Jax Journey Grant-Funded Program Reaches Out to Community 
 
Jacksonville residents Queen Farmer and Schade Acacia have something to brag about—they have achieved what they set out to do when they took part in the Jacksonville Public Library’s Project LEAP—Library Enhanced Access Program—a literacy education and career preparation program funded by Jax Journey, an anti-crime initiative. Farmer and Acacia passed the GED test, a high school equivalency diploma for those who have not completed high school. With this accomplishment under their belt, each plans to pursue higher education to realize their dreams and future careers.

Today, Governor Rick Scott and Mayor Lenny Curry highlighted Deutsche Bank’s ongoing expansion during a ribbon cutting ceremony at its Jacksonville campus. Deutsche Bank is on track to create 350 new jobs and will invest more than $10 million in the Jacksonville community over the next two years. Deutsche Bank employs more than 1,800 Floridians.

Jacksonville’s tourism growth streak continues with a record-breaking month in June for both visitation and revenue. June marks the 32nd straight month of positive gains for Jacksonville.

It’s summer, and with the trademark Florida heat comes the threat of mosquito-borne diseases. The City of Jacksonville Mosquito Control Division encourages all citizens to be proactive in protecting and preventing the transmission of ALL mosquito-borne diseases.

More than 1,500 new jobs available to citizens 

Amazon.com today announced plans for an 800,000-square-foot fulfillment center in northwest Jacksonville. The company will create more than 1,500 full-time jobs at the site when the facility opens. The news marks the single largest jobs announcement in Jacksonville history.

Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that the Jacksonville area added 21,900 new private-sector jobs over the year in June. The area’s unemployment rate was 4.7 percent in June, declining by 0.8 percentage point in the last year.

Jamie C. Shelton has been named to replace Ambassador John Rood on the JAXPORT board. Rood resigned from the board last month to accept an appointment to the Florida Prepaid College Board by Governor Rick Scott.

A special donation to Jacksonville Animal Care and Protective Services (ACPS) will help their furry clients in a new way - providing healthy teeth and smiles! Thanks to Friends of Jacksonville Animals (FOJA), a full function dental machine is going into service at ACPS. The machine will allow veterinary staff to not only clean the teeth and mouths of animals in their care, but also lets the staff address serious, painful issues like impacted teeth and injuries. The dental machine makes necessary dental work less stressful for the animals.

Today, Governor Rick Scott announced The KLS Martin Group, a global leader in innovative surgical technology, is establishing its first U.S. manufacturing operations in Jacksonville. KLS Martin Manufacturing will create at least 25 new jobs and invest more than $5 million in the local community. The KLS Martin Group currently employs more than 150 Floridians. 

Mayor Lenny Curry addressed a special session of the Jacksonville City Council to present his proposed 2016-2017 city budget. The $1 billion budget which does not raise taxes, increases funding to support public safety, and reflects the constraints placed on the City due to increasing pension costs. 

Yesterday, Mayor Lenny Curry joined Sheriff Mike Williams to release five months of data that shows the 24,000 hours of police overtime since late January has resulted in a decline of non-domestic shootings by nearly 40 percent. 

Today, Governor Rick Scott announced that Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), a division of Daimler AG, will be relocating an engineering services division from New Jersey to Jacksonville. The company is adding the engineering services division to its Quality Evaluation Center (QEC) in Jacksonville. The 50 jobs will be a mix of employees relocating to Northeast Florida and new hires from the local market. Mercedes-Benz currently employs more than 100 Floridians at the Jacksonville facility. 

The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) and Wells Fargo recently announced mayors with top honors on behalf of nonprofits in their cities with the 2016 CommunityWINS® Grant Program funded by the Wells Fargo Foundation. 

As citizens prepare for a holiday weekend of travel and outdoor activities celebrating Independence Day, the City of Jacksonville is encouraging them to stay safe and vigilant while observing the holiday. The seasonable warm weather and related conditions often promote the presence of mosquitoes. To contribute to a safe and enjoyable holiday, citizens should protect themselves from the transmission of all mosquito-borne viruses including Zika, West Nile, Yellow Fever and more, by doing the following:

The City of Jacksonville will present its annual fireworks display in celebration of Independence Day on July 4 at 9:45 p.m. The display will last approximately 12 minutes. Fireworks will be launched from the Acosta Bridge only.