In mid-December 2025, a major U.S. Marshals-led operation, “Northern Lights,” recovered 43 critically missing children across North Florida and neighboring states, with agencies finding kids as young as 18 months, many at risk of trafficking or exploitation, marking the most successful operation in North Florida’s history. This follows another large-scale, late 2025 Florida-focused effort, “Operation Home for […]
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Stephen King’s Ties to Sarasota
Photo: Shane Leonard Sarasota news events: Stephen King views Sarasota: not as a typical pristine vacation spot, but as a place with “texture”—a term he uses to describe the city’s complex, somewhat “funky” character that differentiates it from more manicured Florida locales. As of 2025, King remains a part-time resident, spending winters at his secluded […]
Sarasota County faces lawsuit over Siesta Key Waterfront
Sarasota County faces lawsuit over controversial Siesta Key land swap Siesta Key businessman Michael Holderness sued Sarasota County, arguing that county signs encouraged the public to use a section of his private beach near Beach Access 3. To resolve the dispute, the county agreed to a settlement that would transfer ownership of the contested […]
Thunder By The Bay 2026
Sarasota news events: 28th Annual Thunder By The Bay Festival Announces Three Headline Acts – Special Guest – A New Name Don’t miss one of Florida’s most anticipated festivals — a weekend filled with music, motors, and making a difference! The 28th Annual Thunder By The Bay Music & Motors Festival returns to the Sarasota […]
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe Venue -2026
Sarasota newspaper News Events https://www.westcoastblacktheatre.org/ Paradise Blue January 7 – February 8, 2026 Paradise Blue is a gripping drama by Dominique Morisseau, set in 1949 in Detroit’s Black Bottom neighborhood. Gifted trumpet player Blue contemplates selling Paradise, his once-vibrant jazz club to shake free of the demons of his past and better his life. But in […]
Tourism Down 7.5% – 2025
Sarasota News Events: Sarasota tourism in October 2025 continued a downward trend compared to the previous year, with a decline in visitor numbers and spending. While average hotel room rates increased, the number of room nights sold and overall direct visitor expenditures decreased, with the year-to-date visitor count down about 7.5% from 2024. Key performance indicators […]
51 Birds Rescued in Two Weeks, 12 Dead
Published by: https://www.facebook.com/friendsofthepelicans November 20, 2025 Friends of the Pelicans, Inc. Update: 51 Rescued, 12 Dead in two weeks Since our last update two weeks ago, we have rescued 51 birds (50 juvenile brown pelicans and one snowy egret) and have also come upon 12 dead pelicans for a total of 63 birds. That’s 63 […]
Lakewood Ranch Business Threatened By Tariffs
Op-Ed Letter from Lorraine Sayer, Lakewood Ranch business owner: By permission. The biggest shopping day of the year is just days away, but this year will be different for my business and thousands of other small businesses. For 23 years, I have run a small business built on transparency, craftsmanship, and trust. My company, The […]
October Real Estate Report 2025: Up 29%
The REALTOR® Association of Sarasota and Manatee (RASM) has released its October 2025 real estate market report, offering a detailed look at post-hurricane recovery trends across the region. According to data from Florida REALTORS®, the housing market in Sarasota and Manatee counties posted a strong year-over-year rebound in October, one year after Hurricane Milton disrupted […]
Sarasota Ponzi Schemers Too Good to Be True
Sarasota has been the location of several significant Ponzi schemes. Notorious cases have involved operators who defrauded investors out of millions of dollars by promising high returns and using new investor funds to pay existing ones. Below is a list of some of the notable Ponzi schemes associated with the Sarasota area: Michael J. DaCorta […]