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First Coast Connect

11/19/208: Prison Reform; Downtown's Newest Restaurant

Dylan Oliphant
/
Wikimedia Commons

On Monday’s First Coast Connect we looked at prison reform and how faith-based programs have helped some offenders.

President Donald Trump has announced his support for a bipartisan prison reform bill, called the FIRST Step Act.

The new legislation would eliminate provisions that result in offenders serving consecutive sentences for crimes committed using firearms and also shorten mandatory minimum sentences among other things.

Corrections officials faced with rising populations and shrinking budgets have increasingly welcomed "faith-based" providers offering services at no cost to help meet the needs of inmates.

Dr. Michael Hallett, a UNF criminology professor, joined us with a look at how faith-based programs are working and some insights into the FIRST Step Act.

Tracking Florida’s Environmental Issues

Florida’s environmental trouble with red tide and green algae became a big campaign issue in the recent midterm election.

Cris Costello, one of the Managing Organizers of Sierra Club Florida,  joined us with a look at the impact the campaigns had.

Downtown’s Newest Restaurant

A new restaurant is opening up this week in the old Seminole Club building in downtown Jacksonville. It’s in the space of the former Candy Apple Cafe at Sweet Pete's and is called MLG Jax.

Ted Hayes joined us. He’s the new general manager for MLG Jax, a concept started by Marcus Lemonis Grill, of CNBC’s The Profit.

The first MLG was opened in Chicago with Jacksonville being the second location.

Another Sunday Heartbreak For Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars blew a 16-point lead to end up with their sixth straight loss as the Pittsburgh Steelers won 20-16 at TIAA Bank Field on Sunday.

WJCT sports analyst Cole Pepper broke down the game along with the big college games of area interest.

He rounded out the sports report with the latest on the high school playoffs.

Photo used under Creative Commons license.

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Bill joined WJCT News in September of 2017 from The Florida Times-Union, where he served in a variety of multimedia journalism positions.