Heather Henderson Newsletter Writer email
Heather Henderson is a writer, editor and artist. Originally hailing from South Florida, she has lived in Jax for close to 20 years. Previously a staff writer at Void Magazine, she also worked as a global trade researcher and wrote about trade policy for American Shipper. Most recently, she served as assistant editor for the National Culinary Review and We Are Chefs. In her free time she loves to paint, watch bad reality shows and read. She has a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of North Florida.
Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | 1,000 pounds of trash cleaned up”
Volunteers of all ages braved the cold to pick up trash at the St. Johns County New Year's Trash Bash Jan. 24. | St. Johns County
21 hours ago

BIT OF JOY | 1,000 pounds of trash cleaned up

Volunteers managed to clean up more than 1,000 pounds of garbage across eight spots in St. Johns County as part…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Black History Month proclamation”
2 days ago

BIT OF JOY | Black History Month proclamation

Last night, the city of St. Augustine Beach acknowledged February as Black History Month for the first time since the…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | 5,000 dreams come true”
Lee Smith, Executive Director for THE PLAYERS Championship, joined by other members of THE PLAYERS Championship staff and Red Coats, surprised John Bertram Lancaster and his family with a dream trip to Lake Tahoe. THE PLAYERS Championship is sponsoring John Bertram's dream. | Submitted
3 days ago

BIT OF JOY | 5,000 dreams come true

Northeast Florida organization Dreams Come True, which is dedicated to fulfilling the dreams of local children battling life-threatening medical conditions,…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | 500 voices needed”
A chorus of 500 local children will perform "Lift Every Voice and Sing" on its 125th anniversary. | Submitted
January 31, 2025

BIT OF JOY | 500 voices needed

Jacksonville natives James Weldon Johnson and J. Rosamond Johnson’s iconic song “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” often called the Black…

Featured image for “Jacksonville Bar Association defends General Counsel in battle with City Council”
Council President Ron Salem listens to Jacksonville General Counsel Michael Fackler respond to Salem's line of questioning during a special meeting at City Hall in Jan. 2024. | Casmira Harrison, Jacksonville Today
January 30, 2025

Jacksonville Bar Association defends General Counsel in battle with City Council

The Jacksonville Bar Association is defending Jacksonville General Counsel Michael Fackler after City Council members introduced a resolution Tuesday expressing…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Festival of Stories & Songs”
Author Carl Hiaasen signs books at last year's Festival of Stories & Songs. | Submitted
January 30, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Festival of Stories & Songs

The four-day Amelia Island Festival of Stories & Songs begins tonight. The event hosted by the Story & Song Center…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Local Military Child of the Year semifinalists”
Trenton Green, Amaia Arteta and Felicity Roussakies. | Submitted
January 29, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Local Military Child of the Year semifinalists

Three local teens are among 105 national semifinalists for Operation Homefront’s Military Child of the Year award: The award honors…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Meet a Budweiser Clydesdale”
January 27, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Meet a Budweiser Clydesdale

Even if you’re not a football fan, you might be looking forward to watching the Super Bowl for the commercials…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | National Change a Pet’s Life Day”
Petunia was adopted by a family after being brought to the Humane Society. | Jacksonville Humane Society
January 24, 2025

BIT OF JOY | National Change a Pet’s Life Day

Today is National Change a Pet’s Life Day, and the Jacksonville Humane Society is asking you to help change the…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | St. Johns County Trash Bash”
St. Johns County's Trash Bash is Jan. 24.
January 23, 2025

BIT OF JOY | St. Johns County Trash Bash

Tired of being cooped up in the house to avoid the icy roads? St. Johns County invites you to get…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | St. Augustine’s poet laureate”
January 22, 2025

BIT OF JOY | St. Augustine’s poet laureate

St. Augustine just appointed a new poet laureate: Ann Browning Masters. She succeeds the city’s previous (and first) poet laureate,…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | West Augustine Day of Service”
January 21, 2025

BIT OF JOY | West Augustine Day of Service

The West Augustine Nature Society and the West Augustine Improvement Association held a Day of Service cleanup yesterday in honor…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Free museum fun on Martin Luther King Day”
January 17, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Free museum fun on Martin Luther King Day

Monday is Martin Luther King Day, and if you have the day off, perhaps you’ll want take in the Cummer…

Featured image for “BIT OF JOY | Principal of the Arts Award”
Principal Christopher E. Begley celebrates winning the Principal of the Arts Award on Jan. 13. | Khalifa Dieye
January 16, 2025

BIT OF JOY | Principal of the Arts Award

The local nonprofit Cathedral Arts Project has selected Christopher E. Begley, principal of Samuel Wolfson School for Advanced Studies, to…

Featured image for “Trump picks 2 Florida politicians for cabinet roles”
Sen. Marco Rubio was in Jacksonville on Aug. 15, 2022, to meet with executives from Jacksonville's transportation, trucking and ocean carriers. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
November 13, 2024

Trump picks 2 Florida politicians for cabinet roles

President-elect Donald Trump has reportedly chosen Rep. Michael Waltz as national security adviser and Sen. Marco Rubio as secretary of…

Featured image for “WEEKEND EVENTS | PorchFest; Jax Fair; Super Girl Surf Pro Fest; Veterans’ Day Parade & more”
A PorchFest 2024 sign on the Klutho Park gazebo. | submitted
November 7, 2024

WEEKEND EVENTS | PorchFest; Jax Fair; Super Girl Surf Pro Fest; Veterans’ Day Parade & more

It’s a festive weekend in the Jacksonville area, with outdoor events aplenty, leading up to Monday’s Veterans’ Day Parade through…

Featured image for “Early voting starts today in Duval and Nassau counties”
Early voting in Duval County was delayed by Tropical Storm Debby. l Steven Ponson, Jacksonville Today.
August 7, 2024

Early voting starts today in Duval and Nassau counties

Many local races will be decided in the Aug. 20 primaries, way before the general election in November.…

Featured image for “New Florida poll: Trump leads; support strong for abortion and recreational weed”
Former President Donald Trump stands on stage at the Republican Party of Florida Freedom Summit on Nov. 4, 2023, in Kissimmee. | Phelan M. Ebenhack, AP
July 30, 2024

New Florida poll: Trump leads; support strong for abortion and recreational weed

Republican Donald Trump has a 7-point lead over Democrat Kamala Harris among Florida voters, according to a new poll from…

Featured image for “Duval jail report calls for new public safety campus”
The Duval County jail. | Andrew Pantazi, The Tributary
May 13, 2024

Duval jail report calls for new public safety campus

The report suggests replacing the current jail with a new facility that has its own infirmary and separate buildings for…

Featured image for “Home prices in Jacksonville doubled in just 7.9 years”
This house in San Marco sold for $283,000 in 2016. Today it's listed for $485,000. | Jessica Palombo, Jacksonville Today
April 18, 2024

Home prices in Jacksonville doubled in just 7.9 years

Home prices have skyrocketed across the country lately, and a study by Point2 looked at where prices doubled the fastest. If you have…

Featured image for “What’s going on at Riverfront Plaza? ”
Construction will begin soon on a cafe at Riverfront Plaza — but not yet on a separate waterfront restaurant there. | City of Jacksonville
April 5, 2024

What’s going on at Riverfront Plaza? 

Park plans include two different businesses that will both serve food: a “cafe” and a “restaurant.”…

Featured image for “MAP | Where Trump won most handily on the First Coast”
Election 2024 Trump
March 19, 2024

MAP | Where Trump won most handily on the First Coast

Former President Donald Trump smashed his competitors in the Republican presidential primary in Florida on Tuesday.…

Featured image for “‘Beyond Monet’ show brings paintings to life”
Beyond Monet opens Friday, March 15, 2024, at the NoCo Center. | Heather Henderson, Jacksonville Today
March 14, 2024

‘Beyond Monet’ show brings paintings to life

The immersive experience showcases the work of impressionist painter Claude Monet in a whole new way. The exhibit opens Friday at…

Featured image for “MOSH immerses visitors in the world of arctic dinosaurs”
The new "Ice Dinosaurs" exhibit at MOSH introduces visitors to more than a dozen species of prehistoric creatures that were discovered in an area of northeastern Alaska | Heather Henderson, Jacksonville Today
March 7, 2024

MOSH immerses visitors in the world of arctic dinosaurs

A new exhibit, “Ice Dinosaurs: The Lost World of the Alaskan Arctic,” features 17 animatronics that depict 14 different species.…