About the Author: Josh Salman | Suncoast Searchlight
Florida ag commissioner hopeful pushes Greenbelt reform, citing ‘rent-a-cow’ story
A Republican vying to become Florida’s next commissioner of agriculture is urging for sweeping reforms to the state’s Greenbelt law, citing abuses highlighted in a Suncoast Searchlight investigation. Matt The Welder — whose birth [...]
Florida bill would let homeowners recall community development district boards
A new bill in the Florida Senate would add more homeowner protections and oversight to the boards that control governing decisions within community development districts across the state. The proposed reform would add provisions [...]
‘Our responsibility.’ Manatee superintendent ushers change after misconduct investigation
The Manatee County School District has implemented new teacher training and reinforced hiring practices following a Suncoast Searchlight and Bradenton Herald investigation into staff misconduct toward students. At least a dozen incidents during the [...]
Series of misconduct cases signals systemic breakdown in Manatee County schools
An elementary school resource teacher arrested for allegedly possessing child sexual abuse materials and footage of sexual activity with an animal. A middle school teacher arrested after allegedly sending a student explicit images on [...]
Sarasota Schools drafted a plan to prevent ‘Schools of Hope’ takeovers. Here’s what’s in it.
Sarasota County Schools has drawn up a sweeping plan to shrink its empty classroom space — and, in the process, try to shield itself from a new state law that allows charter schools to [...]
‘Schools of Hope’ law eyes underused public schools. But charters have empty seats, too
Florida’s new charter-school law promised to open more classrooms for kids. In Sarasota County, where enrollment has stalled and desks are supposedly sitting empty, it could just end up spreading school resources even thinner. [...]
Inside the Manatee casino case that named 1-800-ASK-GARY founder and went nowhere
When Manatee County Sheriff’s deputies raided the Spin Fun Arcade two years ago this month, they believed they were shutting down one of the county’s more blatant illegal gambling dens. Perched along U.S. 41 [...]
‘Over my dead body.’ Manatee schools prepare to battle charter takeover plans
Two Manatee County school facilities are targets in a large charter school company’s rush to take over dozens of underused schools across the state. Miami-based Mater Academy Inc. sent the notices to the School [...]
As Manatee targets illegal casinos, other counties’ crackdowns paid off
Marion County was riddled with storefront gambling dens — until it passed a local ordinance in 2021 that gave deputies more power to shut them down. Within months, the slot-machine parlors vanished. Sumter County saw [...]
‘Hostile takeover’: Charter operator files to occupy 3 Sarasota schools
Mater Academy Inc., a Miami-based charter school operator, has submitted notices to occupy three Sarasota County public school campuses, marking a sharp local escalation of the state’s newly expanded “Schools of Hope” law, which allows [...]
Charter expansions jeopardize Sarasota’s Wilkinson Elementary. Others could be next.
Sarasota County Schools announced preliminary plans last month to shutter Wilkinson Elementary and shift students to other public schools to stave off a charter operator from moving in to fill empty space. If approved, [...]
Manatee County to weigh crackdown on illegal adult arcades after media investigation
Manatee County soon will consider a plan to crack down on the illegal strip-mall casinos that have flourished in plain sight in defiance of a state ban — and to the frustration of local [...]
