First Coast Connect With Melissa Ross

Weekdays 9 a.m. Rebroadcast 8 p.m.

Hosted by Melissa Ross, First Coast Connect is an hour-long call-in program that features local newsmakers, civic and community leaders, artists and people planning a variety of events across Northeast Florida, along with a weekly roundtable of local journalists.

First Coast Connect is sponsored in part by Baptist Health and North Florida TPO.

WJCT Sport Analyst Cole Pepper's sports wrap is sponsored by the Black Sheep Restaurant Group, which includes Bellwether, Restaurant Orsay and Black Sheep.

The twice-a-month Going Green segment is sponsored in part by A1A Solar and the monthly First Coast Success segment is sponsored in part by Iberiabank.

The monthly First Coast Connect Book Club is sponsored in part by San Marco Books and More.

Ways to Connect

9/13/19: Friday Roundtable; Theatre Opens In Yulee

By • Sep 13, 2019
Media members sitting at roundtable ready for air.
Heather Schatz / WJCT

Friday on First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross, our panel of journalists on the Media Roundtable looked at all the biggest stories of the week, including:

9/12/19: Trauma & The Opioid Crisis; See The Girl; Save Guana Now; Pop-Up Country Station

By • Sep 12, 2019
DAYLINA MILLER / WUSF PUBLIC MEDIA

Purdue Pharma and its owners, members of the Sackler family, have tentatively reached the first comprehensive settlement with thousands of different parties, for the devastation caused by the opioid epidemic.  Under the tentative deal, the Sackler family would pay $3 billion in cash over seven years.

9/11/19: Crime Cases & Fairness; Building Resiliency; Fall At The Farm; The Ritz

By • Sep 11, 2019
Heather Schatz/WJCT

A new study found race and ethnicity aren’t a big factor in cases handled by State Attorney Melissa Nelson’s office.

9/10/19: DCPS Attorneys; 'First Coast Connect' Book Club; Changing A Company's Culture

By • Sep 10, 2019
Heather Schatz/WJCT

The Duval County Public Schoosl Board has hired lawyers in its fight to get a sales tax referendum before local voters.

9/9/19: Councilman Rory Diamond; Garden Club; First Coast Heart Walk

By • Sep 9, 2019
Heather Schatz/WJCT

September is Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. 

9/6/19: Friday Media Roundtable; Celebrating Arts Advocates

By • Sep 6, 2019
tree down in a yard
David Luckin / WJCT

Friday on First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross, our panel of journalists on the Media Roundtable looked at the top stories of the week, including:

9/5/19: Dorian Recap; Climate Change & Storms; Crushing Opioids; Sofa Jazz

By • Sep 5, 2019
David Luckin / WJCT

We took a closer look at some of the ways Hurricane Dorian impacted the First Coast with Kerri Stewart, Senior VP and Chief Customer Officer at JEA.

9/4/19: Hurricane Dorian; Hurricanes And Insurance; Lane Pittman

By • Sep 4, 2019
David Luckin/WJCT

Wednesday's program was devoted to coverage of Hurricane Dorian.

9/3/19: Preparing for Dorian; Coping With Hurricane-Related Stress

By • Sep 3, 2019
Christina Koch/NASA

We devoted the full program to the latest on Hurricane Dorian, and how Northeast Florida is preparing for it. 

8/30/19: Friday Media Roundtable; Summer At The Cummer

By • Aug 30, 2019
riday roundtable (clockwise from top) Claire Goforth, Dan Scanlan, Melissa Ross, Charles Griggs and Timothy Gibbons.
Heather Schatz / WJCT News

Friday on First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross, our panel of journalists on the Media Roundtable looked at the top stories of the week, including:

8/29/19: Toxic Stress And Children; 10 Years Of Arts And Culture; Andy Zipf

By • Aug 29, 2019
Heather Schatz/WJCT

As Hurricane Dorian bears down on Florida's east coast, it’s one more element of stress on the state that all of us could do without. That especially includes our kids.

8/28/19: City Council Meeting; Cannabis; Permaculture; First Coast Success

By • Aug 28, 2019
David Bauerlein/The Florida Times-Union

An extraordinary scene last night at a meeting of the Jacksonville City Council.

8/27/19: Sen. Audrey Gibson; Craig Pittman; 10 Years of Food On The First Coast

By • Aug 27, 2019
Heather Schatz/WJCT

Florida Senate Democratic Leader Audrey Gibson is pushing for gun reform legislation when state lawmakers meet in session next year. She joined us for a discussion on the subject.

8/26/19: Students With Disabilities; Veterans On Gun Reform; 10th Anniversary; Cole Pepper

By • Aug 26, 2019
RYAN STANTON / FLICKR

The Jacksonville City Council is set to vote Tuesday evening on whether to approve a half-cent sales tax referendum to shore up aging local school buildings.

8/23/19: Friday Media Roundtable; Gen W Teams Up With WNBA

By • Aug 23, 2019
Heather Schatz / WJCT News

Friday on First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross, our panel of journalists on the Media Roundtable looked at the top stories of the week, including:

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