Jacksonville Bold for 12.18.24: Holiday plans

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Jacksonville Bold’s 2024 production schedule is at an end; it was a year that will see many twists and turns between Christmas and New Year’s when our year-in-review piece spotlights what we believe are the 10 biggest stories in the region.

We already know 2025 will also be a big year, especially for the people we cover.

Speaking of those movers and shakers, we wanted to catch up with them and learn about their holiday plans as they prepare.

Their schedules are every bit as diverse as they are.

For example, Elections Supervisor Jerry Holland is ready to step up to the plate — literally.

After spending time with his family, he will spend the first week of January playing baseball with his son — and not in the backyard.

“Both of us,” he said, will be “attending the Atlanta Braves fantasy camp.”

While Holland looks to hit baseballs, House Speaker-designate Sam Garrison of Clay County is looking to hit the books – and not those involving Florida Statute for once.

In addition to family time, he has eight books he’s looking to get through as he works to unplug and forget the dismal performance of the local NFL squad. He’s especially looking to finish historian Stephen Ambrose’s “D-Day” and Brian Fairbanks’ “Willie, Waylon and the Boys: How Nashville Outsiders Changed Country Music Forever.”

Books and family also come into play for Jacksonville’s Mayor.

“For as long as I can remember, we’ve spent Christmas Eve at the home of my Uncle Larry and Aunt Donna. The week before, we’ll meet at the Bookmark in Atlantic Beach to do our annual Christmas book swap. That’s what we gift each other every year. It’s a fun tradition. Then on Christmas Day, we host Tim’s family at our house. Tim and I are looking forward to seeing everyone and just being together to enjoy the holiday,” said Donna Deegan.

For Sen. Clay Yarborough, it’s also time for family.

“The Yarboroughs plan to attend a Christmas Eve candlelight church service and spend Christmas Day with my wife’s side of the family in Jacksonville. My brother’s family is also local, so we plan to gather with them at some point during the week, too. May God continue to bless our city, state, and country as we celebrate Jesus’ birth.”

Speaker Pro Tem Wyman Duggan is also making time for family this year, he tells Bold, with his three kids coming home for the festivities, which include a “big family dinner with all the grandparents.”

“It’s always a great time,” the Westside Jacksonville Republican says.

Others, including Duval County’s top cop, also aren’t forgetting the reason for the season.

“This holiday season, Sheriff T.K. Waters looks forward to spending quality time at home with his wife, children, grandchildren and their dog, Sam, as they celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and welcome the New Year,”  a spokesperson notes.

Meanwhile, Jacksonville City Council Vice President Kevin Carrico looks forward to “much-needed rest” and time with friends and family.

But he will also attempt to shake off a brutal football season for his favorite squads, noting “the fact that FSU had their worst season in modern history and the Jags are acting like …. The Jags!”

Elected leaders are poised to enjoy their holiday celebrations, and we here at Jacksonville Bold hope our readers do the same!

Campus lands

A presence from the state’s flagship university will boost the growth of an urban core Jacksonville neighborhood.

The long-awaited University of Florida grad school campus, which will include the Florida Semiconductor Institute, is headed to LaVilla after last week’s meeting of the Board of Trustees.

This site near the Prime Osborn will offer UF 22 buildable acres for the campus. According to the administration, the hope is that “design, planning and construction” will ramp up this year.

Until the build is complete, an existing building near the historic convention center will be for classes — a change of plans from previous proposals that contemplated the JEA tower as a temporary home for the fledgling campus.

When finally constructed, the campus will include the Florida Semiconductor Institute, further sweetening the deal, which involves seeding $300 million from public and private funds.

The state approved $75 million in each of the last two budgets, in addition to $50 million in commitments by the Jacksonville City Council and $50 million from private donors. The Deegan administration wants $50 million more in city money spread over four years for the build.

UF Board of Trustees Chair Mori Hosseini said the university “has a bold vision for our campus in Jacksonville. This will be a site that will give our students an opportunity to learn and thrive in a fast-growing city with incredible job opportunities.”

“Our goal is to create a national center of excellence and to bring our bright students to this forward-thinking city. We are grateful for our strong partnerships with the state, city and community leaders — we are going to do big things together,” Hosseini added.

Bean bump

Another Florida congressional delegation member will serve on the House Ways and Means Committee.

U.S. Rep. Aaron Bean, a Fernandina Beach Republican, secured a spot on the influential Committee, winning a recommendation from the Republican Steering Committee. Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith announced Bean as one of four new members, including U.S. Reps. Max Miller of Ohio, Nathaniel Moran of Texas and Rudy Yakym of Indiana.

“In the 119th Congress, the Ways and Means Committee will continue to lead on delivering for America’s workers, families, farmers and small businesses,” Smith said.

Bean voiced enthusiasm over the new role.

“It is a tremendous honor to be selected to serve on the Ways and Means Committee for the 119th Congress,” he posted on X. “With a $36 trillion debt, historically high inflation and the largest pending tax increase in history, this is a critical time for our nation. I am eager to work with Chairman Smith and the Committee to advance a bold agenda that supports working families, lowers taxes, and accelerates our economy. America is worth fighting for. Let’s go get ’em!”

Bean is one of three Florida Republicans serving on the Committee. U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan serves as Vice Chair of the full panel and chairs the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee. U.S. Rep. Greg Steube also earned a seat on the Committee this Congress.

No Florida Democrats currently serve on the Committee.

Tweet, tweet

Lobby up

Live Oak Strategies, the lobby shop of former legislative power brokers Rob Bradley and Travis Cummings, has added more talent to its roster.

Sydney Fowler, who has served as a district secretary, legislative aide, Campaign Manager and, most recently, member Liaison for the Florida House Campaigns team led by Speaker Daniel Perez, is joining the team.

“Sydney Fowler is the ultimate hire for anyone who is lucky enough to land her. She is that extremely hard-to-find mix of unquestionable ethics and drive with an indomitable will to succeed,” said Rep. Danny Alvarez, who won District 69 with her help.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work side by side with Sydney again. Her can-do attitude and work ethic were a key element to my success as a legislator,” said former Rep. Jayer Williamson. “Sydney has demonstrated a profound knowledge of the process, attention to detail, and knack for relationship building that will prove vital to Oak Strategies as we continue to grow and flourish.”

Freeman fundraiser

Sure, the 2024 Elections just wrapped.

But the next ones are approaching fast.

And the savvy politicos are planning their moves.

Consider Terrance Freeman, for example.

The former City Council President is starting 2025 with an Epping Forest Yacht Club fundraiser.

The deets are here:

As for what he’s doing next, he’s “keeping options open.”

The Republican leader has plenty of potential next steps, but as we know, he’s far from the only one in his party planning a path forward.

Cure or disease?

The Jacksonville Office of Inspector General has sharp critiques of Bridges to the Cure, a Northside anti-violence program shut down amid concerns about misspending and malfeasance, including questionable bonuses and lapses in accounting.

OIG was frustrated in its attempts to get answers about the program.

“We attempted to contact Kendra Mervin, the last Grants Administrator, over this contract and the official responsible for terminating the agreement. We discovered that Mervin left the COJ and soon after took a position with Cure the Violence Global. We contacted the COJ Office of Ethics to determine if Mervin asked for an ethics opinion before taking a position with a COJ contractor. We were told they did not have a record of her requesting an opinion. Mervin did not respond to our attempts to contact her regarding this contract award.

“Mayor Donna Deegan’s office acknowledged in a statement the actions in the report were from before Deegan was Mayor. The statement says her office accepts the findings as fair and necessary and that the report ‘lends evidence as to why’ the city ended (its) relationship with Cure Violence. The statement says the Mayor is committed to implementing safeguards for future programs,” reported First Coast News.

“According to the records provided by BTTC, numerous items were purchased by BTTC with COJ funds valued in excess of $1,000.00. These items, including a refrigerator and whiteboard, should have been returned to COJ. Additionally, there were items purchased by BTTC that do not have any apparent relation to the Cure the Violence Program, including audio recording equipment, a deep freezer and an Oriental rug, as reported in the equipment log provided by BTTC,” the OIG report states.

Other discrepancies, including the organization’s purchase of a roof for a building it was renting and the unaccountable costs of Amazon purchases, also raised scrutiny.

Power up

Some more hardware came in this month for the intrepid workers from JEA.

In Orlando, for the Florida Section of the American Water Works Association competition, teams won the evocatively named Hydrant Hysteria, Ductile Iron Tap and Meter Madness events.

Luke Byous was the Meter Madness champ, assembling a water meter more quickly than his competitors.

Meanwhile, Brandon Barr (coach), Tim Maxwell, Caleb Barker and John Naumann teamed up to become the Iron Tap Kings. For the uninitiated, it means to “complete a quality drill and tap of pipe under available pressure.”

Hydrant Hysteria saw excellence from both genders: Sam Howard (coach), Flo Bent, Janelle Hatch and Ashley Tallman (alternate) held it down for the women, while the male contingent included Coach Barr, Sam Howard II, John Alderman and Mike Owen (alternate).

They will be in Denver for the national tourney in June at the ACE25 International Conference.

Drone zone

As the phenomenon of mysterious drones is sparking bewilderment in New Jersey and surrounding areas, inexplicable drone activity is starting to raise wonderment on Florida’s First Coast.

A drone hobbyist who has been flying unmanned aerial vehicles for years in and around Jacksonville said he’s seeing unidentified drones around Jacksonville. Jack Jones told Action News Jax television stations in a report that he’s “concerned” about what he believes are large drones near Naval Air Station Jacksonville, which is on the St. Johns River in the city’s western area.

Then another recording of drones near the naval station surfaced Friday as aircraft were apparently hovering in the skies.

Jones said he saw and video recorded what he described as “large drones” near the military installation in the past week.

Officials with the naval air station told the news outlet they have no such drones operating in the area and no indication that wayward drones are flying near the base.

But even U.S. Rep. John Rutherford, a Jacksonville Republican representing the 5th Congressional District in Florida, said the drone situation has gotten his attention. While he has not explained what objects might be in the skies, he has asked for the public’s help.

“If you see something, say something,” Rutherford said in a statement released to Action News.

Housing slump

The prolonged slump in North Florida housing sales saw another round of decreasing closings in November.

This week, the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors (NEFAR) published its monthly report on home sales in the six-county region. Not only were sluggish home sales on the First Coast last month, but the inventory of houses on the market is growing larger.

Despite those lagging figures, the median home price increased to $392,000, a 5% increase from October’s figure and November 2023’s price tag of about $390,000.

There were 1,392 homes sold across the First Coast in November, a notable 12.3% drop from the October figure of 1,587. It’s also down by 4.1% from November 2023, when 1,452 homes were sold in the six counties on Florida’s First Coast.

While home sales have fallen for most months this year in Northeast Florida, more houses are piling up on the market. The active inventory of homes for sale on the First Coast market amounted to 7,645, up by 7.5% over the October figure of 7,645 and a whopping 67% climb over the November 2023 inventory count of 4,578 homes.

Duval County, home to Jacksonville and the most populous county on the First Coast reflected regional trends with 681 closed home sales in November, down 17% from October when 820 homes sold, and a 1.9% decline from November 2023. The median home sale price also tumbled a bit, coming in at $326,000, a 2.2% fall from October and a 1.8% fall from a year ago.

Manufacturing rebound

After a few months of slowdowns, North Florida manufacturing is improving as several key indicators showed signs of expansion in November.

The University of North Florida (UNF) Coggin College of Business published its Jacksonville Economic Monitoring Survey (JEMS) this week, and two key indicators are on the upswing. Manufacturing output on the First Coast showed a notable uptick in November, with an index rating of 52. That’s an increase from the October rating of 44. The November figure is also up from the September rating of 51.

Albert Loh, interim dean of the UNF business college, oversees the monthly survey of North Florida regional manufacturers and said the output index “signifies that production activity in the region is in an expansionary phase, reflecting increased economic activity compared to the previous month.”

Meanwhile, new orders among Jacksonville-area manufacturers also showed an upbeat trend with an index of 52, up from October’s rating of 46.

“The Jacksonville new order Index at 52 in November indicates a modest expansion in new order activity, signaling increased demand for goods and services compared to the previous month. This expansion is a positive development for the local economy, as new orders often serve as a leading indicator of future production and economic activity,” Loh said in a press release.

Bike brigade

Also, cheers to our friends at JEA for lighting up the Christmases of area youth who need it the most.

WJXT’s Aaron Farrar reports that volunteers for the local utility powered through bicycle assembly for the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree.

“When I was a small kid, I remember getting my first bike,” longtime JEA employee Michael Hinson said. “I still remember, here I am, 70 years old now. Every time we put one of these together, we get that feeling back again.”

“I am one of the people who have been in their shoes to where I could not get some of the things that I wanted for Christmas. It is always good giving back to the community and things of that nature. There is no better joy. With me being a father myself, just seeing how the kids’ faces light up whenever Christmastime comes around,” adds Adrian Akins.

Colombian cash

Jaxsons can bring their trademark generosity to South America via a Thursday fundraiser.

The Beyond the Canopy event, which will be at The Jessie rooftop garden at 40 E. Adams St., will benefit the Abrazando Historias orphanage in Medellin, Colombia.

Jacksonville Today’s Dan Scanlan caught up with Max Morel-Sepulveda, a veteran of these missions of mercy who plans to drop off toys and other items later this month.

“A lot of the kids that are there — you are talking about sexual abuse; you are talking about complete abandonment by their parents,” he said. “It is truly a location that meets the name that we have, being the unreached. It is not something that is spoken about here locally at all. And there’s a lot of places like this in the world, and we want to be able to touch — even if it is just a touch — and then create something sustainable.”

If you’re inclined to help people living in conditions most Americans can’t fathom, here’s a golden opportunity.

Family ties

Speaking of holiday miracles, many Jacksonville kids are “home for the holidays” after last week’s adoption event at the Duval County Courthouse.

Among those lucky boys and girls are Londeshua Kendrick’s seven nieces and nephews, all 13 years of age or younger.

“When we were younger, my mom and her four kids sat down together and we made a promise. We promised that if anything were to happen to one of us, we would take care of each other’s children. And today, I’m keeping that promise,” Kendrick told WOKV.

On the fence about adoption?

Kendrick says not to worry.

“If you’ve got love in your heart, and you want to be loved, you’ve got to step out on faith and show that love. It’s as simple as that.”

Simple, indeed.

Congrats to the new family, which is set to make memories and exemplify the spirit of the Christmas miracle.

On the nice list

There hasn’t been much to celebrate this year for the Jaguars. But one gift keeps on giving: rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.

The former LSU star was the fourth of seven wide receivers drafted in the first round in April, but he has outplayed all of them.

With 64 receptions, Thomas ranks No. 25 in the NFL.

Only his college teammate Malik Nabors of the Giants has more receptions among rookie wideouts. Thomas’ 956 yards are the most among rookie receivers and a Jaguars’ rookie record. He leads all rookies in yards per reception (14.9, No. 15 overall in the league), receiving touchdowns (8, tied for fifth in the NFL and a Jaguars’ rookie record), and he has five catches of 40 yards or more, the most of any rookie this season. Only Ja’Marr Chase had more as a rookie in the past five seasons.

While veteran receivers Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis have seen their seasons end with injuries, Thomas has been sturdy, playing in every game and only missing a handful of snaps due to injury.

When the Jaguars traded back in the draft from pick 17 to 23 and selected Thomas. General manager Trent Baalke said at the time they were going to pick Thomas at 17 but added three picks, including third and fourth-round picks in the upcoming draft.

It might be the best move Baalke has made as the Jaguars’ general manager.

If Thomas continues at the same pace, he will finish the season with 1,160 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. The yardage totals would make him the fourth Jaguars receiver in franchise history with as many yards. The others are Jimmy Smith (seven times), Keenan McCardell (twice), and Allen Robinson (once).

If Thomas catches two more touchdown passes, he will tie for the second most in Jaguars’ history.

Those aren’t rookie records; they are records for any player in team history.

Thomas has plenty of room to grow as a route runner and refine his skills. Still, he has already proven to be the best Jaguars’ rookie receiver in franchise history, and he appears ready to take his place among the best since Smith’s retirement after the 2005 season.

Assuming that Thomas finishes the season strong and can build on his performance in his second season in the league, the Jaguars still need to sort out the wide receiver corps for next year. Davis signed a three-year deal with the team before this season but has underperformed. The Jaguars would have to swallow $6.7 million if they cut him. It could happen.

The Jaguars have around $41 million of cap space for next year, according to Spotrac.com and only about $8.2 million of dead cap as of the moment. Kirk’s cap hit is the biggest on the Jaguars’ books for next season, even bigger than Trevor Lawrence’s deal because of how it was structured. Kirk is due to count $24.3 million on the cap. The Jaguars would save about $10.8 million but cutting Kirk, who has been injury-plagued the past two seasons.

If Thomas is the next version of Smith, don’t be surprised to see the Jaguars pursue the next version of McCardell this offseason. That likely means a free-agent addition. The Bengals’ Tee Higgins could be a free agent and would add a veteran presence wideout. It would also reunite Higgins with his college teammates Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne.

The Jaguars will also likely consider wide receivers in the draft.