Family of man killed in hit-and-run crash says he was involved in another hit-and-run 18 months ago
The 56-year-old man who died after a Wednesday night hit-and-run crash in the Royal Terrace neighborhood was involved in another hit-and-run crash a year and a half ago in the same area, according to his family.
City of Jacksonville, Jaguars to host send-off for team, playoff game watch party
The city of Jacksonville and the Jaguars will be hosting a send-off for the players on Friday as the team heads to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs in a divisional-round matchup and then a watch party for the playoff game on Saturday.
Gov. DeSantis says Biden vaccine mandate for big companies โis absolutely going downโ
Gov. Ron DeSantis, an outspoken critic of the Biden administration and its COVID-19 policies who is eyeing a presidential run in 2024, was in Jacksonville Thursday and said he doesnโt believe the new rules will stick, adding โFlorida will be responding.โ
What is the future of development in downtown Jacksonville? This group will help decide
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ There are new questions this week about the future of downtown Jacksonville. Two years ago when the city blew up old City Hall, it was supposed to be a catalyst of major downtown development. โYou canโt have a plan just for downtown and not have a plan holistically for the city,โ said Timothy Sloan. While these are just some of the ideas, the group plans to meet again in two weeks and begin the process of recommendations. The Downtown Investment Authority will look at the shipyards, the former Jacksonville Landing site and other projects that are set to happen but have been delayed.
Arlington playground named after boy who drowned in a septic tank
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ A new playground in Arlington will be named after Amari Harley, the little boy who drowned after falling into a sewage tank four years ago. Amari was three years old when his body was found inside an unsecured septic tank while at Bruce Park with his family for a celebration. After Amrariโs tragic death, Mayor Lenny Curry vowed to secure septic tanksโ lids on all city property. Today, 193 city septic tanks are secured by heavy metal lids with locking devices. The dedication ceremony of Amari Harley Playground was scheduled for Friday but was rescheduled to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at Bruce Park, 6549 Arlington Road.
Jacksonville airmen to be honored on 125th Fighter Wing Day
The City of Jacksonville is honoring the 125th Fighter Wing on Monday, 1-25, and the airmen of the Florida Air National Guard are beaming with pride and roaring with thunder. The 125th Fighter Wing is known as the Home of the Thunder and thatโs the sound you can expect. They didnโt really expect to have Jacksonville Mayor Curry proclaim Monday as 125th Fighter Wing Day honoring all the airmen assigned to 25 units and led from Jacksonville. Chief Beckom is the top enlisted member of the fighter wing and one of the top ambassadors. What would eventually be known as the 125th Fighter Wing was federally recognized in 1947 stationed at Jacksonvilleโs Imeson Field.
East Arlington COVID-19 test site shut down, Beaches site sees changes as city funding runs out
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ COVID-19 testing sites in East Arlington and Neptune Beach are seeing changes after city funding for the sites ran out. A city spokesperson said the city allotted a specific amount of federal funding for each vendor that operates City testing facilities. โThis particular vendor [Telescope Health] exhausted the allotted funds,โ the spokesperson said. The site will offer rapid, viral and antibody testing for both insured and self-pay patients with no appointment or referral necessary. The Neptune Beach site currently sees about 100 patients each day.
City, Jacksonville Bar launch Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Program this week
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ A program launching this week will provide more than $5.1 million to Duval County residents and business owners at risk for losing their apartment, home or business location due to the economic impact of COVID-19. Applications will be accepted at JacksonvilleCares.com for residential properties starting Thursday, followed by commercial properties the week of Dec. 7. โAlthough necessary, the safety measures implemented during the pandemic negatively affected some of Jacksonvilleโs citizens,โ Curry said. As we work toward returning to normal, I hope this assistance will provide relief to our neighbors and move them closer to recovery. The city says both people will need to enter information into the online software portal that will go live Thursday.
Downtown property owners would benefit from Lot J development, real estate agent says
If Lot J is transformed into an entertainment complex, one local real estate agent believes it would increase the value of downtown overall. RELATED: Mayor Curry, Shad Khan unveil long-awaited plans for Lot J | Northside residents feel neglected again after Lot J plans unveiledBill Watson III, president of the Watson Mortgage Corp., has been in the real estate business for 24 years. In addition to jobs during construction and staffing, Watson predicts property owners would reap the benefit of a new development, too. โMost NFL cities have a very vibrant downtown atmosphere,โ Watson said. Kansas City, Baltimore and Detroit are other cities that have entertainment districts near their NFL teams.
City Council passes $1.3B budget after councilman drops plan to withhold half of JSOโs budget
Councilman Garrett Dennis moved to withdraw the amendment during a meeting of City Council. โAnd the only commitment that I ask, council president, is that we have a committee in the near future to address these issues.โCity Council President Tommy Hazouri then withdrew the amendment. The amendment Dennis offered would have changed how the Jacksonville Sheriffโs Office received its $484 million in funding allocated by the city. It would have allocated $234 million to the Sheriffโs Office off the bat and then release the rest in increments as the agency reports back periodically. โWeโre disappointed that the City Council chose to go with the status quo," Sampson said.
Mayor Curry on RNC: โPresident Trump made the right decision'
Mayor Curry on RNC: โPresident Trump made the right decision'Published: July 24, 2020, 10:40 pmThe disappointing news settling in for supporters of President Trump and those who were excited about the Republican National Convention happening in Jacksonville.
WATCH LIVE: Mayor Curry, city officials hold coronavirus news conference
Copyright 2020 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ Mayor Curry, city officials hold coronavirus news conference at 12:10 p.m. on Monday. If you need help with WJXTโs or WCWJ's FCC public inspection file, call (904) 393-9801.
What Jacksonville drive-thru testing might look like
What Jacksonville drive-thru testing might look likePublished: March 16, 2020, 6:44 pmMayor Curry announced drive-thru Coronavirus testing will be available here in Jacksonville by the end of the week for people who think they may have been exposed. Tarik Minor takes a look at what this could look like, and also steps you can take to get tested elsewhere.
Interim CEO says JEA should remain owned by the City of Jacksonville
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ JEA Interim Managing Director and CEO Melissa Dykes sent a letter to Jacksonville City Council members Friday asserting that JEA should remain owned by the city. โBased on all we have learned through the past year, it is my strong belief and will be my recommendation to the JEA Board at our January meeting that JEA best serves the community by remaining owned by the City of Jacksonville,โ Dykes said in the email. Dykes went on to say that the other scenarios in play for JEA โ going public with an initial public offering (IPO) or reorganizing as a utility cooperative โ were also not in the best interest of the community. โTo ensure we are operating transparently I believe the information should be reviewed openly, not as a path forward but to determine if there are lessons in the work that will help make our government-owned utility even better,โ Dykes said. Dykes was named interim CEO after Zahn was ousted Dec. 17 but will not seek the permanent CEO job.
City gets ready to shut down up to 160 adult arcades
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - It looks like game over for adult arcades in Jacksonville. The city is getting ready to shut down all of them down following Tuesday night's vote by City Council. "The City Council members who left City Hall last night in their fancy cars and went to their gated community homes. Two council members will meet next week to discuss how to help workers who will be displaced after the adult arcades close. So far no court date has been set.
Dorian's dangers remain along Jacksonville's beaches
The Florida Department of Health in Duval County (DOH-Duval) has issued a county-wide precautionary swim advisory for all public beaches. Additionally, according to the health department, people should avoid contact with floodwaters which come from an overflow of any water body from rivers, lakes or oceans. Officials from the health department planned to test the ocean's water quality Thursday. Those dangers remained Thursday as people along Jacksonville's coastline were eager for life to return to normal. Having been through hurricanes Matthew and Irma, store owner Kim Rogers said the beaches were very fortunate this time around.
WATCH LIVE: Mayor Curry to give update on Hurricane Dorian at 5 p.m.
Mayor Curry is scheduled to provide an update with city leaders and emergency personnel on area preparations for Hurricane Dorian. Click the photo above to watch the briefing live. Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.
Mayport marina secures boats & fuel before Hurricane Dorian
MAYPORT, Fla. - As Hurricane Dorian looms in the Atlantic, marinas across Florida are making sure everything is tied down and secured so that boats aren't damaged by high winds and waves. The story is the same in Jacksonville, where nearly 200 boats are being stored in the dry facility Morningstar Marinas keeps in Mayport. RELATED: Dorian expected to reach Category 4 strength before landfall | Dorian on Labor Day? They're also making sure all hazardous materials are secured, so they don't wind up in the St. Johns River. Besides that, much of the work they're doing is similar to what homeowners to do shore up their homes before a storm's arrival.
City Council wants to form permanent crime task force
Last year, the city formed a temporary anti-crime task force aimed at coming up with solutions to the bloodshed. City Council member Aaron Bowman, who established the task force, believes it has an important role to play in the city's future. Establishing a new task force would require full council approval. "This task force isn't responding to crime," Bowman told News4Jax. 1 recommendation from the task force was to carry on its work.