Democrats in Tallahassee push for an end to congressional district gerrymandering, a nonprofit works to protect the history of the civil rights movement in St. Augustine and the Health Department is warning about potentially deadly algae growing in the St. Johns Rivers and some of its tributaries.
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 5 stories you don’t want to miss.
Duval Schools, Jacksonville Public Library Putting Library Cards In Students' Hands
Jacksonville Public Library Director Barbara Gubbin says the card is not an ordinary library card; it will only allow students to check out a limited amount of books at a time, but they won’t be at risk of running up huge late fees.
Democratic Florida Lawmakers Call For End To Redistricting 'Skullduggery'
Shortly after Thursday's court ruling, Rep. Dwight Dudley, D-St. Petersburg, announced that he would reintroduce legislation for the 2016 session to create an independent commission to oversee future district-map drawing.
St. Augustine Nonprofit Preserves City’s Civil Rights History
“It’s been said that St. Augustine is the most famous place that you’ve never heard of in the civil rights movement,” local historian and author, David Nolan said. Nolan says the inspiration for the nonprofit was the rapid demolition of civil rights landmarks throughout the city.
Voices of the River: How The Shipping Industry Changed A Jacksonville Neighborhood
In the Voices of the River series, we take a journey down the river and hear from the people who depend on the river for their living, or whose lives are changed because they live close to it. In the first part of the series we hear from Anita Johnson, a retired fourth-generation fisher from the New Berlin area of Jacksonville.
Dog Influenza Spreading In Southeast
There have been 55 confirmed cases of canine influenza in Atlanta since June 25. It hasn't made its way to Florida yet, but experts believe it's likely.
Duval Health Department Reminds About Danger Of Blue-Green Algae
Public health officials say it’s not possible to tell toxic algae from the harmless kind with the naked eye. They say, as a precaution, people should avoid swallowing lake or river water altogether.
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