WEATHER ALERT
Jacksonville City Council fails resolution that called for Medicaid expansion
Read full article: Jacksonville City Council fails resolution that called for Medicaid expansionIn September, Jacksonville City Councilmember Rahman Johnson introduced a resolution that highlighted what he said is a pressing need for broader healthcare coverage in Duval County. The resolution would have called upon state legislators to work toward Medicaid expansion.
New NAACP survey shows Harris gaining ground among Black men, Trump losing among same group
Read full article: New NAACP survey shows Harris gaining ground among Black men, Trump losing among same groupIn the final days of the election season, both the Democratic and Republican parties are making their final appeals to a specific voting bloc: Black voters.
Mayor Deegan shares details of European trip after councilman calls for ‘audit’
Read full article: Mayor Deegan shares details of European trip after councilman calls for ‘audit’Republican Councilman Terrance Freeman is calling for a full audit of Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan’s recent European trip.
‘The least I could do is to fight’: Jacksonville Councilman Terrance Freeman cancer-free 1 year after diagnosis
Read full article: ‘The least I could do is to fight’: Jacksonville Councilman Terrance Freeman cancer-free 1 year after diagnosisJacksonville Councilman Terrance Freeman announced he is cancer-free one year after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Jacksonville councilman pushes back against effort to toughen hate speech laws, calls it ‘political pandering’
Read full article: Jacksonville councilman pushes back against effort to toughen hate speech laws, calls it ‘political pandering’A move to toughen the laws against hate speech in Jacksonville is meeting pushback from a city council member.
Jacksonville councilman calls for county-wide assessment for revitalization, redevelopment
Read full article: Jacksonville councilman calls for county-wide assessment for revitalization, redevelopmentJacksonville councilman, at large, Terrance Freeman said he wants more attention given to every community in the consolidated city for redevelopment.
Jacksonville church empowers hurting community through prayer after deadly mass shooting
Read full article: Jacksonville church empowers hurting community through prayer after deadly mass shootingA Jacksonville church held a prayer vigil to remember the lives of those killed in Saturday’s shooting and to encourage a hurting community during a difficult time.
‘Stop playing this game’: Mayor Deegan says general counsel nominee Randy DeFoor ‘facing smear campaign’
Read full article: ‘Stop playing this game’: Mayor Deegan says general counsel nominee Randy DeFoor ‘facing smear campaign’Saying her nominee for general counsel is “facing a smear campaign,” Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan held a news conference Wednesday to rally support for Randy DeFoor’s appointment.
New law would force city council members to comply with investigations
Read full article: New law would force city council members to comply with investigationsA Special Investigatory Committee on JEA matters is proposing new legislation designed to force city council members to comply with investigations.
Elected Jacksonville mayor and council members are ready to get to work
Read full article: Elected Jacksonville mayor and council members are ready to get to workThe election may be over, but the fireworks could soon begin. In July, Democrat Donna Deegan will be Jacksonville’s new mayor - the first woman to hold that job. Deegan’s work will begin immediately.
Jacksonville City Council approves $20M in funds for University of Florida satellite campus
Read full article: Jacksonville City Council approves $20M in funds for University of Florida satellite campusThe Jacksonville City Council on Tuesday evening voted to approve millions of dollars toward a project that would bring a University of Florida satellite campus to the city.
LeAnna Cumber’s lawyer says Mayor Lenny Curry behind ‘manufactured controversy’ over JEA dealings
Read full article: LeAnna Cumber’s lawyer says Mayor Lenny Curry behind ‘manufactured controversy’ over JEA dealingsIn 47 days, Jacksonville voters will go to the polls to elect a new mayor, and while there are seven candidates running for the spot, most of the attention lately has been on two Republicans — LeAnna Cumber and Daniel Davis.
City Council to reopen JEA committee to find out if Councilwoman LeAnna Cumber misled council investigators
Read full article: City Council to reopen JEA committee to find out if Councilwoman LeAnna Cumber misled council investigatorsJacksonville City Council President Terrance Freeman on Wednesday said he plans to reopen a special investigatory committee on the attempted sale of JEA after emails and text messages that contradict statements by sitting councilwoman LeAnna Cumber recently surfaced.
Political observers weigh in on Jacksonville City Council’s vote to ban projecting unwanted messages on property
Read full article: Political observers weigh in on Jacksonville City Council’s vote to ban projecting unwanted messages on propertyThe Jacksonville City Council has come together to fight antisemitic messages projected on buildings in the city.
City Council approves legislation to ban projecting unwanted messages on property
Read full article: City Council approves legislation to ban projecting unwanted messages on propertyThe Jacksonville City Council on Tuesday approved legislation that bans any message projected onto someone’s building or property without permission.
LIVE: City Council to consider identical bills to ban projecting unwanted messages on property
Read full article: LIVE: City Council to consider identical bills to ban projecting unwanted messages on propertyTwo identical bills are set to appear on Tuesday night’s City Council agenda to address a series of hate messages that have appeared in Jacksonville recently.
Council members appear to be taking sides on antisemitism bill — an issue they say they agree on
Read full article: Council members appear to be taking sides on antisemitism bill — an issue they say they agree onLast week, Jacksonville City Council members filed two bills, which are set to appear on Tuesday night’s agenda. They appear to do the same thing.
City leaders propose multiple bills to stop messages of hate, antisemitism in Jacksonville
Read full article: City leaders propose multiple bills to stop messages of hate, antisemitism in JacksonvilleCity leaders in Jacksonville are making moves to ban the projection of images onto someone else’s buildings or property without permission.
Jacksonville City Council plans to take action, address Confederate monuments as fate remains undecided
Read full article: Jacksonville City Council plans to take action, address Confederate monuments as fate remains undecidedContention among parties defending or protesting the removal of the Confederate monuments around Jacksonville has been an ongoing issue since the topic was first introduced in 2020.
Jacksonville City Council decides to appeal judge’s decision on voting maps
Read full article: Jacksonville City Council decides to appeal judge’s decision on voting mapsThe Jacksonville City Council has decided to challenge a federal court judge’s ruling that would have changed the face of Jacksonville’s political landscape.
City council president says his goal is to not have redistricting fight linger on after judge’s ruling
Read full article: City council president says his goal is to not have redistricting fight linger on after judge’s rulingCity Council President Terrance Freeman said he plans to recruit as many city council members as possible for a meeting on Thursday to decide how to proceed after a federal judge a redistricting plan submitted by the Jacksonville City Council and ruled that a map proposed by civil rights groups who sued the city over voting boundaries is the best plan moving forward.
Federal judge rejects city council approved voting maps, adopts plan introduced by NAACP
Read full article: Federal judge rejects city council approved voting maps, adopts plan introduced by NAACPA federal judge on Monday rejected a redistricting plan submitted by the Jacksonville City Council and ruled that a map proposed by those who sued the city over voting boundaries is the best plan moving forward.
After more fireworks and changes, Jacksonville City Council confident it will have redrawn map done ahead of deadline
Read full article: After more fireworks and changes, Jacksonville City Council confident it will have redrawn map done ahead of deadlineThere were more fireworks on Thursday as a special Jacksonville City Council committee met to try and hash out the details of the new city council and school board districts in order to comply with a federal judge’s ruling.
City Council committee narrows down new district maps to one choice, but pushback continues
Read full article: City Council committee narrows down new district maps to one choice, but pushback continuesA special Jacksonville City Council committee narrowed down new city council and school district boundary maps from two choices to one on Wednesday, though its work is not done.
‘A sham and a scam!’: Debate over City Council, school board maps heats up as work to redraw begins
Read full article: ‘A sham and a scam!’: Debate over City Council, school board maps heats up as work to redraw beginsThere were passionate moments on Tuesday over how to redraw city council and school district boundaries so that they do not diminish the voices of Black people in the Jacksonville community.
Clock is ticking: Jacksonville’s redrawing of boundary lines for city council map, school board districts due in less than 3 weeks
Read full article: Clock is ticking: Jacksonville’s redrawing of boundary lines for city council map, school board districts due in less than 3 weeksThe council met on Thursday to discuss the matter — but nothing has yet been decided. A new drawing of the district map has not begun.
Judge’s ruling signaled win for plaintiffs in Jacksonville redistricting suit. But could things backfire?
Read full article: Judge’s ruling signaled win for plaintiffs in Jacksonville redistricting suit. But could things backfire?The Jacksonville City Council canceled a special meeting that was set for Wednesday where they planned to discuss hiring an outside attorney to fight a judge’s ruling in a lawsuit on newly-drawn district lines, but apparently, the city’s General Counsel Office has already obtained legal representation.
Council to discuss next move following judge’s decision on Jacksonville’s newly-drawn districts
Read full article: Council to discuss next move following judge’s decision on Jacksonville’s newly-drawn districtsCity Council President Terrance Freeman has called for a special meeting Friday to discuss the next steps following a federal judge’s move to throw out Jacksonville’s newly-drawn council and school board district map that was set to go into effect next year.
Council to discuss next move following judge’s decision on Jacksonville’s newly-drawn districts
Read full article: Council to discuss next move following judge’s decision on Jacksonville’s newly-drawn districtsCity Council President Terrance Freeman has called for a special meeting Friday to discuss the next steps following a federal judge’s move to throw out Jacksonville’s newly-drawn council and school board district map that was set to go into effect next year.
Day later, Jacksonville park littered with condoms & drug paraphernalia cleaned up
Read full article: Day later, Jacksonville park littered with condoms & drug paraphernalia cleaned upA day after a News4JAX report regarding a Jacksonville park that neighbors said has been plagued by drug and sexual activity, we returned to find the area had been cleaned up.
Proposed property tax cut doesn’t mean Jacksonville homeowners would pay less than last year
Read full article: Proposed property tax cut doesn’t mean Jacksonville homeowners would pay less than last yearDespite a planned tax cut, you will more than likely be spending more on your property taxes because the value of your property has gone up.
McDonald’s expects to hire more than 2,000 new employees across North Florida this summer
Read full article: McDonald’s expects to hire more than 2,000 new employees across North Florida this summerMcDonald’s is making a special pledge exclusively to its employees in Jacksonville and North Florida: The job comes with sizzling perks.
Duval GOP opens RNC Black American Community Center on Normandy Boulevard
Read full article: Duval GOP opens RNC Black American Community Center on Normandy BoulevardOn the heels of seeing a Republican elected in a special city council election this week, the Republican Party in Duval County opened its first RNC campaign office Friday.
City Council leaders’ absence from MLK Day parade fueling rift between Duval GOP, organizers
Read full article: City Council leaders’ absence from MLK Day parade fueling rift between Duval GOP, organizersA day after Jacksonville’s parade for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., there’s a rift between local Republicans and parade organizers.
JTA to offer free rides for Duval County middle, high school students
Read full article: JTA to offer free rides for Duval County middle, high school studentsJTA will start giving free bus rides to all middle and high school students in Duval County when public school students return from winter break on Tuesday.
Jacksonville City Councilman Terrance Freeman; Historic spending in Washington, D.C.
Read full article: Jacksonville City Councilman Terrance Freeman; Historic spending in Washington, D.C.On this edition of “This Week in Jacksonville,” Terrance Freeman, the new vice president of the Jacksonville City Council, joins us as he prepares for his new role. We talk about development, crime and a literacy program he’s passionate about. And Democrats and Republicans are facing off in Washington, D.C., on important issues that impact you -- much of it centering around historic spending. U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack shares her views. We also hear from News4Jax political analyst Rick Mullaney for his perspective.
Jacksonville City Council meetings; ‘anti-riot’ bill; Feeding Northeast Florida
Read full article: Jacksonville City Council meetings; ‘anti-riot’ bill; Feeding Northeast FloridaJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville City Councilman Terrance Freeman joins this edition of “This Week in Jacksonville” to discuss the City Council meetings in March that included discussions of the NOPE bill and the replacement of septic systems in the Christobel neighborhood. Then, Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren and state Rep. Cord Byrd join the show to share their views on HB 1, the so-called “anti-riot” bill. Finally, Susan King, president and CEO of Feeding Northeast Florida, joins the show to talk about her meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris and the help her organization is receiving and providing for COVID-19 relief.
Councilman Freeman wants to bring neglected areas of Jacksonville into 21st century
Read full article: Councilman Freeman wants to bring neglected areas of Jacksonville into 21st centuryAt-large Jacksonville City Councilmember Terrance Freeman said the plan is about more than protecting the health of the river and improving the quality of life for residents. We have a lot of work to do,” Freeman told host Kent Justice for Sunday’s This Week in Jacksonville. AdThe effort to remove septic tanks is meant to make good on a broken promise made in 1968 during consolidation. But to this day, tens of thousands of Jacksonville residents still depend on septic tanks, which have harmful effects on the local tributaries. This week, Freeman hosted a meeting at City Hall that brought together, parents, coaches and others to talk about safety.
Coaches call for more funding to better secure Jacksonville parks during football games
Read full article: Coaches call for more funding to better secure Jacksonville parks during football gamesJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Following gunfire at a youth football game in Mandarin, a Jacksonville City Councilman called for a discussion about park safety Monday night at City Hall. Inside the council chambers, several youth football coaches voiced their concerns. “Nothing is going to be done until a child dies,” said Shawn Fountain, athletic director with Westside Football League. By News4Jax count, there have been two incidents involving shots fired during Jacksonville-area youth football games in the past year. RELATED: Parents react to gunfire at youth football jamboreeDetectives said more than 500 players and spectators were in attendance at the Mandarin Athletic Association football jamboree but no injuries were reported.
More than 400 carloads of groceries given out at Farm Share event
Read full article: More than 400 carloads of groceries given out at Farm Share eventJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Farm Share on Saturday hosted a drive-through food giveaway for families in need. More than 400 carloads of groceries were given out. Farm Share was able to host the event thanks to a $500,000 donation from the city of Jacksonville. Seeing all these cars in a line is heartbreaking, but we are doing our best to meet them where they are at,” said Jacksonville City Councilman Terrance Freeman. Other volunteers echoed Miller’s comments, saying they were just happy to be able to help the community.
3 officers recognized for rescuing driver from car in river near MOSH
Read full article: 3 officers recognized for rescuing driver from car in river near MOSHJACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Three officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office were recognized Tuesday for helping save a man whose car landed in the St. Johns River. During Tuesday evening's Jacksonville City Council meeting, City Councilman Terrance Freeman presented a framed resolution honoring and commending Lt. Frederick Dash, Sgt. The three officers were all smiles as council members recognized them for their bravery after responding to a 911 call that someone had driven a car into St. Johns River near the Museum of Science and History the night of Aug. 6. RELATED: Driver rescued after car lands in St. Johns River near MOSH"The three officers sprang into action, waded into the water, pried open the door and pulled the driver to safety, just before the vehicle totally submerged," the resolution reads. The driver was still at the steering wheel when the officers reached him in chest-deep water.
Investigation into CEO of city's Kids Hope Alliance expands
Read full article: Investigation into CEO of city's Kids Hope Alliance expandsJoe Peppers, the CEO of Jacksonvilles Kids Hope Alliance, was placed on paid leave Wednesday while the city's inspector general investigates. Two other Kids Hope Alliance staff members resigned recently, so there seems to be turmoil with the project, which run by the city. Kids Hope Alliance was formed two years ago to oversee "programs that promote child and youth development." In his budget address last month, Curry praised the work of the Kids Hope Alliance as part of the city's long-term battle against violence. Staff at the Kids Hope Alliance said Friday there does not appear to be a problem in how the microgrants are being used.