Rethreaded sews into the heart of Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE, Fla -- A local organization in the One Spark Festival sewed its way into the heart of Jacksonville when it won the most votes this week.

Sewing a new story is the motto for Rethreaded, an organization that aims to take women out of the sex trade and offer them a different life, where they can sew a new beginning. Kristin Keen is the director of Rethreaded and first starting working with women involved in the trade in India.

"When I went out there my heart was always for women to know their worth and their value," said Keen.

For five years Keen said she helped the women start a successful sewing business.

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List of winners from Jacksonville's One Spark Festival

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Creators from all over the world attended the One Spark 2013 Festival that began April 17th.

Winners shared the $250,000 prize pool.

Here is a list of the top three winners from each category:

Technology

Third - The Riverwalk Project ($2,448.45)

Second - Kona School ($3,137.96)

First - The Wall ($3,466.29)

Music

Third - The 5 & Dime ($2,326.50)

Second - Boneshaker ($2,495.36)

First - Fathom Sphere ($2,509.43)

Art

Third - 20 Murals in a Year ($4,010.39)

Second - Beyond the Facade ($4,202.71)

First - Rethreaded ($6,768.42)

Science

Third - 123-Fresh ($2,945.65)

Second - 1 Food Park Project ($3,189.55)

First - Tiger Trail ($4,183.94)

 

Traffic patterns for One Spark

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- One Spark visitors heading downtown are reminded to use the following routes:

 

  • FOR EVENTS IN THE SPORTS COMPLEX (including Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena and the Baseball Grounds): Please use the Hart and Mathews bridges as well as Union and Beaver streets.

 

  • FOR VISITORS TO OTHER DOWNTOWN EVENTS (including One Spark, The Landing, Times-Union Center of the Performing Arts): Please use Interstate 95/Convention Center Exit, Acosta Bridge, and all western Downtown entrances.

Should lifetime alimony be allowed?

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The movie War of the Roses is art imitating life; divorces often end in an ugly and expensive battle. A bone of contention has been permanent alimony, now that is changing in Florida.

"It is really a pendulum thing," said Attorney Kenny Leigh. 

Kenny Leigh and Associates boast of being a law firm for men.

"People think I hate women," said Leigh, "that is not the case."

Leigh, a senior partner, said a legislature approved bill eliminating permanent alimony is long overdue.

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Victim of alleged online predator

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Penny Baran has heard about stolen identity cases, but never thought it would hit home.

"At first I was mad about it," said Baran 

Baran is still mad about it because it involves her son's identity; her son did not have his Facebook pictures privacy protected.

"Someone stole my son's pictures," she said.

Baran said the person behind it, claims to be Jay Deen and she said he behaves like an online predator.

One Spark entrants come together to create culture

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Though it might seem like a creative, new invention, the Elliptigo is just a vehicle for One Spark entrant, Anthony Duran to attract attention to explain his real creation.

"The Workout Navigator is an online platform for health and fitness professionals to brand, create and deliver custom workouts," Duran said. "So if I were to deliver you a workout, all I would have to do is text it to you or Facebook it to you or email it to you. You click, you open it and there's your workout."

But it's not just fitness gurus gracing the One Spark scene. The idea behind the event is that "game-changers" can emerge from anywhere!

"It welcomes people to the beach and it's blue and his cell phone antennas on it. It's really sort of a non-descript tower," said Kurtis Loftus.

Parent refuses FCAT exam for her child

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- It's a required test one parent says her daughter is not going to take. This is how parent Sandy Bittner views the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test or FCAT: "It treats the children unequally, based on their education, how they're expected to do on the test," she said.

Bittner told First Coast News she has decided to not allow her third grade daughter take the test.  It's a test that is mandated by Florida statutes for all students in the Sunshine State.  "My family has moral issues against the FCAT in that children are treated unfairly," she explained

While that may sound like a good argument, the current statute does not allow for any FCAT opt-outs.  "I decided then the stakes were too high.  It was explained to me, if you do not pass, you do not continue on to the fourth grade," she said.