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WSLR News: Stories

Individual pieces from the reporters and volunteers at WSLR News on WSLR 96.5 FM - Sarasota"s own community radio

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All Episodes

5:21

Episode 230: Witness speaks about FSU Student Union...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2025/04/18

Yesterday, gunshots rang out at Florida State University in Tallahassee. The Student Union is still considered an active crime scene. Two people were killed: Robert Morales, the university’s dining coordinator and an alumnus of the school. The other victim has not been publicly identified. Six were wounded and are expected to recover. Notably, there was another shooting at a Dallas high school earlier this week in which five people were hospitalized. We talked to one FSU witness. Alex

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6:17

Episode 229: Strained U.S.-Canada relations may drive...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2025/04/17

The Trump Administration’s tariffs and 51st state rhetoric are being met with strong reactions by Canadians. Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently urged his fellow Canadians: “Now is the time to choose Canada,” and “it might mean changing your summer vacation plans to stay here in Canada.” WSLR News reporter Jennifer Johnston spoke with two Canadians who live in Sarasota to hear their side.

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14:49

Episode 228: David Kotok on what to expect from the...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2025/04/17

Hard times are likely ahead for the ability to borrow for the City of Sarasota, Manatee County and all the other municipalities on the Suncoast. That’s a prediction by bond expert David Kotok. Expect federal defunding, tariff wars and other executive measures to make big local ripples, says the founder of Sarasota-based investment outfit Cumberland Advisors. Johannes Werner reports.

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3:41

Episode 227: Suncoast Searchlight: Sarasota and...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2025/04/17

Home values in Sarasota and Manatee counties are falling faster than almost anywhere else in the country. This signals a sharp reversal in one of the nation’s most overheated housing markets and raises concerns about the broader economic health of the Suncoast. Derek Gilliam with the Suncoast Searchlight reports.

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6:43

Episode 226: Hundreds of anti-Fauci demonstrators...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2025/04/17

Dr. Anthony Fauci was the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases until 2022, during Trump’s first administration. As such, he was one of the most visible figures of the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On Monday, he spoke, twice, to a sold-out crowd at the 1,700-seat Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, as part of the Ringling College Library Association’s speaker series. An estimated couple hundred protesters came to welcome the audience

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6:09

Episode 225: What's next for Joan Farrell and the...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2025/04/17

Venice City Council member Joan Farrell made ripples last week when she resigned in protest against peers after they seemingly favored Pat Neal, the heavyweight developer, over a project in her city. WSLR’s Ramon Lopez interviewed Farrell, who won her seat just last fall as an underdog, beating an incumbent. Lopez also talked to Ron Smith, who was elected by landslide after he said Neal had asked him to drop out.

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4:47

Episode 224: Jon Thaxton offers a mix of praise and...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2025/04/12

Sarasota County is not even close to solving the affordable housing crisis. And the commission is not doing everything within its power to remedy that. Case in point: A developer this week started tearing down one of the biggest retail properties in the county—Sarasota Square Mall—to redevelop it with housing. But they will not build a single affordable unit. So on Tuesday, one of the foremost affordable housing advocates in Sarasota gave commissioners a thumbs-up after they unanimously

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5:28

Episode 223: Commission decides Sarasota County will...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2025/04/12

Planning for 13,000 homes at buildout, the 10,000-acre Hi Hat Ranch is the biggest residential development ever in Sarasota County. After an investigative report by the Florida Trident revealed seemingly inappropriate communications between a former county commissioner on behalf of the developer and county staff, Sarasota County commissioners felt blindsided. In February, they suspended a 4-1 vote in January in which they agreed to provide road access to the development, and they scheduled

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3:57

Episode 222: County launches buyout program for...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2025/04/12

Sarasota County just launched a program that buys out repeatedly flooded homeowners. Its funding—at barely $6.5 million—is moderate, and it will probably be depleted after the first 20 or so buyouts. But in a county and a state that do not officially use the words “climate change,” this may come as a bit of a surprise to some. WSLR News intern Farah Vallecillo had a closer look at the county’s first Voluntary Home Buyout Program.

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5:51

Episode 221: Venice Council member resigns after...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2025/04/12

Developer heavyweight Pat Neal got his way again, this time in Venice. That prompted council member Joan Farrell to resign in frustration. WSLR News reporter Ramon Lopez fills us in.

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3:54

Episode 220: 'Cowpoke Correspondent' discusses the...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2025/04/10

Did you know there’s a cattle drive in Florida? Ramon Lopez recently put on his boots and hat, and he has more on that.

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3:12

Episode 219: Suncoast Searchlight: Sarasota schools...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2025/04/10

Next Tuesday, the Sarasota School Board is set to vote on ending a mental health program, which has at least one school board member worried. Kara Newhouse with the Suncoast Searchlight reports.

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6:00

Episode 218: Nationwide Hands-Off protest draws...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2025/04/10

More that 1,200 “Hands-Off” protests nationwide mobilized millions of people this Saturday. That included hundreds in Venice and Englewood and hundreds more at two protests in Bradenton. The two biggest Hands-Off events were in Sarasota. Jennifer Johnston was at the downtown bayfront protest; Gretchen Cochran covered the protest at the Sarasota Tesla dealership.

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4:08

Episode 217: Developer's shopping center plans...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2025/04/10

Developer Pat Neal got his way with a commercial development at a Venice Council meeting, but the outcome was far from certain. Ramon Lopez was following that meeting closely.

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3:53

Episode 216: Controversial figure Russell Brand to...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2025/04/10

Russell Brand will appear on New College’s “Socratic Stage” on Saturday, framed by Sarasota Film Festival screenings at the same venue. The British actor and comedian is facing rape and sexual assault charges in British and U.S. courts involving five women that happened years ago. Meanwhile, at least one local group announced they will be protesting outside New College’s Sainer Pavilion. Johannes Werner has the details.

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4:47

Episode 215: USF asserts nothing's imminent, but...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2025/04/10

New College President Richard Corcoran produced an outline to take over the neighboring campus from USF Sarasota-Manatee. A recent open document request by local news station WUSF made that outline and interactions with USF administrators public. Those USF administrators are now telling their faculty that nothing is imminent, but WSLR News reporter Alex Lieberman talked to one USF professor who continues to worry.

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5:01

Episode 214: What's playing at the Sarasota Film...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2025/04/05

At the Sarasota Film Festival it’s now back to film, after a supposedly satirical map of Florida depicting Canada as the “51st state” stirred controversy—wanted or unwanted—a week before opening. On opening night, WSLR News intern Farah Vallecillo picked a few films for you.

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5:07

Episode 213: Manatee County Commission talks...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2025/04/05

Too much new development in rural areas is the issue that produced upsets in Manatee County elections last fall, adding two grassroots candidates to the county commission, while turning at least two incumbents into outspoken development skeptics. This week, as part of its ongoing effort to update the comprehensive plan—the document that is supposed to guide all new development—the Manatee County Commissioners spent a good amount of time discussing transportation alternatives. Meanwhile,

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7:10

Episode 212: Architects criticize downtown Sarasota...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2025/04/05

Andrés Duany, the father of New Urbanism who helped give birth to Sarasota’s downtown development plan more than two decades ago, liked what he saw. But the current race for height in and around the city center is now prompting pushback among other architects and urban planners. WSLR News reporter Gretchen Cochran listened to the critics.

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3:51

Episode 211: DOGE takeover of USIP forces speaker to...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2025/04/03

Ripples from the actions of the Department of Government Efficiency, otherwise known as DOGE, were felt locally again last week when a speaker who was supposed to lecture at Sarasota World Affairs Council (SWAC) was laid off and had to cancel. WSLR News intern Alex Lieberman has more.

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