Butterfly symposium lands at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall
Gilbert Daigneau, who has raised butterflies for 60 years, calls them “the ambassadors of the natural world.”. “If you don't see butterflies in an area, it's probably because there are a lot of pesticides in that area or there's not enough native vegetation for the caterpillars,” Daigneau said. “If you see...
200+ artists take over Sarasota’s Main Street for one of the region’s biggest art...
If your weekend plans are still a blank canvas, Downtown Sarasota is ready to help you give it some color. The 38th Annual Downtown Sarasota Festival of the Arts (1718 Main Street) returns to transform the area into a vibrant outdoor gallery packed with creativity, conversation, and shopping that’s worth the drive...
Recent You-Can’t-Make-Them-Up Headlines From Sarasota
Sarasota County deputies found themselves negotiating with a 14-foot, 600-pound alligator who decided a quiet road near Lakewood Ranch was the perfect place to settle in for the winter. It took seven deputies and a trapper to persuade the reptile otherwise. Eventually, the gator was escorted—unhurried and...
Attorney Janella Leibovitz Gives Foster Kids a Voice in Court
It was only a matter of time before attorney Janella Leibovitz turned her passion for advocating for children in foster care into a career. Growing up in Miami, Leibovitz volunteered at a shelter for abused, neglected and abandoned teens when she was in high school. “When I walked into the bathroom of the shelter,...
Manatee County purchases two easements, conserves nearly 1,500 acres
Over the past two years, Manatee County has purchased approximately 309 acres of environmentally valuable land to conserve in perpetuity. The funding came after 71% of voters chose to increase their ad valorem tax by 0.15 mills and allow the county to bond up to $50 million to purchase conservation land and easements...
St. Armands Circle gets new element of whimsy with Tiny Door installation
Artist Joan Love couldn't hope for a better reaction to her work than when children spy the works hidden in plain sight. Whether it's because their perspective is a little closer to the ground, they have an eye for magic or some combination of the two, they have a talent for being some of the first to find her "Tiny...
A Florida bill would prohibit local governments from eliminating their own fossil fuel use
Sarasota is on track to power city operations with renewable energy 100% by 2030, and city-wide by 2045. City commissioner Liz Alpert said Florida Senate Bill 1628 would put a stop to that. "I think it really hampers any of the efforts that we have been doing in the city...
Contentious meeting resutls in pared down golf course clubhouse
Gone is the vision of a two-story Bobby Jones Golf Course clubhouse with wraparound veranda offering a panoramic view of the course and, farther in the distance, the adjacent nature park. Gone is the second-floor restaurant sized to accommodate special and private events with the cart barn below. In addition,...
Thunder by the Bay festival returns to Sarasota
The Thunder by the Bay Music and Motor Festival is returning to Sarasota for its 28th annual event, featuring performances from rock and country acts including Night Ranger, 38 Special and headliner Montgomery Gentry.
Pilatus breaks ground on fifth flagship U.S. facility in Florida
Since 2022, Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. (Stans, Switzerland) has been planning to expand its U.S. presence in order to supplement capacity in Switzerland, which is now close to maximum. At a groundbreaking ceremony held at Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (KSRQ), Pilatus officially marked the construction start of...
