📡Coming up today at 6 p.m. on WSLR 96.5: Turmoil in Venice - Ramon Lopez has exclusive interviews with Joan Farrell, the Venice City councilmember who just resigned, and Ron Smith, the sitting councilmember who was elected by a landslide after he said developer Pat Neal asked him to drop out.

First interview for my new “job”! Gretchen at @wslrnews.bsky.social was wonderful to talk with!

wslr.org/sarasota-cou...

Protest planned in North Port tomorrow: wslr.org/trumps-handl...

Citizens Protect The Ringling includes donors, board members of the Ringling Museum of Art Foundation and former chairs of the foundation, including Nancy Parrish: wslr.org/new-college-...

Elon Musk's "workforce optimization" causes confusion, job loss on the Suncoast too: wslr.org/musks-workfo...

Sarasota County commissioners unanimously sided against high-profile suburban projects twice in two days. We were there for the public comment and vote that rejected the rezone of farmland adjacent to the Celery Fields as part of a proposal by D.R. Horton to build 170 homes: wslr.org/sarasota-cou...

A Florida Senate bill could end development-funded public art. We talked to the Republican legislator whose district includes the city of Sarasota. She did not know of any colleagues planning to file a companion bill in the House, and indicated she would not support one. wslr.org/florida-sena...

The hearing was amazing. Over 50 people signed up for public comment, literally ages 9 to 90!

Today's big story: the Sarasota County Commission unanimously rejected the rezone of 50 acres of farmland adjacent to the Celery Fields as part of a proposal by D.R. Horton to build 170 homes. WSLR News reporter Ramon Lopez was at the meeting and will have a report on tonight's broadcast at 6.

Members of the Sarasota County School Board this week heard from the superintendent about policies and procedures in place regarding immigration enforcement officers and schools: wslr.org/sarasota-sch...

We talked to the author of "The Great Florida Cattle Drive" about "what Florida used to be like and could still be like, if we work hard enough to preserve it" ahead of his Feb. 16 book signing at Triangle Ranch: wslr.org/cattle-drive...

We attended the artist's reception for “Evoking Conversations of Historical Events, Current Issues and Race,” an exhibition of photographs by Lily Evans at Fogartyville, and spoke with Evans and Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative's Michele Redwine: wslr.org/black-arts-c...

Coming up at 6 p.m. on WSLR News: preview of Jan. 21 Stormwater Workshop of Sarasota County Commission; agenda includes presentation on rainfall impacts from 2024 storm season, overview of potential stormwater regulatory & operational changes - Listen at 96.5 FM in Sarasota or stream at WSLR.org

At a recent forum, local attorneys discussed the criminalization of immigrants and economic costs: wslr.org/trumps-depor...

The Sarasota County Fire Department wants to expand its coverage area. But its proposal to cut back the county’s last volunteer fire department increasingly looks too hot to handle. wslr.org/plan-to-shri...

We talked to Tsi Day Smyth of @voicesofflorida.bsky.social about Saturday's Women's March: wslr.org/this-saturda...

How much will it cost to keep the recently flooded Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall? wslr.org/engineer-est...

Commissioner Joe Neunder is the new chair of the Sarasota County Commission, passing over the more senior Ron Cutsinger.