While You Were Sleeping: Monday, Oct. 5

A wetter pattern is taking hold across the Suncoast, and some areas could pick up several inches before the week is out, WWSB / MySuncoast's forecast said early Monday. Today stays warm and humid, with highs in the upper 80s near Sarasota and Bradenton, around 90 inland and heat index values that could top 100, plus scattered afternoon storms. Rain turns more widespread Tuesday as a weak front stalls over Florida, with chances around 80% near the coast and 90% inland. Wednesday could be one of the wettest days, Thursday and Friday stay unsettled, and most of the area could see 1 to 3 inches this week, with locally higher totals. The National Hurricane Center says low pressure is likely to form over the southwestern Gulf around midweek, with a 40% chance of a tropical depression forming over seven days. Forecasters say it's too early to know whether it will affect the Suncoast.

Why it matters: Boating stays fairly calm Monday and Tuesday, but northeast winds pick up to 15 to 20 knots by Wednesday night.

A year after Sarasota County hired Ben Quartermaine to lead its new stormwater department, Suncoast Searchlight and the Florida Trident found signs of progress alongside lingering problems, in a report published Sunday by WUSF. Residents and commissioners praised his responsiveness, and some said crews are clearing ditches and culverts that had been neglected for years. But despite adding 26 employees, the department's vacancy rate has only moved from 20% to 18%, ten field-crew positions remain open, and the maintenance backlog has started growing again. Commissioners have committed more than $80 million to dredging clogged creeks, oxbows and bayous, but much of it is unspent. A permit to dredge a middle section of Phillippi Creek is still under review, with approval now targeted for the end of the year, and work there could slip well into 2027.

Why it matters: Phillippi Creek runs through some of the areas hardest hit by flooding in 2024.

Repairs to Venice's South Jetty, heavily damaged by the 2024 hurricanes, could be as long as two years from approval, the Venice Gondolier reported. Maj. Cory Bell of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the agency is finishing its major maintenance report and expects to send it up its chain of command this month. From there the project needs congressional authorization and funding through the Water Resources Development Act, and because the House has already closed this year's reviews, the next likely chance is 2028. Bell said the Corps can carry out the work but could not comment on its cost or timeline. Officials estimated in February that it could cost as much as $100 million and take five years.

Why it matters: The jetty guards the Venice Inlet, and its damage is still visible years after the storms.

Hundreds of people turned out in Old Miakka on Sunday for the Old Miakka Fall Hootenanny and Schoolhouse Benefit, WWSB / MySuncoast reported. The event featured hayrides, live music, backyard games and vendors around the historic schoolhouse, with food sales inside doubling as a fundraiser. Organizers said proceeds go toward preserving the 1914 building. Sarasota County Commissioner Teresa Mast said keeping a community gathering place like it is very important.

Why it matters: For families who grew up out east, the schoolhouse is the backdrop for stories passed down for generations.