Featured image for “JSO blames software issue for missing Kent Stermon access logs”
December 14, 2022

JSO blames software issue for missing Kent Stermon access logs

Influential Republican donor Kent Stermon, who died last week, used a personal badge to access Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office buildings more than 700 times over the past five years and on at least 25 separate dates in 2022, according to records obtained by Jacksonville Today. Those numbers, released last week, disproved two years’ worth of blank Stermon access records the Jacksonville

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Featured image for “Mayor Lenny Curry could be violating the First Amendment on Twitter ”
December 13, 2022

Mayor Lenny Curry could be violating the First Amendment on Twitter 

Navy veteran Mandie Marron was stationed in Jacksonville almost two decades ago. She joined Twitter mostly to keep up on “tech stuff” with others on her squadron. Over the years, she’s used the platform to get more involved in local news and politics. But there’s one major government figure, and frequent tweeter, she often can’t respond to: Mayor Lenny Curry. 

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Featured image for “Jacksonville redistricting process raises questions of Sunshine Law violations”
December 12, 2022

Jacksonville redistricting process raises questions of Sunshine Law violations

According to the version of events that Jacksonville’s city lawyers told a federal court, the City Council passed a redistricting map last month that carefully considered many factors: The council wanted a map that was “as logical and compact a geographical pattern as possible,” one that honored planning district boundaries, major roads and waterways, one that considered socioeconomic demographics and

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Featured image for “How should Jax address housing and health care? Ideas head to City Council”
December 11, 2022

How should Jax address housing and health care? Ideas head to City Council

Jacksonville could soon take steps to address homelessness, a lack of affordable housing and inequitable access to healthcare.  That’s after the City Council this week will receive a 57-page report from its Special Committee on Critical Quality of Life Issues, a panel whose subcommittees met more than a dozen times over the past three months to identify problems in the

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Featured image for “$500K idling, facilitators ghosted: A timeline of Jax Confederate monument inaction”
November 29, 2022

$500K idling, facilitators ghosted: A timeline of Jax Confederate monument inaction

Advocates for removing Jacksonville’s Confederate monuments are growing impatient, as two pots of money for addressing Confederate monuments on public land – half a million dollars in Jacksonville’s city budget, and a philanthropic offer to fund a facilitated community discussion – are sitting idle, and Jacksonville City Council stalls promised action on Confederate monuments. Over the past year, the Council

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Featured image for “2 new Northwest Jacksonville schools mix HBCU culture with elementary curriculum”
November 28, 2022

2 new Northwest Jacksonville schools mix HBCU culture with elementary curriculum

Mikynzi Alexander spoke with confidence as she recited Useni Eugene Perkins’ poem “Hey, Black Child” at her school’s ribbon-cutting last month.  Mikynzi is a first-grader at Becoming Collegiate Academy, where she learned the poem this fall, concluding with the lines:  Learn what you must learn Do what you can do And tomorrow your nation will be what you want it

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Featured image for “After Ian and Nicole, experts warn of health risks from blue-green algae”
November 22, 2022

After Ian and Nicole, experts warn of health risks from blue-green algae

Climate change is fueling toxic blooms of blue-green algae. Exposure to poisons produced by the blooms can lead to health effects that last for years. In some cases, the results can be deadly.

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Featured image for “Here’s where Jacksonville’s mayoral candidates stand on key issues”
November 22, 2022

Here’s where Jacksonville’s mayoral candidates stand on key issues

In a crowded debate that featured heavy time constraints, mayoral hopefuls met Monday at the Rotary Club to explain their positions on education, crime, business development and the environment. Nine candidates are vying to be Jacksonville’s next mayor, but only seven were on stage: former state Sen. Audrey Gibson (D), council members Leanna Cumber (R) and Al Ferraro (R), Theresa

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Featured image for “EXPLORE: How DeSantis’ congressional map affected Northeast Florida midterms”
November 20, 2022

EXPLORE: How DeSantis’ congressional map affected Northeast Florida midterms

Republicans narrowly flipped the U.S. House this election cycle, gaining four seats in Florida  — including one in the newly drawn District 4, which covers part of Jacksonville. A Jacksonville Today analysis of voting data show District 4’s predecessor, the former District 5, would have been a close race with a possible Democratic win if Gov. Ron DeSantis hadn’t vetoed

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Featured image for “Black Restaurant Week puts spotlight on Northeast Florida’s culinary diversity”
November 15, 2022

Black Restaurant Week puts spotlight on Northeast Florida’s culinary diversity

Nearly a dozen Northeast Florida eateries are participating in Black Restaurant Week.  The Jacksonville restaurants offering special dishes this week include a vegan restaurant, pie shop, Caribbean-themed diner, a bakery and a baked-potato franchise. Funnel Cake Queen Icecapade Frozen Treats Irie Diner Caribbean Restaurant Kravegan Where Food is Love Little Black Box Mixed Fillings Pie Shop Mr. Potato Spread (Jacksonville

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