Duval County Public Schools Improve Spring 2011 FCAT 2.0 Grades

The Florida Department of Education has released the results of the Spring 2011 FCAT 2.0 Grades 4-10 Reading and Grades 4-8 Mathematics assessments, as well as the results of the Spring 2011 Grade 10 FCAT Mathematics and Grades 5, 8, and 11 FCAT Science assessments.  Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) has shown improvement in 11 different areas while scores stayed the same in 3 others.

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CPR Awareness Week Emphasizes Chest Compressions

CPR Awareness Week Emphasizes Chest Compressions

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- CPR Awareness Week is wrapping up with an emphasis on saving lives.

Most critical, instructors said there is more emphasis on chest compressions for beginners. It is best to focus on compressing the chest about 2 inches, instead of taking breaks for mouth-to-mouth, they said.

The Northeast Florida Safety Council has regularly scheduled CPR training classes.

Instructor Derrick Brinson has taught CPR for 18 years and said people should focus on those compressions to get the heart pumping again.

MORE: Information on classes

Smoky Conditions Can Be Hazardous to Your Health

Smoky Conditions Can Be Hazardous to Your Health

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Smoke lingered in downtown Jacksonville Sunday and all around the First Coast.

According to the Division of Forestry, 200,000 acres were burning within a 50 mile radius of Jacksonville.

First Coast News has received reports of heavy smoke in Mandarin, on the Southside, in St. Augustine, and throughout St. Johns County.

Some medical experts say breathing the smoke from brush fires can cause wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, runny nose and watery eyes.

Dr. Andrew Schare of St. Vincent's Medical Center said the smoke should not  "have too much impact on healthy people, but people with chronic lung disease like asthma and COPD certainly can get a flare up of the disease from his smoke."

Broken Leg Preceded Beating Death of 2-Year-Old Half Brother

Broken Leg Preceded Beating Death of 2-Year-Old Half Brother

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A 12-year-old boy indicted Thursday in the murder of his 2-year-old half brother may have been responsible for a broken leg the toddler sustained earlier this year.

Cristian Fernandez was indicted Thursday for hitting his half brother David Galarriago on the head at least twice on March 14, killing him, said State Attorney Angela Corey after a grand jury handed down the decision.

Fernandez is charged with murder in the first degree and aggravated child abuse. Biannela Marie Susana, Fernandez' mother, was also charged, with aggravated manslaughter of a child.

According to an arrest and booking report from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, on Jan. 22 David broke his leg. Initially, their mother said it was from a fall, but later admitted she had lied and that Fernandez broke his brother's leg while wrestling.

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Barry Williams - TV's Greg Brady - Sings National Anthem at Suns Game

Barry Williams - TV's Greg Brady - Sings National Anthem at Suns Game

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Barry Williams, the actor who played Greg Brady on "The Brady Bunch," sang the national anthem at a Jacksonville Suns game on Saturday night.

Williams is in town starring in the Alhambra Theatre's production of The Odd Couple.

Show times for The Odd Couple are at 8:00 p.m. for evening shows on Tuesday through Sunday.  Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and the buffet starts at 6:30 p.m.  Matinees are on Saturdays at 1:15 p.m.  Doors open at 11 and the buffet starts at 11:15 a.m.

Tickets start at $42 for adults and $35 for children.  Ticket prices include dinner, show, and parking.  Call the box office at (904) 641-1212 or visit www.alhambrajax.com.

Sharks Fans Can Tweet Messages to Orlando Predators Next Week

Sharks Fans Can Tweet Messages to Orlando Predators Next Week

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Sharks rivalry with the Predators will soon hit a high point: five billboards across Orlando.

Back in April, the Sharks paid for a billboard in Jacksonville saying "Jacksonville sucks. See you rednecks April 30. Love the Orlando Predators."

"They don't like us and we don't like them," said Sharks owner Jeff Bouchy. "I thought it was kind of funny, but I know they didn't mean it to be funny."

The Sharks are returning the favor in preparation for next week's the matchup with Orlando.

Bouchy, watching the game at Whisky River Friday night, said they won't have just one message for Orlando.

"They're going to be the LED boards that can change," Bouchy said. "We can tell Orlando a lot of things in five days."

They will have thousands of messages on rotation and an (almost) live twitter feed.

The messages will be screened and reposted on five billboards around Orlando.

Jacksonville Stop Bullying

Jacksonville Stop Bullying

 
Mental Health America of Northeast Florida
http://mhajax.org/newsandevents.html

The mission to Stop Bullying has expanded beyond dialogue and discussion,
actions are in place. Schools have embraced professional development for
their teachers to address how to deal with bullying in school and the classroom.
Parents Involvement Centers at schools as the PIC at Andrew Robinson Elementary
have offered parenting classes that assists parents detect if their child(ren) are
engaged, subjected or influenced by bullying.  Businesses are establishing
standards that address bullying, cyberbullying and sexual harassment at the
workplace.

This is no longer an acceptable and playful practice. Bullying is Serious…..
In March of this year the Whitehouse held a Bullying Conference attended by
hundreds (White House Conference On Bullying Prevention).