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Today we took a look back at the biggest news stories with our media roundtable week in review. Joining us to talk about the week’s top headlines were: Dan Scanlan, reporter for the Florida Times-Union; John Burr, editor of the Jacksonville Business Journal, Farris Long, columnist for the Florida Star; and WJCT’s own senior staff reporter Kevin Meerschaert. Stories for our discussion this morning included new updates in the Cristian Fernandez case, the Florida GOP primary, and the sentencing of Jarred Harrell to life in prison for the 2009 death of 7-year-old Somer Thompson.

In our Weekend Warrior segment, we received some advice about hip health from Dr. Dale Whitaker, a founding member of the Jacksonville Orthopedic Institute.

An extraordinary collection of renowned surrealist painter Salvador Dali’s pieces is on display at the Avondale Artworks this weekened. The curator of the collection is Madame Cristine Argillet, daughter of the famed Pierre Argillet, Salvador Dali’s publisher and confidante for more than 50 years. We spoke to Madame Argillet about the collection, and her life knowing Salvador Dali.

Some very eligible single local attorneys will be up for bid at an auction benefiting Jacksonville Area Legal Aid next week. With more about the “Seize the Date” event, we spoke to Stephanie Harriet, president of the Jacksonville Women Lawyers Association, and Joshua Zmroczek, development director at Jacksonville Area Legal Aid. We also spoke to Kyle Bedran and Ramona Chaplin, bachelor and bachelorette that you win dates with at the auction.

If you missed any portion of today’s program, be sure to check out our podcasts at www.wjctondemand.org or listen to the replay of this program tonight at 8 pm on WJCT Arts.

You can join in on the discussion by clicking the add comment button. We value your feedback.

The pension crisis has been hanging over the heads of city officials for years. Now the administration of Mayor Alvin Brown will have to figure out what to do about the city’s pension funds for public safety workers. We discussed the issue with John Keane, executive director of the police and fire fund, this morning.

The Jacksonville Community Engagement Group will hold its 4th annual urban education symposium, “Reclaiming Young Black Males for Jacksonville’s Future.” The initiative began in 2009, and brought together community leaders and residents from across the county to talk about the low graduation rates for young black males. Their mission is to take an in-depth look at the problems facing the African American community, and what can be done to ensure that each one has a hopeful future. We spoke to Cleve Warren, symposium committee co-chair, and Dr. Jason Rose, director of Data & Policy at the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, about the event.

Football fans might recognize the name Eric Kettani. He played fullback for the Naval Academy from 2005 to 2009, and then signed with the New England Patriots as a free agent. Kettani played for the team until the early part of this season, when he was called to active duty in the Navy. He’s now stationed at Mayport here in Jacksonville, and has started a new artistic venture called Kettani Originals. It combines football memorabilia and painting, and benefits the Wounded Warrior Project. We spoke to Kettani about his art, and what life playing with the Patriots was like.

And closed the show today as we do every Thursday with a look at what’s going on around town with Jacksonville Magazine’s Kerry Speckman. Check out her website for a list of the events happening this weekend.

If you missed any portion of today’s program, be sure to check out our podcasts at www.wjctondemand.org or listen to the replay of this program tonight at 8 pm on WJCT Arts.

You can join in on the discussion by clicking the add comment button. We value your feedback.

Mitt Romney beat Newt Gingrich by a large margin in last night’s Republican presidential primary here in Florida. Romney garnered 47% of the vote, while former House Speaker Gingrich took 32%, with Rick Santorum and Ron Paul trailing at 13% and 17%, respectively. How significant is this win for Romney, and where does the race go next? We discussed the primary results and the 2012 presidential campaign with Dr. Stephen Baker, political science professor at Jacksonville University, and Dr. Matt Corrigan, political science professor at University of North Florida.

A new Quality of Life Progress Report for Jacksonville is out, and it stands as a report card for the city. The findings were compiled by Jacksonville Community Council, Inc (JCCI), and shows progress in several key areas, including increased graduation rates and decreased crime rates. However, troubling issues such as the contamination of the St. Johns River are actually getting worse. Ben Warner, CEO of JCCI was in the studio with more about the report, and details about where Jacksonville needs to improve.

And we were honored to close today’s show with a conversation with Randall, voice of the popular honey badger video! His Youtube sensation tells the story of one of the funniest and craziest animals in the wild kingdom. You can view the video here, but be forewarned that it is NOT safe for work and contains much profanity. After racking up nearly 36 million views on Youtube, Randall has written a book – also for adults only – titled, of course, Honey Badger Don’t Care. In it, he tells readers about a range of wild animals and their fascinating habits.

If you missed any portion of today’s program, be sure to check out our podcasts at www.wjctondemand.org or listen to the replay of this program tonight at 8 pm on WJCT Arts.

You can join in on the discussion by clicking the add comment button. We value your feedback.

Republican voters in Florida head out to vote today in the state’s GOP primary. After last Thursday’s debate here in Jacksonville, Mitt Romney surged ahead in state polling, but Newt Gingrich says he’s staying in the race no matter what the results are tonight here in the Sunshine State. Florida jumped the primary calendar this year, and with more than 50 delegates up for grabs will have more of an impact on who the Republicans nominate. We discussed all the aspects of the primary with our team of analysts: Dr. Ed Moore, political analyst and president and CEO of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida; Mario Piscatella, Democratic consultant; and Folio Weekly columnist A.G. Gancarski.

And we were honored to have new Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan in the studio with us to take your calls this morning! Mr. Khan also made some exciting new announcements about the team for the upcoming year, including half-priced children’s tickets and an exclusive deal with Nike for new uniforms for the team.

If you missed any portion of today’s program, be sure to check out our podcasts at www.wjctondemand.org or listen to the replay of this program tonight at 8 pm on WJCT Arts.

You can join in on the discussion by clicking the add comment button. We value your feedback.

Republican front-runners Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are in Jacksonville today, stumping for votes one day ahead of Florida’s GOP primary. Florida is a crucial swing state in presidential contests because of its 29 electoral votes. But as Republicans campaign, the Democrats in the states are hard at work too, ramping up President Obama’s re-election effort in the Sunshine State. State Represntative Mia Jones of Jacksonville joined us this morning with more about the 2012 Obama campaign.

Tech giant Apple is riding a financial wave right now, with share prices soaring int he first quarter and billions in profits over holiday sales of the company’s popular iPhone and iPad products. But critics say the success comes at a high price. They accuse some of Apple’s suppliers in China of turning out the gadgets at factories driven by hazardous and often brutal workplace conditions. Reports of factory explosions and deaths, worker suicides and tales of grim labor practices abound. Some who have infiltrated the factories claim workers are forced to stand for 16 hours straight assembling iPads. Apple, for its part, denies any wrong doing, and says it holds its Chinese suppliers to a high standard. What are the facts and how should the information affect American consumers? We discussed the issue with David Pimentel, associate professor of law at the Florida Coastal School of Law, Stan Swart, retired UNF professor and Jacksonville labor activist, and WJCT’s own tech expert Ray Hollister.

We also spoke with Michael Feldman, host of the popular public radio show “Whad’Ya Know,” about their upcoming show here in Jacksonville. They will be broadcasting live from the Florida Theater this Saturday, February 4th. For tickets, visit our website at wjct.org

And we took a trip to Wells World as travel expert Judy Wells stopped by with some tips about travelling for Valentine’s Day.

If you missed any portion of today’s program, be sure to check out our podcasts at www.wjctondemand.org or listen to the replay of this program tonight at 8 pm on WJCT Arts.

You can join in on the discussion by clicking the add comment button. We value your feedback.

We looked at the biggest news story this week as we welcomed our weekly media roundtable to the show to discuss last night’s Republican national debate at the University of North Florida. Joining us to talk about how the Republican candidates fared in the last debate before Florida’s GOP primary next week were: Larry Hannan, reporter from the Florida Times-Union; David Chapman, reporter for the Financial News and Daily Record; John Burr, editor of the Jacksonville Business Journal; and, in honor of last night’s big event, Dargan Thompson, UNF journalism student and reporter for the student newspaper The UNF Spinnaker.

During our Weekend Warrior segment, we talked about the ultimate challenge for weekend warriors – climbing the city’s tallest building, all in the name of charity. It’s the American Lung Association’s 4th Annual Fight for Air Climb, a major fundraiser for local residents suffering from lung health problems. With more about the event, we welcomed Nicola Barnack, development manager for the American Lung Association in Florida, and Conny Smith of Wells Fargo, a sponsor of the event.

It was one of the most radical periods in contemporary art – the 1960s saw an explosion of creativity that reflected the turbulent social and political events of the time. The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville (MOCA) is exploring the art of the 60s in a new exhibit opening this weekend. MOCA executive director Marcelle Polednik joined us in the studio with a preview of “ReFocus: Art of the 1960s.”

We heard from our resident movie critic Cinema CJ as he reviewed the new movie “Man on a Ledge.”

And we finished off this Friday edition of First Coast Connect in style as Jacksonville’s own progressive rock band Polygons joined us. They’re releasing their second CD, “The Other Side,” tonight with a special show at Freebird Live. Their song “Two Steps Back” closed out the show this morning.

If you missed any portion of today’s program, be sure to check out our podcasts at www.wjctondemand.org or listen to the replay of this program tonight at 8 pm on WJCT Arts.

You can join in on the discussion by clicking the add comment button. We value your feedback.

With only four candidates left standing, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul will take the stage at the University of North Florida tonight for CNN’s nationally televised debate. This is the last debate before the Florida GOP primary election next Tuesday. After Newt Gingrich scored an upset over Mitt Romney in South Carolina, Florida has become a major fight. What can we expect from the debate and the primary? We discussed it all with Lenny Curry, Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida.

Food Network star Paula Deen has recently announced that she has Type 2 diabetes. Deen is famous for her delicious but fattening Southern cooking, and her announcement has drawn a decidedly mixed reaction. How did her eating habits contribute to her disease? What can other Americans learn for Deen’s diagnosis about being more proactive with their own health? Dr. Desmond Bell, founder of the Save a Leg, Save a Life Foundation, and Juana Brown, coordinator of the diabetes program at the Duval County Health Department, joined us in the studio with more information about the disease.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Next to Normal broke new ground on Broadway by bringing to life the impact of mental illness on the American family. Players by the Sea is presenting this critically acclaimed work, with proceeds from the show benefiting Mental Health America of Northeast Florida. We got a preview of the show from Joe Schwarz, executive director of Players by the Sea, Sam Fisher, director of Next to Normal, and Michael Pruitt, former president of the Jacksonville Psychiatric Society.

And we found out what’s happening around this weekend with Jacksonville Magazine‘s Kerry Speckman.

If you missed any portion of today’s program, be sure to check out our podcasts at www.wjctondemand.org or listen to the replay of this program tonight at 8 pm on WJCT Arts.

You can join in on the discussion by clicking the add comment button. We value your feedback.

A proposal to give parents a say in what to do with Florida’s chronically failing schools cleared its first stops in the state House and Senate yesterday. The bills are part of a nationwide movement to get parents more involved in public school systems, happening as proponents celebrate National School Choice Week this week. We discussed the bills, National School Choice Week and education reform with Colleen Wood, president of Save Duval Schools, and Lisa Graham Keegan, a senior adviser for National School Choice Week.

A series of events is underway at the University of North Florida to celebrate diversity and inclusion. UNF’s “Week of One” features a global awareness project called I AM EQUAL. This photo documentary showcases people for around the world taking a stand for human rights. We spoke to Jason Beckett, co-founder of the “I AM EQUAL,” and Melissa Hirschman, visiting assistant professor of psychology at UNF, about the project.

The newest eatery at the St. Johns Town Center, Seasons 52, made a splash when it opened recently with a major marketing push touting the fact that no item on their menu is over 475 calories. This is part of a growing trend in the restaurant world, which has become notorious for huge, oversized portions that contribute at least in some part to America’s obesity epidemic. How is the small plates trend affecting Americans’ waistlines, and restaurants’ bottom lines? We discussed the trend with Tom Gray, executive chef and operating partner at Jacksonville’s Bistro Aix.

First Coast Connect contributor Jay Solomon was back this morning with another commentary, this time featuring his thoughts on media bias.

And we got a preview of the Jacksonville RollerGirls roller derby team’s 2012 season as team member Kerri Lewis, aka Fancy Schmancy, joined us. They will be holding their season opener this Saturday, the 28th, at the UNF arena.

If you missed any portion of today’s program, be sure to check out our podcasts at www.wjctondemand.org or listen to the replay of this program tonight at 8 pm on WJCT Arts.

You can join in on the discussion by clicking the add comment button. We value your feedback.

Major changes in the state’s no-fault insurance law could be coming out of the state legislative session. This comes as concern about the growing number of Florida drivers with no insurance increases. What could these changes mean for you? We discussed the issue with Wayne Hogan, attorney and president of the Terrell Hogan law firm, and David Miller, one of the owners of Brightway Insurance.

The 12-step program is a time-honored method for coming to grips with addiction, and eventually embracing recovery. A specialist in addiction and recovery is speaking on there First Coast this week, and is bringing a unique perspective to the process. Rabbi Kerry Olitsky, executive director of the Jewish Outreach Institute, joined us by phone to tell us about the area of Jewish Twelve Step spirituality.

Fred Schultz was instrumental in everything from the development of Jacksonville’s highway system to the construction of the city’s major universities, and the resolution of Jacksonville’s 1960s civil rights turmoil. His business and civic achievements literally changed the face of Jacksonville, and a new book takes a look at how Schultz’s impact has touched virtually everyone who lives here. Historian and author Dr. Wayne Wood was in the studio with more about the book about Fred Schultz he has collaborated on with Rev. John L. Young, The Gift of Public Service. Dr. Wood and Rev. Young will be speaking about the book tonight at the Jacksonville Historical Society.

And in our Tech Tuesday segment, we heard from our resident Tech Guy, Ray Hollister, about Apple’s new plan to revolutionize the education industry with iBook textbooks.

If you missed any portion of today’s program, be sure to check out our podcasts at www.wjctondemand.org or listen to the replay of this program tonight at 8 pm on WJCT Arts.

You can join in on the discussion by clicking the add comment button. We value your feedback.

State Representative Janet Adkins is hosting a public meeting tomorrow in Tallahassee to discuss the possible closure of the St. Johns River Ferry. The service links Fort George Island and Mayport Village, and has been operating since 1948. But JAXPORT now says it cannot continue to fund the ferry. That’s leading to a scramble as activists and lawmakers try to find a way to keep the ferry running. To discuss the latest we welcomed Jacksonville City Councilman Bill Gulliford; Bobby Taylor, Heckscher Drive Community Club President; and Drew Dixon, reporter for the Florida Times-Union, who has covered the ups and downs around the St. Johns River Ferry for some 20 years.

And we debuted a new segment this morning: First Coast Success, hosted by Karen Brune Mathis, editor of the Financial News and Daily Record. She spoke to Chris and Robin Sorensen, founders of Jacksonville-based Firehouse Subs, for this inaugural edition of the segment.

They’ve designed some of the most prominent and striking buildings in town, but many aren’t aware that Jacksonville is home to a talented collection of architects. Their vision and commitment to the local arts scene will be on full display at a special event at the main library this week. Dave Engdahl, Melody Bishop and John Zona, all with the Jacksonville Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, joined us in the studio with a preview of the “Ten Architects You Should Know” event.

She spent years in Beverly Hills penning scripts for the famous, selling over a dozen projects to Hollywood. Even though screenwriter Sharon Cobb left Los Angeles, she’s still at it, writing film scripts from her home in Avondale. Now she has put her adventures in Tinseltown into a new book. It’s called False Confessions of a True Hollywood Screenwriter, and as Cobb told us this morning, it has some juicy tidbits about the industry.

If you missed any portion of today’s program, be sure to check out our podcasts at www.wjctondemand.org or listen to the replay of this program tonight at 8 pm on WJCT Arts.

You can join in on the discussion by clicking the add comment button. We value your feedback.