About the Author: Suncoast Searchlight Staff
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 [...]
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 [...]
Abuelas, jardineros, incluso niños, caen en la sombría base de datos migratoria del estado de Florida
Traducción por Aimée Barat Read in English here Cuando un agente de la oficina del alguacil del condado de Manatee detuvo a Jean Gustave en septiembre, el haitiano de 45 años tenía Estatus de [...]
How we extracted thousands of records from Florida’s immigration dashboard
An investigation into Florida’s immigration surveillance system found that law enforcement officers have submitted tens of thousands of people they suspect may be in the country without authorization to a state database — including hundreds of [...]
Grandmothers, landscapers, even kids, swept into Florida’s shadowy immigration database
Leer en español aquí. When a Manatee County Sheriff’s deputy pulled over Jean Gustave in September, the 45-year-old Haitian man had temporary protected status, offering him legal protection from detention and deportation. An investigation [...]
DeSoto approves data center moratorium, but controversial project can advance
DeSoto County commissioners approved a one-year moratorium on data centers Tuesday, but it won’t apply to rezoning applications tied to an 800-plus-acre data center project proposed earlier this year. The unanimous vote by four [...]
Three open seats could change the direction of Sarasota County Schools
Sarasota County voters are set to cast their ballots in an election that will reshape the school board after years of tumultuous meetings over issues like mask mandates, inclusion policies and even national topics [...]
D.C. event reveals extremist ties in Florida DOGE’s national push
On a July evening in Washington D.C., right-wing operatives and artificial intelligence enthusiasts gathered in a historic building on Capitol Hill to sip cocktails and hear from Florida officials about their efforts to slash [...]
Suncoast lawmakers hollowed out home rule. Do voters care?
On a late afternoon in May, Sarasota County’s statehouse liaison explained to a group of residents how a controversial state law required county staff to approve large apartment projects despite heavy opposition. It was [...]
Sarasota County blocks hyperscale data centers for at least one year
Sarasota County will not even consider the notion of any large-scale data centers for at least a year, citing concerns over utility resources and environmental degradation. Commissioners voted on Wednesday to halt the “acceptance, [...]
After public outcry, DeSoto County moves forward on data center moratorium
After nearly three hours of emotional public comment, DeSoto County commissioners on Tuesday took the first step toward a one-year moratorium on data centers. By a unanimous vote, four of the county’s commissioners — [...]
DeSoto County fast-tracked data center project, now commissioners may hit pause
As DeSoto County leaders have pursued what they hope will become an economic lifeline, they have accelerated reviews and embraced interpretations of county rules that help clear the way for a massive data center [...]
