WJCT News Now

Well, that escalated quickly. Just hours after a new state law took effect offering a fast track to develop Florida’s farmlands, four large-scale developers applied to take advantage of it. Senate Bill 686 allows property owners to develop their land at least as intensely as adjacent properties without going through any additional rezoning process at the county level. The streamlined procedure also places a 30-day timetable for county approval, meaning longstanding agricultural lands could become massive residential developments without any input from the public or local lawmakers. As reported by the Jacksonville Business Journal, of the four properties in question the largest by far is a 4,426-acre parcel situated west of the Intracoastal and north of Nocatee Parkway. The land is owned by Sonoc Co., the holding company associated with The PARC Group, which developed Nocatee. We explore the practical implications of accommodating the new law in an increasingly growth-strained county, as well as the political debate that is already emerging among growth-averse residents.

Guests:

• Stuart Korfhage, managing editor at the Jacksonville Business Journal

• Noah Hertz, St. Johns County reporter at Jacksonville Today

Hypertension study

A new drug for high blood pressure could make treatment far easier for patients — and its final trial is happening on the First Coast. A Phase 3 clinical trial will examine the effectiveness of a twice-yearly injection that’s designed to lower blood pressure at its source. During previous trials, the drug was shown to block the liver’s production of angiotensinogen, which in turn reduces levels of a hormone known to increase blood pressure. Researchers say the goal of the multiyear trial is to identify whether lowering one’s blood pressure through this new injection reduces the likelihood of stroke, heart attack and cardiovascular death.

Guest: Dr. Mitchell Rothstein, principal investigator, ENCORE Research Group

Digital literacy

Ever wonder what Jacksonville newspaper headlines or cartoons looked like back in the day? The Jacksonville Library’s newly expanded digital database includes local newspaper collections, from The Florida Times-Union and the Jacksonville Journal to the Beaches Leader. The archive includes newspaper pages, photographs, graphics and ads from papers dating back as far as 1883. We sit down with two special collections librarians to hear how online archives are bridging a historical gap, and connecting a new generation to traditional news sources.

Guests:

• Claire Manos, special collections librarian, Jacksonville Public Library

• Tatyanna Brash, special collections librarian, Jacksonville Public Library

Obstacle course

A local songwriting competition invites songwriters to perform original songs inspired by a select theme — in this case, obstacles. The Songwriter Competition is hosted by local musician and songwriter Joyce Whorton at The Inkwell Art Bar in Fernandina Beach, described as an “intimate listening room setting.” Participants are judged on the quality and creativity of their lyrics, melody and structure. The event also highlights the Art Bar’s weekly Open Mic Nights, which gives local musicians a welcoming space to perform. The event is at 6-10 p.m. Monday, July 20. Participants can register here.

Guest: Joyce Whorton, local musician and songwriter

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A vigil in St. Johns County honors a man who died while fleeing ICE agents, as organizers call attention to concerns over immigration enforcement. We also explain the upcoming voter registration deadline ahead of Florida's August primary election, including how to register or update your information.

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Connor Cauley, one of the “City Hall Three,” was recently released from jail after serving a 60-day sentence for battery on a law enforcement officer and resisting an officer without violence. The case grew out of May 2025 pro-Palestine disturbance at a meeting of the Jacksonville City Council, during which Cauley and two others were arrested. Although he lost his case at trial, his defense rested on a claim that he could not be held liable for resisting, because the officer “was not lawfully executing a legal duty.” The Florida Legislature eliminated that legal defense this year in a bill that greatly expands protections for law enforcement officers. Under the new law, resistance is unjustified even if the officer is acting illegally or using excessive force. We ask Cawley about the jury verdict and his time served, and ask his lawyer how the new law will affect defendants in the future.

Guests:  

• Conor Cauley, protester arrested, one of the “City Hall Three”

• Melinda Patterson, criminal defense attorney

A clean getaway

An Oceanway community group formed to fight blight in the Northside neighborhood has evolved into an alliance that is about connection as much as cleaning up. The founder of Collect & Connect — Keep Oceanway Beautiful was inspired to take action after seeing increased dumping and “a ton of trash everywhere.” The group, which now has about 300 members, and a smaller core group of regular volunteers, has been recognized twice by the Jacksonville Litter League, an inter-neighborhood competition for prizes and bragging rights. We ask two volunteers about the appeal of dirty work.

Guests:

• Susan Shinego, co-founder, Collect & Connect — Keep Oceanway Beautiful

• Jolie Levene-Pryor, volunteer member, Collect & Connect — Keep Oceanway Beautiful

Midsummer Market

Murray Hill makers, bakers and movers & shakers gather for the annual Midsummer Market. The twilight celebration includes a curated list of vendors, including florists, artisan bakers and handmade crafters selling their wares to a soundtrack of live jazz. The community event will be held from 7-10 p.m. Saturday at Spruce, 3644 Post Street. We sit down with the owner of the host venue to discuss the appeal of a neighborhood market on a hot night.

Guest: Ida Vera, owner of Spruce and founder of Midsummer Market

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A man fleeing federal immigration agents was struck and killed by a semi-truck in St. Johns County on Tuesday. Plus, Jacksonville has been selected as the future home of the Culinary Institute of America's Southeast hub, with plans for a downtown riverfront campus that could reshape the city's culinary landscape.

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Should Jacksonville adopt a data center moratorium? And what does a potential lawsuit by the Jacksonville Aviation Authority against the city mean for the future of consolidated government? We ask Mayor Donna Deegan about that, as well as how newly proposed Jacksonville Housing Authority job requirements could affect her plan to address homelessness in the city.

Guest: Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan

Sweet deal

Then, a Northside bakery expands its family-owned footprint to West Jacksonville. We ask the “The Cookie Man’s” kids about carrying on his sweet legacy with an expansion of Arble Baking Co. The bakery has served cakes, pies and handmade cookies from its Dunn Avenue location for years, but before that, the family business was built around the reputation of Willis “The Cookie Man” Anderson, who made and sold cookies from his home kitchen for the better part of four decades. The new location opens later this year at Community First Credit Union’s new Murray Hill branch — former site of Edgewood Bakery.

Guests:

• Teia Anderson, co-founder, Arble Baking Co.

• Monica Anderson, co-founder, Arble Baking Co.

• Sam Inman, president and CEO, Community First Credit Union

10 years OutEast

What began as a community coalition evolved into a community development group and ultimately a vehicle to access much needed federal housing funds. The Historic Eastside — defined by the neighborhoods of East Jacksonville, Fairfield, Oakland, Campbells’ Addition and Phoenix — celebrates a decade in the business of growth and transformation with an evening devoted to history and storytelling. Al Letson, a Jacksonville native and Peabody Award-winning host of the podcast Reveal, returns to town to celebrate one of the city’s most important historically Black neighborhoods at Always Been Here: An Evening with Al Letson. The event will be held at WJCT Studios at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Guest: Suzanne Pickett, CEO of Historic Eastside Community Development Corp.

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Jacksonville's planned Harris Teeter grocery store remains on track despite reports the chain has scaled back its broader Florida expansion. Plus, JTA CEO Nat Ford is among the finalists to lead the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system as the agency in Texas prepares to select its next chief executive.

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A lawsuit challenging the limits of city power is taking shape. The Jacksonville Aviation Authority is preparing to take the city to court for allegedly "pickpocketing" the authority's cash reserves and quashing its state-granted autonomy. Animosity between JAA and the city, which has been brewing for years, recently accelerated with the ascension of Council President Nick Howland, who has pushed for greater influence over airport budgets, particularly development of Cecil Field. We speak to the executive editor of the Florida Trib whose reporting details why this is happening now and what’s at stake.

Guest: Nate Monroe, executive editor, the Florida Trib

St. Augustine's mayor-elect

In the 460 years since it was established, the city of St. Augustine has had just a handful of Black lawmakers. Before Commissioner Cynthia Garris took office in 2022, there were just five: Commissioner and Vice Mayor Errol Jones (who served from 2002-’12), Commissioner and Vice Mayor Henry Twine (who served from 1983-’92), Commissioner Richard White (served from 1990-1994), Commissioner Arnett Chase who was was elected in 1973 and Alderman John Papino (who served during Reconstruction before being shot in the face by a white marshal in 1902). Coupled with the city’s tortured civil rights protest era, during which the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. called the city the “most lawless” he’d encountered, the historic paucity of Black leadership makes the recent election of a Black woman mayor a momentous occasion in the Ancient City. We sit down with the mayor-elect to discuss its significance, as well as what mark she hopes to leave during her term in office.

Guest: Cynthia Garris, mayor-elect, city of St. Augustine

River City Chorus

For more than a decade, the River City Chorus has performed uplifting, spiritual and patriotic tunes at churches around the First Coast. During their summer performance series, they typically donate ticket proceeds to a local charity. We ask the chorus director about the charity selection process and what’s included in their summer songbook. River City Chorus has three upcoming performances: July 17 at Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church, July 18 at Arlington Presbyterian Church and July 19 at Riverside Park Methodist Church.

Guests:

• Dale Choate, director, River City Chorus

• Chelsea Weise, Young Lives director, River City Chorus

• Mark Scott, member, River City Chorus

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Jacksonville’s sheriff says the department will complete its move from its longtime downtown headquarters to a Riverside office tower by the end of the year, while planning continues for a future replacement jail. Also in this episode, a state lawmaker outlines recommendations for replacing St. Johns County commissioners if Governor Ron DeSantis suspends two officials facing misdemeanor election-related charges.

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

• Election season starts with a bang as three St. Johns County lawmakers are charged with an unauthorized voter guide.

• A new law increases penalties for mandatory reporters who don’t report suspected child abuse. 

• A grand jury is digging into Douglas Anderson’s history of teacher sexual misconduct, even as the school district finds leaders “knowingly failed” to report abuse allegations.

Guests:

• Frank Powers, former assignment manager at News4Jax

• Megan Mallicoat, education reporter at Jacksonville Today

• John Daigle, political consultant, former reporter

• Noah Hertz, St. Johns County reporter, Jacksonville Today

Irregular folk

Bridging the gaps between jazz, folk and comedy is no easy feat, but singer songwriter Vance Gilbert has stitched it up across a 30+ year career. After being tapped to open Shawn Colvin’s tour the year she broke into the Top 10 and won two Grammys for her song Sunny Came Home, he’s opened for such varied musical artists as Anita Baker and Arlo Guthrie. But he also suits a lighter style, warming up crowds for legendary comic George Carlin at more than 150 performances. Gilbert takes the stage at Amelia Island’s Story & Song Center for Arts & Culture on Friday, and at The Back Room at Ronan School Of Music in Jacksonville on Saturday. We ask the artist about his many hats, his musical roots and the inspiration animating his current tour.

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Jacksonville-based EverBank will keep its headquarters downtown after questions about its future location, and the St. Johns County Planning and Zoning Board rejects a proposal for a Daily’s gas station in Fruit Cove following opposition from nearby residents.

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