Jan. 27 was Holocaust Remembrance Day, which funneled into Black History Month. In Florida, Nazis marched through Orlando, and historically black colleges and universities faced bomb threats.
Edward Water’s University in Jacksonville canceled all classes and activities after the anonymous bomb threat. The university was among seven across the country that received threats, one of which was attributed to a neo-Nazi organization.
Meanwhile, as Nazis organized in Central Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis faced criticism for not immediately denouncing the group. DeSantis accused the left of “smearing” him while saying his record of Jewish support speaks for itself.
The Southern Poverty Law Center called Florida a hotbed of hate groups and extremist organizations.
Guest: Dr. Kimberly Allen, CEO of 904WARD, a group working to build a more inclusive Jacksonville.
'Finding Family Treasure'
A local author and former teacher published a book for students that does not shy away from difficult historical issues. And she says kids deserve to be taught honest American history.
Guest: Jane Wood, author of "Finding Family Treasure."
Seeking supply chain solutions
Since the pandemic, the supply chain and logistics industries have experienced numerous worldwide challenges in response to meeting customer demand.
Susan Amburgey, logistics professor at Florida State College at Jacksonville, is moderating a virtual panel this week to explore the subject — and a possible solution.
Guest: Susan Amburgey, FSCJ logistics professor.
What’s Good Wednesday
- If you thought summer 2021 was hotter than ever, you would be correct — for many of us it was! The continental United States and many locations around the world tied or broke heat records this summer. It was also a year of extremes around the world — from the first-ever rainfall on the Greenland icecap to a historic late-season wildfire outside Denver, and a devastating tornado outbreak in the Midwest. So how did the rest of 2021 fare? NASA and NOAA have released the latest global temperature update for 2021 which cataloged extreme weather events and natural disasters. They’re also launching a new satellite LANDSAT to monitor future events.
- This weekend is the 15th annual DONNA Marathon Weekend. The event will include a variety of runs for all abilities and feature athletes from all 50 states and many countries. The executive director of the DONNA Foundation, Amanda Napolitano, told us more.
- WJCT News partner The Jaxson is hosting the Five Points and Brooklyn Tour. The walking tour explores the Urban Core neighborhood’s culture and history.
- The Cathedral Arts Project has been approved for a $100,0000 Grants for Arts Projects award from the National Endowment of the Arts. They’ll use the money to continue their Landscape of Education in the Arts in Duval initiative. Through LEAD, CAP gathers data on arts education opportunities in all of Duval County public schools and maps the data for easy access. This grant will fund a new position at CAP, the impact and advocacy coordinator, to assist with LEAD and guide data analysis to identify gaps in arts education and provide solutions so every child in Jacksonville will have access to the arts.
- Downtown Vision and the city of Jacksonville announced the highly anticipated return of Jax River Jams presented by VyStar Credit Union. Beginning in April, you can head downtown every Thursday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. for free live music. Groups include the Spin Doctors, Sister Hazel, Boyz II Men, Carly Pearce and Manchester Orchestra. Learn more about downtown Jacksonville dot org.
- Girl Scout cookies are arriving this weekend! Troops, girls and volunteers from Girl Scouts of Gateway Council will come together to pick up their ordered cookies on Friday for the annual Mega Drop Event at the Regal Cinema, at 9525 Philips Highway. Lucky consumers who preordered their tasty treats will begin to receive their cookies after the event, while public booths will begin popping up across the area on Feb. 11. Nearly 900,000 boxes of cookies will be unloaded over the course of the weekend to 400 Girl Scout troops.
