Three years after an investigation by the Florida Trib led the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to fire its longtime jail medical provider, the company’s quality of care is still a matter of concern. In a new report, award-winning investigative reporter Nichole Manna digs into the 2023 death of Brian Tracey, which occurred on the day he was scheduled to be released from the St. Johns County jail, as his girlfriend waited for him outside. As part of a joint report with ProPublica, the story includes the perspective of four experts, including former jail commanders and physicians, who determined Tracey should have been hospitalized after symptoms that included fainting and difficulty breathing. We discuss the state of contracted, for-profit medical care in jails, and what it means for people who may arrive there in marginal health.

Guest: Nichole Manna, investigative reporter at the Florida Trib

Bonsai of relief

If all you know about bonsai trees is what you learned from Mr. Miyagi, there is much to learn, grasshopper. We talk to a bonsai expert and a master gardener ahead of Riverside Avondale Preservation's annual home garden tour. We also get expert advice about how to manage your existing plants during the ongoing drought and related water restrictions. RAP's 6th Annual Garden Tour is a major community fundraiser, offering a peek into some of the region’s most painstakingly landscaped places, from the “Bromelia Boutique” on Oak Street to the chemical-free, Florida-friendly environs of “Nature’s Friend” on Pine Street. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and has become a pre-Mother’s Day tradition for many.

Guests:

• Stephanie Means, Florida-Friendly Landscaping Program coordinator at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
• Mike Groeschel, owner, SkyDog Family Bonsai

Leaving a scar

Florida State College at Jacksonville’s literary magazine, The Experience, will host a poetry night Wednesday at Happy Medium Books Café to celebrate the release of Vol 58: Tales of a Scarred Land! The book showcases some of the work in the school’s 39th Art and Design Student Show and runs the gamut from photography to poetry, short stories and experimental work. The event includes a free copy of the compendium, along with student performances. Organizers encourage participants to indulge their creative side by wearing “fantasy-like” attire to complement the wide-ranging work of FSCJ students.

Guests:

• Jenn Chase, humanities and English professor, Florida State College at Jacksonville
• Ambar Quiroga, student art director, Tales of a Scarred Land vol. 58

Wild Amelia Nature Festival

A 10-day festival across Amelia Island and Nassau County celebrates the region’s unique ecosystem with music, environmental displays, live animal exhibits, a kids market and a sand sculpture contest to help the community appreciate and learn how to better protect the area’s natural spaces. Scheduled to coincide with the annual opening of the beaches celebration, the 17th annual Wild Amelia Nature Eco/Expo Festival will be held from May 8–17 at Main Beach Park. The event is also a tribute to local environmentalists Jodi and Ray Hetchka, founders of the festival, owners of Kayak Amelia and longtime champions of the natural world.

Guest: Lynda Bell, executive director, Keep Nassau Beautiful