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First Coast Connect

08/08/16: Hemming Park; PikMyKid; Cole Pepper

Hemming Park

Friends of Hemming Park, the organization in charge of running downtown Jacksonville's central park, recently stopped live music in during the park's weekday lunch hours due to budget constraints and feedback from City Council that city dollars should not be spent on programming or events. 

That announcement came on the heels of city government concerns over a recent audit and a general reduction of funding for the group.

Former Friends of Hemming Park executive director Vince Cavin resigned from the group following that audit.

Now, a private sponsor, Jax Vision Care, is stepping up to provide live music in the park.

And Bill Prescott, principal with Heritage Capital Group and former chief financial officer for the Jacksonville Jaguars, is taking over leadership of the organization until a permanent replacement is named.

We speak with Prescott and Wayne Wood, chair of Friends of Hemming Park's board, about what's ahead for the park.

PikMyKid

It’s a new app billed as the best parent communication system for K-12 schools.

PikMyKid is made to simplify everything from school dismissals to traffic flow and student safety overall.

The app tracks students with a GPS geo bubble that's custom to each school. Parents can register through their smartphones for free. With a simple swipe, teachers can then view which child's parent is next in the car line.

Parents can also receive ping notifications alerting them to changes in dismissal times, school emergencies, and the whereabouts of their children.

And they can use the app to communicate with the school regarding changes in pickup schedules or carpools.

As First Coast kids head back to school, PikMyKid creator Pat Bhava joins us with a look at its features.

Cole Pepper

We speak with WJCT News analyst Cole Pepper about the latest sports news, including Jacksonville Jaguars' training camp, the Jacksonville Armada FC's new interim coach, and local athletes participating in the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Sean Birch joined the WJCT team in late 2011 and was with the company until 2016.