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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

6:11

Episode 110: Two Towers Want to Be Taller

WSLR News: Stories ·

2024/12/21

City of Sarasota Development Review Committee meetings usually are technical back-and-forths between city planners and developers about garbage truck access, signage, parking and the like. But they also are the first time the public gets to see big development plans. This week, two separate 18-floor luxury condo tower projects in or near downtown bowed before public. Neither of the two is allowed to build taller than 11 floors under local zoning. But each of them is fielding a different

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4:23

Episode 109: Amazon Workers Prepare a 48-Hour Warning...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2024/12/19

Workers at 24 Amazon sites throughout the United States have voted to join a union, but the world's biggest retailer has refused to sit down and bargain. That, in turn, has prompted a 48 hour warning strike and pickets organized by the Teamsters. The actions are set for tomorrow, Thursday, within less than a week from Christmas. Planned actions include picketing at Amazon distribution centers in this region.

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7:57

Episode 108: Take Over of Nokomis Volunteer Fire...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2024/12/19

The Sarasota County Fire Department wants to take over the last remaining volunteer fire department in the area. On Tuesday, the Sarasota County Commission was scheduled to consider an ordinance that would dramatically affect the Nokomis Volunteer Fire Department, which was established in 1950 but before newly elected chairman Joe Nunder opened the public hearing, he suggested postponing consideration of the controversial item because of much public protest over the move, and to allow time

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7:48

Episode 107: Rural Resident Aims to Halt Urban Sprawl

WSLR News: Stories ·

2024/12/19

Nancy Edmondson is the offspring of one of Sarasota County's long standing farming families. Last year, the county bought her family's Nokomis homestead and 32 acres of agricultural land surrounding it for historic preservation. But she wants more done to protect rural Sarasota.

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8:38

Episode 106: The Obsidian's Successor Hits a Hurdle

WSLR News: Stories ·

2024/12/14

When a luxury developer proposed the tallest tower yet for downtown Sarasota, it went down in a hail of criticism, both by planners and the public. The developer shaved 15 feet off and put it back before city planners. This week, the second version came before the City Planning Commission, due to an appeal by neighbors. Florence Fahringer reports.

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5:28

Episode 105: New Commission Starts Off with Strategic...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2024/12/14

Before the start of every year, the Sarasota County commissioners sit down at a strategic retreat to figure out their long-term goals. This year, the county administrator decided to host the meeting on Friday the 13th, in a building named in honor of the biggest commercial developer in this area. The priority-setting exercise comes on the heels of a historic storm season. It also happens as the number of residents struggling financially is at a historic high. Our news team spent part of the

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3:28

Episode 104: Commissioners Pick Mike Moran's Replacement

WSLR News: Stories ·

2024/12/14

The Mike Moran era is over. This Friday morning on the sunlit top floor of the Benderson Finish Tower, the five Sarasota County commissioners — including two new ones — unanimously picked a new chairman. Moran’s successor is the commissioner who has voted with him most consistently.

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6:37

Episode 103: Organization Aims to Facilitate...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2024/12/12

Having conversations across the aisle about hot-button political issues was never easy. But today it's a major challenge. So it was not too surprising that some of the loudest local proponents of mass deportations and wall-building were absent at an event on Monday in Sarasota that was designed to channel controversial discussion of immigration policy. We talked to the co-founder of "Conversations Across the Aisle".

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4:59

Episode 102: What Trump's Win Means for Democrats

WSLR News: Stories ·

2024/12/12

The big win for Trump wasn't as big as it seems. And it's another episode of the whipsaw politics we've seen for many decades now. Political analyst John Nichols spoke in Sarasota, and Ramon Lopez has this report.

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3:55

Episode 101: Affordable Housing Materializing in Manatee

WSLR News: Stories ·

2024/12/12

Affordable housing entrepreneur Mark Vengroff gave a presentation to Manatee County Commissioners about a workforce housing project in a high-profile location on the Tamiami Trail, just south of Cortez Road in Bradenton. At issue was the request of his One-Stop Housing non-profit for a $5.6 million catalyst loan from Manatee County.

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4:17

Episode 100: Manatee County Commission Picks a New Chair

WSLR News: Stories ·

2024/12/12

The Manatee County Commission has a new chair. At the commission meeting on Tuesday, he was voted in unanimously, and as the sole nominee. Commissioner George Kruse will hold the gavel beginning January. Meanwhile, a sitting commissioner who will be facing re-election in two years, sent a signal he is trying to make amends with an anti-development minded base.

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7:03

Episode 99: How will Trump Treat Mexico?

WSLR News: Stories ·

2024/12/12

Speaking of immigration: Dr. Tony Payan is a border guy. He has taught political science and done a lot of research on both sides of the Rio Grande — or Bravo, if you like. He sat on cross-border panels in El Paso, Ciudad Juarez and Houston, and he has served on a US-Mexico energy initiative. Tomorrow night, he will be in Sarasota to share insights about U.S. relations with our southern neighbors, as a new administration takes the reins in Washington in January. We talked to him by phone

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6:26

Episode 98: Theater Project Hopes to Break Ground in...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2024/12/07

Florida Studio Theater has ambitious plans for an eight-story building on their campus in downtown Sarasota that will cost it a cool $57 million. City planners discussed the proposal this week, and Ramon Lopez got the details.

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7:12

Episode 97: Public-Sector Unions Struggle against New...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2024/12/07

Unions have been on a roll in Southwest Florida lately. Warehouse workers, truckers, bank tellers and baristas have joined unions in droves over the last two years in this region. But the picture is mixed for public-sector employee unions, as the Republican state legislature has made it harder for them to be recertified. School teachers’ unions throughout the state have cleared the new obstacles with flying colors, but the story looks different for groundskeepers, school bus drivers,

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5:23

Episode 96: Income Discrimination in Lakewood Ranch HOAs

WSLR News: Stories ·

2024/12/07

In a Lakewood Ranch community, rules meant to maintain order and safety are being used to push people out. Ashley Washington’s battle with the Woodleaf Hammock Homeowners Association highlights how income discrimination in housing is hurting vulnerable residents. Dayana Melendez spoke with Washington, and Ruth Beltran, a community organizer and host of “The Ruthless Truth” on WSLR, about the struggles Washington is facing.

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6:44

Episode 95: Sarasota's New Commission Meets

WSLR News: Stories ·

2024/12/05

The newly constituted Sarasota City Commission went through a test on Monday. That test came about when Commissioner Jen Ahearn-Koch made a motion to take back a vote the outgoing commission made a month earlier. At issue was a downtown street the city handed over to a developer, before seeing the developer's site plan. Ahearn-Koch wanted more discussion on how the developer's yet-to-be-known project would benefit the public.

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5:48

Episode 94: John Nichols Says Democrats Must Be...

WSLR News: Stories ·

2024/12/05

As the national affairs correspondent for the Nation magazine, John Nichols views national politics through a progressive lens. He will put the election in perspective during a presentation and discussion at the Fogartyville Community Center this Saturday, 7 pm. WSLR's Peace and Justice Report host Tom Walker interviewed Nichols this morning.

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6:23

Episode 93: State Approves FPL Price Hike

WSLR News: Stories ·

2024/12/05

On Tuesday, a state panel unanimously approved a $1.2 billion dollar storm recovery package for Florida Power & Light. This allows FPL, come January, to hike the average monthly electricity bill by 12 dollars. This is pretty much routine, and it will keep the corporation in the black and its investors happy. But one public advocate spoke against approval at the Public Service Commission meeting in Tallahassee. Johannes Werner spoke to Jordan Luebkemann, an attorney representing Florida

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7:04

Episode 92: Laid Off PGT Worker Is "Pissed Off"

WSLR News: Stories ·

2024/12/05

The week before Thanksgiving, amid what still looks like a boom for window and door makers, local manufacturer PGT Innovations laid off 225 workers in Tampa, and then another 150 in Venice. The layoffs came after PGT was taken over by Miter Brands, a Pennsylvania-based company. Johannes Werner talked to one Venice worker who says he and his wife lost their jobs the same day.

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2:17

Episode 91: Crearte Moves to New Location

WSLR News: Stories ·

2024/11/30

Crearte Latino is a well-established player in the local culture scene. They are moving to new digs, and Noah Vinsky lets us know about the why and how.

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