WSLR News - Episode 318: WSLR News Fri., Jan. 24: County burns volunteer firefighters; non-profit news outlet relaunches; coalition building; John Lennon

Episode 318: WSLR News Fri., Jan. 24: County burns volunteer firefighters; non-profit news outlet relaunches; coalition building; John Lennon

01/24/25 • 31 min

It was not what many in the community - and two men on the dais - wanted: This week, the Sarasota County Commission voted for what looks pretty much like the beginning of the end for the last volunteer fire district in the county. Ramon Lopez reports.
Then: The news desert keeps growing, but new wells are springing up. We report about the second version of a million-dollar news project on the Suncoast a non-profit is about to launch.
Next: Progress dies in isolation. Preventing that is what an event about coalition building this week in Sarasota was about, and we have a report with hands-on advice.
Finally: You have a chance this weekend to see John Lennon up close. WMNF tells you how.

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undefined - Episode 317: WSLR News Wed., Jan. 22: Lessons from flooding; Lakewood Ranch Southeast lawsuit; light pollution at Myakka; marches in Sarasota

Episode 317: WSLR News Wed., Jan. 22: Lessons from flooding; Lakewood Ranch Southeast lawsuit; light pollution at Myakka; marches in Sarasota

Sarasota County was ground zero for flooding in Florida this storm season. Yesterday, the Sarasota County Commission held a workshop on stormwater management, and Ramon Lopez was there.

Then: Yesterday, three appellate judges heard arguments in a lawsuit that tries to stop the Lakewood Ranch Southeast mega-development. We listened closely to the judges’ questions.

Next: Light pollution is getting worse at Myakka River State Park. The Our Changing Environment show on WSLR put the spotlight on that problem.

Finally: Between the second Trump inauguration, Jimmy Carter’s passing, and marches, it was a weekend of contrasts. We bring you a few impressions from the streets of Sarasota.

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undefined - Episode 319: WSLR News Wed., Feb. 5, 2025: New College expansion; cell phone use in Sarasota schools; funding freeze affects Sarasota Bay Estuary Program; Lakewood Ranch plaintiff interview;

Episode 319: WSLR News Wed., Feb. 5, 2025: New College expansion; cell phone use in Sarasota schools; funding freeze affects Sarasota Bay Estuary Program; Lakewood Ranch plaintiff interview;

New College is land-hungry. But the administrators’ efforts to expand the small campus have yielded mixed results. This week they seem to have scored one win and one loss.

Then: Cell-phone use at school is a thorny subject. The Sarasota school district waded into the controversy by polling students and parents. Ramon Lopez reports about the survey’s results.

Next: The federal spending freeze this week affected at least one local program. We tell you how.

Finally: The developer of Lakewood Ranch scored a major victory last week in a Tampa appeals court for their massive expansion plans in Sarasota County. We had an in-depth interview with the plaintiff about what’s next, and what this all means.