JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – What started as a simple traffic report turned into something much bigger for News4Jax traffic anchor Sophia Vitello — and now, it’s caught the attention of Jacksonville’s mayor.
Over the past several weeks, Vitello has been visiting the Moncrief neighborhood, talking with residents and highlighting the community through neighborhood tours and candid conversations. Her videos on Instagram have been viewed nearly a million times, drawing attention from viewers across Jacksonville — and from Mayor Donna Deegan herself.
Deegan made her way to Moncrief to see the neighborhood firsthand and hear directly from the families who call it home.
How it started
Vitello said her first video in Moncrief aired July 21, originally focused on the road conditions in the area.
“The first video I did in Moncrief was July 21st. We just came out to talk about the road. That was it,” Vitello said. “Then it turned into, let’s talk about the community. Then it turns into, let’s highlight the good.”
The series quickly evolved into something far greater than a traffic segment, ultimately leading Vitello to a conversation with a Jacksonville City Council member — and then the mayor.
Mayor visits Moncrief
During the visit, Deegan stopped at Holley’s Barbecue, a neighborhood staple that has been serving the community since 1937, where she met owner Wendy Holley. The mayor also spoke with volunteers at Simonds-Johnson Park, community members who Vitello said work day and night — without pay — to serve the children in the neighborhood.
Vitello said she made sure to bring the community’s concerns directly to the mayor, including notes she took at a town hall she attended in Moncrief weeks earlier.
“I took notes on what everybody said and I brought that to the mayor,” Vitello said. “We had a beautiful discussion about future plans, about what’s went wrong, what she wants to make right.”
‘This is only just the beginning’
The full conversation with Mayor Deegan will air Thursday on News4Jax.
“This is what you guys asked for, this is what we’re delivering on,” Vitello said. “There’s so much to show you, so much of the conversation. This is only just the beginning.”
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