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THIS WEEK IN SUNCOAST HISTORY
Aug. 17, 1896: Three brothers from Englewood, Illinois — Herbert, Howard and Ira Nichols — filed the plat for a new Florida town they named after their hometown. Englewood was then part of Manatee County. Sarasota County wouldn’t exist until 1921.
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ST. ARMANDS GARAGE IS STRAINING SARASOTA'S PARKING FINANCES
When Sarasota opened its St. Armands parking garage in 2019, it was supposed to help solve a longstanding parking problem on the popular tourist destination — and generate enough revenue to help cover the debt incurred to build it. Instead, the garage has brought in far less than projected, contributing to a financial strain that is now rippling across the city’s entire parking system.
The warning signs were there before construction began. Years ago, when then-Commissioner Shelli Freeland Eddie asked city staff how much money the garage would need to bring in to break even, the city’s parking manager said he didn’t know. A consultant’s analysis, meanwhile, showed that even if the garage met its revenue projections, it would still fall millions short of covering its costs over the following decade.
Today, the parking division owes the city more than $1.65 million after repeatedly turning to the general fund to cover shortfalls, with about 91% of that debt tied to the St. Armands parking fund. That burden is complicating the city’s options as downtown merchants and residents revolt against efforts to raise more money through longer paid hours and other changes.
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SARASOTA, MANATEE VOTERS DEAL A BLOW TO GRASSROOTS CANDIDATES IN PRIMARY
Voters across the Suncoast dealt a blow to grassroots challengers Tuesday night, while rewarding the establishment-backed candidates — including some who campaigned as outsiders themselves.
With few exceptions, the results marked a staggering reversal from 2024, when voter anger over flooding and rapid development fueled a wave of underdog victories over candidates backed by powerful developer interests across Sarasota and Manatee counties.
Among the biggest casualties was Sarasota County District 4 Commissioner Joe Neunder, a chiropractor by trade, who lost to challenger Jim DeNiro. The retired police sergeant positioned himself as a grassroots alternative while taking developer donations and benefiting from an aggressive, heavily funded campaign attacking Neunder’s record.
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SARASOTA SCHOOL BOARD FLIPS TO LIBERAL MAJORITY AFTER YEARS OF CONSERVATIVE CONTROL
The next Sarasota County School board will see a liberal-leaning majority take control after voters rejected the conservative policies and culture wars that for years dominated the board.
Megan Tennimon and Beth Mayberry, the more progressive candidates in their respective nonpartisan races, went on to win their seats by more than 10 percentage points against candidates endorsed by the Republican Party.
With school board members Tom Edwards and Liz Barker, they will give progressive officials commanding control over the five-member board for at least the next two years.
The third school board race, for a seat representing District 1, will head to a runoff between Heidi Brandt, a candidate endorsed by the Republican Party of Sarasota County, and Jimmy Glover, a candidate supported by the Sarasota County Democratic Party. Teresa DeWitt — a former Moms for Liberty activist who also ran in the District 1 race — and Brandt likely split the conservative vote.
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DESANTIS MAKES ELECTION DAY STOP AT SARASOTA'S NEW COLLEGE TO PUSH HIGHER ED AGENDA
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made a stop at New College of Florida in Sarasota on the day of the state’s primary election to defend his record on higher education and tout his efforts to root out “woke” curricula.
DeSantis, who is not up for reelection, appeared Tuesday alongside a lineup of state officials, New College President Richard Corcoran and U.S. Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education David Barker.
The panel underscored how Florida leaders have sought to push conservative efforts to remake higher education alongside President Donald Trump, with New College of Florida a centerpiece in their plan.
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Suncoast Searchlight partners with Gigafact to produce weekly fact briefs — concise, 150-word news stories that take real claims circulating online and fact-check them. Each brief offers a direct “yes” or “no” answer to the question or claim, followed by a clear explanation backed up by credible, high-quality sources.
THIS WEEK'S FACT BRIEFS:
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Suncoast Searchlight was built with the help of people who believe local journalism matters. This week, we’re recognizing founding board member and longtime supporter Carol LoCicero, managing partner, Thomas & LoCicero PL.
“It was a privilege to be part of the inception of Suncoast Searchlight. Local news impacts people’s daily lives in tangible and important ways. Searchlight’s focus on Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties brings additional light to real issues affecting real people that might otherwise go unreported.”
Support the reporting that keeps you informed about the place you call home.
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INSIDE THE NEWSROOM: ELECTION NIGHT
Suncoast Searchlight members make it possible for us to bring independent local journalism to everyone, with no paywall.
Members also get a little more access to the people behind the reporting.
Members are invited to join our journalists virtually noon-1 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 25 for a conversation about the Aug. 18 primary elections, what stood out to us and what we're watching next.
Not a member yet? Make a gift today to get your invitation to Inside the Newsroom, Trivia Nights, first notice of community engagement events and other special perks.
| | HERE'S WHAT ELSE WE RECOMMEND READING THIS WEEK | | |
FLOCK CAMERA MISUSE:
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FORMER SARASOTA OFFICER ARRESTED AFTER DATABASE MISUSE INVESTIGATION » FROM ABC7 A former Sarasota police officer has been arrested and fired after an investigation into the alleged misuse of law enforcement databases, the Sarasota Police Department said Tuesday. Cory Waiters, 38, allegedly searched the same Florida license plate 358 times through Flock between May and October 2025. Investigators also documented multiple DAVID searches connected to the tag. READ THE STORY HERE
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HOW ROGUE OFFICERS TURNED A NATIONWIDE CAMERA NETWORK INTO A TOOL FOR STALKING » FROM WASHINGTON POST Authorities have charged or accused at least 50 law-enforcement officers nationwide of using license-plate readers for unauthorized purposes, including to stalk women without their knowledge or consent. In 26 of these cases, the officers allegedly used the technology to spy on their wives, their girlfriends, their exes, their exes’ new partners or women they wanted to meet. Flock’s system was used in 46 of the cases analyzed by The Post, while the other cases involved competing products. READ THE STORY HERE
AND FLOCK CAMERA USE:
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MANATEE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE GIVES A CLEAR PICTURE ABOUT FLOCK CAMERAS » FROM EAST COUNTY OBSERVER Distrust of Flock cameras has been growing over the past year or two, but Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells said his department has been using license plate readers for nearly six years.“There’s a lot of misinformation out there about license plate readers and how they’re being used,” Wells said. “The only thing that they’re taking a picture of is your vehicle and your license plate. We can’t tell who’s driving. You hear about facial recognition. That’s a lie.” READ THE STORY HERE
GHOST SARASOTA WEBSITE CALLS FAKE CANDIDATE CONTENT 'PARODY'
FROM FLORIDA TRIDENT
An anonymous Wyoming operation that posed as a neutral watchdog is claiming “parody” as a defense for fabricated political content supporting Sarasota County Commission challengers Jim DeNiro and Kristina Sargent, who say they never made or approved it. After the Florida Trident exposed the group’s open “war-room” folder, 153 of its 356 files disappeared from its servers, including candidate brochures, talking points, attack memes and AI-generated images.
READ THE STORY HERE
HOW FLORIDA IS CHALLENGING CLIMATE CHANGE IN TEXTBOOKS, WHILE QUIETLY UPDATING ITS SCIENCE STANDARDS
FROM WUSF & THE HECHINGER REPORT
Florida education officials are quietly revising science standards and challenging how textbooks discuss climate change, as the state moves to reshape classroom materials around the issue. The changes come after Florida removed references to climate change from state law, and publishers have been asked to alter or reconsider language in science textbooks to meet state requirements.
READ THE STORY HERE
TWO YEARS AFTER STORMS, INDIAN BEACH PARK REMAINS FENCED OFF
FROM WSLR
Indian Beach Park used to be a popular sunset watching spot. It is located in the Indian Beach-Sapphire Shores neighborhood, where Bay Shore Road and Indian Beach Drive meet Sarasota Bay. But for weeks now, the site has been fenced off, with signs advising it is “temporarily closed.” Indian Beach is just one of 13 reconstruction projects in the city lingering in limbo. The total cost of these projects sits at more than $17 million.
READ THE STORY HERE
CLIMATE CHANGE RESHUFFLES WHERE PEOPLE ARE MOVING IN FLORIDA
FROM INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS
Some of Florida’s biggest growth spots are now on former citrus groves and cattle pastures in the interior parts of the state far from the state’s famous beachside cities. That’s increasingly due to climate migrants escaping coastline risks like hurricanes and flooding, as well as the high cost of homeownership from skyrocketing insurance rates following a series of recent storms.
READ THE STORY HERE
ANNA MARIA PARKING STUDY RECOMMENDS PERMIT AND PAID PARKING
FROM ANNA MARIA SUN
The mayor and city commissioners are considering implementing a citywide parking plan in March that could potentially include 1,119 paid parking spaces located throughout the city. The study also proposes a resident permit parking program that provides free parking for Anna Maria residents.
READ THE STORY HERE
THE FORGOTTEN RACIAL HISTORY OF ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ
FROM THE CONVERSATION
Whatever the intentions of those who named and promoted the facility, Alligator Alcatraz echoed a long tradition of using alligators in ways that have reinforced racist imagery and dehumanizing stereotypes, according to Mark V. Barrow, Jr., a historian of wildlife, the environment and American culture who has studied the cultural and environmental history of the American alligator.
READ THE STORY HERE
FLORIDA'S JELLYFISH MUSEUM IS DEDICATED SOLELY TO THE MESMERIZING FLOATING PREDATORS
FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The floating tentacled predators pulse and swirl in hypnotic patterns in the dark museum space, lit primarily by images projected on the walls and the glowing light from the saltwater tanks. The private Jellyfish Museum in Pompano Beach, Florida, just north of Fort Lauderdale, is believed to be the first museum in the United States dedicated solely to the translucent invertebrates, and one of the few such spaces in the world, according to the city and the museum’s founders.
READ THE STORY HERE
INSIDE TRUMP'S FAILED HUNT FOR NONCITIZEN VOTERS
FROM PROPUBLICA
Since Trump regained the White House, his administration has launched unprecedented efforts to find and prosecute noncitizen voting, which he has long claimed, without evidence, is rampant. Through May, however, federal prosecutors had charged fewer than four dozen people nationwide, resulting in 14 convictions or guilty pleas. The largest cluster of cases came from the Southern District of Florida, led by Trump ally Jason Reding Quiñones.
READ THE STORY HERE
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DID YOU MISS OUR PREVIOUS NEWSLETTER?
HERE'S WHAT WE SHARED:
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GRANDMOTHERS, LANDSCAPERS, EVEN KIDS, SWEPT INTO FLORIDA'S SHADOWY IMMIGRATION DATABASE
Across Florida, law enforcement officers have been asked to gather names, photographs, addresses and other personal information about people they suspect may be in the country without authorization — and upload them to a centralized surveillance database during their routine job duties.
The database, launched one year ago, has since swelled to more than 30,000 entries. A review by Suncoast Searchlight, Florida Trident and WGCU found officers routinely submitted people for whom they could not confirm even basic citizenship details, as well as hundreds of minors.
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FDOT ORDERED STREET ART REMOVED. THEN SARASOTA GOT A FAUX BRICK CROSSWALK
Last summer, Sarasota erased colorful artwork from streets and sidewalks across the city after FDOT ordered communities to remove nonstandard markings or risk losing state funding.
Nearly a year later, the city quietly installed a faux-brick crosswalk on Orange Avenue using preformed thermoplastic.
The new crosswalk raises a basic question: What makes this design different from the artwork Sarasota removed at FDOT’s direction last year?
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FLORIDA'S NEW ANTI-DEI LAW THREATENS SARASOTA ARTS GROUPS' FUNDING
Sarasota County arts organizations seeking a share of $2.1 million in public grant funding this year are facing a new requirement tied to recently approved Florida restrictions on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Some have signed a county acknowledgment of the law despite deep reservations. One has refused, forfeiting funding it can scarcely afford to lose.
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MILLIONAIRES AND LAWMAKERS: INSIDE CANDIDATES' FINANCE DISCLOSURES
More than half of the candidates running for Florida statehouse seats this year across Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties are self-reported millionaires.
Suncoast Searchlight analyzed the disclosures for all local Senate and House candidates. Reporters also reviewed recent legislative proposals to identify potential overlaps between candidates' financial interests and issues considered by the Florida Legislature.
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SARASOTA PARKING IS SUPPOSED TO PAY FOR ITSELF. IT HASN'T IN OVER A DECADE
Sarasota’s parking division is supposed to cover its own bills and payroll with parking fees rather than rely on the city’s general fund.
But a Suncoast Searchlight review of more than a decade of city budgets found the division has received at least $3.9 million from the general fund through subsidies and loans since 2013.
Today, the parking division owes the general fund more than $1.6 million — more than the parking management fund’s entire balance going into the 2026-27 fiscal year.
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AT VENICE DATA CENTER FORUM, JOURNALISTS HIGHLIGHT POWER OF COMMUNITY PUSHBACK
Proposals for hyperscale data centers are surging in Florida and across the country, but community voices have become a powerful force to slow, and in some cases stop, those proposals.
That was the message shared Tuesday by a panel of journalists in an event hosted by Suncoast Searchlight and Seeking Rents.
“The more engaged folks are with this, the more responsive policy makers will be,” Jason Garcia, the founder, publisher and accountability reporter for Seeking Rents, said during the discussion.
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CAN MANATEE COUNTY'S ANTI-DEVELOPMENT WAVE STRIKE AGAIN?
Since Manatee County voters swept a slate of grassroots, anti-growth candidates into office in 2024, commissioners have struggled to deliver on their campaign promises amid pushback from Gov. Ron DeSantis and state laws limiting local control over development.
Now, anti-establishment candidates are campaigning to finish the job. But longtime political observers worry the anti-development movement has lost the momentum that fueled its milestone 2024 victories.
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SARASOTA REVERSES EXTENDED PARKING HOURS AFTER INTENSE PUSHBACK
In a stark reversal of its controversial new policy, the Sarasota City Commission voted unanimously to suspend its new extended parking hours during a marathon meeting on Monday.
The move came after intense pushback from residents, business owners and other stakeholders in Sarasota’s downtown and St. Armands Circle.
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Suncoast Searchlight is a 501(c)(3) 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
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