Jax

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 28, 2017

State Sen. Aaron Bean is one of the most compelling personalities in the Florida Senate, and he has a number of bills that hit hot-button topics loaded up for the current session. Among the topics: EBT cards, non-citizen voting, sanctuary cities, and foreign terror organizations. We talked to Bean, a Republican representing part of Duval […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 27, 2017

11053582_1039259299422275_7515458863071550036_n-1024x1024.jpg

University of North Florida President John Delaney announced Monday that he is leaving UNF at the end of his contract — May 30, 2018. “The UNF Board of Trustees has requested that I extend my contract,” Delaney wrote, “but I feel it is time for the campus to look to someone new with fresh perspectives.” Delaney, who […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 27, 2017

Rep. Cord Byrd was elected last year to serve eastern Duval County and all of Nassau. Headed into his first session, the bills he sponsors reflects a mixture of local priorities and the issues that motivated him to run in the first place. Among them: public safety issues and gun rights. On Monday, Rep. Byrd […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 27, 2017

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry lunched Monday with students from Lee High School’s “EVAC” program, a leadership class at the Westside school. EVAC is the word cave spelled backwards; the name represents the students emerging from the issues that can affect children from at-risk environments. One student, describing the concept, said it was a way toward empowerment. […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 27, 2017

Former Jacksonville Sheriff and current U.S. Rep. John Rutherford was appointed on Monday to the newly-created Task Force on Denying Terrorists Entry into the United States. The task force, a subset of the House Committee on Homeland Security, will begin studying gaps on how terrorists in March and present findings to the larger committee. Congressman Rutherford said, “As […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 25, 2017

How long does it take to forget, when a loved one has gone missing? Those who were on hand in the atrium of Jacksonville’s city hall on Friday morning can tell you. The answer is indeterminate. Grieving parents and loved ones were there for one of the more emotionally wrenching events on the city calendar […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 24, 2017

This is a pivotal time in Jacksonville’s city hall. With complete turnover in the city’s delegation to Washington and opportunities created by the new President, majority turnover in the city’s representation in Tallahassee, a revolutionary pension deal currently being approved by the city’s unions, and the imperiled fate of Enterprise Florida, this is a make […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 24, 2017

The race for Jacksonville City Council VP is heating up, as Aaron Bowman threw his hat into the ring this week. Bowman had run in 2016, though questions were raised at the time about his run, such as whether or not he was running “too early” in his term, and how independent he would be from […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 23, 2017

Thursday afternoon saw a “constituent town hall” outside the Jacksonville district office of Rep. John Rutherford. The event, which drew roughly 200 people at its peak, was organized days ago: a reaction to the congressman choosing to forego the kinds of town hall events seen in other GOP districts during this congressional recess, events where […]

A.G. GancarskiFebruary 23, 2017

Jacksonville is another step closer to long-term peace with its labor unions, as the Fraternal Order of Police resoundingly voted to accept terms of the tentative pension deal on Thursday. 64.5 percent of officers, sergeants, and bailiffs voted for the deal. 81.4 percent of lieutenants and captains accepted terms. A deal was agreed to on Feb. […]

Jax
Aerial photo courtesy Jesse Biter.

Aaron Bean tackles hot-button topics in this session’s legislation

UNF President John Delaney plans exit, with political future undetermined

Cord Byrd offers an ambitious slate of bills for his first session in Florida House

Lenny Curry lunches, talks policy with high school students

John Rutherford appointed to counterterrorism task force

‘Bring him home’: Jacksonville remembers its missing adults

Lenny Curry outlines Jacksonville’s legislative priorities, talks pension and Enterprise Florida

Aaron Bowman makes second try for Jacksonville City Council VP

John Rutherford draws criticism in absentia at ‘constituent town hall’

Jacksonville police union overwhelmingly approves pension deal