Featured image for “OPINION | Molly against the machine”
October 23, 2022

OPINION | Molly against the machine

Dozens of endorsements are flying, and most of them are of the “Well, it would be news if they didn’t endorse Candidate X” variety. Others are exceptions to the rule.  This cycle’s leading example: Jacksonville first lady Molly Curry’s backing of Democrat Lakesha Burton for Duval sheriff.  Burton has some traditionally Republican backers, and crossing party lines for endorsements is

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Featured image for “Agriculture commissioner race: Simpson vs. Blemur”
October 14, 2022

Agriculture commissioner race: Simpson vs. Blemur

One of Florida’s most-powerful lawmakers and a North Miami Democrat touting a “grassroots” campaign are competing in the Nov. 8 election to become state agriculture commissioner. Outgoing Senate President Wilton Simpson, a Trilby Republican and egg farmer, has more name recognition, political connections and funding as he goes up against Naomi Blemur, the first Haitian-American to be a major-party candidate

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Featured image for “Chief financial officer race: Patronis, Hattersley square off”
October 14, 2022

Chief financial officer race: Patronis, Hattersley square off

Florida voters next month will choose a state chief financial officer who will have a big role in trying to reform the property-insurance system, as the industry faces an uncertain future exacerbated by billions of dollars in claims from Hurricane Ian. Republican Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis is seeking another four-year term in the Cabinet post, with Democrat Adam Hattersley,

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Featured image for “Attorney general race: Ayala challenges Moody in ‘longshot’ bid”
October 14, 2022

Attorney general race: Ayala challenges Moody in ‘longshot’ bid

Former Orlando-area State Attorney Aramis Ayala is making a “longshot” bid to unseat Republican Attorney General Ashley Moody, saying a key issue is the independence of Florida’s top legal officer. But as with other contests this year for state Cabinet seats, the race between Ayala and Moody is an undercard to elections for governor and U.S. Senate and has made

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Featured image for “NOV. 8 VOTER GUIDE: Amendments 1,2,3”
October 14, 2022

NOV. 8 VOTER GUIDE: Amendments 1,2,3

Florida voters are being asked to decide whether to approve two property-tax measures and the fate of the state’s Constitution Revision Commission. Lawmakers placed three proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot, including two that would provide property-tax breaks. One of those measures, which will appear on the ballot as Amendment 1, would prevent properties’ assessed values from going up because

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Featured image for “OPINION | Will Crist’s empty bus hurt in North Florida?”
October 9, 2022

OPINION | Will Crist’s empty bus hurt in North Florida?

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist brought his “Together Florida Tour” to Northeast Florida last week. Sort of. The Crist campaign advised reporters Thursday that the “Crist Campaign’s tour bus (would) make stops in North Florida to collect supplies and basic necessities for Floridians in Southwest Florida who were hit hard by Hurricane Ian.” How did that go? Here’s how it

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Featured image for “OPINION | Battle for the best of us”
September 21, 2022

OPINION | Battle for the best of us

Over the weekend, I visited the Cummer Museum for the opening of the Deborah Roberts exhibition I’m. On a large wall, visitors encounter a description of the exhibition, which notes the title I’m “signals a merging of the individual self (the ‘I’) with a larger sense of being (‘am’) and suggests a sense of self-determination and a reclaiming of community.”

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Featured image for “OPINION | Jax’s next sheriff should build bridge with City Hall”
September 14, 2022

OPINION | Jax’s next sheriff should build bridge with City Hall

It’s September in Jacksonville, which brings some potential relief from brutal summer heat, a heightened focus on tropical weather activity, renewed hopes for the Jaguars to return to respectability and an opportunity to bust out college colors, whether red and black, orange and blue, or garnet and gold.   It also means a return to the Silly Season.  What is the

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Featured image for “THE JAXSON | The 7 historic districts of Jacksonville”
September 13, 2022

THE JAXSON | The 7 historic districts of Jacksonville

Founded in 1822, Jacksonville is home to 107 properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Of this number, seven are officially recognized as National Register historic districts. The most recent addition, the campus of Edward Waters University, was listed on the National Register on Aug. 8th of this year. Here is a look into the history

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Featured image for “OPINION | What we learned from the August elections”
August 28, 2022

OPINION | What we learned from the August elections

The 2022 primaries taught us a lot about how surprises are possible in local politics, even if some things stay constant. The biggest surprise of all was in Congressional District 4, where in the Democratic primary, LaShonda “LJ” Holloway edged out Tony Hill, a former state senator and district aide to redistricted-out Congressman Al Lawson. Holloway is proof of the

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