First Coast Connect

From alligators used as weapons to Jacksonville’s formerly defining stench, author Craig Pittman continues to pull fascinating threads from the warp and woof of the Sunshine State. The award-winning investigative journalist and New York Times bestselling author explains how he mines Florida for a seemingly endless supply of strange but true tales. We talk to him ahead of his appearance Friday at Happy Medium Books Cafe.

Guest:

• Craig Pittman, author of Welcome to Florida: True Tales from America's Most Interesting State. 
  

Then, a solar panel recycling company is building a $90 million factory on the First Coast. Why? We ask a company executive about the first-of-its-kind facility, why they chose Green Cove Springs as the launching pad and what the market really is for recycling “end-of-life” solar panels. Hint: Hurricane season plays a role.

Guests:

• Nathan Arbitman, chief commercial officer, OnePlanet Solar Recycling.

And, a Downtown block party fuses boho vibes with blood curdling horror as Nightmare on Bay Street returns to Jacksonville's entertainment district Oct. 24. This year's theme is “Peace, Love & Nightmares,” and the event features multiple scare zones, a silent disco, local vendors and after-parties across Elbow district venues. We talk to the event’s producer and haunt director about their plans to transform Downtown into a walking, waking nightmare.

Guests:

• Kenyana Holden, creator of Nightmare on Bay Street.
• Jerron Oxford, haunt director, Nightmare on Bay Street.

Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon recently pleaded with state lawmakers for significantly more funding. He described a prison system in which teenage correctional officers manage as many as 150 inmates at a time. Admitting his $500 million budget request amounted to a “staggering” increase, Dixon noted the agency is managing about 10,000 more inmates than it did a decade ago, with roughly the same staffing. We talk to a former corrections investigator and 30-year veteran of the state corrections system about how the money would be used, and why Dixon’s request doesn’t begin to reach the $6 billion to $12 billion experts say is needed to modernize the system.

Guest:

• Aubrey Land, retired senior investigator with the Florida Department of Corrections.

Then, a new regional Black arts, culture and heritage magazine launches ahead of a planned museum of Black history in St. Johns County. We talk to the woman at the helm of both efforts about the launch of the new magazine, the promise of the museum and the opportunities both offer to showcase the region’s rich and layered Black history.

Guest:

• Alesia Wilbekin, editor of ESTEBANA and executive director of the Foundation for the Museum of Black History.

And, nearly 80 years after the choir’s founding, the Oakwood University Aeolians bring their inspirational sounds from Huntsville, Alabama, to the First Coast for a performance at Palms Presbyterian Church. The group, which performs a range of styles — from Baroque-era classical music to gospel, spirituals and jazz — has spun off dozens of professional singers, including Grammy-winning gospel group Take 6.

Guest:

• Ronn Cummings, director of music and fine arts at Palms Presbyterian Church.
• Jeremy Sovoy Jordan, conductor of The Aeolians of Oakwood University.

Plus, a chance to explore the farm before the table. We talk to organizers of a pair of agrotourism events happening in St. Johns County, where fall farm tours include pumpkin patches, sunflower farms and crop mazes. In addition to a self-guided passport tour for locals to explore farms, the Hastings Main Street organization is presenting curated opportunities to shop and dine in collaboration with farms, as part of its two day fall festival and harvest tour.

Guests:

• Jena Dennis, chair of the Hastings Main Street board, Fall Festival of Art & Harvest Trail Tour organizer. 
• Andrea Parker, farmer at Parker Flower Farms, Farm Passport Tours organizer.

Times are a-changing on Florida's college campuses, according to teachers and faculty. From retaliation for social media posts to classroom surveillance to new requirements that teachers purge “objectionable” language from course descriptions, educators at two local state schools describe an atmosphere of oppression and fear permeating academia. We talk about the beleaguered state of free speech and instructional autonomy with two local longtime educators and the state head of the ACLU.

Guests:

• Lourdes Norman-McKay, biology professor and union president at Florida State College at Jacksonville. 
• Bacardi Jackson, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.
• John White, professor of English education and literacy at the University of North Florida.
  

Then, a daylong exploration of music and mental health culminates in a performance of the unBroken Project, conducted by composer Randall Standridge. The Mental Health and Music Symposium at Jacksonville University features advocates from a range of backgrounds, including health care, advocacy and the arts, collaborating to advance conversations around and destigmatize mental health.

Guests:

• Artie Clifton, music director, First Coast Wind Symphony.
• Ann Carey Holt, board chair, First Coast Wind Symphony.
  

And, whether it's Off-Broadway or Fleming Island, it’s impossible to slake the thirst of Audrey 2. The iconic blood-fed plant shapes the play, but it’s the human characters that tell the story — from the lonely but ambitious Seymour to the sadistic and nitrous-dependent dentist to the Greek chorus of “urchins” who provide the punchy backdrop. Little Shop of Horrors has earned its four-decade reputation as a reliably fun and October-appropriate show. The current staging of the cult classic runs through Nov. 1 at Spotlight Center.

Guests:

• Curtis LeMoine, creative director and actor playing Seymour Krelborn.
• Meggan Utech, actor playing Audrey.
• Robert O'Hara, actor playing Mr. Mushnik.
• Luke Collins, actor playing Orin Scrivello.

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

• Another controversial arrest puts Jacksonville in the national news.
• The City Council votes down a plan to give School Board members their own attorney.
• A former mayor pledges to win, but won’t say in what race.
• A grand jury digs into the first lady’s signature charity.

We talk about all that and more with our media roundtable.

Guests:

• A.G. Gancarski, reporter at Florida Politics, columnist at Jacksonville Today.
• Obi Umunna, attorney and political consultant.
• Jim Piggott, former City Hall reporter at News4Jax.

Then, after eight years at the helm of WJCT, the nonprofit's chief executive announces his retirement. He talks about the organization's expansion under his leadership and what the search for his replacement will entail.

• David McGowan, president and CEO, WJCT Public Media.

And, the power of memory to comfort, hurt and inspire. The Jacksonville-based contemporary dance company Emily Cargill and Dancers unveils its latest performance grounded in the passage of time. We preview the world premiere of The Passenger, a new dance exploring the push and pull of time, taking center stage at St. John’s Cathedral.

Guests:

• Emily Cargill, founder and artistic director, Emily Cargill and Dancers.
• Rev. Dr. Linda Privitera, associate priest, St. John’s Cathedral.

Gilbert King’s award-winning Bone Valley podcast and book detail his yearslong work exposing a criminal injustice: the wrongful conviction of Central Florida resident Leo Schofield for the 1987 murder of his wife, Michelle. King, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his 2012 book Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America, spent years looking into Schofield’s wrongful conviction, ultimately solving the crime and even connecting the real killer to two previously unsolved murders. We talk to both men about their extraordinary journey, the work they continue to do on behalf of the wrongfully convicted and Schofield’s path to forgiving his wife’s killer.

Guests:

• Gilbert King, author/podcast host of Bone Valley and The Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America. 
• Leo Schofield, former inmate wrongfully convicted of the 1987 murder of his wife.
  

Then, a celebration of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. The upcoming Hindu “festival of lights,” Diwali, is held at the Hindu temple on Merrill Road. The annual event includes thousands of lights, colorful traditional attire and the grand Annakut — literally a “mountain of food” — composed of vegetarian specialties presented first as an offering to the deities, before being consumed by guests.

Guest:

• Shivani Kanji, volunteer at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Hindu temple) on Merrill Road.

For young people “aging out” of the foster care system, the transition often hits around the same time as high school graduation. The combination can present a dizzying array of challenges, not least of which is getting and keeping a job. To address the need, Family Support Services created the Bridge 2 Work Academy with the goal of teaching kids essential skills for the workplace. FSS is the largest child welfare agency in Duval and Nassau counties, helping connect foster youth to educational resources, health care, housing and job opportunities.

Guests:

• Oliver Green, youth well-being supervisor with Family Support Services.
• Jamaal Brown, FSS education and employment specialist. 
• Nadia Hover, FSS youth well-being program coordinator. 
• Alexis Estien, youth advisory council member.

Then, the scary-but-real hazards of Halloween. In our monthly House Call with Dr. Joe, we explore why the annual costume+candy ritual ranks as one of the year’s riskiest holidays. We also discuss what a pregnant woman is to do, between presidential proclamations on Tylenol and the vacillating recommendations by the RFK-appointed vaccine advisory panel about the value of a COVID-19 booster.

Guest:

• Dr. Joe Sirven, Mayo Clinic neurologist and host of What’s Health Got To Do With It?

And, at a time of enormous challenges for Florida’s storied citrus industry, one local group is stepping up to support growers and educate the public. The Mandarin Community Club has partnered with Florida Indian River Groves in a fundraiser that elevates and celebrates orange growing history on the First Coast while giving the grower a business boost. From Sept. 1 to Nov. 14, the community can order fresh-boxed oranges for pickup at the club’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting on Dec. 5.

Guest:

• Brett Nolan, vice president of the Mandarin Community Club.

Determining the paths and patterns of international migration requires a more nuanced view of who exactly is making the journey. A scholar of migration, social networks and inequality, Filiz Garip has spent years studying how divergent reasons for migration often shape outcomes. By examining survey data for tens of thousands of migrants, along with hundreds of individual interviews, Garip demonstrates the need for a heterogeneous view of populations “on the move” in creating better policies and opportunities in destination countries.

Guest:

• Filiz Garip, professor of sociology and public affairs at Princeton University, author of On the Move: Changing Mechanisms of Mexico-U.S. Migration.
  

Some of the most recognizable pieces by Four Seasons composer Antonio Vivaldi take center stage at the Jacksonville Symphony’s Children's Music Festival on Oct. 26 in a performance of Ring of Mystery. It’s just one of several youth-oriented outreach programs planned this season. We preview education initiatives and upcoming performances by the Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestra with the organization’s chief of community impact and discuss how younger fans keep the symphony vibrant.

Guests:

• Steven B. Libman, president and CEO of the Jacksonville Symphony.
• Marianne Rice, vice president of music education and community impact with the Jacksonville Symphony.

And, a black comedy with "just a pinch" of cyanide. We preview a local production of the murderous classic Arsenic and Old Lace, which somehow translates a story of madness and Ed Gein-level horror into a hilarious romp. Made famous in the Frank Capra film version starring Cary Grant, the current staging at Orange Park Community Theatre returns the play to the proscenium, and the little old aunties to their poisonous place at the center of it all.

Guest:

• Sara Green, actress playing Abby Brewster.
• Cameron Lamoureux, actress playing Elaine Harper.

Former Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry has emerged from a period of relative political dormancy to reclaim his voice in local politics and on social media. That includes weighing in on city tax cuts and blasting his successor’s performance in office. We asked him whether he's considering another bid for elected office, what he’s learned from the past and how local politics have changed with — and without — him.

Guest:

• Former Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, partner in the lobbying firm Ballard Partners.

Then, the 3-2 Seattle Seahawks landed on the local gridiron for a game Sunday against the 4-1 Jaguars. We talk to News4Jax sportscaster Alessandra Pontbriand for a Monday morning recap and an assessment of the team’s performance so far in the Liam Coen era.

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

• Concerns about transparency scuttle a deal to sell the Duval Schools headquarters, and board members quarrel over Charlie Kirk T-shirts.
• A “driverless” transportation system remains largely riderless despite months of free tickets.
• A major change to city policy could be in the works with a push to end “binding legal opinions” by the city’s general counsel.
   

We talk about all that and more with our media roundtable.

Guests:

• Christina Burgess, reporter at First Coast News.
• David Bauerlein, metro reporter at the Florida Times-Union.
• Megan Mallicoat, education reporter at Jacksonville Today.
• Jack Webb, attorney and former Jacksonville City Council president. 

And, for nearly 20 years, the Jacksonville film community has joined the multicity, multicountry 48 Hour Film Project. Founded in Washington, D.C., in 2001, the event forces creativity on the fly, with filmmakers turning around a finished product in the allotted two days. That process wrapped in September. Now, participants — and audiences — are rewarded with a chance to see the films on the big screen next week at WJCT Studios, with an awards ceremony to follow Oct. 22. We get a sneak preview of the cinematic celebration ahead.

Guests:

• Adam and Monique Madrid, co-city producers, JAX 48 Hour Film Project.

Nearly 30 candidates have filed to run for Florida governor next November. We meet the Democratic frontrunner, a former Republican congressman from Pinellas County. David Jolly enters a GOP-heavy field, including Trump-endorsed U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, DeSantis-backed (presumptive) candidate and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and former speaker of the Florida House Paul Renner. We talk to Jolly as he swings through Northeast Florida on his “Make Florida Affordable Again” tour stop in Clay County.

Guest:

• David Jolly, former congressman, Democratic candidate for Florida governor.
  

Then, two musicians and creators form a new artist collective in a historic Downtown building. The founders of Unicat Gallery, whose windows feature the Latin word for “city rats” (urbismus), are established members of the First Coast arts scene, from their former rock and roll identity with the bands GlueGun and NovakSeen to their integral role in naming and occupying the then-nascent CoRK Arts District. Their collaborative art gallery, situated across from the Old City Cemetery, aims to breathe new life into the long-dormant but historic Wellbrook Building on East Union Street.

Guests:

• Noli Novak, artist and founder of Unicat Gallery.
• George Cornwell, artist and founder of Unicat Gallery.

And, a 5K powered by a desire to fund transitional housing for veterans. The upcoming Run Up for Heroes 5K kicks off alongside the historic USS Orleck at 8 a.m. Saturday, followed by a fall festival from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Guests:

• Tracy "TJ" Glover, CEO, Helping Hands for Heroes.
• Fontane Johnson, COO, Helping Hands for Heroes.