Today’s media roundtable discussed some of the top stories on the First Coast, including:
- The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced this week that it is investigating a September incident that was caught on security camera at the Camden County Detention Center. Surveillance video shows five corrections officers beating Jarrett Hobbs, who doesn’t appear to fight back. A second video released by Hobbs’ attorney shows him being pulled out of the cell and wrestled to the ground. The videos don’t have audio, and little is known about what led up to the beating. However, Hobbs’ probation officer, F.J. Carney, says it started when Hobbs refused to stop kicking his cell door, resisted jailers and punched two of the deputies.
- Jacksonville Sheriff-elect T.K. Waters will be sworn in next week. Waters is restructuring JSO with a large number of demotions within the department’s command staff. Waters’ opponent, Lakesha Burton, tells WJCT News the officers were some of the most highly qualified and well-respected leaders in the agency.
- Donald Trump has announced that he’s running for president again in 2024, which could see him go toe to toe with his former ally, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. DeSantis was reelected as governor in the 2022 midterm elections. Trump has recently criticized DeSantis because many Republicans have voiced support for DeSantis to become the Republican nominee for president in the 2024 election.
- The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has awarded a $20 million grant to help fight flooding in San Marco. The city expects a new pump station to be ready by mid-2024.
- Two Jacksonville Starbucks closed Thursday as workers went on strike for what they’re calling unfair labor practices. It was part of a nationwide protest against management that saw nearly 2,000 workers across 112 stores form picket lines on Red Cup Day, a promotional event featuring holiday-themed reusable cups and one of the coffee chain’s busiest days of the year.
Guests:
- Mike Mendenhall of the Jacksonville Daily Record.
- Raymon Troncoso of WJCT News.
- Nikesha Williams of Jax Today.
- Jack Webb, regular contributor.
JME DJ listening sessions.
Jacksonville’s creative community lost Tib Miller this week. Miller, who was 59, worked under the banner of Flying Saucer Presents. He was responsible for booking hundreds of shows at nearly every venue — large and small — on the First Coast. He may not have been well-known to the many fans who attended the concerts he promoted, but he was a revered figure in the local music community for 25 years. He brought countless performers — both mainstream and offbeat — to Jacksonville stages.
