As a reporter covering Florida executions, John Koch has never been busier. He attended each of the state’s record 19 executions last year, as well as the first of 2026, bringing his total to 106. We talk to him on the eve of his 107th execution, of Melvin Trotter, who is scheduled to be put to death Tuesday for the 1986 murder of Virgie Langford in Manatee County. We ask Koch what keeps him going, and grounded, in a largely thankless job that has earned him the nickname “Dr. Death.”
Guest: John Koch, correspondent, Independent News Service
Betty Burney honored
From living through segregation to leading in education, we talk to Betty Burney ahead of her OneJax humanitarian award. The former Duval County School Board chair recalls watching television with her parents as Black students were being denied access to Florida colleges. That early memory proved foundational to a career in education and community service. In 2010, after leaving the School Board, Burney founded the I'm A Star Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is defined by its acronym, dedicated to developing “Smart, Talented, And Resilient Students.” Teen participants volunteer their weekends for community service projects, focused on three core issues: childhood obesity, food deserts and student homelessness. We talk to Burney about what the OneJax recognition means and her ongoing work with the Jacksonville Journey Forward.
Guests:
- Betty Burney, founder and CEO, I’m A Star Foundation
- Elizabeth Andersen, CEO of OneJax
Sierra symposium
The Northeast Florida Sierra Club is offering an introductory handshake this weekend, along with an old-fashioned hoedown. The theme of the annual event is “Get to know your Sierra Club,” a presentation framed around traditional music and dance by the bluegrass-influenced string band Skin and Bonz. The third annual Sierra Symposium will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon Feb. 28 at the Tree Hill Nature Center and concludes with a guided nature walk. Registration is requested.
Guest: Susannah Randolph, director of the statewide chapter of the Sierra Club
Topics and guests subject to change.