Each Friday, our media roundtable dives into the biggest stories of the week. Among this week’s topics:
- JEA’s current CEO testifies before the City Council, while its former CEO takes his fraud conviction back to court.
- The city misses out on a $1 million grant after an untrained staffer fumbles the application.
- A prominent personal injury lawyer creates a new political party in Florida, the Common Ground Party.
- The mayor’s budget will likely include another record-setting year of spending on police and fire rescue services.
- Nascent trillionaire Elon Musk buys the assets of a Jacksonville energy company in what could be a billion-dollar deal.
We talk about all that and take your calls, questions and comments. You can join the conversation on air at 904-549-2937 or go to firstcoastconnect.org to find all the ways to connect with us.
Guests:
- Laura Pellicer, fellow, Florida Trib
- Mike Mendenhall, City Hall reporter and associate editor at Jacksonville Today
- Robin Lumb, former Jacksonville City Council member
- Obi Umunna, attorney and political consultant
Hot dad walk
As temperatures rise and the kids are out of school, a new walking club invites dads and their children to connect with their counterparts in Jacksonville. After becoming a parent, Augie Watson said he realized how difficult it can be to connect with fellow dads. Inspired by other walking groups in Jacksonville, he founded Dads Walk Jax, where dads are invited to BYOB (bring your own baby), chat and stroll through the Avondale neighborhood and nearby parks. The walks are a family affair. Watson’s wife, Marissa, owns The Bunny Hive Jacksonville, a space for parents and kids to play and socialize, and the monthly dads’ walk stops there along the way. The next meetup is scheduled for 9 a.m. Sunday at the Southern Grounds in Avondale.
Guest: Augie Watson, founder, Dads Walk Jax
Topics and guests subject to change.