The Florida Times-Union
Trump criticizes top U.S. allies over war
President Donald Trump slammed top U.S. allies, including the United Kingdom, as the war with Iran expands and warned Americans that they may have to deal with “a little high” oil prices as crude costs soared and the stock market tumbled. “If we have...
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Cross-country ride to honor 9/11 victim
Katherine “Katie” McGarry Noack’s last communication on Sept. 11, 2001, was a text message to her husband of five months. She wanted him to tell her family how much she loved them. She was at a meeting in the World Trade Center in New York City that...
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Tehran retaliates after leader killed in strikes
Three American service members were killed in action amid the ongoing conflict with Iran, U.S. military officials confirmed, one day after the United States and Israel launched strikes against the country and Tehran quickly hit back. Five others were...
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ATTACK ON IRAN
Find more coverage at usatoday.com and in the Nation & World Extra section, a subscriber-only feature in your eNewspaper.
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Memorial Park repairs ready to move forward
Plans for repairing years-old storm damage to the bulkhead and balustrade at Jacksonville’s riverfront Memorial Park could be advancing by summer, city officials told park neighbors at a neighborhood update. “We have a contractor on board who knows...
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Public asked to sound off on five Skyway plans
The Jacksonville Transportation Authority is asking for public feedback on five different options for the future of the Skyway’s elevated structure that include keeping it for above-ground trains, converting the structure for rubber-tired autonomous...
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Combative State of the Union address signals storms ahead
He stuck to the script, mostly. President Donald Trump’s signature has been his willingness to ad lib his way through big speeches with bombastic rhetoric, but at the State of the Union address Feb. 24 he read a statisticsheavy speech that focused from...
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‘CRAZY ABOUT CARS’
Start your engines for Northeast Florida’s biggest car show of the year. h The Amelia Concours d`Elegance, a “week of captivating motorsport and luxury lifestyle experiences,” expects to see about 500,000 spectators who will take advantage of driving...
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Battle for Trump’s brain at State of the Union
The state of President Donald Trump’s union is troubled. When Trump delivers the State of the Union on Feb. 24, the audience in the House chamber will likely include members of a Supreme Court that just outlawed the stiff tariffs that have been his...
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The second-biggest grocer in FL is Aldi
Aldi is the nation’s fastest-growing grocer and nowhere does it have more stores than in Florida where it now has 297 stores as of February 2026. The states with the next most are Illinois (218) and Ohio (175). Why is Aldi so focused on Florida?...
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Who is someone you could always count on for a great quote?
Garry Smits Sports reporter Florida football coach Steve Spurrier and Florida State’s Bobby Bowden could always be counted on to educate, enlighten and delight the media. You got an answer to every question and more often than not it was...
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Supreme Court strikes down Trump’s tariffs
WASHINGTON − A furious President Donald Trump slammed the Supreme Court after a landmark decision striking down his power to impose sweeping tariffs. “I’m ashamed of certain members of the court, absolutely ashamed for not having the courage to do...
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FL TOPS U.S. IN SHARK ATTACKS
More shark bites were logged in the U.S. last year than anywhere else in the world with Florida ranking highest for unprovoked incidents, but Australia suffered the most fatal attacks, according to a report from the International Shark Attack...
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LAGOON COMMUNITY SEES ITS FIRST OWNER
Duval County’s first lagoon community welcomed its first homeowner this week, marking a milestone for a 2,700-home master-planned development taking shape on Jacksonville’s Westside. The move-in officially launched life inside Diamond Springs, a...
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CIVIL RIGHTS ICON JACKSON DIES AT 84
The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a towering civil rights icon who battled alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., negotiated global hostage releases and shamed corporations for their lack of diversity and failure to support voting rights, died Feb. 17. He...
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What’s next for the DeSantises?
With Gov. Ron DeSantis’ last regular session of the Legislature having passed its midpoint, the Republican chief executive and his wife, first lady Casey DeSantis, appear focused on securing their political future – whatever it is. The governor, of...
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Report: FL among top in U.S. in total food spending
When the global COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, Frank and Carol Prevost stopped eating out, even after the temporary statewide ban on on-site dining was lifted. They are back to dining at restaurants as much as they did before the pandemic, if...
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Paul Runnestrand Executove edotor
When did headlights get so bright? I thought the purpose was to help you see when you’re driving at night, not prevent everyone else from being able to see. I’d also love it if people would learn how to use a roundabout correctly, but that might be...
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Valentine gifts will cost you
George Denys buys a box of chocolates for his wife as a Valentine’s Day gift every year. On Thursday, Feb. 12, he continued that tradition, even though chocolate prices have gone through the roof. “It’s more expensive than when I first started coming...
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NO SALE
The Duval County school district has canceled its deal to buy a new headquarters site in Baymeadows after its agreement to sell its longtime Southbank headquarters downtown fell through. h The decision, announced Feb. 12, essentially puts the district...
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Jacksonville becomes hub for Daimler Coaches
Motorists exiting Interstate 295 onto Pritchard Road in Jacksonville might feel like they’re getting off the autobahn in Germany. East of the highway interchange is the Volkswagen Group Of America’s parts distribution warehouse with the VW logo on the...
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Teachers union leaders sentenced for fraud
The women who ran Jacksonville’s teachers union for nearly a quarter-century are both headed to prison for cheating the union out of $2.6 million, a federal judge ruled Feb. 9. Terrie Brady and Ruby George pleaded guilty in 2025 to “selling back” to...
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Little consensus seen after Gulf renaming
From the bridge of their charter boat High Class Hooker, Susanna Pope and her husband can look out at the sparkling 65-degree saltwater off Key West and envision customers fishing for marlin, wahoo and mahi-mahi. Which fish will be biting? Will the...
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Latest Ocklawaha River restoration bill advances
Another attempt to open the Kirkpatrick Dam on the Ocklawaha River is flowing through the Florida Legislature, with supporters calling it the Northeast Florida version of Everglades restoration. But even if the measure passes in the Legislature, Gov....
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Rising housing costs are a growing concern
Not so long ago, Northeast Florida was the state’s best-kept housing secret: It was a younger, workingclass alternative to the gilded retirement getaways in the state’s other large metros. Land was plentiful. Rents were lower. Houses were a bargain,...
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RECONNECTING A COMMUNITY
The branch of McCoys Creek that cuts through Hollybrook Park in the North Riverside neighborhood resembles a ditch more than a natural stream. Vegetation clogs its steep banks. Metal signposts, tires and other trash clutter the waterway. But after a...
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TEMPS MAY HIT ELECTRIC BILLS
Record cold temperatures in Florida this week could result in higher overall electric bills here as more Florida residents crank up the heat in their homes. h But there are things homeowners can do to keep their electric bills down this winter no...
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‘HOLOGRAM’ OF DEEGAN REMOVED
The “hologram” of Mayor Donna Deegan welcoming visitors at Jacksonville International Airport has left the building. h The box featuring a life-sized video of Deegan had been at Jacksonville International Airport since December 2024 where reaction...
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GROWERS COPE WITH HISTORIC COLD
A winter onslaught set upon Florida this past weekend with a historic whimsy and devastating brutality that dusted the frozen night with snow flurries as far south as Fort Myers, and sent a cropkilling freeze to farmers, who despaired as heaps of...
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Gone to pot?
A petition group pushing to get recreational marijuana on Florida’s 2026 November statewide ballot is saying the state’s announcement of its failure to gather enough signatures is “premature.” Secretary of State Cord Byrd announced Feb. 1 that all 22...
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Florida firm is remaking history this Super Bowl
When the coin toss to determine possession takes place prior to Super Bowl 60, something will be noticeably different from years past. The coin, produced since 1994 by the Highland Mint in Melbourne, will not be made by Highland Mint this year....
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WHAT’S ON THE MENU?
If it’s local you want, we’ve got it. Our Sunday refresh offers more news and sports, as well as “Weekend Exclusive” content to help you navigate your lives. So enjoy your Sunday reading filled with stories that will inspire, educate, inform and...
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SHUTDOWN COUNTDOWN
Lawmakers appeared to be closing in on a deal endorsed by President Donald Trump to avoid an extended government shutdown, but a key player said a brief government closure may be inevitable as there still was work to be done Jan. 30 as funding was set...
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Homan signals strategy shift in MN
White House border czar Tom Homan on Jan. 29 vowed to “draw down” the federal presence in Minnesota as agents focus on more “targeted” enforcement, a major shift in operations that comes amid backlash following the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens...
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Government shutdown looms after MN killing
WASHINGTON – Another government shutdown is on its way. Since the killing of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis sparked nationwide uproar, there’s little hope on Capitol Hill for an 11th-hour miracle in the next few days to salvage a...
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Emotions still high after four decades
Kandice Seiberling and future NASA astronaut Judy Resnik were great childhood friends during the 1950s at Fairlawn Elementary School in Akron, Ohio — they rode bikes and skated together, and Seiberling’s mom got them matching outfits. Years later,...
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MOSH DEMOLITION OK’D
The final science exhibit at the old MOSH building in downtown will involve the physics of demolition. The Downtown Investment Authority approved knocking down the fourstory building at 1025 Museum Circle on the Southbank. The nonprofit organization...
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Despite gains, efforts to lower rates continue
The state’s Republican leaders say the chief culprit in the state’s notoriously expensive property insurance market — excessive litigation — has been tamed, but a slew of bills show lawmakers from both parties don’t believe the problem is entirely...
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Beth Reese Cravey
I love our current doc Jake and loved mos predecessor, Nelson. But tme doc beTore tmem, Happy, was tme doc wmo made us mardncore doc people. He was a corceous Great Pyrenees mox wmo came to us aTter mos Torst owner, my motmernonnlaw, doed. I was a...
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Luxury downtown living starts at about $4.7M
Luxury real estate in Jacksonville is entering a new phase. h With the official launch this week of residential sales at Four Seasons Private Residences Jacksonville, the city is positioning itself as the next breakout market for branded luxury living....
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Trump touts launch of Board of Peace
President Donald Trump wrapped up a high-profile trip to the World Economic Forum international summit Jan. 22 touting the launch of a yet-tobe-defined peace initiative and success in expanding the U.S. footprint in Greenland. He told Fox Business...
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Trump: ‘Framework’ of Greenland deal reached
President Donald Trump announced Jan. 21 a “framework of a future deal” on Greenland has been reached and backed off on his threats of new tariffs on Europe following a meeting with Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte in Davos, Switzerland. “This...
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CRACKS SHOWING IN TRUMP’S COALITION
WASHINGTON — Republicans, led by President Donald Trump, have controlled Congress. But an ever-slimming vote margin in the House of Representatives is becoming a bigger problem for the White House and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana. Mavericks...
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PARADE CELEBRATES MLK
Jacksonville Centre of the Arts dancers pass crowds on downtown streets during the city’s 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade on Monday, Jan. 19. Residents, leaders, organizations, marching bands, student groups and other performers bundled up in...
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FL ‘Rural Renaissance’ bill would expand grant opportunities in struggling areas
TALLAHASSEE – Rural areas throughout Florida could soon receive an infusion of cash, after the Florida Senate on Jan. 14 passed the “Rural Renaissance” package that’s a top priority for Senate President Ben Albritton. The bill (SB 250) includes nearly...
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Who is your favorite fictional animal?
Scott Butler Metro edotor I’ll co old scmool wotm Toccer and newer scmool wotm Hobbes. Botm capture cmoldren’s (and adults’) Tancoes and omaconatoon. Boll Watterson, tme master bemond Calvon & Hobbes, also partocularly onspored me to draw. And really...
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Duval County high school graduation rate hits high
Duval County’s graduation rates for traditional high schools surged in 2025 to 97.6%, exceeding statewide achievements that education officials celebrated January 13 as historic. Graduation rates for the entire Duval school district, which included...
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DeSantis pushes property tax cuts in final address
Facing a skeptical GOP majority and entering his last year in office, Gov. Ron DeSantis emphasized major property tax cuts and new regulations for artificial intelligence as the main planks of his agenda in his eighth and final State of the State...
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MAYBE NEXT YEAR
The Jacksonville Jaguars fell just short at home against the Buffalo Bills, exiting in the AFC Wild Card round of the playoffs. ABOVE: Bills signal a touchdown by Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen (17) during the second quarter on Jan. 11 in Jacksonville.
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Furor continues over ICE shootings
Tensions remained high Jan. 9 after shootings involving immigration agents in Minneapolis and in Portland, Oregon, drew protesters to the streets and deepened fractures between federal and state officials. In Portland, a U.S. Border Patrol officer...
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CITY HOMICIDE NUMBERS RISE
Ayear ago saw the most dramatic reduction in deadly shootings, beatings and stabbings in Jacksonville this century, and many wondered if it could be sustainable. h Unofficially at 115 homicides for 2025, the answer is no – but with a caveat. A 37%...
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‘Now the real season starts’ for Jaguars
They are always about the next opponent and challenge, this upstart Jacksonville Jaguars team. Acknowledge the accomplishment and then move on, a matter-of-fact approach that propelled them from a 4-13 punchline to a 13-4 freight train. Almost...
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AFC SOUTH CHAMPS!
Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Quintin Morris scores a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.
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DOUBLE TROUBLE
Bolles running back Edwards and defensive end Ghioto are linked in the high school football history books for Northeast Florida, as the Times-Union’s All-First Coast offensive and defensive players of the year for 2025.
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CREATURE DISCOMFORTS
Everyone knows by now that Florida has a problem with the invasive Burmese python. Wild Burmese pythons can pose some risk to humans, even those who aren’t purposefully pursuing them. Traffic accidents involving large pythons crossing roads are one...
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AI to review Medicare claims in pilot program
A new Medicare program that uses artificial intelligence to review medical claims is set to launch in six states. Critics worry it will lead to patients being denied necessary care and more red tape for providers. The controversial new six-year pilot...
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China encircles Taiwan in huge drill
TAIPEI, Taiwan – China fired rockets into waters off Taiwan on Dec. 30, showcased new assault ships and dismissed prospects of U.S. and allied intervention to block any future attack by Beijing to take control of the island in its most extensive war...
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Brooks Rehab to expand at Bartram, Orange Park
In 2026, Jacksonville-based Brooks Rehabilitation will begin three major construction projects, costing a total of $68 million and creating 150 new jobs. The projects – expansion of Brooks Bartram Park campus and its Orange Park outpatient clinic and...
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JAGUARS SURVIVE
Afourth quarter Jarrian Jones interception led to the game-deciding field goal as the Jaguars defeated the Colts in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium. Above: Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) hands off to running back Travis Etienne...
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What are you looking forward to in 2026?
Demetrius Harvey Jaguars reporter Sometmonc I’m lookonc Torward to os coveronc a playoTT run. I’ve somemow lucked out and covered tme Jacuars’ last run on 2022 and ot looks loke tmat’ll be tme case tmos year. Sonce 2000, tme Jacuars mave made tme...
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Trump may be repeating Biden mistake on economy
Americans might be experiencing a bit of déjà vu after watching President Donald Trump trying to cheer up the country amid national anxiety about the cost of living. During a 20-minute speech from the White House on Dec. 17, Trump plowed through a...
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Turning Point USA gains ground on campuses
Apair of students stood in the Indiana University Indianapolis student center asking a simple legal question: “Is ‘hate speech’ protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution?” Students slowed to read the white board, and many shuffled toward...
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Will ‘penny’ phrases disappear or endure?
By now, many Americans know the U.S. Mint won’t be making more pennies. Some businesses began reporting shortages of the coins even before the last pennies were stamped. h Another possible repercussion of the penny’s passing? Some colorful...
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Daily’s Place to close during stadium work
When the Jonas Brothers walk off the stage at the end of their Dec. 30 concert at Daily’s Place, the show won’t be the only thing coming to an end — the venue itself will shut down for at least three years. Bold Events, the events-organizing firm...
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Husband gives home to charity
When Rick and Susan Sontag built their Mediterranean villa by the sea in 1994, they envisioned the home as their retirement refuge, as well as a spot for large family gatherings or even community events. The two of them both grew up in a Southern...
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What’s something you will remember about 2025?
Scott Butler Metro edotor I don’t want to be a buzz koll, but I woll always remember moldonc my dear pup Cmance tmroucm mer Tonal breatms on May 27. Sme was a neocmbormood doc wmo ran amok Tor tme most part and tmen was abandoned by mer evocted,...
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LONG-SOUGHT PUBLIX WINS BOARD’S SUPPORT
Downtown and Springfield residents moved a step closer to having a Publix for their shopping when the Downtown Investment Authority unanimously approved a $49.6 million incentive package for a building that will have space for the grocery store, an...
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Trump has ‘alcoholic’s personality,’ Wiles says
WASHINGTON – Donald Trump’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles, told Vanity Fair magazine in a dishy interview published Dec. 16 that she had a loose agreement with the president that he would not settle scores with his critics and political rivals after the...
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Person of interest seen masked in new images
A search in Rhode Island rolled into its fourth day Dec. 16 as federal and state officers pursued a suspect who opened fire during a final exam at Brown University, killing two, injuring nine and leaving no obvious indication of a motive. The widening...
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Food costs still ‘big challenge’
More than two-thirds of shoppers recently surveyed said they’re struggling with the cost of groceries. In a survey by Swiftly, 68% of shoppers said because of overall inflation and rising food costs, they were struggling to pay their grocery...
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TREVOR, TRAVIS TRIUMPH
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw five touchdowns and ran for another, and Travis Etienne had three receiving touchdowns to lead Jacksonville past the New York Jets. Above: Lawrence (16) passes in the first quarter of the game at...
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Helping is what it’s all about
In my 45-year career as a journalist, I have worked at newspapers in four states. They covered large communities and small communities, each with all the usual societal ills. In every one of those communities, an organization was working to solve...
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2-story restaurant planned next to Friendship Fountain
Jacksonville is moving forward with plans to build a new restaurant in St. Johns River Park next to Friendship Fountain using a design by CD+Urban Studio. The architectural firm showed the last renderings for the chosen design during a Dec. 11 meeting...
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COUNCIL EARMARKS $15M FOR HIGHER ED
A $15 million assortment of spending on higher education and vocational training won approval by Jacksonville City Council after months of debate that still left a piece of funding for Edward Waters University up in the air. The legislation earmarks...
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Florida drought hurting farmers
In a year with no hurricanes, most Floridians have been thankful to not have to board up windows, evacuate to higher ground or stock up on flashlights and bottled water. h But for Florida’s agricultural sector, months without rain have caused other...
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