Coronavirus, Shark, MAGA Teens: Top Stories In Sarasota For 2020

SARASOTA, FL — The coronavirus pandemic dominated headlines — and the interest of Patch readers — in the Sarasota area in 2020.

And for good reason. These are unprecedented times and new information about COVID-19, as well as how communities have battled the spread of the virus, has been released daily.

But other stories unrelated to coronavirus grabbed readers’ attention in 2020, as well. Here are some of the top Patch stories in Sarasota this year.

Coronavirus in the news

From the start of the pandemic, Sarasota-area residents turned to Patch for answers. One of the top-read stories came at the beginning of April as Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a stay-at-home order for Florida residents. They also watched with interest as the number of coronavirus cases in the state increased over the summer and again as the number skyrocketed this fall. In early December, the state surpassed 1 million cases since the start of the pandemic, a number that continues to grow.

They continued to follow statewide coronavirus news on Sarasota Patch as the governor announced new antibody testing sites in May and then argued over the summer that Florida students should return to school in person this fall.

Many readers also checked out a story about a group of Florida mayors who criticized DeSantis for not embracing a statewide mask mandate in November.

Some local coronavirus-related stories also topped the news this year. Through Patch, many readers learned about Sarasota’s mandatory face covering mandate in June. They were also interested in TakeoutSRQ, an initiative by a local digital marketing agency to support restaurants in the Sarasota area during the pandemic.

The community also mourned when they learned that Robert Shackelford, a longtime Sarasota high school social studies teacher, lost his battle with coronavirus.

Masks in the schools was a hot topic, as well. Sarasota County Schools issued a mask mandate for all students, teachers and visitors at any school and extended it in October, despite pushback from some parents. This prompted a group of parents to sue the school over its mask mandate. The lawsuit is still pending.

2020 Elections

This year’s elections brought many changes to local leadership.

Republicans swept the three Sarasota County Commission races in the 2020 elections. Michael A. Moran, Nancy Detert and Ron Cutsinger each won their districts.

Meanwhile, there were changes to the Sarasota City Commission, as well. Liz Alpert retained her district two seat. Kyle Scott Battie defeated incumbent Willie Charles Shaw and first-time candidate Erik “E” Arroyo also won a seat.

More Than 24,000 Lost Power In Sarasota County

It was an active hurricane season, though the Sarasota area luckily only had to contend with Tropical Storm Eta in November. It was a wild storm that threatened the area as it hit South Florida, turned into the Gulf and then turned back around for a second threat days later. Many readers followed Patch for storm updates, safety tips and news about the aftermath.

Student Trump Fans Gather In Controversial MAGA Gear Again
A group of Riverview High School students dressed as Pres. Donald Trump and wore pro-Trump shirts during spirit week in October. Despite the controversy and clashes with other students, they donned the MAGA gear again a few days later.

Charges Add Up For Men Who Ran $6 Million Ponzi Scheme

Two area men face federal charges related to running a Ponzi scheme. Kenneth Murray Rossman, 62, of Bradenton and Phillip Roy Wasserman, 63, of Sarasota defrauded clients — mostly seniors — of more than $6 million.

Controversial WWII Statue Focus Of Debate Over History, Assault

The infamous "Unconditional Surrender" statue — lauded by some as a celebration of the end of World War II and criticized by others as a symbol of a woman groped against her will — will be relocated from Sarasota's bayfront to make way for a roundabout at U.S. 41 and Gulfstream Avenue. The move — as well as the statue’s very existence — sparked heated debate among Sarasota residents in November.

Sarasota Boy Hospitalized After Pellet Gun Injury

A 10-year-old boy was taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital in February after being struck in the back by a pellet.

$180K Helps ‘Alice’s Restaurant’ Namesake Pay Medical Bills, Rent

Two Sarasota musicians, the founders of the new wave band Human Sexual Response, raised funds for their longtime friend Alice Brock, who inspired Arlo Guthrie’s Thanksgiving song “Alice’s Restaurant.”

After Rare Shark Attack, Man Walks Home Bleeding

A 39-year-old man was bitten by a shark in Siesta Key waters in December, Shark attacks are rare in Sarasota County. The last one was in 2007.

Southwest Airlines To Fly Out Of SRQ In 2021

Southwest Airlines will expand its Florida service by adding flights to the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) in the first quarter of 2021.

Sarasota Man Faces Charges Following Police Standoff

A 31-year-old Sarasota man has been charged with kidnapping and other offenses following a police standoff in September.

Lucky’s Market Closing All But One Florida Store

All but one of the Colorado-based supermarket chain’s 21 stores in Florida closed in February, including several in the Sarasota region.

Former Sarasota Mayor Suffers Medical Emergency

Readers were concerned when former Sarasota mayor and then city commissioner Willie Charles Shaw suffered a medical emergency on his way home from a commission meeting in June.