randy defoor

Historical Society Breaks Ground on Jacksonville History Center

Historical Society Breaks Ground on Jacksonville History Center

The Jacksonville Historical Society (JHS) held a groundbreaking ceremony last month to celebrate the first phase of work on The Jacksonville History Center – the city’s first museum dedicated to showcasing Jacksonville’s rich history. JHS board members and city officials participated in the event, held in front of the historic Florida Casket Company building on […]

Defending the Future

Defending the Future

The Downtown Ecumenical Services Council (DESC) celebrated 40 years of providing critical care to those struggling with poverty at DESC Defenders: Into the Future on Thursday, Sept. 21, at the WJCT studios in Jacksonville. “I am ecstatic that DESC Defenders was another great fundraiser,” said Alex Benavides, event chair and DESC board member. The poverty-fighting […]

New Appointments for Deegan Administration

New Appointments for Deegan Administration

Mayor Donna Deegan made seven new appointments to City of Jacksonville positions last month that include: General Counsel: Randy DeFoor Director of Public Works: Nina Sickler Chief of Sports and Entertainment: Alex Alston Executive Director of the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission (JHRC): Dr. Rudy Jamison, Jr. JHRC Diversity Manager: Jimmy Midyette Jacksonville Small and Emerging […]

Committee talks gala, fundraising for DESC

Committee talks gala, fundraising for DESC

Leaders and committee members that support poverty fighting fundraiser, DESC Defenders: Into the Future, gathered at Beau Rivage, June 6, to talk about the upcoming event benefitting the Downtown Ecumenical Services Council. The evening featured insightful talks by event chair, Alex Benavides, who has spearheaded the fundraising event for two years in a row. Benavides […]

Residents, merchants honored with 2023 RAP awards

Residents, merchants honored with 2023 RAP awards

Riverside Avondale Preservation (RAP) hosted its 2023 annual meeting and awards ceremony at Riverside Church at the corner of Park and King streets on Thursday, Feb. 16. The meeting included a presentation by RAP Executive Director Shannon Blankinship recapping 2022 and outlining plans for the coming year and Jacksonville historian and RAP Founder Dr. Wayne […]

Darkness and Light: A beacon of hate unites a community and reveals the darkness of politics

Darkness and Light: A beacon of hate unites a community and reveals the darkness of politics

A beam of light momentarily turned downtown into a beacon of darkness, as antisemitic actors projected a cross and swastika across the face of the CSX building on Jan. 14. But the actors’ intended goal of hate appeared to have had the opposite effect, as the city of Jacksonville immediately rallied behind its Jewish brothers […]

Source of Murray Hill odor issue still unresolved

Source of Murray Hill odor issue still unresolved

City study continues Since 2018, residents in Murray Hill have been complaining about noxious odors they describe similar to the scent of turpentine that they typically smell late at night, early in the morning and over weekends. Beginning in 2021, the complaints dramatically increased with residents in other urban neighborhoods such as Ortega, San Marco, […]

Redrawn maps submitted to the court in redistricting lawsuit

Redrawn maps submitted to the court in redistricting lawsuit

The lines have been drawn in the ongoing legal battle for what will be the new City Council District Map for the City of Jacksonville. After several days of meetings, culminating in a six-hour Special Council meeting on Friday, Nov. 4, the Jacksonville City Council voted on a newly-drawn district map to submit to the […]

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