Sarasota County

The Southwest Florida Water Management District extended strict watering restrictions for a second time.

Programming that helped thousands of children and families could now be under threat if a new proposal by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is approved after a public comment period that ends next month. Announced in August, the proposal wouldn’t directly cut funding to Head Start — a federal program that provides free childcare and preschool services to low-income families — but it would eliminate many of its federal regulations. Sarasota County providers worry the change could ultimately reduce funding and make it more difficult to maintain support for families.

If Florida voters approve Amendment 3 in November, cities and counties across the state could lose roughly $12 billion a year in property tax revenue — forcing local officials to cut spending, find other sources of money or shrink the services they provide. What would that mean on the Suncoast?

Without the planned economic revitalization of Newtown, Jetson Grimes, owner of Jetson’s Creative Trends hair salon since 1982, isn’t sure neighborhood businesses like his will survive.

More than a hundred people are now left without a place to shower, wash clothes and get out of the heat and a church has had to reduce services and hours as it works to address a code violation and neighborhood complaints.

State lawmakers have tried to address the affordability crisis by encouraging more attainable housing development. But experts say one of their biggest efforts yet — the Live Local Act — will instead flood the market with units that fail to address the core need. Many will remain out of reach for middle-class renters like teachers, secretaries and firefighters.

Nearly seven hours passed from the beginning of public comments to the North Port City Commission’s vote Monday to advance an 18-month data center moratorium. By then, evening had turned August into September, and the crowd of hundreds thinned into a dozen or so die-hard opponents.

Appeals court reverses order sealing and destroying records in Ziegler investigation, affirming Florida’s public records law.

Roughly 80 people had come to City Hall on Monday evening for an open house on the city’s parking situation, which has rankled residents and business owners for months.