First Coast Connect

Nearly two-fifths of Jacksonville households qualify for affordable housing, earning less than 80% of the area’s median income. But the city is facing a critical shortage of affordable homes, reporting a deficit of 50,000 units. Many renters and homeowners alike are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of their income on housing. City leaders say expanding access to affordable housing is a top priority and have been working to advance and implement key projects and initiatives that will make housing attainable. One such example is the newly launched Single-Family Development Program, which combines short-term construction loans with down payment assistance to help boost homeownership for very low-income buyers. We talk to the city’s housing director about the challenges ahead and how the city is responding to the crisis.

Guest: Joshua Hicks, affordable housing director for the city of Jacksonville

A new report examines the current state of early literacy efforts across Duval County and ways to strengthen these outcomes, specifically for children from birth through third grade. The report, commissioned by the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, found promising progress, but also systematic shortfalls within Duval County’s early literacy system. According to the report, 57% of American adults have literacy skills below that of a sixth grader, with Duval County’s literacy rates mirroring national trends. We ask the group’s president what the findings mean for the future of Duval’s literacy landscape.

Guest: Rachael Tutwiler Fortune, president of Jacksonville Public Education Fund

Supporting writers and local bookstores in Jacksonville. The nonprofit Women Writing for (a) Change, Jacksonville is hosting a three-part community writing series at different bookstores this month, inviting writers with any experience level to join. Organizers say the event asks attendees to slow down and appreciate the practice of writing while fostering deeper connections with others in the community. The Bookstore Crawl will visit Happy Medium Books Cafe, The Next Chapter Bookstore and Cafe Resistance, stopping at one shop each week during three Saturdays this month. The events are free and open to the public — under one condition: You must love books, love writing and love the community.

Guests:

• Jennifer Wolfe, founder and executive director, Women Writing for (a) Change, Jacksonville
• Olivia Vo, workshop facilitator and board member, Women Writing for (a) Change, Jacksonville

Each Friday, our media roundtable dives into the biggest stories of the week. Among our topics this week:

• President Trump reportedly fires Attorney General Pam Bondi over her handling of the Epstein files.
• Florida’s so-called “SAVE Act” is challenged in court minutes after being signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
• The Jacksonville Transportation Authority furloughs 80 senior staff and increases fares for Connexion Plus service for people with disabilities amid a $14.2 million budget deficit.
• Crosswalks, speed cameras and traffic gardens: Local schools add new safety features after student traffic deaths.
• The NFL responds to criticism from Florida’s attorney general over the league’s minority hiring guidelines.
• The Jacksonville Jaguars select Orlando as their home away from home for the 2027 season, drawing a mixed reaction from fans.

Guests:

• Will Brown, reporter at Jacksonville Today
• Nikesha Williams, former TV producer, author of The Seven Daughters of Dupree
• Jack Webb, attorney and former City Council president
• Frank Powers, former assignment manager at News4Jax

Born in Ecuador and raised in Jacksonville, visual artist and marine scientist Anna Tripp grew fond of the challenge to capture an entire story with a single photograph. The daughter of a portrait artist, Tripp was inspired by her mother’s early interest in cameras and soon found herself capturing images of local wildlife and their unique habitats, playing with natural light to spotlight her subjects. Tripp’s work is featured in a new exhibit at Southlight Gallery in Downtown Jacksonville showcasing her exploration of South Africa. We ask Tripp about her travels and how her background in marine science inspires her photographic themes.

Guest: Anna Tripp, visual artist

If you’ve seen yellow dust blanketing cars and other surfaces — you aren’t alone. Spring is in full swing, the weather is getting warmer and you can’t help but sneeze. But why does it feel like pollen season is getting worse? The American Lung Association says climate change is a contributing factor making allergy seasons longer with some experiencing more severe symptoms. Jacksonville ranked 53rd in the country for most challenging places to live with pollen allergies in a new report by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, the oldest asthma and allergy patient group in the world. We ask the city of Jacksonville’s chief health officer about how seasonal allergies make other diseases worse and when to seek medical treatment.

Guest: Dr. Sunil Joshi, allergist, immunologist and president, Family Allergy and Asthma Consultants, and chief health officer, city of Jacksonville

The future home of Florida’s Black history museum is uncertain, again. St. Johns County was selected as the preferred location for the planned Florida Museum of Black History. The area is home to rich civil rights history, and officials pointed to easy access to historical sites like Fort Mose and the first sanctioned free Black settlement as to why it would make a good fit. But, for the second year in a row, a bill that would have codified St. Johns County as the museum’s definitive home failed to make it to the governor’s desk before the end of the legislative session. We hear where the project stands and why local officials are still hopeful it’ll get done.

Guest: Noah Hertz, St. Johns County reporter, Jacksonville Today

From humble beginnings in Savannah, Georgia, to now a worldwide movement, the Girl Scouts have been helping young girls build confidence and life skills for more than 100 years. The local chapter, Girl Scouts of Gateway Council, has been operating in Northeast Florida for 37 years. With membership hitting new lows in recent years, we hear from two Girl Scouts about what keeps them involved in the generational practice. We also preview an upcoming Women of Distinction event recognizing Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole and Mayor Donna Deegan as honorees. The event, which features a brunch and silent auction, will be at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Garden Club of Jacksonville.

Guests:

• Wendy Dordel, CEO, Girl Scouts of Gateway Council
• Sofia, Girl Scout
• Isabella, Girl Scout

Have you ever wanted to wander through historic homes in Jacksonville? An upcoming tour welcomes visitors into some of the most cherished private residences in Riverside and Avondale. Some of the featured properties include a 1934 Tudor Revival, a 1909 bungalow, a 1922 Mediterranean Revival and many more. The 52nd Annual Home Tour presented by The Historic Collective will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 11 and 12. Tickets are required, and the event raises funds for the Riverside Avondale Preservation.

Guest: Shannon Blankinship, executive director of Riverside Avondale Preservation

Are children naturally picky eaters? Whether it’s chicken nuggets and fries, or pasta and tomato sauce —American children have long enjoyed the privilege of kid’s menus and meal alternatives to otherwise more adventurous “adult foods.” But it hasn’t always been this way. In the 19th century, the idea of pickiness hadn’t yet existed as a concept, and Americans, including children, were eating more plants and animals than today — and with far more pleasure. So what changed? The answer is more complicated than you would think. We discuss how pickiness emerged as a conventional part of American culture, the implications the habit poses to children’s health and the best way to encourage kids to diversify their pallets.

Guest: Helen Zoe Veit, author of Picky: How American Children Became the Fussiest Eaters in History and associate professor of history, Michigan State University

Slow Food First Coast will host the return of its popular Tour de Farm, offering residents and visitors a unique opportunity to explore working farms, meet local growers and experience the region’s agricultural heritage across St. Johns County. The tour comes at a time when Florida farmers are struggling the most. After a recent cold snap caused an estimated $3 billion in agricultural losses for the state, we hear about the impacts to local growers and how local farmers are adapting. The tour will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 12.

Guests: Prissy Fletcher, agricultural liaison and grants and policy analyst, St. Johns County Office of Intergovernmental Affairs

What is my purpose? It’s a question everyone may think at some point in their lives, but it’s also the topic of a new workbook written by the leader of Rethreaded, a local nonprofit that helps survivors of human trafficking. The book is designed to help people better understand themselves, providing space for personal responses, while also sharing the author’s personal anecdotes from her life. The book will be featured at the first annual Rethreaded Process Conference: Purpose Edition at 9 a.m. April 18 at the group’s main building, 515 E 9th St.

Guest: Kristen Keen, founder and CEO, Rethreaded

Florida is facing a health care worker shortage, and those who specialize in behavioral health are no exception. According to the 2025 State of Mental Health in America Report, the Sunshine State ranks 43rd nationally in the availability of mental health workers, with a patient-to-provider ratio of 490 to 1. Factors such as burnout, educational debt and Florida’s rapidly growing population help drive the crises as it is estimated that the current number of providers meets only 24% of the state’s behavioral health needs. We talk to health care and education leaders actively addressing the shortages in Duval and a student who is about to launch her career in social work.

Guests:

• Dr. Christine Cauffield, CEO, LSF Health Systems
• Sara Brochu, assistant director of UNF MedNexus
• Chelsea Caudill, social work student, University of North Florida
• Ericka Vargas, registered mental health counselor intern

He’s the man behind the popular pen name “Richard Castle.” New York Times best-selling author Tom Straw spent years working in radio and television before taking a leap to writing crime novels. He began his career writing for television, including Night Court, where he earned nominations from the Writer’s Guild of America and Primetime Emmy Awards. Secretly writing under the name of the male lead in the hit-show “Castle,” Straw is the mind behind the "Nikki Heat" series, a crime-thriller spanning 10 novels. He’s the latest author to be featured in a yearly author series hosted by The University of North Florida’s English Department to honor the memory of a former writing instructor. We ask Straw about his latest spy thriller, hear what inspired his wide-ranging career and get a preview of what he’s working on now. The event is from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at UNF’s John E. Mathews Jr. Computer Science Building.

Guests:

• Tom Straw, screenwriter and New York Times best-selling author of the "Nikki Heat Series"
• Michael Wiley, author and English professor, UNF

An Easter tradition spanning decades in Mandarin makes its return this weekend. The Mandarin Art Festival, organized by the Mandarin Community Club, features local artists and small businesses, vendors, a children’s art showcase and bake sale. The festival, founded in 1968 by Judge Ed Westberry and a group of local artists, is the longest running event of its kind in Northeast Florida. Organizers say the festival is a vital source of funding for the club’s preservation, education and beautification work in the Mandarin community. We ask the organizer and a featured artist about what to expect from this year’s event and ask about the importance of featuring and supporting local artists. The event is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Mandarin Community Club.

Guests:

• Susie Scott, chair, Mandarin Art Festival
• Carolyn Veros, St. Augustine-based painter and featured artist, Mandarin Art Festival

Publicly, President Trump calls it “mail-in cheating.” But he, like millions of Americans, has repeatedly availed himself of the ease and efficiency of mail-in voting. With the U.S. Supreme Court seemingly poised to limit mail-in ballots, we ask the local elections supervisor about the practical and political effects of restricting the practice. We also explore how officials are managing election integrity and voting security at a time of peak partisan rancor.

Guest:

• Duval County Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland
• Lanelle Phillmon, president of the League of Women Voters of Jacksonville’s First Coast

Puppetry, experimental film and the great outdoors are a favorite focus of award-winning indie filmmaker and Flagler College art professor Patrick Moser. So it’s no surprise that the film festival he founded is steeped in eccentricity and creative energy. We ask him why he wanted to make a local home for screening short, contemporary and foreign films that range from silent and surreal student projects to stop-motion animation by elementary students. This year's Finger Mullet Film Festival features films by students in China, Croatia, England, Iran, Israel, Norway and Portugal and is held from 5 to 10 p.m. April 10 at the Crisp-Ellert Art Museum in St. Augustine.

Guest:

• Patrick Moser, Flagler College art professor, founder of the Finger Mullet Film Festival
• Julie Dickover, director, Crisp-Ellert Art Museum

The Volunteer Life Saving Corps is as much a part of Jacksonville Beach life as salt air and surfing. For more than 100 years, the corps has patrolled and protected the shoreline in their iconic, banded blue swimsuits, recording more than 1,400 rescues, 25,000 first aid cases and more than 1.3 million volunteer hours. The corps historically covered the coast during the hours and seasons when guards with Jacksonville Beach Ocean Rescue were not on duty. A new initiative called Friends of the Corps aims to keep the tradition alive through fundraising and advocacy.

Guest: Ryan Karish, captain of the Volunteer Life Saving Corps

Each Friday, our media roundtable dives into the biggest stories of the week. Among our topics this week:

• Is the City Council muscling in on independent authorities? We discuss what’s happening at JEA and the airport.
• A bodycam showing police punching a restrained suspect draws fresh attention to use of force practices at the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
• A former JEA chief of staff explains what he defines as a “toxic workplace.”
• Special elections stun Republicans in two state legislative races.

Guests:

• David Bauerlein, metro reporter at the Florida Times-Union
• Randy DeFoor, attorney and former Jacksonville City Council member
• Jake Stofan, state and local government reporter at Action News Jax
• Briana Brownlee, reporter at News4Jax
• Kim Varner, retired police detective, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office
• Regina Wright, criminal defense attorney

Later, a fond farewell to a familiar voice. We sit down with our own Michelle Corum for an exit interview. Michelle joins us on one of her final days at WJCT Public Media. For listeners of 89.9 FM, she’s a voice you know well as the station’s longtime Morning Edition host. Michelle has worked in public broadcasting for decades as an announcer and reporter for public radio stations in Lawrence, Kansas, and Interlochen, Michigan, and has worked in Jacksonville since 2012. She also manages WJCT's Radio Reading Service for sight-impaired listeners. We sit down with her for a look back at her long career and wish her well in her retirement.

Guest: Michelle Corum, WJCT News, longtime Morning Edition host on WJCT 89.9 FM

From his days as a newbie worried about getting sick at his first crime scene to a career homicide and sex crimes prosecutor in the Orange County DA’s office who never lost a murder trial, Matt Murphy’s personal story is itself compelling. His new memoir is also laced with recollections of some of the most high-profile cases in the true crime world, including the Golden State Killer, “Dirty John” Meehan and Rodney Alcala, aka “The Dating Game Killer.” We talk to Meehan about his book, including how his work impacted his personal life and mental health, ahead of his local appearance from 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday in the 5th floor courtroom of the State Attorney’s Office in Downtown Jacksonville.

Guest: Matt Murphy, ABC News legal analyst, former Orange County, California, prosecutor, author of The Book of Murder: A Prosecutor's Journey Through Love and Death

A clinic designed to help pregnant women in typically underserved ZIP codes will celebrate a grand opening Friday. The Pearl Street project is a collaboration between UF Health Women’s Specialists and the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition’s Magnolia Project. The practice is exclusively focused on patients living in the 32208, 32209, 32210, 32211 and 32277 ZIP codes, and is designed to reach patients who are either covered by Medicaid or uninsured. Services include patient education, prenatal testing and postpartum care. We discuss how the clinic came to be and what outcomes its creators hope to achieve.

Guests: Faye Johnson, CEO of the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition

Making a walk part of your regular exercise routine is shown to have salutary health effects, with studies showing it can decrease the risk of dementia by nearly 50%. For that reason, AARP Florida and Mayo Clinic’s Alzheimer's Disease Research Center are teaming up to start a monthly group walk, designed to get people moving and thinking about better health. The inaugural “Walk With a Doc” event kicks off Saturday and is held the last Saturday of each month thereafter. This Saturday’s walk features Dr. Bala Munipalli of Mayo Clinic and gets rolling at 9 a.m. at Castaway Island Preserve, 2921 San Pablo Rd. S, Jacksonville.

Guests:

• Jill Auld, associate state director of outreach and engagement, AARP Florida
• Victor Cora, senior program coordinator for outreach, recruitment and engagement, Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center

Airport travel begins to collapse after hundreds of TSA agents quit and thousands more call out. We talk about the growing airport crush and the ICE “solution” underway, as well as a slate of local legislative priorities that did and did not pass muster in our monthly conversation with government expert and Jacksonville attorney Chris Hand. We also discuss how special election results might impact GOP redistricting efforts, and how a Florida House proposal to cut property taxes could pulverize Jacksonville's budget.

Guest: Chris Hand, local government expert, attorney and co-author with the late Sen. Bob Graham of America, the Owner's Manual.

A rare collection of recently unearthed photographs shows Black Jacksonville as we’ve never seen it before. We ask a local archivist who helped bring the project to light about its significance — including the discovery of a photo he says is the oldest known picture of the historic Ritz Theatre in LaVilla. The collection, gathered by Riverside Avondale Preservation, was culled from the dusty archives of the Jacksonville property appraiser — some 87 pages of city guidelines from the 1930s, featuring the buildings and people of the period.

Guest: Mitch Hemann, archivist at the Ritz Theatre and Museum

Financial realities can be crazy-making for ordinary folk buffeted by tariffs, inflation and 401(k) rollercoasters. But the bigger challenge facing many is debt, typically in the form of credit cards but increasingly through “buy now, pay later” deals. We talk about navigating the rocky realities of the present economy, as well as a new report finding that debt is the No. 1 “life stressor” for Northeast Florida residents — more than family concerns, medical issues, work pressures or politics.

Guests:

• Jonathan Hanson, senior vice president of marketing strategy and member engagement, VyStar Credit Union
• Titus Pittman, managing partner, Genesis Financial Partners

After years of efforts to “mainstream” kids with disabilities, roughly two-thirds of these students spend most of their school day in general education classrooms. But that doesn’t necessarily mean teachers are prepared to meet their needs. Many educators lack training in how best to guide behavioral and academic outcomes. But a local program, Duval IDEAS: Inclusion Diversifies Education for All Students, aims to fill that gap, building teachers’ skill sets, focusing on teachers in K-5 classrooms. Funded by a $4 million federal grant, the program is a collaboration between Duval County Public Schools and the University of North Florida, and provides a $1,500 stipend to participating teachers. We discuss how the program works in practice and who is eligible to join the 2026-27 cohort.

Guests:

• David Hoppey, professor of special education, University of North Florida
• Schantel Minton-Jones, ESE specialist, Duval County Public Schools
• LaTasha Frison, third grade teacher at Andrew Robinson Elementary

It’s not quite Freaky Friday, but a new board game created by students in the I’m A Star enrichment program offers a point of view shift for kids and parents. Called “Perspective Switch,” the game offers a change in outlook designed to help teens and adults “step into each others’ shoes” to facilitate conversations about mental health. The game is being unveiled at an upcoming youth-led mental health summit this weekend at UF Health Jacksonville. We talk to two participants about addressing the often unspoken challenges to psychological resilience experienced by middle and high school students.

Guests:  

• Joshua Smiley, senior at Ed White High School and I’m a Star scholar