City roads, naval fighter jets and banning all electronics while driving are all in the headlines this morning.
Welcome to WJCT First Read, your daily weekday morning round-up of stories from the First Coast, around Florida, and across the country. We'll also preview some of WJCT's upcoming news programming.
Today's Weather
In Jacksonville there's a 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 4 p.m. Patchy fog before 8 a.m. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 59 degrees. Tonight skies will be cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 45 degrees. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
At the Beaches it will look pretty much the same as inland Jacksonville except with a high temperature near 58 degrees and a low tonight around 46 degrees. (National Weather Service)
Naval jet aircraft exercises are expected to bring additional noise. Fighter jets from the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group will be conducting training exercises that will bring additional air traffic to Naval Air Station Jacksonville and Whitehouse Naval Airstrip. (WJCT)
Big brewers are asking for clarification on beer licensing. Small craft brewers currently operate under an exception to Florida law that was originally put in place to allow Busch Gardens to sell beer. The Florida Retail Federation, a lobbying association representing the big name brewers, wants the court to decide whether tap rooms, meet the "tourism exception," and therefore should be allowed to sell their brews on site. (WJCT via WFSU)
Tight city budget means some roads won't be repaired. The city only has 35 percent of the money that is needed to complete 68 of the highest-priority road projects. (The Florida Times-Union)
National Transportation Safety Board recommends banning use of all electronic devices behind the wheel. Research has shown that use of "hands-free" does not improve driving performance, and distracted driving is the issue causing deaths and injuries. The NTSB is also calling to lower the legal blood alcohol level to 0.05. News4Jax)
Columbia County sisters accused in the shooting death of their brother are not being tried as adults. The sisters are being charged with second-degree murder, but they are being prosecuted as juveniles. (News4Jax)
Today on First Coast Connect, UNF Professor Dr. Parvez Ahmed and Rabbi Jonathan Lubliner join Melissa Ross to discuss the rising Anti-Islamic and Anti-Semitic sentiments in Europe in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attack.
You can get all the latest headlines online at WJCTNews.org, on our Facebook page, and on Twitter @WJCTJax. You can follow Ray Hollister on Twitter @RayHollister.
