First Coast

Inspired by the St. Johns River, the looping design of a proposed 151-foot statue that spells "Jax" or "derp" or maybe something else or perhaps nothing all — depending on your perspective — has divided public opinion as surely as the river splits Jacksonville.

Pediatric care in Jacksonville is under pressure amid a regional surge in COVID-19 cases.

Because of the ongoing COVID-19 surge, Ascension St. Vincent's announced restricted visitation at its three Jacksonville-area hospitals.

Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Chief Mat Nemeth is the first Republican to announce he’s running for sheriff in 2023.

Concerned parents are pushing the St. Johns County School Board to adopt stricter mask rules days after Duval County school officials instituted an opt-out policy. 

It appears that the Omni Jacksonville Hotel will become part of the Marriott brand later this year.

VyStar Credit Union is a step closer to breaking ground on its planned parking garage at 28 W. Forsyth St. Downtown.

Some Jacksonville parents and healthcare professionals are pushing for a city-wide mask mandate as the number of COVID-19 cases surges locally and across the country due to the spread of the highly contagious delta variant.

With Jacksonville COVID-19 cases surging, District 9 City Councilman Garrett Dennis is calling for the city to resume publicly funding coronavirus testing.

JEA is hosting a community COVID-19 vaccination event Thursday, Aug. 5, to honor a local medical expert who was killed in a personal watercraft accident last month.

Parents in Duval County Public Schools now must send kids to school in masks unless they opt out, after the School Board voted Tuesday night. 

The in-person First Wednesday Art Walk is scheduled to return to the streets of Downtown Jacksonville on October 6 following a hiatus during the pandemic. 

Bestbet, which operates cardrooms and simulcast wagering in Jacksonville and Orange Park, announced Wednesday it is requiring all employees to be vaccinated to guard against the delta variant of coronavirus. 

The Duval County Public Schools board has approved a settlement in the case of Amy Donofrio, a Riverside High School teacher who sued the district over allegations of racial bias and retaliation. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which represented Donofrio in her lawsuit, said she has been terminated and will not return to the classroom this school year. 

In a late-night vote Tuesday after hours of debate, the Duval County School Board changed guidelines around masks in schools. 

JEA told WJCT News it has seen an uptick in scammers' targeting JEA customers at the start of the month.

Nonstop service is expanding at Jacksonville International Airport.

The St. Johns County School Board approved a new dress code policy Tuesday after months of debate and a parent survey this summer.

A University of Florida medical communications expert said the local “Get The Facts Jax” pro-vaccination campaign may only be effective at reaching some groups.

A week before the kickoff of Jacksonville’s second pandemic school year, Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) Superintendent Diana L. Greene fielded questions that are sure to be on many parents’ minds. 

Baptist Health in Jacksonville announced Tuesday it is joining a growing list of organizations that will require full vaccinations for its employees.

The used car market in Jacksonville continued its upward spike in June with prices up 39.8%, according to iSeeCars, which said that translates into an average increase of $8,473 over the same period last year.

Linda R. Edwards will serve as dean of the UF College of Medicine-Jacksonville for a one-year term, and the university will launch a national search to replace Leon L. Haley, Jr., according to a UF Health news release.

The Jacksonville Aviation Authority board agreed Aug. 2 to reappropriate $3 million to resume design work on Jacksonville International Airport’s Concourse B expansion that was postponed last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.