AL FERRARO

The Jacksonville City Council on Tuesday evening voting unanimously to withdraw legislation that was aimed at creating a reimbursement option for city employees who travel for “medical treatments related to reproductive rights.”

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is working to curb what it describes as “the dangerous and destructive activities of some car clubs” in the city.

A Jacksonville City Council member said a big concern is children being used to panhandle.

It’s already been a hot topic of conversation, but legislation first introduced by Jacksonville City Councilman Al Ferraro in regard to historic monuments in the city was placed in the spotlight of discussion during public comment at Tuesday evening’s council meeting.

With less than twelve months to go before Jacksonville voters go to the polls to choose their next mayor, sheriff and other city leaders, candidates for the top offices continue building their campaign war chests, with March fundraising numbers being reported this week.

A proposal that would let Jacksonville voters have the final say on whether to take down historical monuments, including one in particular that’s tied to the Confederacy, was introduced to the City Council during its Tuesday evening meeting.

For the first time, city leaders will hear a proposal that would let Jacksonville voters have the final say on whether to take down historical monuments, including one connected to the Confederacy.

It’s been a source of controversy for at least the past three years, and a member of the Jacksonville City Council wants to change the process for coming up with a solution.

Republican LeAnna Cumber announced Monday she’s running in 2023 to replace term-limited Lenny Curry for Mayor of Jacksonville.

Farm Share will be distributing food at two events Saturday in Jacksonville.

Sparks flew Wednesday as the Jacksonville Waterways Commission debated banning coal ash coming into local ports.

The candidates for Jacksonville mayor and sheriff continue raising thousands of dollars in their campaigns. The first local election is still more than 15 months away.

New numbers show the money raised so far in the 2023 elections for Jacksonville’s next mayor and sheriff.

After an unsuccessful congressional campaign, Donna Deegan said she is “strongly considering” a run to become the next mayor of Jacksonville.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A bill that would get rid of built-in pay raises for Jacksonville City Council members hit a hurdle in committee Tuesday with an amendment that Councilman Rory Diamond called an attempt to “gut” the legislation. Diamond, who introduced the bill earlier this year, wants to require council members to pass standalone legislation to increase their salaries each year. “But we can still pass the original bill, stop automatic pay increases and have a public vote. Finance Committee voted to PROTECT automatic pay raises for Jax Council. Thank you, Council Members Cumber and Salem for voting for TRANSPARENCY and an up or down public vote on a raise.

Jacksonville Fire-Rescue photo of driver being hoisted out of the St. Johns River after his car went off the Dames Point Bridge. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 27-year-old man called 911 moments after a crash on the Dames Point Bridge sent his car plunging into the St. Johns River. News4Jax on Thursday obtained audio of seven calls from people who called 911 to report the Feb. 6 crash. Driver: “I got into a wreck on the Dames Point going to Arlington. AdA crash report shows the 27-year-old man was cited with driving too fast for conditions and driving on an invalid license.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – He described it as a “ball of sparks.”A Jacksonville City Council member is among the witnesses to a crash over the weekend on the Dames Point Bridge that sent a car careening off the bridge. It ended in a dramatic rescue with firefighters pulling the car’s driver to safety from the St. Johns River. For District 2 City Councilman Al Ferraro and his wife, Saturday night was not another trip. “Before we got to the bridge, she was saying, how many people have fallen off the bridge?” he recalled. Ad“We just saw what looks like a ball of sparks going off to the side,” Ferraro said.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville firefighters saved a 27-year-old man in a dramatic rescue Saturday evening in the St. Johns River, hoisting him out of the water after his car fell over the Dames Point Bridge. Photos from the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department show a captain harnessing the man and as crews on the bridge pulled him to safety. He was taken to the hospital, but amazingly only had minor injuries after the 35-foot fall in his vehicle. Jacksonville firefighters hoisted a driver whose car went... Posted by WJXT4 Vic Micolucci on Monday, February 8, 2021The man, whose name wasn’t released, was kneeling on the roof. (WJXT)State troopers said this happened because another driver, a 37-year-old man, was speeding and hit the 27-year-old man’s sedan from behind.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Several Jacksonville City Council members are calling for a freeze on council salaries. Councilman Rory Diamond introduced a bill Wednesday that would get rid of built-in pay raises for council members and instead require them to pass standalone legislation to increase their salaries. This is not the time for an automatic pay increase.”DOCUMENT: View a copy of the proposed legislationThe City Council OK’d a $2,302 raise programmed into the 2020-21 city budget, bringing salaries for most council members to over $52,000. According to figures provided by Diamond, the city spends more than $1 million a year on council salaries and $595,000 more in benefits. Under his legislation, the City Council would fix annual salaries for council members at a rate equivalent to half the salary for a county commissioner in a county roughly the same size as Duval.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After months of debate, City Council voted 12-7 against a deal to bring a major entertainment complex to Downtown Jacksonville. “We pulled the plug on Lot J. It’s dead,” Lamping said. When asked if the Jaguars might consider another proposal for Lot J, Lamping said he thinks “it’s time to turn the page.”“We’ll leave that behind,” Lamping said. The legislative body spoke and unfortunately Lot J will not move forward. Under the deal, the entertainment district, which was planned for Lot J outside TIAA Bank Field, would have been one of the biggest investments in the city’s history.

Recently, the salary for most City Council members was $49,974. All but two of the 19 council members took the raise. “It’s been a tough year -- 2020 has been a really tough year and to take a pay raise at this moment in time, I just couldn’t do it. It’s the first time since Curry was elected mayor that he took the raise. Either you’ve had a pay cut, you’ve had a furlough or you’ve been laid off.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The uproar over renaming Hemming Park to James Weldon Johnson Park is prompting the Jacksonville City Council to consider making some changes in its procedure on renaming buildings and parks. When Councilman Garrett Dennis first proposed the name change for the park, he followed council rules. While the majority of council members voted for the name change, many believe the process of renaming parks and public buildings needs to be improved. Salems main concern is the lack of input from the public with only one public hearing required. With one public hearing we negotiate multi-million dollar deals with the same six week process, Dennis said.

Dozens of Wyches loved ones and community members then broke up into groups to canvass the neighborhood, looking for the community to break its silence. According to the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office, a grey car pulled up in front of Wyches vehicle, then two men got out of the vehicle and opened fire. Shes still the light of our family, said Sandra Odol, Wyches Aunt. Odol said her niece was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Weve got to get people to talk.Anyone with information should contact the Sheriffs Office at (904) 630-0500 or First Coast Crime Stoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.

“Jacksonville, we hear you,” Councilman Sam Newby said. “We hear your concerns, and we hear your voices. We are all going to work together to make Jacksonville a better place, a place that you deserve. Our city streets cannot become places of anarchy.”Councilman Garrett Dennis laid at least some of the blame at the feet of City Council. We have to work together on this thing.”As city leaders were meeting, protests continued across Northeast Florida.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A controversial plan to revitalize Arlington moved foward in the Jacksonville City Council during a meeting Tuesday night. Councilwoman Joyce Morgan introduced the bill for the Renew Arlington CRA Zoning Overlay a few weeks ago. PREVIOUS STORY: Plan to revitalize Arlington passes zoning committeeDOCUMENTS: Renew Arlington explainer | Ordinance 2019-239City Council decided to move ahead with an amendment, voting unanimously for the plan. "This is how you can transform Arlington," Morgan said during the meeting. Morgan gas pointed to the success that other neighborhoods in Jacksonville have had in setting standards and renewing their appearance.