Heather Schatz

Incumbent Mayor Lenny Curry easily fought off challengers, including outgoing Councilwoman Anna Brosche, in Tuesday’s election. 

A wide-ranging college admissions cheating and bribery scandal recently rocked the higher education world. We explored its potential ramifications here in Northeast Florida with John Delaney, Former Jacksonville Mayor and President Emeritus of the University of North Florida.

Craft Distilling

Federal prosecutors say a Florida man helped rich and famous parents get their kids into colleges with bribes and fake test scores. We took a closer look at the college admissions scandal with John Delaney, Former Jacksonville Mayor and President Emeritus of the University of North Florida; and Colleen Wright, Education Reporter for the Miami Herald.

For this week’s First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross Media Roundtable, our panel of journalists looked at some of the biggest stories of the week, including:

On today’s program, we looked at the environmental battle over single-use plastics in the Sunshine State with Holly Parker Curry, Florida regional manager with the Surfrider Foundation, and Samantha Padgett, general counsel with the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association.

We also got an update on Hurricane Michael recovery efforts as the Panhandle prepares for spring break from Jessica Foster with WJHG-TV in Panama City.

For this week’s First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross Media Roundtable, our panel of journalists looked at some of the biggest stories of the week, including:

The news that the 52-year-old Actor Luke Perry died Monday of a massive stroke affected millions of Americans. They were stunned someone still seemingly so healthy and vibrant could suddenly be gone.

More than 3,500 teachers and education staff professionals were expected to participate in rallies, sign waving, informational pickets and other activities throughout the state on Monday, including in Northeast Florida, for a "Day of Action." Their message: Fund public schools. Michelle Dillon, president of the St.

This week, we took a closer look at human trafficking in Florida. We discussed the issue, and efforts to combat it with:

For this week’s First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross Media Roundtable, our panel of journalists looked at some of the biggest stories of the week, including:

The recent arrest of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft in South Florida has thrown a spotlight on human trafficking in the state. Kraft was busted paying for sex acts at a spa, and two other prominent financiers were also implicated in the prostitution sting.

Daniel Cronrath, Professor of Political Science at FSCJ, joined us for a closer look at the ad wars – and other issues – in Jacksonville’s mayoral race, which is less than a month away.

Supporters of what’s known as “adaptive reuse” say the city is acting recklessly by demolishing buildings without a plan for what will go in their place.