Monday on “First Coast Connect,” guest host Ryan Benk spoke with Dr. Bob Sommers, CEO of the Mental Health Resource Center in Jacksonville.
He also spoke with local attorneys Barry Newman and Keith Maynard from the Spohrer & Dodd law firm about their work helping families of the victims of air crashes. This month’s installment of “First Coast Success” with Karen Brune Mathis featured InMotion President Jeremy Smith, and Cole Pepper talked about the Jaguars’ firing head coach Gus Bradley on Sunday after another disappointing loss to the Texans.
Mental Health Resource Center
With the help of Duval County legislators, Tallahassee approved a pilot program to divert people with mental illness from jail, standardize mental health courts and secure some funding for a mental health central receiving system.
The Mental Health Resource Center has been described as a one-stop shop for those struggling with mental illness. Instead of being arrested or committed to a state hospital, a person can receive short-term treatment, be connected with disability-related benefits and get referred to long-term resources.
Spohrer Dodd Air Crashes
Recent air disasters have been in the headlines, including tragedies in Pakistan and Colombia.
When a family or a company is affected by an airline crash, it can be difficult to receive proper legal help, especially when it happens in a foreign country. Local law firm Spohrer & Dodd has a great deal of experience dealing with international air crashes.
First Coast Success: Jeremy Smith
He’s a former top executive at Gate Petroleum. Jeremy Smith is now president of the InMotion Entertainment company.
Based in Jacksonville, the firm has hundreds of InMotion kiosks and stores in airports across the country that sell ear buds and other electronic equipment for travelers.
Cole Pepper
It was one blown lead too many and a long flight home for Gus Bradley. After losing a team-record ninth straight game, the Jaguars finally had enough and fired the head coach with two games remaining in the season.
Pepper talked about what comes next for the Jags and some of the names rumored to be under consideration to replace Bradley, including former Jaguars head coach Tom Coughlin.
Producer Kevin Meerschaert can be reached at kmeerschaert@wjct.org, 904-358-6334 or on Twitter at @KMeerschaertJax.
