First Coast Connect: Week in Review

First Coast Connect: Week in Review

Each Friday, our media roundtable dives into the biggest stories of the week. Among this week’s topics: * Text messages the city refused to release are now public. What do the once-secret documents tell us about a criminal investigation sparked by City Council President Kevin Carrico? * The governor formally brings an end to the Alligator Alcatraz era. * JEA’s current CEO testifies before the City Council, while its former CEO takes his fraud conviction back to court. * The city misses out on a $1 million grant after an untrained staffer fumbles the application.  * Nascent trillionaire Elon Musk buys the assets of a Jacksonville energy company in what could be a billion-dollar deal. * A prominent personal injury lawyer creates a new political party in Florida, the Common Ground Party. Guests: * Laura Pellicer, fellow, Florida Trib * Mike Mendenhall, City Hall reporter and associate editor at Jacksonville Today * Robin Lumb, former Jacksonville City Council member * Obi Umunna, attorney and political consultant Hot dad walk As temperatures rise and the kids are out of school, a new walking club invites dads and their children to connect with their counterparts in Jacksonville. After becoming a parent, Augie Watson said he realized how difficult it can be to connect with fellow dads. Inspired by other walking groups in Jacksonville, he founded Dads Walk Jax [https://www.instagram.com/dadswalkjax/], where dads are invited to BYOB (bring your own baby), chat and stroll through the Avondale neighborhood and nearby parks. The walks are a family affair. Watson’s wife, Marissa, owns The Bunny Hive Jacksonville, a space for parents and kids to play and socialize, and the monthly dads’ walk stops there along the way. The next meetup is scheduled for 9 a.m. Sunday at the Southern Grounds in Avondale. Guest: Augie Watson, founder, Dads Walk Jax See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The Morning Report: Unredacted Kevin Carrico Texts Released and St. Johns School Discrimination Complaint

Newly released text messages shed more light on discussions involving Jacksonville City Council President Kevin Carrico, a nonprofit executive, and a proposed JEA land deal and board appointment. Plus, a former St. Johns County teacher has filed a federal discrimination complaint, alleging he was removed from his position because of his gender identity and intersex condition. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

First Coast Connect: Resegregating neighborhoods

Commemorating the Confederacy through streets or community names like “Dixie,” “Rebel” and “Plantation” carries clear connotations for some. As noted in a social media post [http://city-data.com/forum/louisville-area/375535-kkk-oldham-county-2.html] referenced in a new research study, “The developer might as well [put] a sign at the entrance saying, ‘Whites Only.’” Titled Confederates in the Cul de Sac [https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08873631.2025.2513180], the scholarly paper explores how racial demographics are affected by Confederate tributes or signage in both urban and suburban communities. According to the report’s first-ever inventory of such neighborhoods, Florida has more than any other state. We talk to the study’s authors about their sometimes surprising findings and what it says about what they call “America’s identity crisis over white supremacy.” Guests: * Pamela L. Morris, associate professor of communication studies, Indiana University * George Towers, professor of geography, Indiana University Columbus Good on paper Bucking the national publishing trend, two local print newspapers are launching at the Beach. The weekly Beach Gazette [https://www.beachgazette.org/] launches online Thursday with plans to begin a print edition within a year and features a lead story focused on the history of local news at the Beaches. The paper’s backers are also launching Beach Buzz, a free monthly arts and culture publication in the model of Folio and Void, targeting visitors and residents alike, but with a specific Beaches focus. We sit down with the founders at a time when the overall newspaper industry is in a period of retraction to ask who, what, when, where and why? Guests: * Jennifer Ashley, editor and co-founder, Beach Gazette * Georgette Dumont, publisher and co-founder, Beach Gazette Pitch perfect The U.S. men’s national team takes to the pitch against Türkiye on Thursday night as the 2026 FIFA World Cup continues. After a historic performance for the team — winning consecutive World Cup matches for the first time since 1930 — the men head to the knockout round of 32 next week. Though Türkiye has already been eliminated, the game will be another test of team fitness after solid performances against Paraguay (4-1) and Australia (2-0). The match may also feature some play time by star attacker Christian Pulisic, who has been sidelined with a calf injury. We sit down with longtime sports reporter Will Brown to discuss what the USMNT can expect in the coming round, how the games are going so far and whether record-breaking Lionel Messi could lead Argentina to a second World Cup victory. The game Thursday gets underway at 10 p.m. Guest: Will Brown, reporter for Jacksonville Today, publisher of Official Florida FC [https://www.officialfloridafc.com/] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The Morning Report: Septic Tank Phaseouts in Jacksonville

A Jacksonville neighborhood transforms via a long-awaited transition from septic tanks to city sewer service, with the Christobel Septic Tank Phase Out Project expected to bring improvements to nearly 500 homes. See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

First Coast Connect: The price ain’t right

The once sleepy, quaint and borderline podunk vibe of 1980s and ‘90s St. Augustine is now ancient history in the Ancient City. In its place: a buzzy tourist favorite that ranks high on influencer feeds and glossy magazines’ Top 10 lists. T-shirt and seashell shops have given way to upscale Airbnbs, sleek coffee vendors and, now, four Michelin recognized restaurants. Some who’ve watched the change worry the small town is now giving Hilton Head vibes and pricing out locals. We discuss the promise and perils of progress in America’s Oldest City and how the affordability crisis is playing out on the streets of St. Augustine. Guest: St. Augustine City Commissioner Jim Springfield  Foundational art Interpreting the Declaration of Independence through an artistic lens. A new exhibit at the St. Augustine Art Association asks artists to share their perspective on the historic document and how its principles have evolved or influenced the American experience over time. The exhibit, When in the Course of Human Events, is part of America's 250th celebration. Participating artists employ a range of materials to explore the exhibit’s theme, and curators hope the works spark thoughtful conversation about the country’s past, present and future. We sit down with two featured artists, including the artist awarded Best in Show, to hear what inspired the winning piece, I Am. The exhibit is free and open to the public through Aug. 2. Guests: * Jennifer Flynt, executive director, St. Augustine Art Association * Richlin Burnett-Ryan, portrait artist, painter, curator * Weldon Ryan, multimedia artist, former NYPD police sketch artist Stellar strongman A constellation named after a demigod with superhuman strength. We dig into the science behind the “celestial snow globe” known as the Hercules cluster with resident spaceman Eddie Whisler. The grouping of stars officially known as M13 orbits the Milky Way. It’s an estimated 145,000 light-years wide, 25,000 light-years from Earth and contains more than 100,000 stars. Discovered in 1714 by Edmond Halley (of comet fame), it was initially thought to contain zero stars; famed French astronomer Charles Messier officially cataloged it on his list of "non-comets" because his telescope wasn’t strong enough to detect individual stars. We talk about the stunning globular cluster and why peak viewing season is about to begin. Guest: Eddie Whisler, director of planetarium and outreach, Museum of Science & History See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.