Jacksonville | featured news

An open house to present information on the upcoming Beach and University boulevards intersection improvement project will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 24, at the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge at 5530 Beach Blvd. according to the Florida Department of Transportation .
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A new $44.2 million high-rise bridge on Heckscher Drive over Sisters Creek is set to open to traffic Monday, ending more than two years of construction, according to the Florida Department of Transporatation.
The new bridge has two 12-foot travel lanes, 10-foot shoulders and six-foot sidewalks on both sides. It replaces a 1950s-era drawbridge and eliminates decades of highway traffic waiting for boats to pass under the bridge when it’s raised, state officials said.

A free monthly career and employment counseling seminar for veterans, transitioning military members and their families will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 18, at Suite 120 at City Hall at 117 W. Duval St.
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Florida saw yet another record increase in tourism figures for the first half of a year that may be remembered for the concerns raised by the Zika virus.
Gov. Rick Scott Friday announced that 57.4 million visitors came to the Sunshine State in the first six months of this year. It was an all-time record for visitation and a 4.3-percent increase over the same period a year ago.
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Florida Department of Health in Duval County has issued a rabies alert for the Mayport/Atlantic Beach area in effect through Oct. 8.
It's due to a rabid raccoon that exposed a domestic animal. Pet owners should keep close attention to their animals and make sure their vaccinations are up to date.
The alert area is bordered on the south by Atlantic Boulevard at Mayport Road, on the north by Wonderwood Drive at Florida A1A, on the west by Shipwatch Drive East at Fiddlers Point Drive, and east by Beach Avenue at 18th Street.

This week’s Pod Rods looks at some new supercars, both gas and electric; checks in with Leno’s projects; goes really fast; and checks out a Chip Foose classic.
And don’t forget our car events calendar that includes a gathering of really interesting
 
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There will be fewer Ruby Tuesday’s restaurants in the world in about a month.
Officials with the restaurant chain based in Tennessee announced in a news release Thursday that it will close 95 of its 724 locations across the country by September.
There are four Ruby Tuesday’s locations in Jacksonville. Though officials with the company said they’ll announce later which locations will be closing, it appeared Friday night the company’s Orange Park location was already closed. The three others were open Friday night.

First Coast No More Homeless Pets has received a $25,000 grant to pay for a free spay and neuter program that begins Monday.
The grant from Florida Animal Friend Inc. of Tampa will fund the surgeries of about 500 dogs that are or are expected to weigh 40 pounds or more, according to No More Homeless Pets, which runs a low-cost animal clinic in Jacksonville.
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Two weeks into his job as executive director of the Police and Fire Pension Fund, Tim Johnson can already draw some comparisons between Jacksonville and Pittsburgh, the city he left.
Pittsburgh is defined by its three rivers along with neighborhoods that inspire strong loyalty from residents. Here he sees the St. Johns from the downtown apartment he’s selected for his residence. He sees neighborhood pride as well.
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A new angle on the fantasy football boom is being generated in Jacksonville that looks to capitalize on a gap in the college game — though the odds of success are not overwhelming.
The website pigskinfantasyu.com is geared for fantasy fans who want to focus on Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-A) teams only in the NCAA.
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