• Journalist, political commentator and author Juan Williams is the featured speaker at the 30th Annual University of North Florida Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Luncheon today. He will discuss “Eyes on The Prize: America and The Dream,” which looks at civil rights. It’s presented by UNF’s Intercultural Center for PEACE.
• Paul Boynton, Rayonier president and COO since September, was elected to the board of the Jacksonville-based forest products company.
• Interested in running for public office? The Jacksonville Regional Political Leadership Institute starts the next class May 13-14 at the Jacksonville University Davis College of Business. It’s free, but you must apply. Applications are due March 18. Visit www.jaxleader.org.
• Jacksonville Community Council Inc. plans an Issues & Answers forum noon-1 p.m. March 1. The topic is “Jacksonville International – The JAX/Brazil Connection.” [email protected].
• Winn-Dixie’s in-store pharmacies have been recognized as a J.D. Power 2011 Customer Service Champion. Jacksonville-based Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. is one of 40 companies across the country to have earned the distinction this year.
• The deadline is Monday to submit a magnet application for the 2011-2012 school year at Duval County Public Schools. The application is at the Magnet Programs Office in the administration building at 1701 Prudential Drive. Applications also can be downloaded at www.magnetprograms.com. For information, call 390-2082.
• Wells Fargo filed its official WARN notice with the state Wednesday that it will lay off 155 finance and insurance employees at 10401 Deerwood Park Blvd. as of April 25. The company said Tuesday it will close a customer service center there.
• Good news on Jacksonville home and condo sales, but not so good news on prices. The Florida Realtors said single-family home sales rose 7 percent in January (to 846) from January 2010, but the median price fell 6 percent to $129,600. Condo sales rose 34 percent (to 172), but the median sales price dropped 18 percent to $71,400.
• Episcopal Children’s Services will honor John D. Baker, II at its 6th annual Children’s Champion Award Luncheon March 1 at the Hyatt Downtown. He will be honored for his efforts to increase access to and improve the quality of early childhood education.
• Seasons 52, a grill and wine bar restaurant, plans to open this fall in St. Johns Town Center. It will seat about 331 diners, including 36 on the patio and 91 in the piano bar. The chain changes the menu four times a year, and nothing on the menu is more than 475 calories.
• Vingevity, a Jacksonville-based wine distribution company, is helping family owned wineries around the world distribute their brands in Florida. Vingevity opened its warehouse Nov. 1 to begin distribution. Chad Munsey is the president.
• Another household hazardous-waste and e-waste collection is this weekend. The City’s Solid Waste Division will set up its mobile collection 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at Crystal Springs Park, 9800 Crystal Springs Road. For information, visit www.coj.net and search “hazardous waste.”
• To show how technology has advanced, the City limits the number of cathode-ray tube TVs that customers can dump at the e-waste collection. Three.