First Coast Connect With Melissa Ross

Local parents are suing to stop the use of armed safety assistants in the Duval County Public Schools.

The new logo celebrating the Jaguars’ 25th season contains an outline of downtown Jacksonville’s skyline, so it was no surprise when team owner Shad Khan said Thursday at the State of the Franchise that he is eager to get started on adding another piece to the skyline, with an estimated $500 million development next to the stadium.

On Friday's Media Roundtable, our panel of journalists looked at some of the biggest stories of the week, including:

Two local men were recently freed after spending more than 40 years in prison for a murder that the evidence now shows they did not commit.

We took a closer look at the rapidly expanding medical marijuana market here in Florida with Columnist Shelton Hull, who covers cannabis for Folio Weekly; and Jacksonville attorney Sally Kent Peebles, a Partner with Vicente Sederberg.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s new report on the practice of solitary confinement, the Florida Department of Corrections holds approximately 10,000 people – more than 10 percent of its population – in solitary confinement on any given day. To put that number in perspective, the nationwide average was 4.5 percent in 2018.

This month, during National Park Week, the National Park Service is highlighting the importance and value of our national park system to make sure we can preserve it for future generations.

On Friday's First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross Media Roundtable, our panel of journalists looked at some of the biggest stories of the week, including:

Several local races are headed to a runoff election in May.

Thursday morning, we continued our conversations with the candidates for City Council At-Large with Councilman Tommy Hazouri, the Democratic Candidate for Group 3.

The Emerald Trail has just been an idea for decades now. However, it is finally on its way to becoming a reality, after the City Council approved a plan to build it within the next ten years. 

Tuesday morning was the second in a series of candidate profiles  in the Jacksonville City Council At-Large runoff races this spring. 

Greg Rachal, the Republican Candidate for Jacksonville City Council At Large Group 3 joined us in Studio 5.

His opponent, Democrat Tommy Hazouri, is scheduled to appear on Thursday.

We took a closer look at the future of UF Health Jacksonville with Dr. Leon Haley Jr., the CEO of UF Health Jacksonville and Dean of the UF College of Medicine, Jacksonville; and  Lindsay Haga and Patrick Krechowski from the Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) that recently worked with the hospital.

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

• JEA selecting a site for its new headquarters.
• The confusion - and controversy - surrounding Marsy’s Law.

Our panelists were:

Several local races are headed to a runoff election in May.

We are profiling the Jacksonville City Council At-Large races this spring as we host the candidates asking for your vote in that runoff.

Wednesday we spoke with City Council At-Large Group1 candidate and former local Democratic leader Lisa King. We have also invited her opponent, Republican incumbent Councilman Terrance Freeman to join us on a future episode.

JEA is staying in downtown Jacksonville. On Tuesday, the JEA board announced the utility will build a  new corporate headquarters tower on West Adams Street, near the Duval County courthouse.