WJCT President & CEO David McGowan shares how Jacksonville's public media organization transformed a funding crisis into opportunity. Learn how community support is powering expansion in local news, early education, and cultural programming, plus exciting milestones including Jacksonville Today's 50,000-subscriber achievement.

When a traffic signal malfunctions, it can be chaos for drivers. And a signal on Southside Boulevard apparently breaks down a lot. Jacksonville Today reader Daniel B. says about once a week, the light malfunctions. No one comes to fix it, and no police show up to direct traffic.

The owner of the historic Laura Street Trio in Downtown Jacksonville has found a potential new buyer for the long-vacant buildings, Jacksonville City Council President Kevin Carrico said on WJCT’s First Coast Connect on Tuesday.

People in the Metro Gardens Neighborhood Association have been battling the new Duval County Medical Examiner’s Office since construction began over two years ago next to their neighborhood.

A week after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed about $5.7 million in funding for public radio and television stations, Jacksonville-based WJCT Public Media called the cuts “deeply troubling” and looked to its listeners to help make up the losses.

Pablo S., a Jacksonville Today reader, asks why a vehicle with flashing lights is blocking a westbound lane of Atlantic Boulevard at General Doolittle Drive.

As the 2025 Atlantic Hurricane Season kicks off, concerns about flooding along Duval County’s dozens of creeks during storms resulted in this question from Jacksonville Today reader Tessa D.

Three people were arrested after a disturbance at a City Council meeting, and one of them was charged with possessing a concealed weapon at the meeting. The incident has led to a review of security at City Hall, but it left a Jacksonville Today reader with a question: “What exactly is the law here regarding this?”

Even the most friendly neighbors can have questions about the spaces where their lives overlap. Consider the trees near your property line.

Jacksonville Today reader Nancy H. notes that walking Downtown has become difficult because it requires multiple crossings at busy intersections.

The city approved James W. Brinkley’s plans for a new carousel last May. Brinkley said then that the ride could be up and running as soon as that summer. Jacksonville Today reader Greg D. wonders why it isn’t.

Jacksonville Today reader Karen F. says people in her office have been discussing the stretch of Interstate 95 in the construction zone. Several co-workers relate that they have had “dangerous close calls at a new ‘unmarked merge” while heading northbound after Emerson Street.

The site of a former JEA power station on the Southbank is being redesigned into RiversEdge, a huge mixed-use development with homes, hotels, retail, restaurants and four public parks. Jacksonville Today reader D.U. notes that many of the public roads appear done. You just aren’t supposed to drive on them, D.U. says.

Jacksonville Today reader Mark L. wonders how much revenue from the Florida Lottery is supporting public education, like proponents promised it would.

Jacksonville Today reader Susan A. is curious how the local immigration ordinance works, and whether police can use it to stop anyone and demand proof of citizenship.

Mayor Donna Deegan’s AI pilot does not include the largest part of the city budget — the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Jacksonville Today reader Johnathon A. wonders why.

There’s the long-running redesign of Interstate 95/Interstate 295 on the Northside. There’s the addition of lanes on I-95 north of Emerson Street. Then there’s the widening of Interstate 10 on the Westside. That’s the one that irritates Jacksonville Today reader Christopher N.

According to the city of Jacksonville, the Baldwin Rail Trail is part of a nationwide “Rails to Trails” program designed to turn abandoned railroad lines into “linear parks.” But Jacksonville Today reader Alan C. has noticed signs implying that something needs to be done to “Protect the Trail.”

Jacksonville Today reader Audrey M. has a question about the work on San Pablo Road. She says that new street lights on San Pablo at Drakes Point Drive — the entrance to the Villages of Pablo neighborhood — are still not working.

Jacksonville Today reader Lois B. says a pit bull mix recently bit her seriously on her left arm. She reported it to her leasing office soon after.

JEA and Jaxport are raising power lines over the St. Johns River so bigger ships can dock at the port. But a Jacksonville Today reader has another idea.Sidne V. wonders why the power lines aren’t being buried beneath the river instead of over it.

Ellen M. asks whether a person can qualify for both the stormwater exemption and the solid waste exemption at the same time.

Jacksonville Today reader Judy J. is curious about the division of labor inside City Hall. “It seems like the mayor and the City Council are always sparring over whose responsibility different decisions are,” she says.

Minds of the Future Academy will host its largest fundraiser of the year on February 20, 2025, at 5 PM at WJCT studios. We invite you to purchase your ticket for an exceptional showcase of our school’s offerings. Community involvement is crucial as we aim to raise funds for our permanent home. www.mindsofthefutureacademy.com

Last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture launched a new food benefits program with the goal of helping families pay for the extra groceries they need when their kids are out of school over the summer.

Jacksonville is a city with seven bridges, and Jacksonville Today reader Dave E. thinks they should shine.

About 11 months ago, fire swept through the $65 million Rise Doro apartments in Jacksonville’s Sports and Entertainment District, severely damaging the wood-framed seven-story building on A. Philip Randolph Boulevard. At the time, Rise Doro’s owners said they would rebuild. Jacksonville Today reader Kathy B. wonders when.

A Jacksonville Today reader, Alex S., questions the $21 million in incentives approved for an expansion of Intercontinental Exchange Inc., a Fortune 500 company known as ICE.

There are no incentives in place for the city to remove and no threat of fines for developmental delays, according to a city spokesman.

Early voting is underway, and it raised questions for some Jacksonville Today readers. We’ll tackle two of them today.

Q. Proposed amendments to Florida’s Constitution have caused a stir this election cycle. While the primary focus has been on amendments surrounding cannabis and abortion, an amendment involving public funding for campaigns is raising questions too.

It’s been more than two years since construction began a busy stretch of McCormick Road in East Arlington, and Jacksonville Today reader Ken D. is frustrated about it.

Jacksonville Today reader Julie S. wonders about the cost of mailing back a beefy ballot.

Q: Last August, restaurateurs got approval from the city to build The Lomax restaurant where a Wells Fargo bank once stood in Five Points. Construction on the 2-story venue – estimated to cost nearly $2.22 million – began. But then it appeared to stall out.

Q: Jacksonville Today reader Stephen M. has a question about a neighborhood off Beach Boulevard that has no paved roads and experienced flooding during recent rains — again.

Q: Jacksonville Today reader Stacy K. is waiting for the city to replace trash cans in the Five Points area.

Q: Jacksonville Today reader Stacy K. asks about a damaged fence at Memorial Park on the curve of Riverside Avenue.

Q. A Jacksonville Today reader, Courtney S., wants to know whether it’s legal for political groups to hang out near polling locations and hand out pamphlets to voters.

Q: Jacksonville Today reader Alice K. has multiple questions about Jacksonville’s 3-year-old Office of Resilience. Does the resilience office have more than advisory power? she asks. If not, how serious is the mayor about actually listening to the office’s advice? And is the resilience office “part of the debate about what to do with the Downtown/river corridor?

Q. A Jacksonville Today reader, Carol B., wants to know whether a digital vote-by-mail ballot is a real voting option in Florida.

Jacksonville Today reader Kevin E. wonders why a local judicial candidate is allowed to advertise herself as a conservative in a nonpartisan race.

Jacksonville Today reader Henry T. received a political mailer that caught his eye in late June. In Henry’s eyes, its message against District 3 Duval County School Board incumbent Cindy Pearson was “over-the-top scaremongering.” A second anti-Pearson card soon followed. Henry wrote to us, asking for info on who sent the mailers, which is listed on them as a political action committee called Educated Professionals for Jacksonville.

Q: Florida recently enacted a law prohibiting local governments from requiring heat protections for workers, after Miami-Dade County last year ended a push to protect outdoor workers like agricultural and construction laborers.

Q: Jacksonville Today reader Jonathon A. wants to know what is happening with the money set aside by the City Council for Confederate monument removal.

“Do you know if the new city morgue on Golfair Boulevard will have a crematory?”

Q: Jacksonville Today reader Jennifer S. wants to know when Jacksonville Beach will finally do something about an empty lot that she considers a eyesore.

The proposed study of septic tanks in Jacksonville is causing controversy as some question the need for another costly investigation. City Council legislation is requesting $200,000 to fund a study by the University of Florida Center for Coastal Solutions. The study would assess the vulnerability of septic systems throughout the county and prioritize their conversion to sewer. The goal is to prevent sewage backups and meet water quality standards. Previous efforts have been made to phase out septic systems, but this study would provide a comprehensive countywide assessment.

A Jacksonville Today reader, Judy J., wanted to know what’s under construction at the corner of Lem Turner Road and Interstate 295 in Northwest Jacksonville.

This is part of a partnership series between News4JAX and Jacksonville Today.

The Mayoral Candidate Forum is happening Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at the WJXT-4 studios. Kent Justice along with journalists from First Coast News, WJCT and the Florida Times Union will ask questions to one of the two candidates, Democrat Donna Deegan. Both candidates, Deegan and Republican Daniel Davis were invited months ago. Deegan accepted, Davis declined.

The Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum in Springfield will close in a few weeks after being part of Jacksonville for 30 years, WJCT reports.

Black and brown startup founders had the chance to pitch their big ideas in a live “Shark Tank”-style event held in Jacksonville on Tuesday evening.

Black and brown startup founders will have the chance to pitch their big ideas in a live “Shark Tank”-style event being held in Jacksonville later this month.

Melissa Nelson, state attorney for Florida’s Fourth Judicial District, was a guest Thursday on WJCT’s radio talk show First Coast Connect.

On Feb. 8, Raina Greenfest jumped on a bus from Palm Beach to Tallahassee to try to convince lawmakers to vote no.

Jacksonville’s main library Downtown is closed indefinitely for upgrades as it hosts the city’s state-run COVID antibody treatment clinic.

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry has picked a candidate for Chief Resiliency Officer, a new position that’s charged with helping the city prepare for the impacts of climate change.

Researchers say if a Category 4 hurricane came ashore nearby, it would cause catastrophic damage in Jacksonville, largely due to changes that people have made to the St. Johns River over the past 100 years.

The Mandarin Mustangs are bucking an annual tradition and skipping senior prom.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. WJCT, the community-owned public broadcast organization, is shifting its converting its radio station 89.9 FM into an all news/talk format. The radio station will soon be known as WJCT News 89.9 as part of a shift that will add midday local newscasts to the stations programming along with 13 new national programs to its weekly schedule. The changes are set to begin on July 13. They come as the station, a news partner of News4Jax, aims to keep up with a growing audience across its radio, digital and app platforms. The growing need for sources of news and information that are deeply thoughtful, unfailing in the pursuit of truth and universally available has never been clearer than it is now, said David McGowan, President & CEO of WJCT.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The Jacksonville Jazz Festival may not be in the cards this year, but theres still a way for jazz fans to get their fix over Memorial Day weekend. WJCT announced Monday its rolling out Jazz Festival Weekend, a multi-day slate of jazz programming that will help fill the void created by the cancellation of the annual festival, which was scrubbed due to COVID-19. Jazz Festival Weekend is our way of providing jazz fans with the opportunity to enjoy the tradition of great music over the Memorial Day weekend, through a virtual experience, said David Luckin, Music Director of WJCT. - Jazz on WJCT 89.9 FM (online at wjct.org, and the WJCT app) on Saturday, May 23 from 9PM to 12AM. - Live local jazz on the Jacksonville Music Experience Facebook group (facebook.com/groups/jaxmusic/), featuring Northeast Florida artists Chris Thomas Band, Mama Blue, JB Scott and the Lisa Kelly Quintet, and more.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Fidelity National Information Services (FIS) is following through on its commitment to build a $145 million headquarters in Jacksonville. Governor Ron DeSantis made the official announcement Friday afternoon during a press conference at the FIS Building on Riverside Avenue. The new headquarters of the financial technology company is set to be a 300,000 square-foot, 12-story building located near the current FIS Building. "Jacksonville has really done a good job of being a great place to do business for companies like FIS," DeSantis said. In exchange for its investment in Jacksonville, the company is poised to receive a financial incentives package from the city and state worth almost $30 million.

Ron DeSantis will make a stop at the FIS Building in Jacksonville on Friday afternoon for what is being billed as a "major" economic announcement. The announcement likely has to do with a company going by the code name "Sharp," according to the Jacksonville Daily Record. The Record reports the unnamed company, which might be Fidelity National Information Services, has promised to create 500 jobs and build a $145 million headquarters. In exchange for its investment in Jacksonville, the company is poised to receive a financial incentives package from the city and state worth almost $30 million. As WJCT previously reported, the City Council OK'd a bill last month that contains the city's share of those incentives.

Wendland said he's now looking at possibly bringing a new grocery store into the space to replace Publix, but that takes time. "People with transportation could get steeply discounted rides to and from the grocery store," he said. Also in the mix is the possibility of teaming up with Feeding Northeast Florida to bring residents fresh food via "mobile market." The city does have money available to incentivize new grocery stores to rent the space in food deserts like the one created by the Publix closing. Earlier this year, City Council adopted a new full-service grocery program that appropriated $3 million for grocery stores and healthy options education.