First Coast Connect

Monday on “First Coast Connect,” arts activist and former Cummer Museum Director Hope McMath told us about her new project, Yellow House (01:06). Junior Achievement Program Manager Sabrina Kinslow talked about the organization’s goal to get more girls interested in science, technology, economics and math classes (27:43). We heard from Dr. Jennifer Berman from the TV show “The Doctors,” who’s the keynote speaker at WJCT’s Girls Day Out conference this Saturday (35:33), and First Florida Credit

Monday on “First Coast Connect,” we heard reaction to the latest report released by the National Transportation Safety Board regarding the El Faro’s sinking with local maritime attorney Rod Sullivan (01:12). We got an on-the-scene preview of Monday’s Great American Eclipse with WJCT’s video producer Carlos Bouvier, who is in South Carolina for the big show (20:45). Jeff Spear, president of Studio Spear in Jacksonville Beach, told us about his company’s marketing products around the world (30:32)

Today on “First Coast Connect,” our weekly Media Roundtable included Florida Times-Union reporter David Bauerlein, Folio Weekly Editor Claire Goforth and WJCT reporter Ryan Benk (01:14). We heard some retirement investment advice from Adam Wolf of Wolf Retirement Navigation (32:23), and we spoke with the play-by-play voice of the Florida State Seminoles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Gene Deckerhoff (41:02).

Today on “First Coast Connect,” Florida Times-Union reporter Tessa Duvall joins us to discuss the proposal by Mayor Lenny Curry to merge the Jacksonville Children’s Commission and Jacksonville Journey (01:12). We learned the history of Jacksonville’s Manhattan Beach from The Beaches Museum’s Brittany Cohill (16:58). Local author Ron Whittington told us about his new book, “Free Surface Effect” (36:52), and Wayne Wood from the Jacksonville Historical Society talked the organization’s photo

Today on “First Coast Connect,” we discussed the negative reaction from several Florida Republican politicians to President Donald Trump’s most recent comments on the Charlottesville tragedy and possible reaction to Jacksonville’s considering removing Confederate monuments from public places with University of North Florida political science Professor Matt Corrigan (1:06). Ahead of Monday’s Great American Eclipse, we were joined by Jacksonville University associate physics Professor Brian Lane;

Today on “First Coast Connect,” we heard about a study from the University of Florida regarding rising sea levels from co-author Dr. Arnoldo Valle-Levinson (01:04). Our “Moveable Feast” segment featured Ocean 60 restaurant in Atlantic Beach (29:08). We learned about an international fraud lawsuit filed in Jacksonville on behalf of local former CTI Logistics employees with attorney Jack Webb and former CTI Director of Human Relations Mike Nicoletti (37:11), and we heard about the Sisters of Hope

Today on “First Coast Connect,” we heard local reaction to Saturday’s deadly attack on protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, and about a movement to get Confederate monuments removed in Jacksonville with Ben Frazier from the Jacksonville Northside Coalition and activist Matt Killen from Take Em Down Jax (01:03). We hear about the launch of Connectable Jax with Susan Edelman, vice president of communications at the Community Foundation, and Susan Bell, whose daughter Megan has Down syndrome

Today on “First Coast Connect,” we discussed the surprise announcement Wednesday that Morris Communications is selling the Florida Times-Union, St. Augustine Record and other newspapers to GateHouse Media with the Poynter Institute media business analyst Rick Edmonds and WJCT business analyst and former Times-Union editor John Burr (01:14). Executive Director of the Alliance for Aviation Across America, Selena Shilad, told us why her organization opposes the proposal to privatize the nation’s

Today on “First Coast Connect,” we discussed the Joshua Phillips re-sentencing hearings with Larry Hannan, writer for Injustice Today with Harvard University’s Fair Punishment Project (01:15) Phillips was convicted in the high-profile murder of 8-year-old Maddie Clifton in 1998. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Nutrition Program Managers Ashley Johnson and Denise Cox talked about their new initiative and a call for volunteers (24:58). We met new Assistant

Today on “First Coast Connect,” we commemorated the 50th anniversary of Duval County voters’ approving consolidation with former Mayor Alvin Brown’s chief of staff and co-author of “ America: The Owner’s Manual: You Can Fight City Hall and Win, ” Chris Hand (01:26). This month’s “First Coast Connect” Book Club with blogger Stacey Goldring featured “A Gentleman in Moscow.” (35:39) And tech guru Ray Hollister told us about some of the latest apps students can use as they go back to school (47:13).