Each Friday, our media roundtable dives into the biggest stories of the week. Among our topics this week:
- Basketball Hall of Famer and Jacksonville University legend Artis Gilmore sets his sights on the seat currently occupied by City Council President Nick Howland.
- City leaders agree to pump $30 million into the Jacksonville Transportation Authority, even as new reporting reveals more than a year of financial “red flags” that preceded the budget debacle.
- St. Augustine resolves — for now — its contentious horse carriage debate, even as New York City makes plans to ban the centuries-old business.
- Local immigration detention center “Deportation Depot” mistakenly releases — then rearrests — two detainees.
- Byron Donalds brings his gubernatorial campaign to Jacksonville as polls show him with a solid lead against Democratic opponent David Jolly.
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:
- David Bauerlein, metro reporter at the Florida Times-Union
- Jack Webb, attorney and former Jacksonville City Council president
- Will Brown, race and poverty reporter, Jacksonville Today
- Deja Mayfield, reporter/weekend anchor, Action News Jax
Chamblin Bookmine after dark
If you’ve ever gotten lost wandering the aisles of the original Chamblin’s, you know the Roosevelt Boulevard “Bookmine” can present a logistical challenge. But turn out the lights, and what seems like a bibliophile’s dream can become a nightmare for the easily spooked. All the more reason to do it this month which, according to organizers of the annual “Lights Out” event, “'tis the season to be scary.” The event runs from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights through the end of October. Participants are encouraged to bring their costumes and their flashlights to Chamblin’s Bookmine at 4551 Roosevelt Blvd. Note: It’s not a haunted house, so the creepiness is organic, not staged jump-scares.
Guests:
Amanda Foster, Chamblin Bookmine clerk and Boo Crew member
Jenifer Lawrence, Chamblin Bookmine clerk and Boo Crew member
Topics and guests subject to change.