WJCT News Now

The once sleepy, quaint and borderline podunk vibe of 1980s and ‘90s St. Augustine is now ancient history in the Ancient City. In its place: a buzzy tourist favorite that ranks high on influencer feeds and glossy magazines’ Top 10 lists. T-shirt and seashell shops have given way to upscale Airbnbs, sleek coffee vendors and, now, four Michelin recognized restaurants. Some who’ve watched the change worry the small town is now giving Hilton Head vibes and pricing out locals. We discuss the promise and perils of progress in America’s Oldest City and how the affordability crisis is playing out on the streets of St. Augustine.

Guest: St. Augustine City Commissioner Jim Springfield 

Foundational art

Interpreting the Declaration of Independence through an artistic lens. A new exhibit at the St. Augustine Art Association asks artists to share their perspective on the historic document and how its principles have evolved or influenced the American experience over time. The exhibit, When in the Course of Human Events, is part of America's 250th celebration. Participating artists employ a range of materials to explore the exhibit’s theme, and curators hope the works spark thoughtful conversation about the country’s past, present and future. We sit down with two featured artists, including the artist awarded Best in Show, to hear what inspired the winning piece, I Am. The exhibit is free and open to the public through Aug. 2.

Guests:

• Jennifer Flynt, executive director, St. Augustine Art Association

• Richlin Burnett-Ryan, portrait artist, painter, curator

• Weldon Ryan, multimedia artist, former NYPD police sketch artist

Stellar strongman

A constellation named after a demigod with superhuman strength. We dig into the science behind the “celestial snow globe” known as the Hercules cluster with resident spaceman Eddie Whisler. The grouping of stars officially known as M13 orbits the Milky Way. It’s an estimated 145,000 light-years wide, 25,000 light-years from Earth and contains more than 100,000 stars. Discovered in 1714 by Edmond Halley (of comet fame), it was initially thought to contain zero stars; famed French astronomer Charles Messier officially cataloged it on his list of "non-comets" because his telescope wasn’t strong enough to detect individual stars. We talk about the stunning globular cluster and why peak viewing season is about to begin.

Guest: Eddie Whisler, director of planetarium and outreach, Museum of Science & History

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JEA CEO Vickie Cavey faces questions from a Jacksonville City Council investigation into workplace concerns, leadership changes, and the utility’s decision-making process. Plus, Florida’s more than $114 billion state budget heads to Governor Ron DeSantis as lawmakers await his decisions ahead of the new fiscal year.

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As multiple investigations into JEA continue, local climate activists are calling on the Jacksonville utility to lower rates and commit to phasing out the use of fossil fuels. The demands are outlined in a new petition calling on JEA to reduce emissions, improve air quality and find more sustainable plans to reduce energy costs long term. The move comes as solar power use grows and coal usage declines, with solar remaining the leading source of new power in the United States. In May, for the first time, solar supplied more electricity than coal nationwide. The petition is the most recent effort by local organizations to put pressure on JEA to stop using fossil fuels, even as the utility looks to move forward with plans to build an estimated $1.57 billion natural gas-fired power plant. In December, multiple advocacy groups including the Sierra Club, NAACP, St. Johns Riverkeeper and Solar United Neighbors delivered sacks of coal to JEA’s headquarters, protesting the utility’s rising rates and coal use. We sit down with members of the groups leading the petition to ask why advancing solar is a main priority and how it could potentially lower utility costs.

Guests:  

• Jalicia Lewis, community outreach lead, Jacksonville Climate Coalition

• Leah Ferrell, solar access and affordability associate, Solar United Neighbors

In the same vein

Jacksonville sickle cell advocates are working to raise awareness and expand support to community members living with the hereditary blood disorder that affects roughly 100,000 people in the U.S. A college student reveals the challenges she faces living with the disease and the inspiration behind her nonprofit, Project Little Veins, which provides care packages to hospitalized sickle cell patients. We also speak with a healthy equity leader whose own son died from sickle cell disease ahead of his second birthday about how his passing transformed her advocacy work.

Guests:

• Fredrianna Copeland Webster, sickle cell disease advocate and founder of Project Little Veins

• Selena Webster-Bass, founder, Richard Webster-Bass Health Institute

Daddy daughter dance

Girls Inc. of Jacksonville hosts its annual Daddy Daughter Dance fundraiser at WJCT Studios. Fathers and daughters are asked to wear their best dress and suit for the event themed “An Enchanted Night in Paris.” The event features a DJ, dancing, dinner, raffle, silent auction and a space to celebrate the bond between daughters and their fathers, or any male role model in their lives. All proceeds from the event go to support Girls Inc. of Jacksonville, one of 74 affiliates nationwide with the mission to equip girls with skills and knowledge to create impactful change in the future. The 2026 Daddy Daughter Dance is from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday at WJCT Soundstage. Tickets are required.

Guest: Diedra Simon, CEO of Girls Inc. of Jacksonville

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Jacksonville’s proposed city budget is expected to include another year of increased spending on police and fire services, with department leaders requesting additional funding for staffing and salaries. Also, Florida officials are tightening restrictions on 7-OH, a compound derived from the kratom plant, as the state says some manufacturers are finding ways around previous limits.

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Florida is considered a leader in land preservation nationwide, with roughly 31% of the state’s land designated for conservation efforts. But the fight to get there was no easy feat. Rather, it took years of pushing by advocates, politicians and artists to establish the environmental protections we see today. Environmental attorney and author Clay Henderson details the “small victories” over time that helped create Florida’s national park system and national wildlife refuges in his 2022 book Forces of Nature: A History of Florida Land Conservation. Henderson will be a featured guest as part of the Jacksonville Public Library’s 2026 Conservation Series on June 27. The event includes a group walk with Henderson at Blue Cypress Park, where he will talk about conservation work happening locally and the flora and fauna along the St. Johns River. Then, Henderson will host a Q&A and book signing at the University Park Branch Library. We ask about the current challenges facing conservation lands today and whether the growth in data center development risks undoing more than a century of environmental protection.

Guest: Clay Henderson, environmental attorney and author of Forces of Nature: A History of Florida Land Conservation

Real-time rapture

An evangelical preacher and radio host literally and spiritually “left behind.” It’s the subject of a new one-man show as the rapture happens live on air. The Phil Mitchell Radio Hour, created and starring actor and experimental artist Noah Bennett, is a 70-minute performance merging satirical comedy and psychological horror. The show follows Bennett’s character, described as a mix between Joel Osteen, Jim Bakker and Kenneth Copeland with a “sweet pair of sideburns,” as he hosts his final broadcast. The show debuted in Columbus, Ohio, but has graced stages in Georgia, North Carolina and New York City. A Jacksonville native, Bennett is bringing the show to the historic San Marco Church, his first-ever site-specific performance. The Phil Mitchell Radio Hour will be hosted at 7:30 p.m. June 25-27.

Guest: Noah Bennett, actor and creator of The Phil Mitchell Radio Hour

Neighborhood rivalry

A Springfield tradition makes its return on July 4th as the Eastside Reds and Westside Giants battle for bragging rights on the baseball field. Returning for its 19th year, the Fourth of July Throwback Baseball Game features Springfield residents in “turn-of-the century” throwback uniforms, equipment, umpires and more. Food trucks and drinks will be available, and folks are encouraged to bring extra seating as bleacher spots are limited. The family-friendly event takes place at Klutho Park Heritage Field on July 4. First pitch is at 11 a.m.

Guests:

• Michael Haskins, executive director, Springfield Preservation and Revitalization

• Jose Acevedo, Westside Giants player

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The National Rifle Association is among groups challenging Florida’s three-day waiting period to buy firearms, and State Attorney James Uthmeier says he agrees with the people suing over the policy. And in St. Augustine, a boy recovering from an e-bike wreck gets a surprise from an NFL star.

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Each month, we sit down with attorney and government expert Chris Hand to break down local and national political headlines.

Among our topics:

• Proposed property tax cuts draw legal challenges and criticism from economists, with projections estimating a $5 billion loss in the first year.

• Voters in Duval County will decide whether to extend a property tax first approved in 2022 to supplement teacher salaries.

• City officials must decide if there’s space in the budget for public incentives to bring a Publix and Culinary Institute of America campus to Downtown.

Guest: Chris Hand, local government expert, attorney and co-author with the late Sen. Bob Graham of America, the Owner's Manual

A bloody campaign

A documentary and rare photo exhibit highlight St. Augustine’s critical role as a civil rights battleground where a series of wade-ins and demonstrations turned violent. Passage at St. Augustine examines how local activists and a Black Air Force veteran sparked a confrontation over segregation that drew the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to the nation’s oldest city and helped pave the way for the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. We talk to the film’s director about the historical significance of these events, why it took 13 years to complete the project and his upcoming exhibition. The free showing and discussion will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at St. Paul A.M.E. Church in St. Augustine.

Guest: Clennon L. King, award-winning journalist, documentary filmmaker and director of Passage at St. Augustine: The 1964 Black Lives Matter Movement That Transformed America

Artists wanted

Do you have an idea for a sculpture? Riverside Avondale Preservation is calling for artists to submit ideas for a new public sculpture at the newly named Fishweir Crossing roundabout. Located on the edge of the Riverside Avondale Historic District and Fishweir Creek, the sculpture will serve as a landmark connecting the Fairfax Manor and Lakeside Park neighborhoods. Officials say the sculpture’s design should reflect the character, culture and natural environment of the communities that meet there. Up to three artists can be selected to develop conceptual designs for the project. The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. June 30. Find more information here.

Guest: Nancy Powell, co-chair, Fishweir Crossing Roundabouts Planning Committee

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A new employee survey offers the first look at morale inside JEA since a Jacksonville City Council investigation into workplace concerns started. We also preview Juneteenth events across Jacksonville and St. Augustine marking the end of slavery in the United States.

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As Juneteenth celebrations kick off across the city, we take a closer look at the long road from emancipation to equality. Becoming a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth marks the anniversary of June 19, 1865, the date when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, declaring all enslaved people be freed. The troops came more than 2½ years after President Abrahamn Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. We sit down with prominent Jacksonville civil rights activist, historian and author Rodney L. Hurst Sr. as he reflects on the meaning of the holiday, his role in the 1960 Woolworth sit-ins and the events that led to Ax Handle Saturday. We also preview Juneteenth celebrations happening on the historic Eastside.

Guests:

• Nigelle Kohn, executive director, Florida Avenue Main Street Inc.

• Rodney L. Hurst Sr., civil rights activist, historian and author of It Was Never About a Hotdog and a Coke!

Teach ‘em young

Teaching Black History in Florida has changed in recent years, but Juneteenth can serve as a time to educate about the harsh realities in American history, like slavery and discrimination. A Jacksonville educator wrote a book to share how families, schools and community organizations can help young learners understand the history and significance of Juneteenth. All About Juneteenth Dictionary for Kids offers practical strategies for teaching children about freedom, resilience and cultural heritage through literacy, vocabulary and storytelling. The book also details the backgrounds of key figures, activists and important locations in the Civil Rights Movement and shares a how-to guide on creating a Juneteenth sidewalk parade. We ask the book’s author what inspired the project and ask her about the importance of teaching Black history at a young age.

Guest: Celeste Payne, founder of Arts Empowered Inc. and author of All About Juneteenth Dictionary for Kids

Secret sauce

A beloved Jacksonville pizza restaurant serving up famous New York-style pies turns 50. Renna’s has served the community since 1976 and is the second oldest pizzeria in Jacksonville (Joseph’s Pizza opened its doors in 1956). We speak to a local owner and operator about how the company has managed to stay relevant for five decades and how he works to preserve Renna’s tradition as the brand evolves.

Guest: Matt Wymer, owner and operator, Renna’s Pizza Mandarin & Argyle Forest

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A Jacksonville nonprofit is launching a new effort focused on engaging men and boys in preventing domestic abuse and promoting healthy relationships. Plus, St. Johns County leaders are considering a temporary pause on new data center developments as officials weigh potential impacts on the region’s power and water systems.

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