Sarasota

Legal documents cited common law acts and statutes dating back to the 1700s and 1800s. Lawyers say the case has wasted tens of thousands in taxpayer money.

Residents say the estimated 5,000 new homes would extend into what is now ranches and farms between Fruitville Road and University Parkway.

Florida House Institute and Sarasota Urban ReForesters are creating micro forests in the Sarasota region as an environmental strategy to combat climate change. When 4,000 trees and plants are planted on a small parcel of land, a micro forest is created. The goal of the project is to grow a 100-year forest in just 10 years

Something exciting is happening in Sarasota. Public artworks are cropping everywhere you look and residents and tourists aren’t just taking notice. They’re stopping, engaging, and basking in the ambiance. It's all part of the Sarasota Office of Public Art’s master plan.

The City of Sarasota has announced that it will move forward to meet its goal of 100% renewable energy generation by 2045. In collaboration with the Sierra Club, the Race to Zero campaign and local partners and communities, the city will be working to identify how to create a more affordable and equitable clean energy future.

Southwest Florida has a few Romeo and Juliet stories, including the tragic tale of lovers Amos and Ingrid.

Governor Ron DeSantis has appealed a Leon County Circuit Court Judge’s ruling striking down his executive order barring school districts from imposing student mask mandates.Florida Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran sent a letter, last week, threatening to withhold state funding from the Lee County School district due to its mask-wearing policy for students, which only allows students to opt-out with a doctor’s note.The Florida Department of Health, last month, changed the way it reports the number of deaths from COVID-19 to a method that misleads people into believe there's been a decline in deaths.The Orlando Utilities Commission is reminding customers to conserve water as an unprecedented surge in the coronavirus causes a shortage of liquid oxygen. Two weeks after making the request, the utility says customers are saving on water, but not enough.With Florida legislative committee meetings starting later this month in advance of the 2022 annual law-making session, the state Senate is not planning to limit public access as Florida continues battling the COVID-19 pandemic.The Carnival Cruise Line plans to require proof of vaccination for passengers when cruises resume from some Florida ports in November.Federal COVID rental assistance relief funds in Sarasota and Manatee County have been slow to reach residents in need.

A lawsuit challenging Governor Ron DeSantis’ ban on school districts imposing mask mandates for students is expected to conclude today. Lee Health reported a new record high of 641 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, Tuesday. Lee Health has reached 98% of staffed operational capacity and could soon begin seeing patients in traditionally non-treatment areas like cafeterias.Doctors are urging pregnant patients to get a COVID-19 vaccine and hoping the FDA’s full approval of the Pfizer vaccine will help people overcome vaccine hesitancy.The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is not taking action against staff who knowingly spread COVID-19 by coming to work, despite a positive test and symptoms.Disney is requiring union workers to get vaccinated or lose their jobs.

State health officials reported 4,504 new COVID-19 infections and 71 deaths on Thursday. As of Thursday morning, more than 9.1 million people in Florida have been vaccinated, including more than 6.6 million who are fully vaccinated with either two-doses or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.Local Governments in Southwest Florida and beyond are allowing emergency declarations and COVID restrictions to end following Governor Ron DeSantis’ executive order, Monday, lifting all coronavirus restrictions imposed by local governments.COVID restrictions are being loosened in Florida courthouse buildings. The CDC has issued guidance to cruise lines about how they can begin trial voyages and theme parks in Central Florida are planning to do away with temperature checks as the CDC’s guidance is changing.

At the signing of a bill banning COVID-19 passports, Monday, Governor Ron DeSantis announced a surprise executive order suspending all local emergency orders related to the pandemic.In opposition to CDC guidance, last week Florida Surgeon General Dr. Scott Rivkees issued an advisory saying that Floridians who have been fully inoculated against COVID-19 no longer need to wear masks in public.State health officials report 3,075 new COVID-19 cases and 39 Deaths on Monday. More than 8.9 million people in Florida have been vaccinated including more than 2.5 million who have received a first dose, and more than 6.3 million people who have been fully vaccinated.Sarasota County’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program aimed at helping those facing financial hardship from the pandemic and struggling to pay rent will begin taking applications May 5.