Blake Bortles, Charlie Crist, and Donald Trump are in the headlines today.Welcome to WJCT First Read, your daily weekday morning round-up of stories from the First Coast, around Florida, and across the country. We'll also preview some of WJCT's upcoming news programming.
Jags select Bortles with No. 3 pick: University of Central Florida quaterback Blake Bortles, the 2013 AAC Offensive Player of the Year, was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars as the third overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft. (ESPN)
Columbia County escapee caught in Jacksonville: Steve Roberts, who escaped from the Columbia County Detention Facility on Tuesday night by climbing through ductwork, was apprehended Thursday in Jacksonville. (WJCT)
Black Tacoma truck sought in fatal hit-and-run: Jacksonville police are looking for a black Toyota Tacoma with heavy right front damage to the headlight area in the hit-and-run death of a Jacksonville woman Tuesday night. (News4Jax)
Four found dead in mansion fire were shot: Police said Thursday that the family members who died inside former tennis star James Blake’s burning Florida mansion had been shot before their rented home went up in flames. (New York Post)
Crist considering Cuba campaign trip: Florida Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist is exploring a possible trip to Cuba this summer as part of his campaign. (Reuters)
Trump tweets criticism of Gov. Scott: Flamboyant real estate mogul Donald Trump tweeted his dismay with Gov. Rick Scott's handling of negotiations with the Seminole Tribe of Florida on Thursday. (First Coast News)
Today on First Coast Connect, we start with our regular Friday local media roundtable.
You can get all the latest headlines online at WJCTNews.org, on our Facebook page, and on Twitter @WJCTJax. You can follow Patrick Donges on Twitter at @patrickhdonges.
