Weekly Newsletter

Friday, April 4, 2025

Thank you for subscribing to Suncoast Searchlight's newsletter. 

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.

AN UPDATE FROM THE EDITOR

As executive-editor-in-chief of Suncoast Searchlight, I would like to personally thank you for your support. It has helped Suncoast Searchlight grow in ways we couldn’t have imagined in our first few weeks.

Since launching on Feb. 21, we’ve published more than a dozen stories that have delved deeply into the issues shaping life on the Suncoast — from hurricane-related sewage spills to tax breaks for developers; from the ongoing controversy over a proposed performing arts center to our breaking the story about New College’s firing of a Chinese professor.

These are the kinds of stories that demand attention, and thanks to your support, we’re able to give them the time and care they deserve.

In addition to producing enterprise and investigative journalism, our mission is to make our work freely available to other news outlets. I am proud to see this happening. You may have seen our stories published in the online and print editions of the Bradenton Herald, The Daily Sun and Tampa Bay Times, as well as in online-only publications like The Florida Trident, Pulse of Manatee and The Bradenton Times. You may have even heard us on the radio at WSLR. Our reporting also has appeared in, or been cited by, publications outside our region, including the Miami Herald, Chronicle of Higher Education, Politico and even The Guardian US. And it's being picked up by national aggregators like MSN and Yahoo News.

But our commitment is first and foremost to the people of Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties. We’re dedicated to covering our community with passion, integrity and depth — telling the stories that matter most to our region. And we’re just getting started.

Thank you for believing in the power of local journalism. We’re so grateful to have you with us on this journey.

- Emily Le Coz, Suncoast Searchlight executive editor-in-chief

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NEW FROM SUNCOAST SEARCHLIGHT:

Sarasota Schools to end on-campus therapy program that helped hundreds of kids

Sarasota County Schools is ending a long-running contract with The Florida Center for Early Childhood that placed full-time mental health therapists in elementary schools — a program that served hundreds of students annually and helped make the district a national leader in student mental health care.

Instead, the district plans to shift to an interagency referral model and use mental health funds to retain social workers and hire rotating staff psychologists, raising concerns about reduced access, added barriers for families and the loss of on-campus, relationship-based care.

The change comes amid budget shifts and political pressure on school mental health programs, and it has sparked concern about whether the new approach may leave vulnerable children without timely support.

"It hurts my heart for all the people that really need this service and could have benefited from it, ”said Christine Scott, a Sarasota County mom whose son thrived after sessions with an in-school therapist.

HERE'S WHAT ELSE WE RECOMMEND READING THIS WEEK

CLIMATE ADAPTATION CENTER PREDICTS ANOTHER ACTIVE HURRICANE SEASON

FROM THE OBSERVER

​The Climate Adaptation Center's 2025 hurricane forecast predicts 17 named storms, 10 hurricanes, and 5 major hurricanes, with significant activity expected in July and October. CEO Bob Bunting emphasized the likelihood of a prolonged season extending into November, citing near-record ocean temperatures as a contributing factor. He advised residents to prepare early, highlighting the increasing trend of severe storms in recent years.

READ THE STORY HERE

WASTING AWAY: RAMPANT POLLUTION CAUSED MANATEES TO STARVE. FLORIDA WATERS ARE GETTING WORSE

FROM TAMPA BY TIMES

​An investigation by the Tampa Bay Times reveals that rampant pollution has led to the starvation of hundreds of manatees in Florida's Indian River Lagoon. Decades of nitrogen and phosphorus contamination from agricultural and urban runoff have decimated seagrass beds, the primary food source for manatees. Despite longstanding awareness of these issues, state efforts have been insufficient to curb the pollution, resulting in significant ecological damage and highlighting the urgent need for more effective environmental protections.

READ THE STORY HERE

'GETTING OUR ACT TOGETHER.' EXPERTS SHARE GOOD NEWS FOR MANATEE'S WATER QUALITY

FROM THE BRADENTON HERALD

Seagrass in the Bradenton area is showing signs of a comeback, according to the state’s latest survey — a hopeful development for local marine life and water quality. After years of decline fueled by pollution and water quality issues, this vital underwater plant is beginning to rebound in key areas. The recovery of seagrass, which provides critical habitat and food for species like manatees and sea turtles, is seen as a positive indicator of improving environmental conditions and the success of ongoing restoration efforts.

READ THE STORY HERE

WATERWAY CONFRONTATION ON VIDEO: INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY

FROM THE DAILY SUN

​​A recent video capturing a heated confrontation between boaters on a Punta Gorda waterway has prompted an active investigation by local authorities. The footage, which has garnered significant attention, depicts a dispute escalating between individuals aboard two vessels navigating the local waters. Officials are currently examining the circumstances surrounding the incident to determine if any legal actions are warranted. This event, sources said, underscores the importance of maintaining civility and adherence to maritime laws to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all who utilize the region's waterways.​

READ THE STORY HERE

FORMER CITY MANAGER MARLON BROWN ON PUBLIC SERVICE, HIS BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND HIS NEW ROLE WITH THE SARASOTA CHAMBER

FROM SARASOTA MAGAZINE

Former Sarasota City Manager Marlon Brown reflects on his 31-year career in public service, highlighting his tenure in Sarasota from 2009 to 2024. He discusses challenges such as aiding the city's recovery from the 2008 housing market collapse and leading its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Brown expresses pride in projects like the Bobby Jones Golf Course restoration and The Bay initiative. Now serving as the director of government affairs at the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, he emphasizes his commitment to the community and the importance of empathetic leadership.

READ THE STORY HERE

DID YOU MISS LAST WEEK'S NEWSLETTER?

HERE'S WHAT WE SHARED:

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 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.

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?

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.

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.

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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