Late Tuesday night Lonzie Barton’s mother, Lonna Lauramore, was arrested on charges of child abuse and lying to police. Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry says he opposes a draft water plan that includes a possible withdrawal of water from the St. Johns River. A ship commander stationed at Mayport Navy Base has been relieved of her duty amidst allegations she behaved inappropriately.
It’s Wednesday, August 19, 2015. Welcome to WJCT First Read, your daily weekday morning round-up of stories from the First Coast, around Florida and across the country.
Sign up for WJCT First Read! Get the most important stories from WJCT News and NPR delivered straight to your inbox every weekday morning!
Here are 8 stories you might have missed.
Lonzie Barton’s Mother Arrested For Child Neglect, Lying To Police
Investigations Chief Tom Hackney says Lauramore lied to investigators the night her son, missing 21-month-old toddler, Lonzie Barton, disappeared. She claimed to not know Ruben Ebron, her boyfriend. Lauramore has been arrested for lying to investigators and for child neglect.
City Council Committee Works On Plan To Manage Medical Marijuana In Jacksonville
After the previous City Council passed an emergency-basis ordinance to keep medical marijuana growers and dispensers out of Jacksonville that was quickly repealed less than two weeks later, the new City Council is taking a slow and deliberate approach to regulating its growing, processing and dispensing in Jacksonville.
Mayor Curry Opposes St. Johns River Water Withdrawals In Central Florida
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry sent a letter opposing the St. Johns River withdrawals to the Central Florida Water Initiative, a consortium of water managers and stakeholders, the last day of extended public comment on its draft plan. The draft plan is part of a larger strategy to deal with a projected shortfall in central Florida drinking water.
Navy Commander Relieved Of Duty
Lieutenant Commander Alisha Hamilton was in charge of the USS Shamal, one of the ships assigned to patrol the coast and shield against terrorist attacks. A Navy spokesman declined to give further detail about the allegations against Hamilton. He says the investigation into her behavior is ongoing.
Florida House Approves Congressional Redistricting Plan
A plan to redraw Florida's 27 congressional districts overwhelmingly passed the state House on Tuesday, inching closer to a potential faceoff with the Senate over districts in Central Florida and the Tampa Bay area.
Subs Cleared For Service After Unauthorized Repairs
U.S. Navy submarines, USS Minnesota, USS North Dakota and USS John Warner have been cleared for duty after a Jacksonville company performed unauthorized repairs on them.
Duval County School Board Considers Boundary Changes, New Specialty, Magnet Schools
Superintendent Nikolai Vitti is asking for community input on school-zone boundary changes he’s proposing for the 2016-2017 school year.
High Cost Of Diabetes Drugs Often Goes Overlooked
An estimated 29 million people in the U.S. have diabetes — about 10 times the number of people with hepatitis C — and many of them will take diabetes drugs for the rest of their lives. Cost increases for both old and new drugs are forcing many to scramble to pay for them.
Get all the latest headlines online at WJCTNews.org, on our Facebook page and on Twitter @WJCTJax.
