Melissa Nelson

Jacksonville is opening a firearm forensics center that will help officers generate leads in cases involving violent crime.

Northeast Florida State Attorney Melissa Nelson on Thursday asked the court to dismiss the 1976 murder sentences of two men after an investigation by her office concluded it no longer has confidence in the evidence of the case. 

In response to a recent criminal investigation of several Jacksonville City Council members, the Jacksonville Ethics Commission is asking Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to issue a legal opinion on local ethics commissions’ ability to enforce the state’s Sunshine Laws.

State Attorney Melissa Nelson is rolling out a court diversion program to help people with suspended driver’s licenses get back on the road faster.

Friday on “First Coast Connect” our weekly Media Roundtable featured Tessa Duvall from The Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville Business Journal editor Timothy Gibbons and blogger Fred Matthews (01:16).

Gabriel House of Care Executive Director Valerie Callahan talked about their upcoming Living Well Symposium (42:05).

We also spoke with author Larry Baker who sets his novels in Northeast Florida (46:24).

Wednesday on “First Coast Connect” we spoke with Florida Times-Union reporter Ben Conarck on State Attorney Melissa Nelson’s decision not to prosecute Jacksonville Sheriff’s Officer Tyler Landreville for the May 2016 shooting death of Vernell Bing Jr. (01:20). We heard about the efforts of World Relief to assist victims of disasters like Hurricane Irma with Senior Vice President of Ministries Emily Gray and Travis Trice of World Relief Jacksonville (33:21) and we spoke with new CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Florida Sara Alford and Board Chairman Jason Spencer  (43:22).   

  Today on “First Coast Connect,” our weekly Media Roundtable included Florida Politics reporter A.G. Gancarski and WJCT’s Ryan Benk and Kevin Meerschaert (01:11). The Humana Foundation’s Laura Nolan and University of Florida professor and endowed chairwoman in Health Disparities Research Carolyn Tucker (38:20) discussed the foundation’s recent $444,000 donation to four Jacksonville nonprofit organizations. Finally, Rethreaded founder Kristin Keen and Wayne Bailey (46:22) with The River City Chorus talked about the “Sing a New Song”   concert series to benefit Rethreaded.    

Today on “First Coast Connect,” we spoke with two members of the group known as the “Hemming Park Five”: Dave Schneider and Willie Hager (01:05). We heard about an upcoming forum at Jacksonville University about patient safety in hospitals with Brooks Rehabilitation program director Roberta Christopher, JU associate professor with the school of nursing Teri Chenot, organizer of the group “Patient Safety America” Dr. John James and Dr. Robert Wears (27:55), professor with the University of Florida Health Jacksonville Department of Emergency Medicine. Mike Skowfoe (39:16) with Fortress Wealth Management provided financial advice for recent college graduates.   

Progressive activists say they’re keeping the pressure on State Attorney Melissa Nelson to drop charges against downtown protesters after an incident in Hemming Park earlier this month.

Members of the Progressive Coalition are framing Nelson’s handling of the “Jax Five” as the first real test of her career as the area’s top prosecutor.