It’s the first Friday of the year, and our First Coast Week in Review is covering the biggest news of the week.
Among the topics discussed:
- The removal of the Confederate statues in Springfield Park sparked cheers from long-time advocates but strong objections from certain members of the Jacksonville City Council, which wants to prevent similar removals in the future.
- After spending almost 45 years in prison, 79-year-old Willie Lee Williams had his conviction vacated this week.
- With the 2024 legislative session just around the corner, some laws from the last session are kicking in. A huge one is the “move over" law, which says drivers must switch lanes when they see disabled vehicles.
- The expenses for the Laura Street Trio are on the rise, and City Council rejected the latest plan, sending it back to the Downtown Development Authority.
- The first murder of the new year — a 14-year-old child — occurred in the Sherwood Forest neighborhood. Then on Wednesday, a 4-year-old was shot multiple times while sitting in her mother’s SUV north of Dunn Avenue.
Guests:
- Nikesha Williams, author, former TV news producer and Jacksonville Today political columnist.
- Anne Maxwell, investigative reporter from our news partner News4Jax.
- Jack Webb, attorney and former Jacksonville City Council president.
- Taylor Levesque, investigative reporter and multimedia journalist at First Coast News.
'The Neighborhood'
The Jacksonville Music Experience is introducing a fresh lineup of music programming on WJCT News 89.9, with the Saturday evening shows simultaneously broadcast on The Independent 89.9 HD4. Mr. Al Pete joins us to talk about his new show The Neighborhood, airing at 9 p.m. Saturdays.
