About the Author: Suncoast Searchlight Staff
Is DeSoto County still under a burn ban?
Yes. DeSoto County was placed under a burn ban late last year due to a drought emergency, and that ban is still in effect. Under the ban, residents are prohibited from: Starting bonfires or campfires [...]
Are some private beaches legally available for public use in Florida?
Yes. Florida recognizes a “recreational customary use doctrine,” which can allow the public to use portions of privately owned dry sand beaches for activities like walking or sunbathing if that use has been long-standing, open, [...]
Has Florida’s property tax revenue increased by about $24 billion since 2019?
Yes. In 2024, Floridians paid $24 billion more in property taxes than in 2019. Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed during a recent appearance on Varney & Co., a show on Fox Business network, that Florida’s property [...]
Did a study name Sarasota the most dangerous county for drivers on New Year’s Eve?
Yes. In a study released by CarInsurance.com, Sarasota was ranked as the county with the most auto-related fatalities in the nation on New Year’s Eve, with 2.3 deaths per 100,000 people. That stat is based [...]
Are Sarasota County deputies now patrolling Interstate 75 to help FHP?
Yes. The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office received a $160,000 grant to target aggressive driving and speeding on Interstate 75. The grant is funded through a contract with the Florida Department of Transportation. It funds overtime [...]
Do undocumented immigrants receive the same government benefits as U.S. citizens?
No. Undocumented immigrants aren’t eligible for many programs and privileges that U.S. citizens can access, including SNAP, Medicaid and, in some states, receiving a driver’s license. In 19 states and the District of Columbia, however, [...]
Do some major thoroughfares in Sarasota County lack street lights?
Yes. Major thoroughfares built prior to 2001 were not required to have street lighting, and some of them still do not. That’s because street lighting was required for these roadways only with the adoption of [...]
Were 230 illegal immigrants arrested in a single operation in Florida?
Yes. About 230 unauthorized immigrants were arrested in Operation Criminal Return, a 10-day joint operation between ICE and Florida law enforcement that was launched on Oct. 25. The people targeted all were convicted criminals and [...]
Is over 60% of Florida under conservation or used for agriculture?
No. About 47% of Florida’s 36 million acres is devoted to agriculture or natural conservation, according to a 2024 University of Florida study. In a Nov. 10 Substack article by Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse, [...]
Do iguanas really “rain” from trees in Florida?
Yes. When temperatures get cold enough in Florida, iguanas can freeze up and fall out of trees. But they’re not dead –– they enter a temporary state of paralysis as the cold weather causes their [...]
Is Publix required by law to allow open carry in stores?
No. There is no new Florida law that requires companies to permit the open carry of firearms in stores. Supermarket chain Publix recently announced it would allow open carry in its stores to follow “all [...]
Do school zone speed cameras have a grace period?
No. School zone speed limits are enforced by cameras that will ticket drivers until the final minute of the enforcement period. The cameras are active for the time period during school hours. That exact timeframe [...]
