Dan Scanlan Reporter email
Dan Scanlan is a veteran journalist with almost 40 years as a radio, television and print reporter in the Jacksonville area, as well as years of broadcast work in the Northeast. An avid automobile enthusiast who has written about classic cars and events for national magazines, Dan began his broadcast career at radio stations in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. He moved to Jacksonville in the early 1980s to be news director at a local station, then shifted to WJXT-TV as overnight and morning news anchor and reporter. That led to three years at the NBC station in Jacksonville as police reporter and morning news anchor, followed by time as a public relations and advertising director involved in a number of political campaigns. After a stint managing a hotel comedy club, Dan began a 34-year career as police and current events reporter at The Florida Times-Union.
Featured image for “Parking rates rising at St. Augustine’s downtown garage”
October 24, 2023

Parking rates rising at St. Augustine’s downtown garage

The fee to park in St. Augustine’s downtown garage will increase to $20 per vehicle as of Nov. 6. It’s…

Featured image for “Alta Drive widening project done on growing Northside”
The newly widened Alta Drive at the Faye Road intersection. | JTA
October 24, 2023

Alta Drive widening project done on growing Northside

The JTA officially opened its latest MobilityWorks project — the widening of a busy stretch of Alta Drive.…

Featured image for “New fire station boosts response in North Jacksonville”
City officials open a new fire station on Monday, Oct. 23, 2023, on the Northside of Jacksonville. | Eric Prosswimmer, Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department
October 23, 2023

New fire station boosts response in North Jacksonville

A new fire station at Harts Road and Dunn Avenue in Jacksonville is expected to cut response times by half.…

Featured image for “What to know about the Blue Angels’ show this weekend”
October 20, 2023

What to know about the Blue Angels’ show this weekend

The Sea and Sky Air Show is scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Jacksonville Beach. Here…

Featured image for “Questions arise after Camden County deputy kills driver”
Leonard Cure places his hands on the back of his truck as Sgt. Buck Aldridge prepares to fire his Taser during a traffic stop Oct. 16, 2023, in Camden County, Georgia. | Camden County Sheriff's Office
October 19, 2023

Questions arise after Camden County deputy kills driver

A sheriff’s sergeant shot a man this week during a traffic stop — three years after the driver had been…

Featured image for “With only a skeleton, police try to solve a decade-old murder”
A sketch shows what a man whose remains were found in 2013 may have looked like | Jacksonville Sheriff's Office
October 18, 2023

With only a skeleton, police try to solve a decade-old murder

Only the man’s skull and skeletal remains were found in what was then wooded land. But artists have sketched out…

Featured image for “JASMYN’s CEO retires after nearly 30 years”
Cindy Watson is retiring at JASMYN.
October 17, 2023

JASMYN’s CEO retires after nearly 30 years

Cindy Watson departs an organization she helped found to help Northeast Florida’s younger LGBTQ+ residents.…

Featured image for “#AskJAXTDY | Who’s listening to the Beaches while Councilman Rory Diamond is deployed?”
A July 15 image of Councilman Rory Diamond after he arrived at his U.S. Army deployment, tagged with the words "Made it! And, it’s very hot." | Rory Diamond on X (formerly Twitter)
October 17, 2023

#AskJAXTDY | Who’s listening to the Beaches while Councilman Rory Diamond is deployed?

Jacksonville City Council member Rory Diamond has been on deployment and training with the Florida Army National Guard.…

Featured image for “19th century shipwreck extracted from ground in Downtown St. Augustine”
Archaeologist James Delgado, senior vice president at SEARCH, (left) takes the remains of a shoe uncovered in the 19th Century shipwreck in St. Augustine. | FDOT
October 13, 2023

19th century shipwreck extracted from ground in Downtown St. Augustine

A shipwreck found in St. Augustine will be preserved after artifacts suggest it was in use as a fishing boat…

Featured image for “Operation New Hope expands to Clay County to give inmates job skills before release”
October 13, 2023

Operation New Hope expands to Clay County to give inmates job skills before release

Jacksonville-based Operation New Hope expands its job skills program to the Clay County Jail.…

Featured image for “‘Devastating’ fire damages Hamburger Mary’s in Jacksonville”
Autographed photos and other memorabilia hang charred and melted on a wall at Hamburger Mary's Jax after a Wednesday night fire. | Dan Scanlan, WJCT News 89.9
October 12, 2023

‘Devastating’ fire damages Hamburger Mary’s in Jacksonville

A late night fire devastated Jacksonville’s Hamburger Mary’s restaurant, seriously damaging the 13-year-old spot known for its drag shows and…

Featured image for “Repairs coming to storm-ravaged Memorial Park – after city determines who should pay”
Shattered concrete columns and pieces of railing littered Memorial Park as St. Johns River waves pounded Memorial Park during Hurricane Idalia's flight through Jacksonville on Aug. 30. Dan Scanlan WJCT News
October 11, 2023

Repairs coming to storm-ravaged Memorial Park – after city determines who should pay

The shattered concrete has been removed after Hurricane Idalia ravaged the riverfront balustrade at Jacksonville’s historic Memorial Park in late…

Featured image for “Pigmental animation and film studio premieres in St. Marys, Georgia”
October 11, 2023

Pigmental animation and film studio premieres in St. Marys, Georgia

Pigmental Studios, with offices in LA, opens its newest animation and film studio at the former St. Marys Airport, with…

Featured image for “Le’Keian Woods’ mother tells Mayor Deegan he isn’t getting ‘the help that he needs’ in jail”
Cellphone video of the arrest of Le’Keian Woods shows him on the ground after being handcuffed. | Wukela Communications
October 10, 2023

Le’Keian Woods’ mother tells Mayor Deegan he isn’t getting ‘the help that he needs’ in jail

The mother of the man injured during a recent arrest asked Mayor Donna Deegan to intervene because he’s not getting…

Featured image for “Scammers get $1.1 million from St. Johns County”
Brandon Patty, St. John's County clerk of circuit court and county comptroller, presenting information on hackers at this week's county commission meeting. | St. Johns County
October 6, 2023

Scammers get $1.1 million from St. Johns County

The county apparently transferred money digitally to someone posing as a contractor. Some of the money was recovered, but not…

Featured image for “19th century ship found buried in St. Augustine”
Remains of a 19th century ship were found under State Road A1A in downtown St. Augustine during a drainage project. | Florida Department of Transportation
October 6, 2023

19th century ship found buried in St. Augustine

State transportation crews stumbled onto the ship while digging for a drainage project on State Road A1A.…

Featured image for “New History Center will hail Jacksonville’s music history”
City officials and history buffs gathered Thursday for the ceremonial groundbreaking of the Jacksonville Historical Society's new history center. | Dan Scanlan, WJCT News 89.9
October 6, 2023

New History Center will hail Jacksonville’s music history

The Jacksonville Historial Society is renovating the century-old Florida Casket Co. building into a new history center.…

Featured image for “Residents pick design for new Hastings library”
Drawings show the design for the new Hastings public library and community center. | St. Johns County
October 4, 2023

Residents pick design for new Hastings library

More than 150 residents voted on the design for their new public library and community center.…

Featured image for “Two very different accounts of the arrest of Le’Keian Woods”
An image from a police bodycam shows Le'Keian Woods on the ground after an officer hit him with two Taser shots.
October 3, 2023

Two very different accounts of the arrest of Le’Keian Woods

The young man’s family is seeking a federal investigation of his violent arrest. The sheriff says the use of force…

Featured image for “Domestic abuse kills 19 for second straight year”
Hubbard House CEO Gail Patin plants a row of purple flags in front of the Duval County Courthouse on Sept. 29, 2023. Each flag represented a victim of domestic abuse who filed an injunction against their abuser. | Dan Scanlan
October 2, 2023

Domestic abuse kills 19 for second straight year

The numbers were included in a report released Monday as police and Hubbard House officials recognized Domestic Violence Awareness Month.…

Featured image for “Kent Stermon coerced young woman, investigation shows”
September 29, 2023

Kent Stermon coerced young woman, investigation shows

Prominent Republican donor Kent Stermon used Taylor Swift tickets to force a young woman to expose herself, an investigation shows.…

Featured image for “Sheriff’s Office drops unreliable cocaine testing kit”
A Jacksonville sheriff's deputy shot a suspect who led police on a chase.
September 29, 2023

Sheriff’s Office drops unreliable cocaine testing kit

After more than a decade, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has stopped using a field testing kit for cocaine because it…

Featured image for “UNF settles dispute over post-tenure reviews for professors”
September 28, 2023

UNF settles dispute over post-tenure reviews for professors

The University of North Florida and the faculty union have reached agreement on a review process required by the state.…

Featured image for “Palatka teen dies after lightning strike”
Baylee Holbrook. | Trinity Baptist Church
September 28, 2023

Palatka teen dies after lightning strike

Sixteen-year-old Baylee Holbrook was hit by lighting while hunting with her father on Tuesday afternoon.…