Local Features

Celebrating the city’s two centuries of history – warts and all – was the challenge the Jacksonville Historical Society was tasked with ahead of Jacksonville’s official bicentennial celebration next month.  The society’s work has not been universally applauded. Leaders from a handful of Black organizations, who say they were left out of the bicentennial planning process, are holding historical commemorations

The Duval County School Board is set to meet Tuesday morning to discuss an update to its LGBTQ support guide, which district attorneys have been revising to comply with Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law, which critics call “Don’t Say Gay.” Support guides like Duval’s, which are in effect in districts across the state, were a large part of what spawned House

Rent prices  in the Jacksonville metro area have increased by more than 30% since the start of the pandemic — more than twice the rate of inflation. In some neighborhoods, including San Jose and Arlington, rent prices have gone up by close to 40% over the past two years. Today, Jacksonville is the 13th most overpriced rental city in the

The first time I truly understood the power, the potential and grace of journalism was when I screwed up. I was 16 years old and nervous. My high school football team was playing on statewide television. I managed to make a pair of mistakes that many in my small town believed cost us victory. The next morning – back when

Construction will begin soon on a new water and sewer system in American Beach, the historically African American community in Nassau County. The Florida Legislature committed about $1.8 million toward the project this year, an investment that eliminates the need for most of the controversial $9,000 property tax assessments sent to American Beach homeowners last fall.  County commissioners had threatened

Jacksonville mom Krista Jones is buying beans instead of meat for protein. It’s one of the creative steps she’s had to take to deal with rising food costs and the end of pandemic aid programs. “It has literally meant for me as a single mom on a single income to reevaluate how we eat, what we eat,” Jones said. Across

Plus, 5 takeaways from the City Council election Republican Nick Howland will be sworn in on Jacksonville’s City Council Wednesday, after receiving 51.7% of the vote in Jacksonville’s special election last week. His opponent, Democrat Tracye Polson, got 48.3% of the vote. About 1-in-5 registered Duval voters cast a ballot in the race. Below, see how your precinct voted in

Early voting is underway in the race to fill the Jacksonville at-large city council seat vacated by the late Tommy Hazouri. A special election in December narrowed the field to two candidates: Republican Nick Howland and Democrat Tracye Polson. Up until Feb. 20, voters can cast a ballot at any of the 14 libraries, community centers and churches operating as early voting

When Ingrid Carias began working in the Duval County Public School system around 2014, there were about 5,500 students the district considered English language learners. Now, DCPS supports more than 7,900 students with a first language other than English.  “We’ve definitely grown, in students, and in our team, ” said Carias, who is now the director of DCPS’ ESOL, World