Suncoast Searchlight

Like many local ranchers, DeSoto County's Newt Keen said he’s worried about the future of the industry, especially after President Donald Trump announced he will be easing tariffs for foreign beef — a move some agricultural experts fear could further weaken the country’s future beef supply.

Sarasota County could see major cuts to critical services if Amendment 3 passes at the ballot box in November, with the Sheriff’s Office alone standing to lose more than $50 million of the property tax revenue it currently receives, new projections show.

DeSoto County commissioners approved a one-year moratorium on data centers Tuesday, but it won’t apply to rezoning applications tied to an 800-plus-acre data center project proposed earlier this year.

Two decades ago this summer, a bottlenose dolphin made international headlines after he was spotted swimming through Sarasota Bay wearing an extra-large men’s Speedo. The dolphin, named Scrappy, was found caught in the swimsuit, unable to escape as the fabric cut deep into his soft, gray skin. Today, Scrappy is still alive, still swimming in Sarasota Bay — and thanks to researchers who freed him — helping tell a much bigger story about dolphin conservation.

As Suncoast areas continue to grapple with the effect of short-term vacation rentals, the industry’s most dominant player has staked a major claim in Florida's premier 2026 election. Airbnb, the online marketplace at the center of local fights over neighborhood rentals, has contributed $1 million to the political committee supporting Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds, who previously backed legislation to curb local regulation of the industry.

As DeSoto County leaders have pursued what they hope will become an economic lifeline, they have accelerated reviews and embraced interpretations of county rules that help clear the way for a massive data center project whose environmental impacts remain largely unknown.

Local officials say an effort by Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature to cut property taxes could be a knockout punch amid efforts by the state to erode home rule, strip power away from local governments and shift crucial community decisions up to Tallahassee.

Cultural and political division in Florida and across the country has spread beyond heated arguments on social media and around Thanksgiving tables.

The ongoing fight between Sarasota County Schools and Tax Collector Mike Moran over millions in tax dollars is now drawing attention in Tallahassee, where state lawmakers are proposing a change that could clarify who pays the cost of collecting voter-approved school taxes.