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The morning the latest Florida legislation cemented a statewide six-week abortion ban, administrators and physicians from the country’s largest reproductive healthcare and abortion clinic spoke directly to Floridians at a press conference about their strategy and focus going forward following yet another pivotal movement in the ongoing battle over abortion access.
Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida, headquartered in Sarasota, was the site of the rallying cry for pro-abortion advocates as physicians explained the new challenges abortion providers face now that the controversial bill has taken hold earlier this week.
Chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood Robyn Schickler spoke to the weight of the new legislation not just on patients seeking abortion care but the difficulties physicians face with the recent changes to the law.
“Exceptions to these bans are not sufficient. It puts doctors like me in place of interpreting laws when we’ve had medical training. We have to then learn to interpret the law to figure out if we can or can’t take care of a patient,” Schickler said.
"I think the right word or phrase is moral injury," she said following the media address.
"When you are doing something or not doing something, that goes against your ethics. Particularly for abortion providers all over the country they are suffering from moral injury because we have these skills and we went through extra training to take care of people... it's been rough."
Over the past few weeks, the clock has been ticking down to a near-total abortion ban in the state. Schlicker said she and other abortion providers across Florida worked to provide services to patients up until the last hour that they legally could.
In a harrowing account from the Supernova Music Festival in Israel, one attendee who faced a nightmare during the surprise attack by Hamas told SNN his story.
Among the 3,500 young people at the Festival was Yuval Simon Tov.
He recounted how moments of confusion and mistaking lights in the sky for fireworks, quickly escalated into sheer terror.
He and his friends fled the festival in their car, attempting to seek safety, only to be attacked by members of Hamas.
“There were eight motorcycles and then two semi-trailers full of the terrorists, and they were just shooting at us for at least 15 seconds,” said Simon Tov. “And then the first bullet, my friend was dead, he just got hit in the stomach. And he was just screaming ‘I’m dead, I’m dead, I need your help, I’m dead.’ And it was like a moment that I never, never, never forget for sure.”
Simon Tov reveals that due to adrenaline, he didn’t realize he had been shot as well.
On May 14, Yuval will be in Sarasota to share more of his story during Israel Unity Day with the Jewish Federation of Sarasota-Manatee.
It’s easy for me, and so many of us who live in and love the Sunshine State, to picture the iconic Florida day. It’s a trip to the beach, getting sand between our toes as we swim, walk, play, lounge, and soak up the sun and salt air.
But that perfect day at the beach could be gone forever if we continue to pump nitrogen pollution into our coastal waters and fuel the growth of harmful algal blooms, such as the red tide that has ravaged large areas of the Florida coast. Despite this, the federal government is looking to add even more nitrogen pollution to our coast by pushing for industrial fish farms off Florida, ignoring the industry’s troubled record of water quality issues caused by huge quantities of fish waste and uneaten fish feed.
Of all the states, Florida is on the frontline of the battle to keep industrial fish farms from overwhelming our nation’s coasts. That’s because two fish farms proposed for federal waters off the continental U.S. are both on Florida’s Gulf coast. The first — proposed offshore from Sarasota — has even received permits to build, but is temporarily held up by a legal challenge by conservation and consumer organizations. A second proposed farm off Pensacola Beach is in federal permitting, with public hearings still to come.
The federal government has also proposed a number of what they call “aquaculture opportunity areas” in the Gulf of Mexico, which would designate certain offshore areas as favorable for the location of industrial fish farms. Three of these areas are located off Florida’s west coast in the area offshore from St. Pete south to Naples. When the federal government held a public comment period on the proposal, about 80% of those who commented were opposed.
More homeowners in Florida are coming face-to-face with animals, with Florida Fish and Wildlife saying they're getting more calls to respond to yards and neighborhoods.
VENICE — A 5-acre parcel near Snook Haven has been purchased by Sarasota County as part of the program to preserve sensitive land.
The land is at 3905 E. Venice Ave. in Venice and is in a priority conservation area of Sarasota County's Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program, according to a news release.
It is near Snook Haven Park and Sleeping Turtles Preserve South and in close proximity to another recent purchase along E. Venice Avenue.
"We have been able to acquire beautiful, natural sites with the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program," Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Director Nicole Rissler stated in the news release. "These sites are important for local wildlife and are key for connectivity in the area."
Notable wildlife sightings on the property include gopher tortoises, red-shouldered hawks and great horned owls. Diverse plant life inhabits the property as well, including southern red cedar, cabbage palm and pond cypress.
The property consists of mesic flatwood and remnant scrubby flatwood habitat.
The newly acquired property was secured through Sarasota County's ESLPP, a voter-approved and taxpayer-funded program designed to acquire and protect natural lands and parklands.
Sarasota County has purchased more than 40,000 acres of land to set aside for preservation through the program since it was originally approved by voters in 1999. Last week, Sarasota County officials announced the purchase of a 43-acre property near the Deer Prairie Creek Preserve, just outside North Port's city limits.
Last year, Sarasota County bought 25 acres of woodlands along the Myakka River between North Port and Englewood. The county bought 43 acres near the Myakka River bordering the city of North Port last week.
Community members interested in nominating land to be considered for county acquisition may complete a land nomination form.
Just eight days after purchasing almost 43.5 acres on Woodland Avenue in North Port, Sarasota County staff added another 5-acre site to its conserved land inventory, thanks to funding available through the county’s Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program (ESLPP).
On April 12, the county paid $950,000 for the parcel located at 3905 E. Venice Ave. in Venice, as shown in the records maintained by the Sarasota County Property Appraiser’s Office.
A county news release pointed out that the land was in a location that gave it a high priority, as it is close to Snook Haven Park (5000 E. Venice Ave.) and Sleeping Turtles Preserve South “and in close proximity” to another recent purchase along East Venice Avenue.
“We have been able to acquire beautiful, natural sites with the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program,” said Nicole Rissler, director of the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department, in the county news release. “These sites are important for local wildlife and are key for connectivity in the area,” she added.
Among the notable wildlife spotted on the East Venice Avenue property have been gopher tortoises, red-shouldered hawks and great horned owls, the release says. “Diverse plant life inhabits the property as well, including southern red cedar, cabbage palm and pond cypress,” the release points out.
“The property consists of mesic flatwood and remnant scrubby flatwood habitat,” the release adds.
As The Sarasota News Leader has explained, the ESLPP is a voter-approved and taxpayer-funded program established to acquire and protect natural lands and parklands. Property owners pay 0.25 mills on their property bills each year to generate revenue for the program.
The county’s website points out that the ESLPP began in 1999. “Since its inception, the ESLPP has protected and preserved more than 40,540 acres of natural habitat, with more than 21,000 of those acres placed under a conservation easement. Conservation easements remove the land’s development rights and require the landowner, current and future, to protect the land for greenways, water quality, habitat, and wildlife protection in perpetuity.”
In response to a public records request this week, the News Leader learned that the members of the county’s Environmentally Sensitive Lands Oversight Committee (ESLOC) discussed the purchase of the East Venice Avenue parcel during their regular meeting on June 1, 2023.
The person who nominated the property was Becky Morgan, the related form said; a revocable living trust in her name was the entity that formally sold the land to the county.
HCA Florida Englewood Hospital, Sarasota County and North Port city officials held a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday to formally begin construction on a freestanding emergency department.
The HCA Florida Wellen Park Emergency center will be constructed at the corner of Tamiami Trail and Preto Boulevard at 7070 S Tamiami Trail in Venice.
The 11,300 square foot freestanding emergency department will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and is expected to serve more than 10,000 patients annually. The facility will feature 11 exam rooms and offer full-service emergency care, including laboratory, x-rays, CT scanning and ultrasound capabilities.
The new $31 million emergency center is anticipated to open in spring 2025, the 40th anniversary of HCA Florida Englewood Hospital.
“Today, we have taken another step forward to expand access to high-quality emergency care in the rapidly growing south Sarasota County region,” said Joe Rudisill, Chief Executive Officer of HCA Florida Englewood Hospital. “From emergency care to hospital care, we will continue to build to match the community’s healthcare needs as it grows.”
This project connects the Wellen Park residential community to HCA Florida Healthcare services already available in Sarasota County and across the state at more than 650 affiliated sites of care.
Some more details:
HCA Florida Englewood Hospital breaks ground on $31 million Wellen Park free-standing ER
The 30-acre parcel is larger than needed for the facility and leaves ample room for expansion.
Once it opens in the spring of 2025, the $31 million facility is expected to serve more than 10,000 patients annually.
It will be the second free-standing emergency facility in the city. Sarasota Memorial Health Care System opened its free-standing ER in Sept. 2009.
HCA Florida Fawcett Hospital opened a free-standing ER just east of the North Port city limits in Port Charlotte.
“We want to thank HCA for making such a significant investment in our community,” North Port City Manager Jerome Fletcher said in the same statement. “We are lucky to have such a reputable company planting its flag here in North Port. Its presence is going to have a huge impact on our local economy and quality of life and will help to create a booming health care industry in our city.”
Residents in the city of North Port have long clamored for an actual hospital within city limits, though the efforts were long stymied by the state of Florida’s certificate of need process, which was abolished in July 2019.
Sarasota Memorial Health Care plans to break ground on that long-awaited North Port hospital and emergency room of its own in Wellen Park in 2025.
Filling a healthcare void in south Sarasota County
Both HCA Healthcare West Florida hospitals and Sarasota Memorial Health Care System have been taking steps to fill a healthcare void in south Sarasota County created when Community Health Systems Inc. closed its 312-bed Shore Point Health Venice hospital in August 2022,
That decision prompted Sarasota Memorial to hasten efforts to expand its hospital on Laurel Road and opened an urgent care center near the intersection of U.S. 41 and Jacaranda Boulevard last October.
In February, HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital quietly purchased a 1.384-acre parcel at 901 U.S. 41 Bypass South – just outside the Venice city limits – for $2.6 million and plans to replace the existing structure with a new free-standing ER similar to what HCA Englewood is building in Englewood.
“We will open a free-standing emergency room, HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors South Emergency, to conveniently serve our patients who live in Venice and the surrounding areas,” Bob Meade, CEO at HCA Florida Sarasota Doctors Hospital, said in an email through a hospital spokeswoman.
That emergency room is anticipated to be 10,898 square feet and will have onsite laboratory, imaging and pharmacy departments.
The targeted opening date is mid-2025 – the same as HCA’s new Wellen Park facility.
Flying several hours to come to a code compliance hearing is the reality for John Gasparini from Maryland.
“This has really been an inconvenience,” he said. “I’m having north of $2,000 in expenses.”
Gasparini lives in Baltimore but owns a house in Cape Coral.
His house was tagged by FEMA as having unpermitted work.
“FEMA determined that there was a violation, which precipitated this whole need for me to come here and basically testify and defend myself,” Gasparini said.
His hearing was scheduled for Thursday where he and 50 others stood before the code compliance special magistrate and waited to hear his decision.
“FEMA can make these charges,” said Gasparini. “You really have no control.”
Gasparini did everything right.
He pulled a permit for his pool screen and dock repairs and filled out the FEMA packet.
The special magistrate found him not guilty.
Gasparini says it’s nice to know he’s in compliance, but he has words for others about this situation.
“Be careful of FEMA,” he said. “That’s my overall assessment.”
Friday is the last day of these code compliance hearings where another 50 people will go before the special magistrate and have their cases heard.
FEMA tagged 207 homes in Cape Coral as having unpermitted work.
After Thursday, 150 people had gone before the special magistrate.
Forty-seven of those people were found not guilty of having unpermitted work and filling out the FEMA paperwork.
Sarasota County has launched a new educational series to help homeowners associations and residents with an array of challenges often encountered in neighborhoods, from stormwater management to wildlife interactions.
Developed by UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County experts, the free, online Neighborhood Best Practices series offers multiple self-help modules that address frequently asked questions and common misconceptions about managing common-area resources.
“Launching the Neighborhood Best Practices online program marks a significant step forward in our community's access to education, offering resources and expertise to foster sustainable practices to enrich our neighborhoods,” said Ashley Ellis, Sarasota County Extension residential horticulture agent.
Balancing resource management for community benefit and environmental protection—along with keeping costs in check—can be challenging for neighborhoods due to various factors, such as limited technical knowledge, differing opinions on strategies, changes in board leadership and even navigating regulations.
The Neighborhood Best Practices educational series provides a valuable resource to help homeowners associations and residents alike work toward that balance. The series covers subject areas specific to living in a planned community, including:
• Stormwater management
• Florida-Friendly LandscapingTM
• Tree-care management
• Irrigation and fertilization
• Best practices for living near a preservation area
• Wildlife interactions
• Community gardening and composting
• Coastal systems
The self-paced modules provide participants with a deep understanding of various aspects of environmental and community management in Sarasota County and how these elements intertwine. Participation in the program can help individuals and groups build and foster more sustainable, responsible neighborhoods.
The Neighborhood Best Practices series allows individuals to obtain a certification by completing all modules and assessments or choose a non-certification option by reviewing just those modules that best meet their needs. Registration is available via:
Learn more about the Neighborhood Best Practices series, including eight supporting program factsheets, a detailed resource list, and registration details: Learn Best Practices For My Neighborhood webpage:
Have you taken our Lead and Copper Survey yet? We need YOU to self-report your service line material. Public Utilities Field Operations Division Manager Andy Ward is here to teach you how to determine what your service line is made of. To help prevent exposure to lead in our customers' water, take our survey now at:
On Wednesday, April 24, Sarasota County Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources received a donation of $65,000 from the Friends of Phillippi Estate Park, a chapter of Friends of Sarasota County Parks (FOSCP).
This contribution is earmarked to support the ongoing 1916 historic Keith Farmhouse Restoration Project, a future interpretive center that will show the history and natural environment of the park. The donation brings the total to more than $200,000 that has been provided to the county from the Friends of Phillipi Estate Park in support of improvements to protect and enhance the historical and cultural significance of Phillippi Estate Park.
April 24 also marked the conclusion of the Phillippi Farmhouse Market for the season. It was a poignant moment as Fred and Grace Whitehouse retired from their roles as managers of the Phillippi Farmhouse Market. However, they will continue their volunteer work serving on the FOSCP Board.
The Phillippi Farmhouse Market is Sarasota’s mid-week farmers market. The Farmhouse Market is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Wednesday, October through April, at Phillippi Estate Park, just a little south of Sarasota on 41.
Over 50 vendors offer produce and plants from local growers and producers, as well as prepared foods, specialty and sustainable items, and Florida agriculturally-related products. Food and produce vendors at the Phillippi Farmhouse Market are required to be growers to support the market’s mission of promoting local agriculture. The market is easily accessible from US 41 and has plenty of free parking and live entertainment.
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