INSIDER
Jim Piggott has roamed City Hall every morning for more than 4 decades reporting on politics. Now he’s retiring
Read full article: Jim Piggott has roamed City Hall every morning for more than 4 decades reporting on politics. Now he’s retiringAfter decades of covering the biggest stories in Jacksonville politics, Jim Piggott is retiring and plans to spend his mornings elsewhere.
Brace yourselves: Jacksonville property tax bills are going in the mail and they’re going to be higher
Read full article: Brace yourselves: Jacksonville property tax bills are going in the mail and they’re going to be higherJacksonville is mailing out TRIM (truth in millage) notices Friday. It’s the first look at what your property tax bill will be this year -- and unfortunately, that bill will be higher than last year.
Circulating voter ‘report cards’ are raising concerns about personal information
Read full article: Circulating voter ‘report cards’ are raising concerns about personal informationFlyers grading Duval County voters on their voting participation are raising eyebrows and sparking questions across the city.
The Four Seasons Hotel will definitely be a part of the Shipyards project
Read full article: The Four Seasons Hotel will definitely be a part of the Shipyards projectNews4JAX has learned that the Four Seasons Hotel will definitely be the new luxury hotel that is now being built at the old shipyards site. City council members got an update Monday on various associated projects.
Rallies held in Jacksonville ahead of early voting on Monday
Read full article: Rallies held in Jacksonville ahead of early voting on MondayWith only 18 days until election day — many voters will be out casting their ballot early. Already, more than 29,000 people have cast votes by mail. That’s only about four percent of the registered voters — but by the time this election is over — it’s predicted to go 62.
Your Voice Matters: Leaders tell Jacksonville sheriff candidates to focus on issues, stop attacks
Read full article: Your Voice Matters: Leaders tell Jacksonville sheriff candidates to focus on issues, stop attacksThe race to become the next sheriff of Jacksonville is heating up with negative campaign ads hitting the airwaves ahead of the start of early voting.
Your Voice Matters: Local ministers say enough with the attacks in the sheriff’s race, focus on fighting crime
Read full article: Your Voice Matters: Local ministers say enough with the attacks in the sheriff’s race, focus on fighting crimeThere’s a plea from ministers around Jacksonville for the sheriff’s candidates to end the negative campaign ads and focus on the issues. Democrat Lakesha Burton and Republican T.K. Waters are running for Jacksonville Sheriff. Monday, church leaders said on the courthouse steps that the issues of crime and community involvement are being ignored and Jacksonville is losing out.
Now that the property tax for Duval County Schools has passed, questions remain
Read full article: Now that the property tax for Duval County Schools has passed, questions remainIt's still not clear when Duval County homeowners will get a higher tax bill to fund higher pay for teachers. Voters approved the property tax rate hike on Tuesday, but the details of when it will take effect are still not clear.
Sheriff candidate T.K. Waters responds after report questions his voter registration location
Read full article: Sheriff candidate T.K. Waters responds after report questions his voter registration locationJacksonville sheriff candidate T.K. Waters is speaking out about where he lives and where he’s registered to vote after a report on Thursday that said Waters is registered to vote in the Nocatee area within Duval County but doesn’t live there.
General Counsel has until Thursday at 2 p.m. to give legal opinion on JSO Sheriff Mike Williams residency
Read full article: General Counsel has until Thursday at 2 p.m. to give legal opinion on JSO Sheriff Mike Williams residencySheriff Mike Williams faces questions about living in Nassau County for the past year while serving as sheriff of Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
City Council President wants legal opinion about Sheriff’s residency
Read full article: City Council President wants legal opinion about Sheriff’s residencyCity Council President Sam Newby wants a legal opinion from the General Council by 5 p.m. Wednesday. It’s unclear if the General Counsel will have it completed by then but that’s what Newby requested in a letter he sent.
Meet one of the first Black students to attend Ribault High School in Jacksonville
Read full article: Meet one of the first Black students to attend Ribault High School in JacksonvilleMany are surprised today to learn that Ribault High School in Northwest Jacksonville was a white-only school in the 1960s. Patricia Pearson, whose father was iconic civil rights leader Rutledge Pearson, helped change that.
Proposed redistricting demonstration held in downtown Jacksonville
Read full article: Proposed redistricting demonstration held in downtown JacksonvilleThe Northside Coalition and other groups held a demonstration at City Hall Monday morning -- saying they are concerned about the new congressional redistricting maps.
Young adults help get council members to back resolution supporting riverfront park development
Read full article: Young adults help get council members to back resolution supporting riverfront park developmentFor years, there have been promises of downtown riverfront development, yet nothing has happened. Now the promise of new parks along the St. Johns River is closer to coming true.
City Council to discuss $4M to address trash collection issue in Duval County
Read full article: City Council to discuss $4M to address trash collection issue in Duval CountyAt Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, members are expected to approve using $4 million dollars in COVID-19 relief funds to help address the trash issue.
Neighbors in flood-prone Ken Knight Drive area ready for rain from Elsa
Read full article: Neighbors in flood-prone Ken Knight Drive area ready for rain from ElsaHeavy rainfall typically leaves parts of Ken Knight Drive in Northwest Jacksonville flooded, and Tropical Storm Elsa is expected to bring rain to the area.
Insider: News4JAX news crews find a way to tell stories from a distance
Read full article: Insider: News4JAX news crews find a way to tell stories from a distanceNews4JAX is documenting how crews deliver the news while staying safe during the coronavirus pandemic. Its been a new experience for reporter Jennifer Ready and photographer Tommy Garcia. [RELATED: Read Part 1 of Vic Micoluccis behind-the-scenes coverage]Its changed a lot, you know, Ready said. [LEARN MORE: News4JAX launches Insider program]The different workflow was evident when the crew covered an RV resort and the crowded coast along Jacksonville Beach. He and his photographer, Randy Sell, wear their face masks and keep their distance from other crews.
First Coast Pops quartet plays for Lakewood neighbors
Read full article: First Coast Pops quartet plays for Lakewood neighborsPublished: May 12, 2020, 8:38 am Updated: May 12, 2020, 1:31 pmJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Millions of events have been canceled because of COVID-19, including several local concerts. But some members from the First Coast Pops are keeping the music alive. A quartet decided to bring its talent to the Lakewood neighborhood. He tweeted out the video with the caption, “Getting a little culture as a quartet from the Jacksonville Symphony plays in front of my neighbor’s house.” But he later corrected himself and Tweeted that the quartet was with the First Coast Pops. Now that’s a treat!
No more than 50 people inside a business
Read full article: No more than 50 people inside a businessNo more than 50 people inside a businessPublished: March 16, 2020, 7:02 pmNews4Jax reporter Jim Piggott was there when the mayor made an announcement to a special emergency session of the the city council, asking area residents to limit social interactions Jim checked with some businesses to find out how they plan to comply.
The man we knew as ‘Jake’: Former Mayor Godbold dies at 86
Read full article: The man we knew as ‘Jake’: Former Mayor Godbold dies at 86JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jake Godbold, Jacksonville’s colorful and sometimes controversial mayor from 1978 to 1987, died Thursday at age 86. Jake Godbold is the second man on the left in the back row. During his time as mayor Godbold initiated a number of brick-and-mortar projects to revitalize the city’s failing downtown. "Colt Fever almost accidentally, and it turned out to be very, very important to Jacksonville," Godbold said. Godbold was proud to have grown up in public housing yet rose to hold the top office in the city.
Arcades face immediate closure
Read full article: Arcades face immediate closureCity Hall has gone into a hurry up mode with its latest attempt to force all adult arcades in Jacksonville out of business. News4JAX Reporter Jim Piggott visited a game room that's planning to fight... Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.
Boos & jeers before City Council withdraws sales tax bill
Read full article: Boos & jeers before City Council withdraws sales tax billAhead of the City Council's decision, the council chambers were cleared due to an outburst from the crowd while the sales tax measure was discussed. READ: Jim Piggott: 'I was not going to leave' City Council meetingAmong those asked to leave was state Sen. Audrey Gibson (D-Jacksonville). In June, the Duval County School Board approved its $1.9 billion Master Plan to repair or replace school buildings. Along with members of the School Board, theyre demanding city council put the half-cent sales tax to voters this year. Charter schools are public schools in that they offer free education, funded by taxpayers.
Brantley County home destroyed in more than 250-acre wildfire
Read full article: Brantley County home destroyed in more than 250-acre wildfireNAHUNTA, Ga. – A more than 250-acre wildfire that's burning south of Nahunta in Brantley County destroyed one home and damaged two others on Tuesday, officials said. IMAGES: Wildfire burns in Brantley County"As we were going by, my neighbor's house was totally engulfed. The wildfire began as a controlled burn that jumped the fire lines near Britt Sill and Foxwood roads, according to the Georgia Forestry Commission. "We drove by it, watching it burn," Ronnie Newton said. You got wind blowing, you don't light a match and put on dry stuff like it is," Ronnie Newton said.