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First Coast Connect

School Closures; Ketamine Micro-Dosing; St. Johns River Report, The Performers Academy

Duncan U. Fletcher Middle is one of two campuses in Duval County that were forced to close this week because of COVID-19 outbreaks.
The Florida Times-Union
Fletcher High School

Fletcher High School and Douglas Anderson School of the Arts will remain closed thru at least next week, due to outbreaks of COVID-19. Officials from the Duval County Public School (DCPS) board said it had no choice but to shift these schools to virtual learning because of the percentage of positive cases.

Elizabeth Trisotto, Director of School Health Services for DCPS, and Dr. Sunil Joshi, President of the Duval County Medical Society Foundation, joined us on the show to discuss the closings and what we can expect as we head into flu season.

Related: Local, State, And National Coronavirus Coverage

Ketamine Micro-Dosing

Ponte Vedra based charity, Once a Solider, is working to provide help for veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and suicidal ideation. Once a Soldier offers a variety of interventions, including Ketamine IV drips.

The charity believes that micro-dosing ketamine under a professionals' care can offer fast-acting and lasting relief from symptoms.

Dave Barbush, the charity's CEO, joined us to discuss how ketamine can help people living with PTSD manage their symptoms. 

He also told us about a free forum this weekend in St. Augustine the nonprofit is hosting for veterans and their families coping with high rates of PDST and suicide. 

State Of The St. Johns River Report

Thursday night, Oct. 22, WJCT, Jacksonville University, and the Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board will virtually release the annual State of the St. Johns River report, which will then be followed by an ADAPT virtual panel on the report.

The report will discuss the Lower St. Johns River Basin's health, including the current status of aquatic life, water quality, fisheries, and contaminants.

WJCT News reporter Brendan Rivers and Lisa Rinaman of the St. Johns Riverkeeper joined us to preview the events, which they are participating in.

The Performers Academy

The Performers Academy is under new leadership. Ebony Payne-English was recently appointed as the academy's new Executive Director.

She spoke with us about her new role and what she hopes to accomplish.

Katherine Hobbs can be reached at newsteam@wjct.org or on Twitter at @KatherineGHobbs.

First Coast Connect
Katherine Hobbs was Associate Producer of talk shows at WJCT until 2022.