Featured image for “Christopher Bernier chosen as Duval Schools superintendent”
Christopher Bernier, Duval County's new schools superintendent, speaks during a forum May 13, 2024, at EverBank Stadium. The balloons form the school district's logo. | Megan Mallicoat, Jacksonville Today
May 23, 2024

Christopher Bernier chosen as Duval Schools superintendent

The School Board said Bernier was the best choice to navigate Florida’s complex and sometimes politically charged education system.…

Featured image for “Chairman resigns from school tax oversight committee”
The Duval County Public Schools Sales-Surtax Oversight Committee is supposed to monitor expenditures from the district's half-cent sales tax. | News4Jax
May 23, 2024

Chairman resigns from school tax oversight committee

Chair Donald Green suggested Duval Schools is blocking the committee from operating independently.…

Featured image for “Florida is kicking off another hurricane tax-free holiday”
Shoppers can save on hurricane supplies during the 2-week sales tax holiday. | Daylina Miller, WUSF
May 23, 2024

Florida is kicking off another hurricane tax-free holiday

The tax holiday will run from June 1 to June 14. It is timed with the start of the six-month…

Featured image for “Just in time for a sweltering weekend: A heat risk forecast”
May 23, 2024

Just in time for a sweltering weekend: A heat risk forecast

The National Weather Service is launching a new heat risk forecast to warn people of potentially long durations of dangerous…

Featured image for “Stadium operating costs: Current vs. proposed”
May 22, 2024

Stadium operating costs: Current vs. proposed

An analysis of current cost sharing on day-to-day stadium operations, versus those proposed under a new deal between the Jacksonville…

Featured image for “Jax parks improving, but work remains, report says”
Grunthal Park in the Grand Park neighborhood was renovated in 2023 to convert tennis courts into basketball courts with a playground space. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
May 22, 2024

Jax parks improving, but work remains, report says

A national nonprofit organization, the Trust for Public Land, ranked Jacksonville’s parks 69th of 100 cities nationwide — an improvement…

Featured image for “HGTV’s ‘Dream Home’ sweepstakes has a winner”
This is the 3,300-square-foot "Dream Home" given away as part of an HGTV contest. | HGTV
May 22, 2024

HGTV’s ‘Dream Home’ sweepstakes has a winner

Maria Fratta, a schoolteacher in New York, won a new home in Anastasia Island, a Mercedes Benz and $100,000.…

Featured image for “St. Johns County court clerk deploys overseas”
Brandon Patty, St. Johns County clerk of the circuit court and county comptroller. | St. Johns County clerk of the circuit court
May 22, 2024

St. Johns County court clerk deploys overseas

Brandon Patty, clerk of the circuit court and county comptroller, is shipping out to support U.S. Navy contingency operations in…

Featured image for “Archie the rhino recovering at zoo after tooth removal”
Archie the southern white rhino lies anesthetized during surgery to remove a tooth on Tuesday, May 21, 2024. | Curtis Dvorak
May 22, 2024

Archie the rhino recovering at zoo after tooth removal

Animal care experts came from around the state came to help remove Archie’s abscessed tooth at the Jacksonville Zoo and…

Featured image for “JEA board approves $560,000 salary for interim CEO”
JEA Interim CEO Vickie Cavey. | JEA
May 22, 2024

JEA board approves $560,000 salary for interim CEO

The city reportedly is investigating whether Vickie Cavey’s hiring violated Florida’s Sunshine Law.…

Featured image for “Panhandling law remains in effect — at least for now”
A driver hands money to a man panhandling at University Boulevard at Beach Boulevard in Jacksonville. | Dan Scanlan, Jacksonville Today
May 22, 2024

Panhandling law remains in effect — at least for now

A federal judge decided against a preliminary injunction that would have temporarily halted Jacksonville’s panhandling ban.…

Featured image for “Task force backs St. Johns for Black history museum”
St. Johns County hopes to develop a campus-style museum of African American history, performing arts, cultural exhibits and more. | St. Johns County
May 22, 2024

Task force backs St. Johns for Black history museum

St. Johns County was picked over competing proposals from Central Florida and South Florida.…

Featured image for “Florida utilities grapple with unpredictable storms”
Hurricane Michael made landfall as a Category 5 hurricane in October 2018 near Mexico Beach. | Mike Braun, WGCU Public Media
May 22, 2024

Florida utilities grapple with unpredictable storms

The increased intensity and unpredictability of hurricanes is making storm preparation more difficult — and expensive.…

Featured image for “Duval superintendent candidate shocked previous district with resignation”
Christopher Bernier (far right) speaks with attendees of a meet-and-greet at EverBank Stadium in mid-May. | Megan Mallicoat, Jacksonville Today
May 21, 2024

Duval superintendent candidate shocked previous district with resignation

Questions remain about Christopher Bernier’s sudden departure from Lee County as he vies to be Duval superintendent.…

Featured image for “New owners buy Five Points Theater; Sun-Ray to close”
The FIVE music venue will replace Sun-Ray Cinema in Five Points. | Dan Scanlan, Jacksonville Today
May 21, 2024

New owners buy Five Points Theater; Sun-Ray to close

Union South Partners plans $2 million in renovations to the historic four-story building, but the new owners are not renewing…

Featured image for “No more name in lights for Wells Fargo Center”
The Wells Fargo sign will come down from the top of the tower now called 1 Independent. | Jacksonville Daily Record
May 21, 2024

No more name in lights for Wells Fargo Center

The Wells Fargo sign Downtown will not be lighted again. The bank no longer carries signage rights to the building.…

Featured image for “Jacksonville police officer shoots road rage suspect”
A Jacksonville sheriff's deputy shot a suspect who led police on a chase.
May 21, 2024

Jacksonville police officer shoots road rage suspect

The suspect led police on a chase after someone reported they were threatened with a gun near Interstate 95 and…

Featured image for “Beach renourishment on hold in Jax Beach”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers paused the beach renourishment project in Jacksonville Beach. | News4Jax
May 21, 2024

Beach renourishment on hold in Jax Beach

The Army Corps of Engineers paused its monthslong beach renourishment project in Jacksonville Beach because of mechanical issues.…

Featured image for “Infant mortality remains tragically high in Florida”
Florida's infant mortality rate has remained nearly stagnant for about a decade. In that time, the rate of births to mothers with no prenatal care has risen, according to state data. | Stock.Adobe.Com, 529904983
May 21, 2024

Infant mortality remains tragically high in Florida

Infant mortality among Black babies is double that of white babies, and the rate of births to mothers with no…

Featured image for “Local hate crime bill called ‘cheap political pandering’”
Jacksonville City Council member Terrance Freeman | News4Jax
May 20, 2024

Local hate crime bill called ‘cheap political pandering’

City Council member Terrance Freeman is opposing a proposed hate crime law in Jacksonville, calling it unnecessary and insulting to…

Featured image for “Ponte Vedra Beach man accused of COVID PPE fraud”
A woman wears a COVID-19 mask. | Alvaro Barrientos, AP
May 20, 2024

Ponte Vedra Beach man accused of COVID PPE fraud

James Elliott Davis II was indicted on charges of enticing people to invest more than $7 million in a phony…

Featured image for “Clay County voters can get elections information by text”
People in Clay County can get elections information through a new texting service. l Paul Hanaoka via Unsplash.
May 20, 2024

Clay County voters can get elections information by text

The supervisor of elections has launched a new texting service that allows voters to access information or report issues 24/7.…

Featured image for “School employee among 27 accused of soliciting children”
A suspect was handcuffed after a Jacksonvillle police K9 subdued him.
May 20, 2024

School employee among 27 accused of soliciting children

A Duval school maintenance worker and a former professional baseball player are among the people arrested in an internet sting.…

Featured image for “Jacksonville’s strip club law set for court hearing”
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. | News Service of Florida
May 20, 2024

Jacksonville’s strip club law set for court hearing

A federal appeals court will consider whether it’s constitutional to bar dancers under age 21 in adult establishments.…