Rick Scott vetoes millions of dollars intended for local First Coast projects in an effort to save taxpayers money, thousands of Jacksonville residents go without power due to severe storms, the man behind Jaguars’ mascot Jaxson De Ville is retiring after 19 years, and the St. Johns Riverkeeper is among several conservationist groups suing the Florida legislature over a lack of conservation funding.
Welcome to WJCT First Read, your daily weekday morning round-up of stories from the First Coast, around Florida and across the country.
Here are 8 stories you don’t want to miss.
Gov. Rick Scott Vetoes Millions Of Dollars Heading To First Coast
Scott’s vetoes include $1 million intended to renovate the St. Johns River Ferry and its landing sites in Mayport, $1.2 million for Jacksonville’s Sulzbacher Center homeless shelter, $2 million for Jacksonville University, and more.
Storms Knock Out Power To Nearly 12,000 JEA Customers
Severe thunderstorms hit Jacksonville Monday night, causing many homes and businesses on the city’s west and north sides to lose power from lightning strikes and falling trees.
Online Common Core Curriculum To Save Duval Schools $10M Over Two Years
The Duval County school system expects to save around $10 million over the next two years by switching from traditional textbooks to a free, online curriculum for elementary math and reading classes.
Nonprofit That Teaches Youth Professional Skills Comes To Jacksonville
The national nonprofit program Year Up has put 23 students through training at Florida State College at Jacksonville. The classes prepare students for careers in office management, telecommunications, banking and other industries.
Man Who Created The Pink Plastic Lawn Flamingo Dies
A trained sculptor with a background in classical art, Donald Featherstone created the now-ubiquitous pink flamingo in 1957, based on a photo he saw in National Geographic.
Man Behind Jaguars Mascot Jaxson De Ville Retiring After 19 Years
With more than 7,000 appearances, 200 games, multiple video skits and more, Curtis Dvorak said he feels he got everything he could out of his time as Jaxson and is ready for some new challenges.
Florida Faces A Rising Tide Of HIV Infection
A total of 5,377 Floridians were diagnosed with HIV in 2013, according to the Florida Department of Health. That number is higher than anywhere else in the nation.
St. Johns Riverkeeper, Others Sue Over Lack Of Florida Conservation Funding
Supporters of Amendment 1 filed a lawsuit Monday claiming state lawmakers in a newly approved budget misappropriated more than $300 million of the money voters wanted for environmental land management and acquisition.
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