Jacksonville will host 13 conventions in August totaling more than 8,200 attendees, according to Visit Jacksonville.
The National Barbie Doll Collectors Convention led off the month, which is capped by the 2016 Southeast Fitness exposition.
Generation Next, which was Friday-Sunday, brought 3,000 people to town and led the way in attendees, with the Barbie convention coming in next at 2,000 people. However, the Barbie convention will lead all events in room nights with 3,052.
Florida East Coast Railway is requesting the St. Johns River Bridge to be closed for a little more than a week early next year.
In a letter to Lt. Allan Storm of the U.S. Coast Guard Jacksonville Sector, Ron Kendall, the company’s director of bridges, said the closure would begin at 7 a.m. Jan. 30 and continue through 6 p.m. Feb. 10. It would be inoperable at the time and navigation would be limited to the small boat span.
Florida East Coast will conduct major repairs and preventative action on key operating components on the bridge’s operating system, according to the request.
The contractor will have a barge and crane in the channel, with work to take place 24 hours a day.
In preparation, the bridge also will be closed to river traffic from 7-11 a.m. for several days in mid-January.
Florida State College at Jacksonville’s Student Government Association will host a Republican primary debate for Florida’s 4th Congressional District from 6-7 p.m. Tuesday at its Downtown campus.
All registered candidates have been invited.
As of Tuesday, Ed Malin, St. Johns County Commissioner Bill McClure, Deborah Katz Pueschel and state Rep. Lake Ray have confirmed their attendance.
Tentatively scheduled to participate are former Jacksonville Sheriff John Rutherford and former St. Johns River Water Management District Executive Director Hans Tanzler III.
Topics will include education, finance and domestic and foreign affairs.
Cynthia Gardner Counsil, FSCJ history and political science professor, and Andrew Holt, history professor, will moderate the debate.
Jacksonville-based Mac Papers has completed the acquisition of Higdon Paper & Packaging.
The Alabama company specializes in print, packaging, facilities supplies and office products distribution.
The deal adds three Higdon account managers, an inside sales representative and one warehouse worker to the Mac Papers Birmingham branch staff.
Former owner Charlie Higdon now assumes the role of packaging sales manager.
It’s the latest in a string of acquisitions Mac Papers has made in the past few years. Last year, it acquired two Nashville-based packaging companies. In 2013 it purchased a Hialeah-based packaging distributor. And in 2012, Mac Papers acquired Pembroke Park and Orlando-based companies.
Mad Men Marketing has promoted Joe Stelma to executive vice president of the firm. He will help run the Jacksonville office while continuing his role as media director, a position he was hired for in November 2014.
Stelma is a graduate of Jacksonville University and has more than 17 years of media planning and buying experience.
On the client side, he’s worked with companies such as Coca-Cola North America, Zaxby’s and the Florida Lottery.
Gov. Rick Scott appointed Wayne Veitch to the state’s Commercial Motor Vehicle Review Board.
Veitch, of Green Cove Springs, is the vice president of transportation and vehicle procurement for Ring Power. He fills a vacant seat with a term that ends Sept. 30, 2017.
The board reviews weight restriction penalties on highways along with overseeing special fuel and motor fuel tax compliance, vehicle registration and safety regulations.
The First Tee of North Florida has appointed Jeff Willoughby as executive director of the organization.
He has worked as director of programming for the nonprofit the past five years and had been serving as interim executive director.
“His experience, dedication, commitment and passion for serving children in our community are evident in everything he does every day,” said Jim Henry, First Tee chair, in a statement.
The First Tee is a youth development nonprofit that provides educational programming through golf for children ages 7-18. Its home course is Brentwood Golf Course in Northwest Jacksonville.
The University of North Florida Alumni Association is seeking nominations for the 2017 Alumni Recognition, annually presented to alumni who have distinguished themselves through professional accomplishments or community service.
The awards are:
• The Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award. It’s the highest honor given to a UNF graduate who has made significant contributions to his or her profession or community.
• The Young Alumni Achievement Award. It’s presented to an alumnus for outstanding professional service or contribution. Those eligible will have graduated from UNF in the past 10 years and are 35 years old or younger as of Dec. 31.
• Alumni Service Award. It is given to the alumnus who has demonstrated outstanding volunteer service at a local, state, national or international level, which includes times at UNF.
• Honorary Alumni Award. It is presented to a UNF friend or supporter who has provided service to the university, but is not a graduate.
For full list of criteria and nomination forms, go to bit.ly/2aPpFIX.
Submissions are due by 5 p.m. Sept. 15. The award ceremony will be Feb. 8 during the college’s homecoming week.
As part of the 2016 JaxbyJax Jacksonville Writers Writing Jacksonville Festival, Florida State College at Jacksonville is calling on local writers to apply for the literary arts festival.
The goal of the festival is to “showcase our community’s thriving writing scene” through local writers, according to a news release. It will include FSCJ faculty and staff.
Applications should include a short writing sample or link to relevant audio or visual sample.
Completed applications should be sent to Tim Gilmore, FSCJ English professor, with the subject line of “JaxbyJax application.”
Applications are due Sept. 9 and can be downloaded at bit.ly/2bct2dN.
The festival will be Nov. 12 in Riverside’s King Street District. Details on specific venues and times will be publicized closer to the event.