WJCT News Now

The first person charged in the 2022 ambush killing of Jared Bridegan in Jacksonville Beach has been found guilty of first-degree murder. Mario Fernandez faces a mandatory life sentence, while trials for Bridegan’s ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, and alleged shooter Henry Tenon are still ahead. Also, a Florida grand jury found the DeSantis administration misappropriated $10 million in taxpayer money tied to a Medicaid settlement and the Hope Florida Foundation.

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Flock together

Growing protests over the seeming omnipresence of Flock surveillance tools have focused largely on their use by police and their ubiquity on roads. But they are also a growing presence in private communities, including cameras aimed at swimming pools and personal property. Their widespread, voluntary adoption by HOAs, property managers and landlords has broadened the footprint of surveillance. And a Jacksonville Today investigation finds they are being used at apartment complexes owned by a D.C. based company that also invests heavily in Flock, the tech company behind the cameras. We talk to the investigative reporter behind the story about concerns over surveillance creep.

Guest: Elizabeth Caldwell, investigative reporter, Jacksonville Today

Silent agreement

Large-scale paintings that explore even larger themes form the backbone of a new exhibition at The Alexander Brest Gallery on the campus of Jacksonville University. Paul F. Yount’s dark, expressionist oil paintings depict scenes of immense violence and historic atrocities while evoking a promise of transcendence or even serenity. We talk to the artist about the pieces that comprise the SILENCE.silent exhibition and what it means to make art that is both political and deeply personal.

Guest: Paul F. Yount, visual artist behind the SILENCE.silent exhibition at The Alexander Brest Gallery

Star of the show

All eyes are on the sky ahead of two interstellar events this week. A partial lunar eclipse will place the moon in Earth’s shadow late Thursday into Friday morning, giving the appearance of a “blood moon,” with the greatest moment of eclipse at 4:13 a.m., according to NASA. Then, on Sun., Aug. 30, NASA and Space X will launch a next-generation telescope aimed at exploring some of the universe’s remaining mysteries, including dark energy and black holes. The telescope is named after NASA’s first chief astronomer, Nancy Grave Roman. We sit down with our resident spaceman to discuss how a recent image of the center of the Milky Way will serve as the foundation for the telescope’s planet exploration.

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

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A Flock camera installed near a Jacksonville apartment complex pool is raising questions about privacy and how footage can be accessed and shared. We’ll also remember A.J. Laguerre Jr., Jerrald Gallion and Angela Carr, who were killed three years ago in a racially motivated shooting at a Dollar General in Jacksonville.

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The educational landscape of climate change is itself changing dramatically after key deletions from Florida's science textbooks. A new report by WUSF News and The Hechinger Report found significant changes to how Florida students are being taught, from language tweaks (“climate change” becomes “changes in the environment”) to factual elisions (instead of learning that an additional 1 degree Celsius will kill another 150,000 people a year, the textbooks merely say that “human health will … be affected"). We talk to one of the reporters behind the new investigation about why the changes are happening and how they could affect beliefs and attitudes about health, species extinction and sustainability.

Guests:

• Jessica Meszaros, reporter/host at WUSF in Tampa, part of the Florida Climate Change Reporting Network

• Jalicia Lewis, community outreach and engagement lead, Jacksonville Climate Coalition

Scout's honor

Nearly 60 years after a local scoutmaster led Jacksonville’s first integrated Boy Scout adventure, a project honors the memory of Bruce R. Seldon. The legendary leader brought the all-Black Scout Troop 74 to the iconic Philmont Scout Ranch, in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico in 1967. Local Eagle Scout Jameson Grant recently completed extensive renovations to the public pavilion at St. Pius V Catholic Church in Northwest Jacksonville, and dedicated the project to Seldon’s legacy.

Guests:  

• Jameson Grant, Eagle Scout whose recent service project renovated the public pavilion at St. Pius V Catholic Church

• Rodney Grant, Eagle Scout chaplain and Jameson’s father

• Matt Soergel, retired Florida Times-Union reporter whose work inspired the project

Broadway benefit

Douglas Anderson School of the Arts’ symphony orchestra will be the only U.S. high school symphony orchestra represented this December at the 80th Midwest Clinic in Chicago, an event recognized as one of the world’s most prestigious gatherings for instrumental music education. With more than 18,000 attendees from all 50 states and over 40 countries, organizers say this is a rare opportunity for high school students to perform on a stage of such caliber. The symphony orchestra is hosting a “A Night of Broadway” benefit concert to help fund students’ travel to the clinic. Their show includes tunes from iconic musicals like Wicked, Hamilton, The Sound of Music and Mamma Mia. The concert is at 7 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 27, at the school’s DuBow Theatre.

Guests:

• Brian Griffin, director of orchestras, Douglas Anderson School of the Arts

• Ted Shistle, director of bands, Douglas Anderson School of the Arts

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Two childhood friends are riding from Fernandina Beach to Maryland on jet skis to raise money for Active Minds, a mental health organization serving teenagers. Also, Florida is moving toward making four childhood vaccines optional, despite warnings from pediatricians that the change could increase preventable illnesses.

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National Parks Week arrives amid growing concern over the future of funding and land use plans, following deep cuts, staff reductions and unprecedented incursions into public lands. From the recent removal of educational markers in the Carolinas to bulldozers in Big Bend, the changes are prompting a “day of action” on Aug. 25, in which the National Parks Conservation Association asks the public to sign a petition urging President Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to protect parks and their employees. We talk with two park experts who advocate for protecting nature from ourselves.

Guests:

• Mark Woods, columnist, The Florida Times-Union, author, Lassoing the Sun: A Year in America’s National Park
• Vanessa Trujillo, senior conservation program manager, National Parks Conservation Association

Flow state

From the Northbank and Southbank Riverwalks to Riverfront Plaza and the new RiversEdge park, the city has a lot of waterfront parkland. We explore how the newly formed Jax Riverfront Alliance plans to create a unifying vision for all that real estate, and why the city chose a public/private model to accomplish that goal. We also ask the interim director what groundwork she’s laying for a permanent hire, and what foundation is already in place to build on.

Guest: Linzee Ott, interim director, Jax Riverfront Alliance 

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Duval County Public Schools is apologizing for air conditioning problems at several campuses during a stretch of extreme heat. Also, lane and sidewalk closures on the Main Street Bridge begin today due to nearby construction in Riverfront Plaza.

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

• A local lawmaker dominates national headlines after Angie Nixon’s decisive win in the Democratic primary.

• An at-large election boosts Dem and female representation on Jacksonville's City Council.

• Rep. Randy Fine scores a resounding win despite a late-breaking mail tampering video.

• Moms for Liberty loses its grip in some state School Board elections. 

Guests:

• Will Brown, race and poverty reporter, Jacksonville Today

• A.G. Gancarski, Northeast Florida correspondent, Florida Politics

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

• Nate Monroe, executive editor, The Florida Trib

'Saturday Night Fever'

The 1977 fever dream comes to life on the Jacksonville stage, complete with the disco moves that defined an era. Whether you’re nostalgic for a time of tight polyester pants and dagger collars or just keen on revisiting the Bee Gees’ close harmonies and catchy pop hits, the theatrical version delivers the full jukebox musical experience (albeit with near erasure of the film’s grittier themes). We meet the production’s leads and ask them about their moves. The show runs through Sept. 27.

Guests:

• Rachel Kocher, actor playing Annette in Saturday Night Fever at Alhambra Theatre & Dining

• Christopher Michael Milligan, actor playing Tony Manero

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Jacksonville’s affordable housing efforts get a boost with a new $20 million investment fund designed to help finance $80 million in rental housing projects. Also, the Duval County School Board is weighing four potential locations for a new headquarters as it considers offers for its current Southbank building.

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The upcoming Ukraine Fest Jax is a chance to celebrate the country’s iconic cultural offerings, from the intricately embroidered blouses, known as Vyshyvanka, to borscht (hot or cold). But it’s also a chance to reconnect the First Coast with the very real needs of the Ukrainian people amid a devastating four-year war and uncertain political future. We talk to a former Ukrainian diplomat turned local TV producer about her work abroad, her message for locals and her recent trip home. We also discuss what it means to celebrate 35 years of Ukrainian independence, which is the focus of Sunday’s Ukraine Fest at the Riverside Arts Market.

Guest: Natalia Solyeva, former Ukrainian diplomat, co-organizer of Ukraine Fest Jax

Getting warmer

From jellyfish in the St. Johns to red tide near Mayport, the summertime state of the river has everything to do with rising temperatures, from the current heat wave to the ongoing effect of climate change. We talk to marine biologist Dr. Quinton White about how the pressure on river flora and fauna rises with the mercury, leading to biological anomalies and even health warnings. White writes the regular River Life column on coastal ecology for the Florida Times-Union and recently noted the presence of saltwater jellyfish in freshwater parts of the river near Riverside. The state also issued its first two red tide warnings of the summer for the waters of the Fort George River and Fort George Inlet near Hecksher Drive.

Guest: Dr. Quinton White, biologist, founder of the Marine Science Research Institute at Jacksonville University

Turtle scavenger hunt

Atlantic Beach is urging visitors and residents alike to slow down and appreciate the coastal town’s culture and history. A permanent art installation consisting of 24 QR-code-marked turtle sculptures is part scavenger hunt, part historic tour, each one offering a mini lesson on local people and landmarks, while reminding everyone of the need to observe sea turtle nesting season (May-October). Those who find all 24 can head to the former City Hall (now the Adele Grage Cultural Center) during business hours to collect a prize. We talk to two organizers of the installation about appreciating the city at a snail’s pace.

Guests:

• Jordan Leslie, recreation manager, City of Atlantic Beach Recreation & Special Events

• Veronica Richard, city recreation associate

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