Today is election day. Albeit it’s a small election, a special election to fill the seat of the late at-large City Councilman Tommy Hazouri, but it’s election day nonetheless. I voted early, last week, at the library. I walked in, pushing my daughter in her stroller to a room full of poll workers who had no one to serve. They
Jacksonville City Councilman Matt Carlucci surprised some people last week when he abandoned his bid for Jacksonville Mayor. Carlucci launched his campaign at the beginning of 2021, with strong fundraising and seeming momentum. But the optimism of spring and summer gave way to the harsher reality of fall and a cold, cold winter ahead. Early in his term, Carlucci said
When Ron DeSantis was in Congress, he wasn’t a big fan of the institution. He criticized its ineptitude while he was there and has consistently bashed it since being elected governor of Florida. The governor isn’t alone. A recent poll found that over 80% of Americans disapprove of Congress’ performance, putting it in the neighborhood of lice and traffic jams
Does demolishing old buildings prime the pump for flashy ones? Is 10,000 residents the magic number necessary to enliven Downtown Jacksonville? Is downtown development really as complicated as we make it? Here are five widespread but false myths about urban development that have held Downtown Jacksonville back for years: Myth 1: It’s easier to develop an empty lot than adapt
“Verdict watch . . . one guilty but this is stressful.” I fired off that tweet after Travis McMichael was found guilty of all charges for killing Ahmaud Arbery. I watched the judge read the verdict as my gumbo simmered on the stove for Thanksgiving dinner. A spoon in my hand, my daughter on my lap, and my clothes covered
We will have a few live August contests in this region next summer. While top-of-the-ticket stuff leaves some intrigue for the November general election, the down-ballot stuff is often of greatest interest in these primaries. For those who need it, here’s a cheat sheet breaking down the partisan dynamics in play and the potential outcomes. The biggest-stakes competitive primary is
A new Home2 Suites in Brooklyn is the latest hotel project moving forward in Downtown Jacksonville. With more hotels in various stages of planning, it’s time for Jacksonville to embrace the positive impacts these developments can have on the vibrancy of urban neighborhoods. Home2 Suites in Brooklyn When the new Home2 Suites in Brooklyn opens its doors, the six floor,
Thursday, most of us will gather together around tables in homes to share Thanksgiving dinner. I have often been struck by the fact that when I gather with my immediate family in Chicago or my extended family in New Orleans, the tables where we break bread are in homes situated in majority Black, if not all Black inner city neighborhoods.
In 2018, Gov. Ron DeSantis didn’t win Duval County in the general election race against Andrew Gillum. It was a bad year for a few statewide GOP candidates in Duval, including another who won the state but lost the county: Rick Scott also failed to carry the county against Bill Nelson. And local Republican Party leadership at the time took
For over a year now, our lives have been completely upended, and it all seems terribly unfair. Family and friends have gotten sick, and sometimes died, from a virus that didn’t exist in our country two years ago. We isolated our frail and elderly and dying from human contact at a time when they needed it most. The human cost