Suncoast Searchlight kicks off series with former New York Times chief Dean Baquet - Suncoast Searchlight Suncoast Searchlight is launching a new series of community engagement events aimed at deepening public understanding of the media industry and connecting residents with the journalists who serve them...

The event marks a symbolic return for The New York Times in Sarasota. The Times Company once owned the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
suncoastsearchlight.org/suncoast-sea...

Charter filing at Sarasota’s Oak Park raises questions about special-needs services - Suncoast Searchlight What Florida’s Schools of Hope law says, how it changed and what charter schools are required to offer students with disabilities.

While some charter schools offer strong support for students with disabilities, research shows they generally enroll fewer such students and provide fewer specialized services than traditional public schools.
suncoastsearchlight.org/oak-park-spe...

Sarasota Sheriff cashes in on ICE crackdown - Suncoast Searchlight Sarasota County stands in sharp contrast to neighboring agencies, which have neither participated as extensively nor benefited as much from partnering with ICE.

Sarasota Sheriff's Office collected more than $280K in state funds for participating in federal immigration enforcement — outpacing any other agency in the Suncoast.
suncoastsearchlight.org/sarasota-she...

Inside the Manatee casino case that named 1-800-ASK-GARY founder and went nowhere - Suncoast Searchlight 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...

When Manatee Co deputies busted Spin Fun Arcade in 2023, they alleged Gary Kompothecras — the well-known Sarasota businessman — was behind the operation. suncoastsearchlight.org/manatee-casi...

DeSoto Memorial weighs offers from major health systems as challenges mount - Suncoast Searchlight Proposals include a 49-year lease with Tampa General, a $52 million sale to AdventHealth or a management deal with NorthStar Hospitals.

Proposals include a 49-year lease with Tampa General, a $52 million sale to AdventHealth or a management deal with NorthStar Hospitals.

When you gotta go… don’t go to Sarasota City Hall - Suncoast Searchlight Bathrooms at City Hall have been closed for months, forcing employees and patrons next door or to trailer potties outside.

For months now, every toilet in the historic building has been shut down as crews rip out and replace its crumbling plumbing.

Most Suncoast lawmakers quiet as charter school expansion fuels local upheaval - Suncoast Searchlight Suncoast Searchlight first reached out Friday to state legislators about 'Schools of Hope' and its local implications. Only two talked.

The same Suncoast lawmakers who voted to let charter schools move into underused public campuses have stayed quiet amid a Miami-based charter operator’s early push to occupy local schools.

Government transparency expert David Cuillier on ICE ‘cloak of secrecy’ - Suncoast Searchlight ICE's lack of transparency is "dangerous for democracy," said David Cuillier, director of the University of Florida’s Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project in a Q&A with Suncoast Searchlig...

“We have to sound the alarm and let everybody know that this is a threat to democracy,” said David Cuillier, director of the University of Florida’s Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project.

A big thank you to Renee James Gilmore for having Suncoast Searchlight's Emily Le Coz on Empowering Voices (ABC7 Sarasota - WWSB) to talk about our journalism and the state of the media industry. Watch the show >> shorturl.at/vxIfL

Hillsborough and Florida DOGE, New College's ROI, worship safety and the Tuskegee nursing legacy On "Live & Local, we explore Hillsborough County’s DOGE audit, New College’s rising costs, safety in houses of worship and the legacy of the trailblazing nurses for the Tuskegee Airmen.

Thank you to WUSF Public Media's Florida Matter for interviewing our reporter Alice Herman about her reporting on efforts to privatize New College of Florida. (Starting at the 12-min mark) shorturl.at/K6ImZ

Read the story here: shorturl.at/IMaOc

Read the story here: shorturl.at/Z2Ml2

Sarasota County’s kindergarten immunization rates have dropped to their lowest point in decades. shorturl.at/zPKSB

Laurel Oak HOA is fining motorists up to $200 for exceeding its speed limit. shorturl.at/rGcT9

Roughly 200 right-wing activists gathered at a Venice country club to plot a course of action. shorturl.at/CX7IS

More than 91,000 people in the Suncoast region live in rental housing. Half of them cannot afford it. shorturl.at/UIWjz

📣 We’re hiring a local government & politics reporter! Join our team: suncoastsearchlight.org/job-openings

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A few examples of our work:
We exposed Sarasota County’s neglected stormwater system: shorturl.at/98t7M
We broke the story of donors pulling support from The Ringling: shorturl.at/lZKvB
We investigated special districts that give developers long-term control over neighborhoods: shorturl.at/nEjBx

Too many critical local stories go untold. We’re here to change that. Our work is free to read, free to republish and designed to inform, empower and connect people across the Suncoast.

Our team focuses on investigative and accountability journalism — deep reporting that holds power to account and puts community voices front and center.

👋 Hi Bluesky! We’re Suncoast Searchlight — a nonprofit newsroom covering Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties in Florida. We’re here to shine a light on the issues that matter most.