first coast connect

Congressman Ted Yoho - who represents North-Central Florida, including parts of Orange Park, Palatka, Gainesville and Ocala - is retiring. He says he’ll leave Washington when the 116th Congress closes in January 2021. His seat will be on the ballot during next year's presidential election.

JEA board chair April Green is asking the Jacksonville City Council for a restart button on some aspects of the board’s decision to put the publicly-owned utility up for sale. 

Friday's First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross featured some of the top stories of the week, including:

Edward Waters College in Jacksonville is in the exploratory stage of potentially moving its athletic program to the NCAA  at the Division Two level. That's as the college prepares to break ground on a  new atheletic facility, at a cost of more than $4 million.

The House Intelligence Committee released the results of its investigation into President Donald Trump on Tuesday. The committee claims the evidence shows Trump placed his political interests above the national interest in his conduct toward Ukraine.

JEA’s leadership is pushing back against critics of its move to potentially privatize the utility.

Jacksonville City Councilman Matt Carlucci is publicly urging JEA CEO Aaron Zahn to resign. This, as the debate continues over a possible sale of the city-owned utility to a private owner.

This week, the FDA issued warning letters to 15 companies for illegally selling products containing cannabidiol - that’s CBD - in ways that violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The FDA also published a revised Consumer Update detailing safety concerns about CBD products more broadly. 

Richard Spencer, Secretary of the Navy, has apparently been forced out over the handling of the case involving Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, who was acquitted of killing an ISIS prisoner.

Historic flooding in the Italian city of Venice is a reminder that the world’s coastal cities are incredibly vulnerable to flooding and sea level rise.

Closer to home, another coastal city that depends on tourism is getting proactive about planning for the future. St. Augustine has been looking at ways to become more resilient, and recently created a new position dedicated to the task. Mike Cullum, St. Augustine’s new Chief Resiliency Officer, joined us with more.

Longest Table

Former First Coast News anchor Donna Deegan is a Jacksonville native, a public figure, and an activist.

A series of landlord disputes in different neighborhoods across Jacksonville has communities across the region either up in arms, or at the very least, confused about what’s next.

It’s Veterans Day, an important day of remembrance to honor all those in this country who have served and sacrificed in the armed forces.

Friday's First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross featured some of the top stories of the week, including: