A holiday visit to Jacksonville’s water and electric utility conveyed a not-so-jolly message: Small bags of coal were delivered to JEA’s Downtown headquarters shortly before Christmas to protest JEA’s continued use of coal and pet coke, and to urge the utility to invest more in solar energy. JEA has reduced its reliance on dirty fuel sources in recent years but continues to earn poor grades in the annual environmental report card ranking. JEA received a grade of “F” in the Sierra Club’s Dirty Truth Report in 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025. It received a “D” grade in 2022. We discuss what advocates hope to see in a cleaner future.

Guests:

• John Burr, editor of the Jacksonville Climate Coalition newsletter
• Larry Zwain, Northeast Florida Sierra Club chair

Then, uncovering the history of Black service members at Camp Blanding. The lives of the African American soldiers who served at the Clay County military installation during WWII are intertwined with the realities of the Jim Crow South — and the history of their presence, as a result, is less documented and harder to track. For the past several years, the Camp Blanding Museum has worked to piece together a complete narrative of the 800,000 men and women who trained at the post during the war, including Black service members. They’ve had some success discovering the history of African American units that trained at the post, but less so when it comes to the lives and stories of those who maintained the post and worked to support training operations. We talk to the museum’s staff historian about their public outreach efforts to locate stories, photos and documents from that era.

Guest: George E. Cressman Jr., staff historian, Camp Blanding Museum

And, a First Coast film festival brings together international, independent and local talent for a chance to unveil their stories for audiences on the big screen. The 16th Annual St. Augustine Film Festival, happening from Jan. 5-11, features showings for 40 films and documentaries across city venues, meet and greets and Q&A’s with special guests and filmmakers. We ask one filmmaker about the inspiration for her latest work and the films she’s most excited to watch.

Guests:

• Renee Unsworth, advertising director, St. Augustine Film Festival
• Lorraine Portman, filmmaker and director of My Best Friend Bonnethead