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1 week ago | 
sarasotamagazine.com | Megan McDonald |Megan Mcdonald
Forty-four years ago, in June 1981, the first cases of HIV/AIDS were reported in the United States. So began an epidemic that’s killed more than 39 million people around the world and 500,000 people in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Today, about 1.1 million Americans live with HIV/AIDs, and 38,000 new cases are diagnosed in this country each year.
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3 weeks ago | 
sarasotamagazine.com | Megan McDonald |Megan Mcdonald |Lauren Jackson
We dare you not to polish off a whole bag of Meaney’s Mini Donuts in one sitting—these light, almost beignet-like little treats are totally addictive. Best bet: the strawberry cheesecake, featuring cream cheese frosting topped with strawberry jam. 201 Canal Drive, Siesta Key; 382 St. Armands Circle, Sarasota
If you’ve never experienced Gold Star Donuts before, you can expect a broad selection of classic flavors done just right.
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4 weeks ago | 
sarasotamagazine.com | Megan McDonald |Megan Mcdonald |Kim Doleatto
What Are Natural Disasters Doing to Our Mental Health? Hurricanes wreak havoc on our houses and businesses, but just as serious is the harm to our mental health.
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4 weeks ago | 
sarasotamagazine.com | Megan McDonald |Megan Mcdonald
At 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 26, 2024, Tara Green and her partner, Steven Taylor, were at home on Siesta Key, deciding what to make for dinner. Outside, the wind had started to pick up and gray clouds hung low in the sky, a reminder that Hurricane Helene was churning more than 100 miles offshore. The hurricane, a violent Category 4 storm, was forecast to make landfall near Florida’s Big Bend later that night, so most residents thought Sarasota would be spared the worst.
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1 month ago | 
sarasotamagazine.com | Megan McDonald |Megan Mcdonald
Pee-wee as Himself, a new two-part documentary about Sarasota's Paul Reubens—a.k.a. Pee-Wee Herman—is now streaming on HBO Max.
Reubens, who died in 2023 after a long battle with cancer that he kept private for years, created the of Pee-wee character while performing as part of The Groundlings, an underground comedy troupe in Los Angeles. HBO picked up a show about Pee-wee in 1981, and Reubens went on to star in films including Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985) and Big Top Pee-wee (1988).
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1 month ago | 
sarasotamagazine.com | Megan McDonald |Megan Mcdonald
In 2022, Selby Gardens botanist Dr. John L. Clark was also part of a team that discovered a new plant species called Amalophyllon miraculum—or "miracle plant"—in an area of Ecuador that botanists had almost entirely written off because of deforestation.
Now, Clark and a team of researchers have discovered four more new plant species after extensive field research in the rainforests of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
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1 month ago | 
sarasotamagazine.com | Megan McDonald |Megan Mcdonald
The beloved beach—the only U.S. destination on the list—received high marks for its famous white quartz sand, which stays cool even on hot days; natural beauty; and gentle slope and calm water. Siesta Beach's easy access to the Gulf and beachgoers' chances of experiencing beautiful weather also earned it top marks.
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2 months ago | 
sarasotamagazine.com | Kim Doleatto |Lauren Jackson |Cooper Levey-Baker |Megan McDonald |Megan Mcdonald
That’s a question those of us at Sarasota Magazine found ourselves asking again and again as we set out to compile a list of the region’s most influential individuals. Does power mean the ability to sway local government? Or does it come from having a huge national following? Does being wealthy make one powerful? Or does real power come from donating to causes important to you? These are all questions we debated, and they each helped shape our thinking in putting together this list.
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Mar 4, 2025 | 
sarasotamagazine.com | Megan McDonald |Megan Mcdonald
Journalist and author Jonathan Eig spent six years—the entire pandemic and then some—holed up in his Chicago laundry-room-slash-office writing King: A Life, a 688-page biography of Martin Luther King Jr. It was time well spent.
Before Eig, many other biographers had tackled King's life story. But what makes Eig's approach different is how it humanizes a man who looms so large in our collective consciousness.
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Mar 3, 2025 | 
sarasotamagazine.com | Cooper Levey-Baker |Kim Doleatto |Lauren Jackson |Megan McDonald |Megan Mcdonald
Meet eight people who are making our region a better place. Plus: Eat like a local, meet Pittsburgh Pirates phenom Paul Skenes and tour 10 buildings that have shaped Sarasota's history. Lee DeLieto Sr. Helps Young People Thrive“We’re teaching woodworking, plumbing, electrical. That’s crucial, because many of those families need as much income as they can bring home.”David Shuel Helps People Find Work and Support After Being Incarcerated“These guys come here and they’re wounded. They’re hurt.
