Latest news with #Jacksonville-area
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Northeast Florida's next wave steps up: Which locals will race at USA Swimming nationals?
For Northeast Florida's next elite swimmers, the time to shine is now. With Olympic champions Caeleb Dressel and Ryan Murphy on the sidelines, a new wave of Jacksonville-area swimmers will lead the way for the First Coast against the nation's best in the pool over five days at the USA Swimming National Championships, scheduled for June 3-7 at the Indiana University Natatorium in Indianapolis. Advertisement While recent Florida High School Athletic Association champions like Andy Kravchenko (Bolles) and Carter Wright (Bishop Kenny) will be in action, swimming giants Dressel and Murphy — both top-five honorees in the Times-Union's Jax Greatest 100 series in 2024 — both elected not to enter this meet. Murphy announced earlier in May that he planned to take a break from competitive swimming in the summer, while leaving the door open for a return to action ahead of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Dressel had competed at a Pro Swim Series event in Fort Lauderdale from April 30 to May 3, including a fourth-place finish in the 50-meter butterfly, but his name did not appear among the list of entrants announced for nationals by USA Swimming. His wife, Meghan, announced in a November social media post that the couple's second child is due to arrive in June. Between them, Dressel and Murphy have combined for 19 medals, 14 of them gold, over the last three Olympics for the United States. Advertisement Also not in this meet are former Episcopal swimmer Julian Smith, NCAA breaststroke champion this year with Florida, and former Bartram Trail swimmer Macguire McDuff, a finalist at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. One Jacksonville-area name that is back in action, though, is Santo Condorelli. The Bolles graduate, who won an Olympic silver medal representing Italy in the 4x100 relay in Tokyo, is scheduled to race in the 50 freestyle. Olympic gold medalists Bobby Finke, Katie Ledecky and Torri Huske are among the top Americans who will be racing in Indianapolis. What's at stake? This isn't an Olympic year, but there's still plenty at stake. Advertisement In general, as long as they meet a required qualifying time and the team does not exceed 26 men and 26 women, the top two finishers in each individual event qualify for the World Aquatics Championships from July 27-Aug. 3 in Singapore. The highest-ranking finishers from age 14-18 as of Dec. 31, 2025 can qualify for the World Junior Championships in Otopeni, Romania. USA Swimming has already designated Bolles aquatics director Peter Verhoef as men's coach for that event. The full list of Jacksonville-area qualifiers is below, as listed by USA Swimming. Ordinal seed positions for each event are in parentheses. Santo Condorelli, Bolles Men's 50 free (15th) T.J. Frost, Bartram Trail (Ohio State) Men's 200 IM (48th), 400 IM (48th), 400 free (28th) Louis Joos, Bolles Men's 200 breast (57th) Andy Kravchenko, Bolles Andy Kravchenko of Bolles races the boys 200-yard freestyle at the Frank Holleman Invitational for high school swimming on September 21, 2024. [Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union] Men's 100 free (34th), 50 free (33rd) Landon Kyser, Bolles (Wisconsin) Men's 100 breast (36th) Ethan Maloney, Bolles (Virginia Tech) Men's 200 breast (19th), 50 breast (9th), 100 breast (10th) Aidan Paro, Bolles (Louisville) Men's 200 fly (43rd), 50 fly (16th), 100 fly (19th) Drew Salls, Sandalwood (N.C. State) Men's 100 free (38th), 50 free (11th) Xavier Sohovich, Bolles Men's 100 free (52nd), 200 free (50th), 400 free (38th) Sara Stotler, Clay (Tennessee) Women's 200 IM (40th), 200 fly (13th), 50 fly (20th), 100 fly (32nd) Carter Wright, Bishop Kenny Men's 100 free (30th) Luke Zardavets, Nease Men's 200 breast (49th), 50 breast (50th), 100 breast (56th) USA Swimming national championships: How to watch Preliminaries: 10 a.m. June 3-7, streaming on USA Swimming Network Final rounds: 7 p.m. June 3-7, streaming on Peacock This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: USA Swimming national championships 2025: Northeast Florida qualifiers
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Yahoo
Addicted for years, ex-FHP trooper gets prison time for drug heists while on DEA task force
A once-standout Florida Highway Patrol trooper will spend nine years in prison for conspiring with another Jacksonville-area lawman to steal drugs and money confiscated from criminals, a federal judge said Friday. Joshua Earrey, 46, was part of a Drug Enforcement Administration task force who admitted to a string of crimes, some done to feed a years-long dependence on oxycodone pills. In 2024, Earrey signed a plea agreement that recounted him helping sell more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana that his cohort, former Nassau County Sheriff's Sgt. James Darrell Hickox, stole from Sheriff's Office storage. Previously: DEA agent from Jacksonville pleads guilty to taking bribes, facilitating large sales of meth, heroin Hickox was sentenced in January to 17 years and six months in prison. Sentencing guidelines recommended at least 14 years for Earrey, but prosecutors told U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger he deserved a reduction based on the "substantial assistance" he gave authorities starting when agents approached him as he got off a cruise ship with his family. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Hamilton recommended 11 years, but the judge said Earrey's diligent work on recovery ― he's been sober a little over two years ― justified a further decrease. Berger, who previously ran a drug court as a state judge, cautioned Earrey to take whatever steps were needed to avoid relapsing while he's behind bars. "Do what you have to do to stay away from them," the judge said of drugs she acknowledged are often available in prisons. "You made it this far." When he took a plea dela last year, Earrey admitted a laundry list of crimes that included helping steal a one-kilogram brick of cocaine that he replaced with a 3D-printed dummy brick and helping stage a traffic stop to take a courier's shipment of what was supposed to be about 13 pounds of fentanyl (the shipment turned out to be counterfeit). The trooper, who had been a finalist for the state's law enforcement officer of the year award in 2010, also admitted in the agreement taking at least $20,000 from drug dealers who either bribed him or were extorted into paying to stay out of trouble. The cash was used to buy pills, said court records, which also described him trading two cases of rifle and handgun ammunition ― the cases usually contain 1,000 rounds ― for oxycodone from a convicted murderer who didn't have a legal way to buy ammunition. Earrey, who was prescribed pain pills after being injured training canines for FHP, took 30 to 40 pills a day at the peak of his dependency, Berger was told. In addition to returning drugs to the street, the crimes Earrey and Hickox admitted also helped scuttle charges against a Jacksonville couple once charged in connection with the 2020 shooting of a Jacksonville police detective during a SWAT call. As task force members, Earrey and Hickox both played roles in an investigation that led to police serving a warrant at the home where the shooting happened. But their prosecution turned up so much deception that the State Attorney's Office said in 2023 that they "raise significant question" about what happened before the shooting. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Ex-FHP trooper gets 9-year sentence for rip-offs while on DEA task force
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Arby's abruptly closes 4 Jacksonville restaurants, including 2 open 40 years
At least four Jacksonville-area Arby's restaurants, including two open for four decades, have abruptly closed in recent weeks. The four locations, all corporate-owned, are at 5081 J Turner Butler Blvd., 9361 Atlantic Blvd., 9171 Baymeadows Road and 4316 Southside Blvd. Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation records confirm the closings, and phone numbers for all four closed restaurants are no longer active. Signs have already been removed at some locations and at least one, at 5081 J. Turner Butler Blvd., is listed for lease by real estate services firm TSCG. The closings represent a quarter of the 60-year-old, Atlanta-based fast-food chain's locations in Duval County. They also represent more than 100 years of combined service slicing and serving up Arby's signature roast beef and other menu favorites. According to Duval County property records, the restaurant at 9361 Atlantic Blvd. was built in 1984 near the United Artists theater complex which was later redeveloped into Circuit City and Bed Bath & Beyond, now Ashley Furniture and Aldi, and Best Buy, where Korean supermarket Lotte Plaza Market is set to open. Did you know? Firehouse Subs, Burger King and more: Popular restaurant chains that began in Jacksonville The Arby's restaurant at 9171 Baymeadows Road, has been a fixture there since it was built in 1985. The restaurant at 4316 Southside Blvd., near Touchton Road, was built in 2004. And Arby's opened in the former Hardee's spot on Butler Boulevard near Philips Highway in 2017. The closings come as Pollo Tropical has shuttered all three of its remaining Jacksonville locations at 730 Skymarks Drive in River City Marketplace, 4863 Gate Parkway at the Markets at Town Center and 10989 San Jose Blvd. in Mandarin. After the closings, 16 other Jacksonville-area Arby's remain open, including 12 in Jacksonville, two in Orange Park, and one each in Yulee and St. Augustine. Sign up for Dining Notes, the free weekly restaurant newsletter from the Times-Union's Gary Mills delivered to your email inbox each Wednesday. Sign up now. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Arby's permanently closes 4 Jacksonville, FL restaurants
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Become a ‘weed wrangler': Volunteers needed for invasive plant cleanup March 1st
The Jacksonville-area U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is looking for help preventing the spread of harmful invasive species in Florida's green spaces. Efforts are especially active now, as part of National Invasive Species Awareness Week. Weed Wrangles are a state-wide initiative to hand-remove especially harmful trees, vines, and flowering plants. 'Most importantly,' said USACE biologist Jessica Spencer, 'It is a great opportunity to welcome our community to come out and learn about our local natural areas and how non-native/ invasive plants impact them.' This year, the target plants are coral ardisia, caesar weed, Japanese climbing fern, tuberous sword fern, arrowhead vine, wild taro, kalanchoe, camphor tree, and air potato. The local Weed Wrangles are hosted by the First Coast Invasives Working Group and The Garden Club of America. The next event is scheduled for Saturday, March 1st from 9 A.M. to 12 P.M. Read: Nutria Nuisance: The invasive rodent environmental officials are encouraging you to eat There are multiple locations: Vilano Beach (St. Augustine) Tree Hill Nature Center (Jacksonville) University of North Florida Hanna Park (Atlantic Beach) Atlantic Recreation Center Walter Jones Historic Park (Jacksonville) Organizers say they will need the most help at the Tree Hill Nature Center. For more information, click here. [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
17-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Northeast Florida high school sports scores for Feb. 17-22, 2025
WRESTLING Boys District 1-3A championship Tocoi Creek 236, Fletcher 216, Creekside 205.5, Oakleaf 175, Sandalwood 163, Bartram Trail 108.5, Nease 106.5, Mandarin 65, First Coast 51, Atlantic Coast 16.5. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville-area high school sports scores, Feb. 17-22
