The City of Jacksonville Sports & Entertainment Office is pleased to announce the inductees into the City of Jacksonville’s 2012 Georgia/Florida Hall of Fame. The 2012 inductees include David Greene and Charles Whittemore from the University of Georgia (UGA) and Doug Dickey and John L. Williams from the University of Florida (UF).

Plan streamlines process to make Jacksonville more competitive

Mayor Alvin Brown’s plan to streamline city job-creating functions by transforming the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission into an executive-run Office of Economic Development is now official.

Mayor Brown signed his economic development legislation (2012-212) today at 9:30 a.m. while commending City Council for the unanimous vote on June 26, 2012, backing the mayor’s vision for Jacksonville’s future.

“This is more than policy and it’s more than structure,” said the mayor. “It’s the unanimous opinion of our elected City Council to do what’s right for the taxpayers. It’s the conversation-starter with business leaders wondering where to expand or relocate. And it’s a solution for the nearly 38,000 people in our city who remain out of work and deserve a chance to rebuild themselves.”

Legislation streamlines operations to make Jacksonville a more competitive city for jobs

Jacksonville City Council has approved Mayor Alvin Brown’s plan to make Jacksonville a more economically viable city by streamlining job-creation efforts while increasing the focus on sports, entertainment and special events.

 Mayor Alvin Brown has announced two major steps forward in his administration’s goal to deliver quality, cost-effective services to Jacksonville’s military and veterans community.

• The U.S. Department of Labor is giving the City of Jacksonville a $218,260 grant to help homeless veterans get job training.

• The Florida Committee for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) has bestowed the Pro Patria award on Mayor Alvin Brown’s Jobs for Veterans program, a public-private partnership with the Jacksonville Military Veterans Coalition and more than 80 employers. This represents the highest honor the ESGR, a Department of Defense agency, bestows to recognize best practices. Normally the award goes to a business, but for the first time the award went to a municipality to recognize Jobs for Veterans.

Heather Burky from the Art Institute of Jacksonville, and local mom of three, was one of ten U.S. students honored for excellence at the 39th Student Acadmey Awards on Saturday, June 9. Burky's documentary, Lost Country, followed three Cuban expatriates who fought Fidel Castro.

Burky's award is the first time a student from the Art Institute of Jacksonville has been honored in the annual competition organized by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, which administers the annual Academy Awards. The goal of the student awards is to support excellence in filmmaking for the up-and-coming generation.

Read the full article from USA Today.

Learn more about Jacksonville's thriving film community

Navy Secretary announces ship buildup will begin quicker than originally planned

Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced today that the first amphibious ready group (ARG) ship scheduled to shift homeport to Naval Station Mayport will arrive in the last quarter of calendar year 2013.

The USS New York, the USS Iwo Jima and the USS Fort McHenry, will shift from their current homeport of Norfolk, Va. to Mayport. The New York will be the first to change homeport, followed by the Iwo Jima and Fort McHenry in 2014.

Mabus originally announced Feb. 28 that the ARG would arrive no later than 2015.

“This is another proud moment in our city’s longstanding relationship with the U.S. Navy. I look forward to welcoming many new Navy families and I applaud Secretary Mabus for his confidence in Jacksonville,” said Mayor Alvin Brown. “The military installations in Jacksonville already supply an annual economic impact exceeding $14 billion for the region. Expanding the fleet will support even greater activity for local businesses and the Jacksonville housing market.”

In accordance with Ordinance 2005-361-E, the first Committee week and City Council meeting of the month of July are suspended for a summer break.  The Jacksonville City Council meeting cycle will resume with Standing Committee meetings the week of July 16, followed by the City Council meeting on July 24, 2012.

The City of Jacksonville, Winn Dixie and the Florida Times-Union have partnered this hurricane season to bring you the Jacksonville 2012 Hurricane and Disaster Guide. This guide provides helpful tips to help you protect your family and property this hurricane season.


This year's guide will help you find your safe room, locate a shelter, prepare for the dangers of strong winds and flooding, plan your evacuation route, and put together your disaster supply checklist.
The Eco Latino Media Group has prepared a spanish language hurricane guide, Guiá de Huracanes.