First Coast Connect

Weekdays 9 a.m.

Hosted by Melissa Ross, First Coast Connect is an hour-long call-in program that features local newsmakers, civic and community leaders, artists and people planning a variety of events across Northeast Florida, along with a weekly roundtable of local journalists.

Thursday on First Coast Connect:

 

  • Changing Homelessness CEO Dawn Gillman on the annual Jacksonville Homeless Count and count of homeless veterans  

  • Jay Rolfe from Fortress Wealth Planning on new Labor Department rule holding brokers to a higher fiduciary standard            

  • Kerry Speckman with this weekend’s events  

 

Join the conversation:

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  • Call: (904) 549-2937 (Note: This line is only active during the program, 9:00-10:00 a.m.)

  • Tweet: @MelissainJax

  • Email: firstcoastconnect@wjct.org

  • Comment on Facebook at First Coast Connect

 

Learn more about the First Coast Connect Book Club

Subscribe to the First Coast Connect podcast on iTunes

First Coast Connect is sponsored in part by Baptist Health and North Florida TPO.

Education coverage is sponsored in part by the Chartrand Foundation.

7/26/2017: Civil-Asset Forfeiture; GO Auto Recycling; Judy Wells; Beyond The Core

By • 2 hours ago

  Today on “First Coast Connect,” we spoke with Larry Hannan (01:04), lead writer for the Fair Punishment Project, on the U.S. Justice Department decision to reinstate what’s called civil-asset forfeiture. Our “Going Green” segment featured Nick Fiore (33:30), general manager for Go Auto Recycling. Travel blogger Judy Wells (42:53) talked about her trip to the arctic, and WJCT News Director  Jessica Palombo (48:50) told us about WJCT’s Beyond the Core listening tour, which starts Wednesday evening. 


7/25/2017: The State Of Girls; Replica; Breakaway Funding

By • Jul 25, 2017

  Today on “First Coast Connect,” Girl Scouts Gateway Council CEO Mary Anne Jacobs gave us the details of the State of Girls 2017 report from the Girl Scout Research Institute (01:33). We heard about the TV pilot “Replica” being filmed in Jacksonville with producer Lisa Eve and actors Jordan Jett and Adrian Gentry (38:01), and ahead of One Spark we discussed crowdfunding with Breakaway Funding founder Kim Kaselionis and regional marketing director Richard Cuff (46:07).   


7/24/2017: Devil's Bargain; Stanski On Kushner; The Arc Jacksonville; Cole Pepper

By • Jul 24, 2017

  Today on “First Coast Connect,” we spoke with Bloomberg Businessweek reporter Joshua Green (01:12) about his new book, “Devil’s Bargain: Steve Bannon, Donald Trump and the Storming of the Presidency.” Local attorney Michael Stanski (14:09) discussed federal security clearance laws and whether Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner should have his clearance revoked. The Arc Jacksonville CEO Jim Whitaker and Steve Kelly (30:54) from Everbank told us about a new job program to benefit workers with disabilities, and Cole Pepper (44:48) brought us the latest sports news.  


First Coast Connect: Is Jacksonville’s Water Safe To Drink?

By WJCT News Staff • Jul 20, 2017
Kevin Meerschaert / WJCT

For years, a widely circulated article by AOL Daily Finance has raised alarms with its claim that Jacksonville has the 10th worst drinking water in the country.

7/20/2017: Travel Ban Suit; Jacksonville Drinking Water; Kerry Speckman; Keith Johns

By • Jul 20, 2017

Today on “First Coast Connect,” we spoke with UNF Professor Parvez Ahmed (00:58) about a federal lawsuit to be filed Thursday in Jacksonville against the travel ban imposed by the Trump administration. Florida Field Notes editor Lisa Grubba (29:27) talked about her study disputing a report that criticized Jacksonville’s drinking water. Kerry Speckman (38:55) told us about this weekend’s events, and musician Keith Johns (44:33)  played live in studio.    

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