{"id":214850,"date":"2026-04-01T18:28:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T18:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/214850\/"},"modified":"2026-04-01T18:28:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T18:28:13","slug":"jacksonville-bold-for-4-1-26-short-and-sweet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/214850\/","title":{"rendered":"Jacksonville Bold for 4.1.26: Short and sweet"},"content":{"rendered":"

U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds<\/a> is reassuring supporters about the ongoing imbroglio with Iran, saying that it\u2019s \u201cvery different\u201d than previous military actions in Afghanistan and Iraq, predicting a \u201csuccinct\u201d endgame and resolution from President Donald Trump<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Donalds, a Republican from Naples who is running for Governor, said that Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio<\/a> \u201care not in it for long military campaigns that are going to last for years and put more of our men and women in harm\u2019s way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Byron Donalds speaks about Iran and President Donald Trump\u2019s foreign policy during a Jacksonville veterans event.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t believe that to be Donald Trump\u2019s foreign policy or worldview. His foreign policy and worldview is, \u2018If you mess with me, I\u2019m going to come over, I\u2019m going to blow up all your stuff and then I\u2019m going home.\u2019 Actually, that\u2019s the way you use the United States military. You don\u2019t do 20-year engagements. You don\u2019t do 10-year engagements. We don\u2019t do six-year engagements. We go over with our men and women, the best military in the world. We blow up all your stuff. And then we go home,\u201d Donalds said at a veterans\u2019 event Monday in Jacksonville.\u201d<\/p>\n

Donalds also said Trump was smart to be \u201cambiguous with his language when he talks to the press\u201d about the Iran conflict, and that he would be ceding leverage if he were more forthcoming.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike I tell the press all the time, why in the hell would I negotiate through you? Why would I tell you what I\u2019m going to do? That\u2019s called being dumb. Anybody in here know negotiating a contract or negotiating with another company? You don\u2019t go tell everybody else what you\u2019re going to do at the negotiating table. That\u2019s how you lose the negotiations,\u201d Donalds said.<\/p>\n

Donalds was joined by Congressional colleague John Rutherford, state Reps. Dean Black, Wyman Duggan and Kim Kendall\u00a0and eight members of the Jacksonville City Council, including President Kevin Carrico and VP Nick Howland. State Attorney Melissa Nelson was also on hand.<\/p>\n

The support from elected officials was a timely demonstration. It comes after Renner\u2019s campaign cited an activist straw poll as proof that his campaign was getting traction in Duval County, which scientific polls weren\u2019t catching.<\/p>\n

Tweet, tweet<\/p>\n

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Friendly skies<\/p>\n

U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack continues to sound the alarm about TSA workers who didn\u2019t receive pay until Monday, despite Trump\u2019s executive order.<\/p>\n

While it appears they are on their way back to solvency, the North Florida Republican noted during a Fox News interview at Jacksonville International Airport that they had to make many tough choices in recent weeks.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Kat Cammack discusses unpaid TSA workers during a Fox News interview at Jacksonville International Airport.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have heard stories, things like, \u2018my mother is now having to live with us, and she needs real care. We had to pull her out of assisted living because we couldn\u2019t afford it.\u2019 People have been sleeping in their cars. They are getting paid. They\u2019re going to food banks here in Jacksonville. The TSA agents have had food banks coming in to help with the daily bills and needs of our families that are on the line here. And so, it\u2019s just a slap in the face, not just to the workers, but really to all Americans, especially in light of this heightened security threat that we\u2019re experiencing,\u201d Cammack told Harris Faulkner.<\/p>\n

Cammack also described being given a pat-down by an agent who told her the pay freeze was \u201cfrustrating\u201d but that they understood it was \u201call about politics.\u201d<\/p>\n

Early endorsement<\/p>\n

House Speaker-designate Sam Garrison of Clay County is endorsing a man running again for the state House seat encompassing Mar-a-Lago.<\/p>\n

\u201cJon Maples is a fighter for Palm Beach County,\u201d said Speaker-Designate Garrison. \u201cHis support for a strong economy, safe streets, and quality schools is the exact kind of common sense, conservative leadership we need in the Florida House. The FHRCC is proud to support Jon\u2019s campaign all the way through to victory in November.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Jon Maples campaigns for a Palm Beach County state House seat after a narrow loss to Emily Gregory.<\/p>\n

Maples lost a very narrow race last week to Democrat Emily Gregory, who flipped the seat vacated by Republican Mike Caruso, who took a local job.<\/p>\n

Tweet, tweet<\/p>\n

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Arms with eyes<\/p>\n

Daredevil drivers who pass stopped school buses will be paying the price soon.<\/p>\n

Duval County Public Schools is rolling out its Bus Stop-Arm Camera Violation Program to get people to respect the law.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>A school bus stop arm extends as drivers approach, with cameras set to enforce new Duval County school bus safety rules.<\/p>\n

Penalties of $225 per infraction go into effect next month. April\u2019s affronts to the law will result in written warnings.<\/p>\n

BusPatrol<\/a> was selected by the Board to administer the program last Fall.<\/p>\n

Palm Coast pickings<\/p>\n

Palm Coast has been shuffling its administrative leadership for yet another time in the turbulent past two years.<\/p>\n

Deputy City Manager Lauren Johnston is preparing to leave her position for other professional opportunities. Meanwhile, City Manager Michael McGlothlin has moved Palm Coast Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill into the Interim Deputy City Manager position in the small city in Flagler County.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Palm Coast Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill is the Deputy City Manager until the city replaces Lauren Johnston. Images via the City of Palm Coast.<\/p>\n

Johnston was crucial to bringing stability to Palm Coast\u2019s administrative offices for about two years. She was appointed Acting City Manager after the City Council abruptly fired City Manager Denise Bevan<\/a> in 2024, after she had held that post for barely a year.<\/p>\n

Johnston held the Acting City Manager\u2019s job before a permanent replacement could be found. That turned out to be McGlothlin, who was hired in December<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A Palm Coast press release<\/a> didn\u2019t specify where Johnston is moving to, but McGlothlin said her services have been invaluable.<\/p>\n

\u201cLauren stepped up when our organization needed her most, and her leadership helped carry us forward during an important time for Palm Coast,\u201d said McGlothlin. \u201cWe are grateful for her many contributions and wish her continued success in her next chapter.\u201d<\/p>\n

McGlothlin is working with the city\u2019s Human Resources officials to develop a recruiting approach to replace Johnston.<\/p>\n

McGlothlin added he\u2019s confident that Berryhill\u2019s management experience will provide a smooth transition for him from the Fire Department to City Hall.<\/p>\n

\u201cKyle\u2019s leadership, experience, and ability to perform under pressure make him exceptionally well-suited for this role,\u201d McGlothlin said. \u201cHe has a proven track record of leading through critical situations and a deep understanding of our organization.\u201d<\/p>\n

Berryhill has been with the Palm Coast Fire Department for more than two decades and initially was a lieutenant and advanced to Chief in 2022. He\u2019s also the city\u2019s Incident Commander during major emergency events, such as hurricane or severe weather activations, and leads operational response and coordination among Palm Coast departments.<\/p>\n

Deputy Fire Chief Bradd Clark will move into the Interim Fire Chief position while Berryhill shifts to City Hall.<\/p>\n

Tweet, tweet<\/p>\n

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Shrimp shock<\/p>\n

North Florida has long been proud of its shrimp offerings, and \u201cMayport\u201d shrimp is served as a regional point of pride.<\/p>\n

But a new study<\/a> shows that many First Coast restaurants falsely advertise serving the popular Mayport shrimp, while, in fact, the crustaceans on their menus come from nowhere near the region.<\/p>\n

The study was commissioned by the Southern Shrimp Alliance<\/a> and was conducted by SeaD Consulting.<\/a> The analysis used genetic testing results from shrimp collected at 44 restaurants in North Florida. It found 57% of the shrimp in those seafood sales were not from the First Coast, even though the catch was advertised as wild catches brought back to Mayport, a historic fishing village<\/a> founded in 1562 near the mouth of the St. Johns River.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Fresh shrimp dishes are served as questions grow over mislabeled \u2018Mayport\u2019 shrimp in North Florida restaurants.<\/p>\n

Some 25 orders of shrimp at 44 establishments \u201cwere explicitly inauthentic, meaning menus or staff verbally represented the shrimp as local, Mayport-American wild-caught when testing confirmed imports.\u201d<\/p>\n

In North Florida, shifty shrimp is a major faux pas, as any local fan can attest. Mayport shrimp is a source of pride, if not taste. Jacksonville\u2019s AAA Minor League Baseball team is named the Jumbo Shrimp<\/a>, and shrimp are endemic to the local culture, tourism promotion and culinary fare.<\/p>\n

Culture aside, the study found that bogus Mayport shrimp claims are costing customers an average of $2 more per serving of the inauthentic shrimp than for Mayport wild-caught shrimp.<\/p>\n

The Southern Shrimp Alliance is raising major concerns about the findings.<\/p>\n

\u201cFalse advertising and mislabeling of shrimp dishes negatively impact our American wild-caught shrimping industry, honest restaurants and seafood markets, and anyone coming to the coast looking for regional seafood,\u201d said Blake Price, Director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance.<\/p>\n

Price is calling for a serious review of the findings and demanding that state lawmakers consider action.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeafood tourism is real. They aren\u2019t seeking imported farm-raised shrimp,\u201d Price said. \u201cGiven the rampant bait-and-switch in the marketplace, Florida needs to join other states and pass a law requiring transparent seafood labeling in restaurants. Let consumers make an informed choice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crossroads conference<\/p>\n

St. Johns County officials, along with representatives from the Florida Department of Transportation, are holding public \u201chybrid\u201d meetings to discuss major overhauls to the busy intersection of county roads 210 and 2209, also known as St. Johns Parkway.<\/p>\n

While both entities encourage in-person attendance at the meetings, online input will also be accepted.<\/p>\n

The in-person meetings will take place at 4:30 p.m. on April 9 at the Shearwater Kayak Clubroom, 100 Kayak Way in St. Augustine, followed by a formal presentation at 6 p.m.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Traffic moves through the County Road 210 and St. Johns Parkway intersection ahead of planned improvements in St. Johns County.<\/p>\n

The virtual meetings will take place online on April 7, beginning at 5:30 p.m. The online forum will require registration<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The intersection of County Road 210 and St. Johns Parkway is one of the busiest in St. Johns County. County officials say the planned improvements for the area in northern St. Johns County are involved.<\/p>\n

Planned improvements include modifications to the intersection design intended to reduce delays, improve traffic operations, and accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists. The project will also include changes to how drivers enter and exit nearby businesses and side streets. These updates are designed to improve traffic flow and reduce points where vehicles may cross paths,\u201d a St. Johns County press release said.<\/p>\n

Archaeological addition<\/p>\n

The University of North Florida (UNF<\/a>) is expanding its archaeological offerings.<\/p>\n

The Southside campus dedicated the Gail M. Cobb Archaeological Laboratory on Tuesday. The facility was built thanks to a donation by Bill Cobb in memory of his late wife, Gail, who was a teacher and an archaeology enthusiast.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Students and faculty gather at the Gail M. Cobb Archaeological Laboratory dedication at the University of North Florida.<\/p>\n

UNF has had an archaeological program since 1998. The school also added an outdoor archaeological lab next to the Cobb facility.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis gift ensures that students will continue to learn in a space that reflects excellence, curiosity and care, values that Gail embodied and that Bill has chosen to honor in such a meaningful way,\u201d said Keith Ashley, Gail M. Cobb Archaeology Laboratory director. \u201cOn behalf of our department, our faculty and our students, thank you, Bill.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tweet, tweet<\/p>\n

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Heart help<\/p>\n

Jacksonville has its share of citizens with cholesterol challenges, and a study has just been launched to help with some of them.<\/p>\n

Encore Research Group of Jacksonville Center for Clinical Research will be launching what WJXT<\/a> calls a \u201cfirst-of-its-kind gene editing study aimed at helping people with severe cholesterol conditions,\u201d which \u201ccould permanently change how the disease is treated.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Researchers begin a gene-editing study in Jacksonville targeting severe hereditary cholesterol conditions.<\/p>\n

The 15-year study will examine familial hypercholesterolemia, a genetically rooted disorder that predisposes individuals to high cholesterol.<\/p>\n

Jaguars to Orlando in 2027<\/p>\n

It\u2019s no surprise, but it\u2019s official now.<\/p>\n

The Jacksonville Jaguars will play their home games in Orlando in the 2027 season<\/a>.<\/p>\n

NFL owners voted unanimously to allow the temporary move while the Jaguars complete construction on the \u201cStadium of the Future\u201d next year.<\/p>\n

For 2026, the Jaguars will continue to play home games at EverBank Stadium, with capacity limited to around 43,500 during construction.<\/p>\n

In 2027, Camping World Stadium will host the Jaguars, about a 140-mile drive from downtown Jacksonville.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Jacksonville Jaguars prepare for a temporary move to Camping World Stadium in Orlando during stadium renovations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Jaguars couldn\u2019t ask for a better scenario than Orlando and Camping World Stadium as our temporary home in 2027,\u201d said Jaguars owner Shad Khan<\/a>. \u201cThis couldn\u2019t have happened without the endorsement of the league and team owners who approved our plan two years ago for a renovated Stadium of the Future in Downtown Jacksonville, and we\u2019re especially appreciative of the support of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the process. We\u2019re also grateful to the team at Florida Citrus Sports that made this solution a reality that will benefit all, including Jaguars fans, just a few hours away in Jacksonville. This is a win that everyone can celebrate.\u201d<\/p>\n

It remains to be seen how Jaguars fans on the First Coast will respond to the move. If the Jaguars can continue playing as they did in the first year under head coach Liam Coen, then fans may be more willing to make the more than two-hour trek to central Florida for home games.<\/p>\n

However, if the Jaguars\u2019 season goes south, fans may not.<\/p>\n

At this point, the number of games to be played in Orlando is still uncertain. In 2026, the Jaguars will play a pair of games in London, one at Wembley Stadium and one at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, to allow for more time for renovations to continue. The Jaguars have also requested a bye week immediately after the London games and could have a road game the week before to give a full month of uninterrupted construction time.<\/p>\n

The Jaguars considered several options, including Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville and Daytona International Speedway. Orlando, the largest media market in the nation without an NFL team, won out.<\/p>\n

The NFL schedule is expected to be announced on May 13.<\/p>\n

The Jaguars and Washington Commanders have already been announced as the home teams for games in London. The Jaguars are scheduled to play a home game against the Commanders in 2026, making Washington an unlikely opponent for a London game. Other home games include meetings with the three other AFC South teams, the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans, plus the Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots. The Jaguars are expected to have nine regular-season \u201chome\u201d games in 2027, which could include as many as eight played in Orlando, depending on the London plans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds is reassuring supporters about the ongoing imbroglio with Iran, saying that it\u2019s \u201cvery different\u201d…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16108,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[97987,97988,97989,97990,97991,445,23171,10575,6477,97992,409,1039,1038,6873,97993,11704,97994,4832,4717,25818,1126,9129,97995,97996,12001,10576,92111,116,5893,97997,4040,118,1645,121,117,5895,59203,8873,97998,5896,32051,97999,98000,5323,9471,9098,8877,94443,7345,98001,51933,10830,14217,139,557,17140,7381,10828,17988,61660,98002,10089,98003,98004,2663,5902,5903,2964,10836,80305,3212,5908,10829,9783,13771],"class_list":["post-214850","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-jacksonville","tag-bill-cobb","tag-blake-price","tag-bradd-clark","tag-bus-stop-arm-camera-violation-program","tag-buspatrol","tag-byron-donalds","tag-camping-world-stadium","tag-cleveland-browns","tag-dean-black","tag-denise-bevan","tag-donald-trump","tag-duval-county","tag-duval-county-public-schools","tag-emily-gregory","tag-encore-research-group","tag-everbank-stadium","tag-familial-hypercholesterolemia","tag-featured-post","tag-flagler-county","tag-florida-citrus-sports","tag-florida-department-of-transportation","tag-florida-house","tag-gail-m-cobb","tag-harris-faulkner","tag-houston-texans","tag-indianapolis-colts","tag-iran-conflict","tag-jacksonville","tag-jacksonville-bold","tag-jacksonville-center-for-clinical-research","tag-jacksonville-city-council","tag-jacksonville-headlines","tag-jacksonville-international-airport","tag-jacksonville-jaguars","tag-jacksonville-news","tag-john-rutherford","tag-jon-maples","tag-kat-cammack","tag-keith-ashley","tag-kevin-carrico","tag-kim-kendall","tag-kyle-berryhill","tag-lauren-johnston","tag-liam-coen","tag-london","tag-mar-a-lago","tag-marco-rubio","tag-mayport-shrimp","tag-melissa-nelson","tag-michael-mcglothlin","tag-mike-caruso","tag-new-england-patriots","tag-nick-howland","tag-orlando","tag-palm-beach-county","tag-palm-coast","tag-paul-renner","tag-philadelphia-eagles","tag-pittsburgh-steelers","tag-sam-garrison","tag-sead-consulting","tag-shad-khan","tag-shearwater-kayak-clubroom","tag-southern-shrimp-alliance","tag-st-augustine","tag-st-johns-county","tag-st-johns-river","tag-tampa-bay-buccaneers","tag-tennessee-titans","tag-tottenham-hotspur-stadium","tag-transportation-security-administration","tag-university-of-north-florida","tag-washington-commanders","tag-wembley-stadium","tag-wyman-duggan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214850","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=214850"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/214850\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16108"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=214850"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=214850"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=214850"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}