WSLR News

Episode 298: WSLR News Wed., Nov 13: Forward Together; VanWezel damage; city hands over downtown street to developer; Southgate Mall rezone

Less than 100 hours after U.S. voters returned Donald Trump to the White House, and two citizen-initiated amendments in Florida failed, a bunch of teenagers and twenty-somethings assembled at a churc…

00:28:52 | Wed 13 Nov 2024

Episode 297: WSLR News, Fri. Nov 8: Walking while black; Manatee County election analysis; dike breach; state house races; hospital board and charter review board elections

After hurricane Milton, a black teenager who walked through his own neighborhood in suburban Sarasota in search of a phone signal was harassed by neighbors. Now, the Sarasota Sheriff's Department ann…

00:30:43 | Fri 08 Nov 2024

Episode 296: WSLR News, Wed. Nov. 6: Post-election roundup

First, we'll bring you a summary of the most important results statewide, with a take by one of the few winning Democrats in the state. Then: The balance of the Sarasota City commission may have chan…

00:31:01 | Wed 06 Nov 2024

Episode 295: WSLR News Fri., Nov. 1: Mobile home havoc; overdevelopment concern; Steube vs Lopez; Florida House District 74 race

Mobile home park residents are usually among those hardest hit by hurricanes. But this storm season has been particularly hard, as Della Hale reports. Next: Sarasota County commissions an annual surv…

00:31:25 | Fri 01 Nov 2024

Episode 294: WSLR News Wed., Oct. 30: Post-hurricane reconstruction; NASA seeks hot spots in Sarasota; Big Mama's Collard Green Festival

Flooding and winds have caused more than $1 billion in damage in Sarasota-Manatee this year. How will we rebuild? WSLR reporter Mark Warriner is asking the hard questions, and we will air part one of…

00:30:29 | Wed 30 Oct 2024

Episode 293: WSLR News Fri., Oct. 25: Hydrologist finds breach that may have caused flooding; Sarasota subsidizes developer program; Sarasota warehouse workers join union; LGBTQ community hit hard by storms;

What caused a quite new subdivision in suburban Sarasota to be under water after Tropical Storm Debby? An expert found a smoking gun, and he has a series of recommendations for Sarasota County on how…

00:30:16 | Fri 25 Oct 2024

Episode 292: WSLR News Wed., Oct. 23, 2024: Climate change and City of Sarasota planning; red tide looming; diminished dunes; storms and the Nov. 5 elections; Sarasota Charter Review Board candidates

Sarasota City Commissioners were going to get a presentation about water quality in the Bay after recent storms. But Dr. Dave Tomasko went beyond that and made the commissioners look at the big pictu…

00:30:44 | Wed 23 Oct 2024

Episode 291: WSLR News Fri., Oct. 18: Will DeSantis say 'climate change'? Solar obstacles; 'walking while black' in suburban Sarasota; warehouse workers unionize; laid off restaurant workers; school reopening

On Thursday, the governor stopped in Sarasota again, to talk about robust hurricane response and school reopening. We asked Ron DeSantis about climate change and the lack of flood insurance. Next: A …

00:30:46 | Fri 18 Oct 2024

Episode 290: WSLR News, Wed. Oct. 16: Day 7 after Milton: Recovery roundup; insurance; debris removal; seniors facing disaster

A week after the direct hit, WSLR News reporter Ramon Lopez brings you a roundup of the area's robust recovery after Milton. Next: At a protest in St. Petersburg, elected officials and community acti…

00:31:24 | Wed 16 Oct 2024

Episode 289: WSLR News Fri, Oct 11: Hurricane Milton recovery; destruction on Casey Key; interview with a Siesta Key activist; interview with a fireman; updates on water service, roads and bridges, airports; a theater reopens

Coming up: A summary of Milton's impact. Then: WSLR reporter Ramon Lopez made it to Casey Key, after its second flooding. Then: We talk to community organizer Lourdes Ramirez whose home on Siesta Key…

00:31:40 | Sat 12 Oct 2024

Episode 288: WSLR News Fri., Oct. 4, 2024: Florida constitutional amendments; Plymouth Harbor expansion; book bans; hospital board race

Not just two, but six constitutional amendments will be on the ballot in Florida on Nov. 5. We'll give you a roundup of the four state-initiated amendments, plus we'll talk about the chances the two …

00:30:47 | Fri 04 Oct 2024

Episode 287: WSLR News Wed., Oct. 2, 2024: Sarasota performing arts center; Sarasota city manager succession; Sarasota Bay after Helene; Overtown Square

If it happens, a new performing arts center would be the most expensive project in the history of the City of Sarasota. The project took another step closer to becoming reality this week, and our rep…

00:30:17 | Thu 03 Oct 2024

Episode 286: WSLR News Fri., Sept 27, 2024: Hurricane Helene damage; storm surge; Bob Graham's planning legacy; Alpert vs. Kashden

Hurricane Helene sideswiped us at a good distance in the Gulf. But that's little consolation to thousands of barrier island residents here who suffered flooding from a historic storm surge. We have a…

00:31:28 | Fri 27 Sep 2024

Episode 285: WSLR News Fri., Sept. 20: NCF Student Newspaper goes independent, City Commissioner defends his record, School Board deals with staffing problems, Sarasota's Chimps in the spotlight, a first look at the Performing Arts Center design

First, we’ll hear how New College student and alumni journalists are launching an independent newspaper; next, an incumbent city commissioner answers criticisms from his challenger; then, we’ll learn…

00:30:00 | Fri 20 Sep 2024

Episode 284: WSLR News Fri., Sept. 6: Sarasota County Commission diverts public school funds for private building industry institution, WCBTT performs to GOTV, District 73 State House Race, Sarasota City Master Plan meeting, Siesta Key's density holds steady

The Sarasota County Commission has $15 million to allocate for job training in the wake of Hurricane Ian. Some commissioners were ready to give it all to the Suncoast Builders Association. The West …

00:30:00 | Mon 16 Sep 2024

Episode 284: WSLR News Fri., Sept. 6: Sarasota County Commission diverts public school funds for private building industry institution, WCBTT performs to GOTV, a look at th District 73 State House Race,

The Sarasota County Commission has $15 million to allocate for job training in the wake of Hurricane Ian. Some commissioners were ready to give it all to the Suncoast Builders Association. The West …

00:30:00 | Mon 16 Sep 2024

Episode 283: WSLR News Fri., Sept. 6: Legislative priorities at the School Board, Historic Colson Hotel update, City Commission District 1, Tax Collector Candidates at Tiger Bay, and Marcus-Powelll stops in Sarasota

We will hear about what the Sarasota County School Board picked as their legislative priorities for the coming year. Next up, we discuss the latest updates in the saga to save the historic Colson Hot…

00:30:00 | Fri 06 Sep 2024

Episode 282: WSLR News Fri., Aug. 30 : County Approves Massive Development after Flooding, Calusa Lakes new development proposal, Tax Collector debate, Desantis pulls park plan, Uhurs 3 face trial

The Sarasota County Commission approves a massive new housing development just weeks after floodwaters subside in nearby neighborhoods; residents of Calusa Lakes respond to another new development pr…

00:30:00 | Sat 31 Aug 2024

Episode 281: WSLR News Fri., Aug. 23: Teenagers impact election; DNC Chicago; cultural center in Newtown

Sarasota is seen by many as a testing ground for the right-wing Project 2025. But these elections sent a strong signal of pushback, and that came - in a big part - from high school students. We have …

00:31:06 | Fri 23 Aug 2024

Episode 280: WSLR News Wed., Aug 21: The primary election results edition

Yesterday we had a primary election, and our Manatee County analyst says the sweep by grassroots candidates was historic. We're dedicating this newscast to the elections, beginning with a roundup by …

00:33:42 | Wed 21 Aug 2024

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