First Coast Connect

Tuesday on “First Coast Connect,” we have an update on President Donald Trump’s proposed $1 trillion transportation spending bill from the Fiorentino Group’s Marty Fiorentino (01:16), who was recently in Washington working with Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao on infrastructure spending. We also talked about upcoming toll roads and express lanes on the First Coast with the Florida Department of Transportation’s Mary Justino and Hampton Ray (26:54). Jacksonville attorney Michael Freed and

Monday on “First Coast Connect,” we have an update on the possible development on Cumberland Island with former St. Mary’s (Georgia) City Councilman Sam Colville and Jamie Ferguson (01:01), a member of the extended Carnegie family, who owns the island. We spoke with Zachary Schwartz (31:38), the developer of the app intoGo. University of North Florida program director Wanda Lastrapes (39:14) told us about the Jacksonville Teacher Residency program and Cole Pepper (45:13) talked about a great

Friday on “First Coast Connect,” our weekly Media Roundtable featured Florida Times-Union columnist Ron Littlepage, Jacksonville Business Journal editor Timothy Gibbons, Folio Weekly editor Claire Goforth and WJCT reporter Lindsey Kilbride (01:06). We also spoke with Jacksonville Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee Chairman Chris Burns and committee member Amy Ingles (37:37) about Bike to Work Day. We also met local artist Jeffrey Luque (44:20).

Thursday on “First Coast Connect,” we discussed if Governor Rick Scott should veto the school funding bill HB 7069 with Duval County School Board member Becki Crouch and Lynn Norman-Teck (01:21), executive director of the Florida Charter School Alliance. We heard about the increased dangers of Lyme disease in Florida with Kerry Clark, professor of epidemiology and environmental health at the University of North Florida and Dr. Shirley Hartman (29:58 ), a local clinician specializing in lyme

Wednesday on “First Coast Connect,” we discussed an upcoming conference on the future of healthcare with Duval County Medical Society CEO Bryan Campbell and president Dr. Sunil Joshi (00:58). We heard about ways to prevent childhood drownings with Winston Family YMCA Aquatics Director Cindi Partee and Murphco of Florida Vice President Josh Harrison (29:47), who nearly drowned when he was a child. We spoke with best-selling author Issac Lidsky (37:46) and we met Stanton Preparatory School

Tuesday on “First Coast Connect,” we spoke with Ambassador Nancy Soderberg (1:10) about President Donald Trump sharing classified information with the Russian ambassador and foreign minister. We heard new health news with Dr. Dean Hartley from the Alzheimer’s Association national headquarters in Chicago, and heart health care with Mayo Clinic cardiolorist Dr. Amy Pollak and Dr. Peter Pollak (28:01). We interviewed longtime environmental activist Bill Brinton (38:44) and we learned about an

Monday on “First Coast Connect,” attorney John Phillips (1:03) talked about what’s next in the case of former Congresswoman Corrine Brown (D-FL5). We spoke with David Feuerstein (23:10) from the New York-based Feuerstein Kulick law firm on why medical marijuana legislation is so slow moving in Florida. Health Designs founder and CEO Ann Sabbag (40:50) talked about the future of workplace wellness, and WJCT sports analyst Cole Pepper (44:45) discussed a historic PLAYERS Championship.

Our Friday Media Roundtable on “First Coast Connect” included A.G. Gancarski from Florida Politics, blogger Fred Matthews, David Cawton from the Financial News and Daily Record and WJCT reporter Ryan Benk (01:48). We learned about breast cancer survival with advocate Nancy Cappello (33:35). Executive Director of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Jacksonville Diane Boyle (41:58) about the “Eagles for Impact” fundraiser at THE PLAYERS Championship. Sunday is Mother’s Day, Terri Mashour (45:36),

Thursday on “First Coast Connect,” we discussed the possibility of new legislation that would affect food trucks in Jacksonville with the head of Jax Truckies Chriss Brown (1:05). We spoke with Dr. Virgil Wittmer (24:55) from Brooks Rehabilitation about alternatives to using opioids. Founder and president of Where Is The Sunshine, Jeanine Hoff, and Kerry Speckman (37:35) spoke about their upcoming stage show “This is My Brave,” and Nancy Kring Rowan (44:12) with the Jekyll Island Authority told

Wednesday on “First Coast Connect,” we discussed the fallout from the firing of FBI Director James Comey with international experts Ambassador Nancy Soderberg; Ed Coyle, the foreign counterintelligence representative to the Supreme Allied Command Atlantic; and the Division Chief for the Combatting Terrorism Directorate for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and Jacksonville United Nations Association Secretary Jill Dawson (1:17). Jacksonville City Councilman Matt Schellenberg (28:00)