Latest news with #DonnaDeegan
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Gateway Jax breaks ground on a second major development in Downtown Jacksonville
Work is officially underway on a new development in Downtown Jacksonville. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Thursday for a second building in Gateway Jax's Pearl Square neighborhood. Mayor Donna Deegan, City Council President-elect Kevin Carrico, and City Councilman Raul Arias were in attendance. Pearl Square is a mixed-use development located at 425 Beaver Street. The new building will feature 286 multifamily units, on-site parking, and nearly 20,000 square feet of retail space. When combined with the work that's already underway in Pearl Square, there will be 500 residential units and 40,000 square feet of retail space. The goal is to create a walkable neighborhood Downtown, where people can live, dine and shop. The project should be complete by 2027. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Close call: Tornado touches down near Durbin Crossing, Liberty Pines Academy
Afternoon storms packed a punch. First Alert Chief Meteorologist Mike Buresh says a tornado was spotted near Liberty Pines Academy and 9B and St. Johns Parkway in the Durbin area. A National Weather Service survey team will investigate the tornado strength this morning. The Loop in Nocatee sustained some damage to its patio, and several thousand people in Clay County lost power. A few afternoon and evening storms are expected before a drier weekend. Clouds will decrease early Saturday and give way to sunshine for the bulk of the day. Lower humidity for the weekend. Hurricane season starts this Sunday, June 1. WOKV will present First Alert Weather, Preparing for the Storm on Monday at 9:00 am. Listen for helpful tips to prepare your home, business, or church before storms even develop. Chief Meteorologist Mike Buresh will offer insight from communities that were devastated by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Three Big Things to Know: A new legal battle over immigration. Jacksonville's top attorney is advising JSO not to enforce state and local immigration laws making it a crime to be in the state and county without legal status in the country. Recall Mayor Donna Deegan refused to sign the local immigration bill over concerns it may be unconstitutional, and instead let it go into effect without her signature. Construction alert: Tonight, road crews will be working to replace finger joints on the Buckman Bridge. FDOT is also working on partial coatings and steel work along the West Beltway. Most of the work will happen overnight and on the weekends. But eventually they will take the bridge down to one lane. No FULL closures are planned. The $5.4 million project is expected to be completed in early 2026, weather and unforeseen circumstances permitting. Today marks two weeks since a fire tore through the hourly parking garage at Jacksonville International Airport and some drivers say they're in limbo. While the state fire marshal investigates the origin and cause of the fire, an attorney representing several driver says the statute of limitations in Florida is two years, so they have plenty of time to decide whether to sue. The Jacksonville Aviation Authority says most impacted drivers have been contacted, but they're still working to contact the rest.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Credit card' knife incident at City Council sparks scrutiny over security firm, city contract
A 'credit card' sized knife that made its way past security and into Jacksonville City Council Chambers is raising serious concerns and putting new pressure on the private company paid millions to protect City Hall and other Jacksonville buildings. While the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO) is responsible for security inside the Council Chambers, it's First Coast Security (FCS) that guards the rest of the building. Now, following the knife incident on Tuesday, the Mayor's Office is demanding better training, starting with how FCS officers handle weapons like the one discovered after three people were arrested during a disturbance that halted the City Council meeting. Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan's sent Action News Jax the following statement about the incident: 'We all have freedom of speech. The time to exercise that right is during the public comment period of City Council meetings. The words we choose matter. Civil discourse should be just that. Civil. If we truly want to solve problems, we have to find a way to speak respectfully to each other. 'A small 'credit card' knife went undetected in a wallet during the standard security screening process for last night's City Council meeting. Moving forward, we have directed First Coast Security to train their officers on this style of concealed weapon, and to conduct extra inspections of all personal items going into the Council Chambers. 'We are also conducting a full security review for City Hall - including potential equipment upgrades, staffing changes, and vendor options - as we get closer to the current security vendor contract expiring in September 2025.' Action News Jax's Ben Becker obtained the city's security contract and discovered that First Coast Security can receive up to $4.7 million per year for its services guarding multiple city buildings, including City Hall. That agreement was signed in 2022 under former Mayor Lenny Curry. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] The city has until Aug. 1 to decide whether to renew the contract for another year. When Becker reached out for comment on the knife incident and potential changes to training, a spokesperson for First Coast Security declined to speak, citing the need for more information. Meanwhile, there are new questions about past security practices, specifically, a potentially illegal gun registry maintained at City Hall. Action News Jax first broke the story that FCS officers were logging the names of people legally carrying concealed weapons into the building. That kind of registry was banned in Florida on July 1, 2023 -- the same day Deegan took office. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Deegan's office said the policy was created under the previous administration of Curry's, not hers. In response, the city's Office of General Counsel has hired a law firm -- Bedell, Dittmar, DeVault, Pillans & Coxe -- to defend against any legal fallout, as nine current and former city workers have been subpoenaed by the State Attorney's Office. The contract allows the firm to earn up to $15,000, with three specific attorneys approved to work on the case. One of those attorneys is Henry Coxe, a well-known criminal defense attorney and the father-in-law of Jacksonville's General Counsel, Michael Fackler, who made the decision to hire Coxe's firm. As previously reported on May 5, that connection is drawing scrutiny, though city officials insist the hiring followed proper protocols. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Sulzbacher village and Jacksonville mayor celebrate early learning class graduation of 2025
Mayor Donna Deegan and community leaders honored the newest graduating class of the Sulzbacher early learning center at the Sulzbacher Village Wednesday morning. Seven students graduated Wednesday morning, with all the students having gone through the program from six weeks old to five years of age. 'The ultimate goal of the early learning center is not just to prepare these kids for Kindergarten, but prepare them for life,' explained Soarve O'Neal, director for the Sulzbacher Early Learning & School Program. 'By giving them social skills, by giving them back their voice to say 'hey, do you see me? I have something to say.' We want them to be productive citizens with a voice.' [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Jamie Lewis's five year old daughter, Emmy, was one of the seven to graduate, and told Action News Jax the program has made a world of difference in her little girl's life already. 'This program has definitely prepared her for life in general, because in life you're gonna experience new things,' Lewis explained. 'So this program has definitely honed in on those fearful feelings and just not sure, but they've nurtured them and so yeah, they're ready.' [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] With the hope now - that the program put those children on the right path in their early years, especially knowing that a child's reading level by third grade is a strong predictor of future success. 'It is very important to grab them now. Teach them that books are not our enemies, but that books are our friends. It is cool to be smart,' O'Neal explained. 'That way it ensures that they are going to study, they are gonna take pride in getting what they need to know by third grade.' Sulzbacher leaders are now focused on the next group of students looking into expanding their horizons before they enter the school system. Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Jacksonville mayor: Small ‘credit card' knife found on 1 of 3 arrested during City Council meeting
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan is speaking out after three people were arrested during Tuesday night's City Council meeting. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said Tuesday night that "Council leadership requested that JSO officers remove a group of individuals who were disrupting the proceedings." Deegan said in a statement Wednesday that while public comment is a time to exercise free speech, 'the words we choose matter.' The three who ended up being arrested, JSO said, 'refused to leave and resisted, becoming combative with officers. Officers discovered a knife on one of the individuals who was arrested.' Here are the people who were arrested and the charges they are facing: Conor Cauley, 29 - Facing charges of carrying a concealed weapon. Police said he was carrying a knife. Leah Grady, 24 - Grady is facing charges of misdemeanor resisting an officer without violence. Teagan Belloit, aka Dragon, 25 - Belloit is facing charges of misdemeanor resisting an officer without violence. She was released without bond. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] In a statement, Deegan gave insight into the knife that Cauley was reportedly carrying, saying it was 'a small 'credit card' knife.' Deegan said that there will be a 'full security review' of City Hall and that security guards will be trained to look for 'this style of concealed weapon.' [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Here is Deegan's full statement on the arrests: 'We all have freedom of speech. The time to exercise that right is during the public comment period of City Council meetings. The words we choose matter. Civil discourse should be just that. Civil. If we truly want to solve problems, we have to find a way to speak respectfully to each other. 'A small 'credit card' knife went undetected in a wallet during the standard security screening process for last night's City Council meeting. Moving forward, we have directed First Coast Security to train their officers on this style of concealed weapon, and to conduct extra inspections of all personal items going into the Council Chambers. 'We are also conducting a full security review for City Hall – including potential equipment upgrades, staffing changes, and vendor options – as we get closer to the current security vendor contract expiring in September 2025.' Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
