries of concern,” including China, Cuba, Iran, Russia and Venezuela.

Kevin Wang, a Chinese academic who is seeking asylum and authorized to work in the United States, had been teaching Chinese language and culture classes at the small liberal arts college in Sarasota for nearly two years when, on March 12, the school terminated his contract, citing a university regulation based on that law, known as SB 846.

His sudden ouster has sparked outrage among his students and raises questions about academic freedom as Florida’s crackdown on foreign influence plays out on campuses across the state. 

For Wang, his firing carried echoes of the political repression he fled in China, he told Suncoast Searchlight during an interview this week on campus.

NEW FROM SUNCOAST SEARCHLIGHT:

DeSoto County farm defies avian flu surge, keeps eggs affordable as prices climb

Grove Ladder Farm sits at the end of a dirt road deep in DeSoto County. 

Owned and operated by Tim and Chelsea Clarkson, the farm’s 13 acres spread out in green pastures shaded by giant oaks draped with Spanish moss. A scarecrow named Gertrude watches over a vegetable garden with bouquets of broccoli ready to pick, while two Great Pyrenees dutifully guard grazing sheep and ewes. 

The farm also boasts a flock of roughly a thousand chickens that happily roam the grounds.

That they’ve managed to run a profitable venture while raising their five children in a small cabin fills them with pride. It also offers a valuable lesson:

The Clarksons’ sustainable, ethical land and husbandry practices have allowed them to weather the avian flu crisis that has shaken the factory farm egg industry nationwide.

HERE'S WHAT ELSE WE RECOMMEND READING THIS WEEK

TAKEOVERS: NEW COLLEGE OF FLORIDA COULD EXPAND WHILE OTHER PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES LOSE LAND AND SPACE

FROM THE FLORIDA TRIDENT

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis's administration is pursuing plans to expand Sarasota's New College of Florida by acquiring facilities from other state institutions, including the Ringling Museum of Art, currently managed by Florida State University, and potentially the entire University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus. These proposed takeovers have sparked local opposition and raised concerns about the future of the affected institutions.

READ THE STORY HERE

USF FACULTY WORRY ABOUT LOSING SARASOTA CAMPUS AS NEW COLLEGE PLANS TAKEOVER

FROM WUSF

​Faculty at the University of South Florida's Sarasota-Manatee campus are concerned by plans for New College of Florida to assume control of their campus. In an emergency meeting, USF faculty and interim Chancellor Brett Kemker discussed the situation, which has been marked by secrecy and a lack of public negotiations. Documents from New College suggest a "transfer" of the 32-acre campus, affecting 2,000 students and 250 staff, though no official announcements have been made. This uncertainty has led to anxiety among faculty and students about their future roles and the campus's status. ​

READ THE STORY HERE

CLOGGED MANATEE WATERWAYS MADE HURRICANE FLOODING WORSE. COUNTY OFFICIALS HAVE A FIX

FROM THE BRADENTON HERALD

​Manatee County commissioners have approved a $2 million investment to enhance stormwater infrastructure by clearing canals and systems ahead of the 2025 hurricane season. This initiative aims to mitigate flooding risks and improve community resilience during severe weather events.

READ THE STORY HERE

PROMINENT SARASOTA NONPROFIT LEADER TO RETIRE AFTER 10 YEARS

FROM THE BUSINESS OBSERVER

​Teri Hansen, the president and CEO of Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, has announced her retirement after a decade of leadership. Hansen, who was the foundation's first employee in 2015, previously served as president and CEO of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation for over 13 years. Under her guidance, the Barancik Foundation's assets grew to more than $700 million, distributing over $30 million in grants annually. Hansen will continue in her role during the search for her successor and assist with the leadership transition. ​

READ THE STORY HERE

COUNTY WANTS TO RETURN STORMWATER MANAGEMENT TO CITY OF SARASOTA

FROM WSLR

Sarasota County is proposing to transfer stormwater management responsibilities back to the City of Sarasota after 27 years, following severe flooding along Phillippi Creek during recent hurricanes. The county and city commissions will discuss this potential transition in a joint meeting on Friday, March 28, aiming to address the area's stormwater challenges and improve flood mitigation strategies.

​READ THE STORY HERE

SELBY GARDENS NEARS FUNDRAISING GOAL FOR ITS NEXT PHASE (PLUS A SNEAK PEAK OF WHAT'S TO COME)

FROM SARASOTA MAGAZINE

​Marie Selby Botanical Gardens is approaching its $60.9 million fundraising goal for Phase Two of its master plan, having secured 82% of the necessary funds. This phase includes constructing a hurricane-resilient conservatory to house over 20,000 plants, a new learning pavilion for educational programs and expanded gardens featuring a Tara stone garden and live oak grove. Construction is slated to begin by the end of 2025, with completion expected in 2027. ​

READ THE STORY HERE

DID YOU MISS LAST WEEK'S NEWSLETTER?

HERE'S WHAT WE SHARED:

For a quarter century, Florida State University has staffed, operated and managed the finances of the arts complex known as The Ringling.

But at Gov. Ron DeSantis’s request, those duties could be turned over to New College of Florida, a tiny public liberal arts college that relies on millions of dollars in state support to stay afloat and has faced accusations of financial mismanagement in the two years since DeSantis installed political allies in key leadership roles at the school.

FSU currently pours vast resources into the maintenance of The Ringling, from managing the museum’s endowment more than $50 million to employing more than 200 staff to run the museum, a Suncoast Searchlight examination of public records shows.

Can New College feasibly handle it?

Real estate developers are not the only ones in Sarasota and Manatee counties to score major tax breaks through a decades-old law meant to preserve Florida farmland.

Across the Suncoast, landowners tapping the Greenbelt law run the gamut – from the Sarasota Orchestra to phosphate mining giant Mosaic, a dietary supplement supplier and Florida Power & Light, the region’s primary provider of electricity.

A Suncoast Searchlight review of more than 2,500 properties classified as Greenbelt between the two counties found that broad language in the state law left it open for a wide range of businesses and organizations to benefit from the tax savings. Critics have dubbed the loophole “Rent-a-Cow” because real estate speculators can easily place cows on their land and qualify for agricultural tax breaks.

Dozens of Sarasota residents filled the City Commission chambers Monday, speaking out on a proposed performing arts center during the meeting’s public comment period.

The project, which was detailed in a Suncoast Searchlight report last week, has drawn widespread attention, with passionate voices on both sides weighing in on its potential impact.

Suncoast Searchlight summarized each one of the commenters' statements in this blow-by-blow story.



Sarasota’s Bay Park project has transformed the city’s waterfront with expansive green spaces, walking paths and public amenities, but perhaps the most ambitious – and controversial – piece of the plan is still in limbo: a $407 million performing arts center that would replace the Van Wezel as the go-to venue for major shows.

Supporters say a new center would Sarasota’s place as a top-tier cultural destination. But critics argue the city already has enough venues and should prioritize other urgent needs, like affordable housing and infrastructure.

With Sarasota County showing signs of pulling financial support, the entire project’s future could be on shaky ground.

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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Suncoast Searchlight

PO Box 99 Sarasota, FL 34230

(941) 724-4450