Sarasota FL

The Tampa Bay area is experiencing severe drought conditions, heightening the possibility for wildfires to spread.

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County recently awarded a total of $163,300 in Capacity Building grants to 21 nonprofits. The aim of this round of funding is to help organizations improve fundraising strategies, streamline operations, manage data and invest in technological infrastructure. The Community...

VENICE — The state needs to stop eroding local authority and let city and county officials do their jobs, Mayor Nick Pachota and County Commissioner Tom Knight said at Friday’s Venice Area Chamber of Commerce 2026 Community Scorecard Breakfast.

Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (SMH) is moving forward with more than $1 billion in capital projects aimed at expanding medical services and strengthening access to high-quality care across southwest Florida. Supported by strong financial ratings and steady patient growth, the health system is investing in new...

Venice-based Agape Flights in south Sarasota County has identified the two pilots who were killed in a Feb. 10 crash while flying supplies to Haiti. Agape Flights lost contact with Patrick Decker and Kory Elleby while they were flying over a mountainous region near Jérémie, Haiti. The aircraft, N316AF, an Embraer 110...

A new luxury fitness facility is coming to Lakewood Ranch. Located at 5000 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. N., on the Sarasota County side south of University Parkway, Life Time is building an 86,000-square-foot facility projected to open in Fall 2026. Dubbed an “athletic country club,” Life Time offers resort-style amenities,...

MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. (WWSB) - A frightened female dog is recovering after deputies rescued her from a canal near Bryn Mawr Island on Sunday. Lt. Dwyer and Deputy Hart with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) responded after the dog was spotted struggling to swim in a canal in Bayshore Gardens. The deputies...

A shocking incident unfolded at North Port High School last Friday, as one student was seriously injured during an altercation, prompting the arrest of six others. Principal Mark Shurley didn’t hold back in addressing the situation, clearly stating that intentional violence will not be tolerated on campus. In his...

VENICE, Fla. (WWSB) - The Venice Resistance and Florida Indivisible held a “Love Your Neighbor — For the Love of America” rally on Valentine’s Day in support of communities impacted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The event took place Feb. 14 at the corner...

After Sarasota County staff was preparing to deny a permit to remove protected mangroves from publicly owned shoreline along Lemon Bay in December 2023, Commissioner Ron Cutsinger pushed to have the county abandon that same land next to property he owned and a nearby parcel he later purchased, newly obtained public...