Pavement art erasure hits Sarasota’s Avenue of Art
The city’s silence and swift compliance with FDOT shocks artists and building owners. Host: The Florida Department of Transportation gave cities a September 4 deadline: Remove all street, crosswalk and sidewalk paintings, or else lose state funding. In Orlando and St. Petersburg, it’s all about rainbow crosswalks....
Proposed new jail option to be researched, with potential of millions of dollars in...
Sheriff cites multiple factors in favor of tearing down oldest building in detention center and constructing jail on that site. After learning that a new jail option potentially could save Sarasota County taxpayers about $30 million in construction costs — along with approximately $170 million in operating expenses —...
Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium Prepares for Move to New Mote SEA
July 6, 2025, marked the final day that Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium’s City Island facility welcomed general public visitors. The organization is now focused on the launch of its new home, the Mote Science Education Aquarium (Mote SEA), at Nathan Benderson Park. The City Island campus will continue...
Sarasota commissioners weigh cheaper jail plan that buys only a decade of relief
SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - For decades, Sarasota County has struggled with a problem it has yet to solve — a jail built for 773 inmates that now holds well over a thousand. Hallways double as sleeping quarters. Inspections flag chronic overcrowding. And every proposed fix has come with a price tag large enough to give...
Manatee County residents push for more protection for Myakka River
MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Manatee County residents are fighting for more protection for the Myakka River, but state legislation could complicate future decisions. Growing up along the river means this is where Lindsey Leigh feels most at peace. “You feel so connected to nature when you’re here—anywhere along this...
Girl, 5, dies after being sucked into storm drain while playing with brothers and...
A LITTLE girl has died days after being sucked into a storm drain while playing with her brothers. Zaria Miller, five, was caught up in the accident that unfolded in Sarasota, Florida, on Sunday. She was pulled into the drain after a water main broke, causing intense suction. The accident sparked a desperate search...
Sarasota County to Offer Free Hazardous Waste Pick-up Service This Fall
Sarasota County residents will have a new, no-cost option to safely dispose of hazardous household materials this fall. From September through November 2025, the county will provide a Household Hazardous Waste Curbside Pick-up service free of charge. The program is designed for residents who are unable to transport...
Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office says girl pulled into storm drain has died
The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said a girl was in critical condition Monday after being pulled into a drainage system and has passed away, officials said.
Sarasota Sidewalk Art Set to Be Removed
The streets still gleamed with rain when dozens of protestors lined Orange Avenue this afternoon, seizing on a rare pause in days of downpours. Grandparents and 20-somethings spoke like old friends as they spilled out from the Social Equity through Education (SEE) Alliance building, animated by the impassioned words...
‘Dispute’ leads to shooting outside St. Petersburg home: police
Police said a "dispute" between two men led to a shooting in St. Petersburg Thursday night.
