USF Sarasota-Manatee to add its first student housing by 2024

Down at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee campus, they are officially planning to add student housing – for the first time ever.

Learning to fish is more than a day on the water for students at The Haven in Sarasota

Some say a day on the water is better than any day inside, especially when you have a good catch. It's definitely true for participants in the Venice Police Department's Shark Tooth Fishing Tournament.

Nearly 200 acres of Old Miakka land to be preserved as developments push East in Sarasota County

Cow pastures and the rural way of life are slowly disappearing in Sarasota County as developments continue to push East. Now, nearly 200 acres of land will remain untouched and forever preserved in Old Miakka. 

Bay Area program gives families a head start on saving for college

Saving for college can be a daunting task, especially with the cost of food and housing going up, but a Bay Area head start program is helping families stash cash away for higher education. 

Some Florida cities and counties move forward with smoking bans on beaches, parks

Florida cities and counties are snuffing out smoking at beaches and parks to keep cigarette butts away from the sand. Sarasota, St. Petersburg and Pinellas County are a few that are moving forward with smoking bans on beaches. 

Fossil hunters continue trespassing in Wellen Park construction zone, North Port police say

There's enough large signs warning visitors not to come into the construction area at Wellen Park in North Port. But, police said they continue to receive calls about people not only digging, but bringing their own equipment to hunt for fossils. 

Florida first responders surprise grandmothers with elaborate pregnancy reveal

A Davenport firefighter, a Sarasota paramedic, and a Venice PD marine officer conspired to carry out an elaborate pregnancy reveal, surprising both of the baby's grandmothers with the good news. 

‘It’s a disgrace’: Animal advocates want stiff sentence for father, daughter accused of burning raccoon alive

Animal advocates rallied for the harshest penalties possible after a raccoon was stabbed and then set on fire in a dumpster in Sarasota. It comes just one day after a father and daughter were arrested and charged with felony animal cruelty.

Community rallies around family of couple killed in food truck crash on I-75

Carlos Mendoza and Alondra Lopez died when their food truck blew a tire, crashed on I-75, and caught on fire in the median — trapping the husband and wife inside. Food trucks from across the area immediately began working together to help the family, raising thousands of dollars to support the couple's 4-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter.

13-year-old dies nearly two weeks after hit-and-run crash, man arrested on upgraded charges

The roadside memorial for a 13-year-old girl hit by a car earlier this month is growing in Sarasota County. She died from her injuries over the weekend, nearly two weeks after the hit-and-run crash.

Beagles removed from Virginia breeding facility available for adoption at Humane Society of Sarasota County

Over a dozen beagles at the Humane Society of Sarasota County were rescued from a medical testing facility in Virginia last month and are ready for their forever home. If you're interested, the shelter is accepting adoption applications.

Sarasota deputies shoot, kill armed man accused of pointing a gun at them after threatening his girlfriend

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a fatal deputy-involved shooting after deputies say an armed man, accused of threatening his girlfriend with a firearm, aimed a semi-automatic weapon at them as they tried to deescalate the situation. 

South Florida man dies at Crescent Beach in Sarasota

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a South Florida man died at Crescent Beach on Saturday afternoon.

Armed man accused of killing girlfriend 2 days after domestic battery arrest dies after threatening deputy

A man accused of killing his girlfriend and stabbing a pet days after being released from jail on domestic battery charges has died after he charged at law enforcement officers with a knife, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office.