Duval County Public Schools' Students Receive College-Sponsored National Merit Scholarships

 

Eight Duval County Public Schools students were among the more than 2,900 winners of National Merit Scholarships announced today by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). These scholarships are financed by U.S. colleges and universities. Officials of each sponsor college selected their scholarship winners from among finalists in the 2011 National Merit Scholarship Program who plan to attend their institution.

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6th Annual Hammerhead Ocean Marathon

6th Annual Hammerhead Ocean Marathon

Looking for a challenge?? Well, sign up for the 6th annual Hammerhead Ocean marathon!The swim marathon has two sepreate legs that are1.25 miles, and 2.5 miles respectively in OPEN WATER. It will be held on August 13, 2011 and begins promptly at 8:00 a.m. at the Jacksonville Beach Pier. Bring your swimming gear, and most importantly your endurance!!! For more information log on to www.hammerheadtriathlonclub.com. See you there! 

Police Shooting in St. Nicholas; 1 Person Dead, 1 Injured

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A bail bondsman was fatally shot, and another critically injured during the wee hours this morning in a police-involved shooting at the Mayfair Village Apartments on Beach Boulevard. 

Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Director John Hartley said officers initially were called to the apartments to assist the bondsmen. When no one answered the door of the apartment, the officers left.

Hartley said a short time later a woman inside the apartment called 911.

The woman told dispatchers there were three armed men wearing masks outside her apartment.

JSO Responds to Reports of Shots Fired on Westside

JSO Responds to Reports of Shots Fired on Westside

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is investigating after reports of shots fired on the Westside.

Officers said a resident claims to have heard gunshots at Eureka Garden Apartments on Labelle Street Wednesday.

There is no word on whether or not police found a victim or if any arrests have been made.

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Scott Approval Rate Hits New Low

Scott Approval Rate Hits New Low

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida Gov. Rick Scott's approval rating has dropped to a new low, although he's been on the job for less than five months.

A poll released Wednesday shows Florida voters disapproved of the way Scott's been doing that job by a 57 percent to 29 percent margin.

The Quinnipiac University poll, though, shows the Republican governor has plenty of company. Voters rated the GOP-controlled Florida Legislature about the same. They disapproved of lawmakers' work 56 percent to 27 percent.

Scott and the Legislature each are down from 35 percent approval ratings they got in a similar poll released April 6. Pollsters called 1,196 registered voters on cell and land lines May 17 through 23. The poll has an error rate of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.

Jacksonville Loses Counter-Terrorism Grant

Jacksonville Loses Counter-Terrorism Grant

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- "There's still a lot of angry people out there, and they want to send a message. And we need to be prepared for it," said Emergency Management Director Martin Senterfitt.

He says terrorism is still a real threat in Jacksonville, and losing the federal Urban Area Security Initiative grant increases the risk of an attack.

"By cutting our funding, that makes us the largest communities that aren't funded. And so that's our concern. We really believe the dollars are important," said Senterfitt.

Over the past six years, the grant has been worth more than $40 million dollars to Jacksonville. But this year's federal budget cut $780 million dollars to security grants across the country, so the bigger cities with a perceived bigger threat got the leftover money.

DCF Gives Day-Care License, Foster Parent Approval to Woman with Child Abuse Past

DCF Gives Day-Care License, Foster Parent Approval to Woman with Child Abuse Past

MORE: Foster children's lawsuit

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Annette Smith was licensed as a day care operator in 2001 and as a foster parent in 2004.

"The fact she was a foster parent is mystery number one," said attorney Brian Cabrey.

Smith was convicted of child abuse more than a decade before she opened a day care and was approved as a foster parent. "The irony is she lost her own children and was convicted of child abuse on her own children back in 1991, here in Jacksonville," said Cabrey, who recently filed a lawsuit on behalf of two foster children once in Smith's care. 

It was all missed, he said, and he wants to know why.

"If it hadn't been missed or if anybody had bothered to look, our children would not have been in that home. That home would not have existed."