The Jacksonville Suns have called this year “FUNdamentally different” under new owner Ken Babby, and it’s quickly coming to an end.
The Double-A Florida Marlins affiliate will host its final home stand Thursday-Monday at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville against the Mobile Baybears, the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Of note:
• Thursday marks the final Thirsty Thursday of the year along with Jacksonville University back-to-school night.
• Friday is a family fireworks display along with Red Shirt Friday and Jersey Auction to benefit the Jacksonville United Service Organization.
• Saturday is both Community First Credit Union and Military Appreciation Night.
• Sunday is Fan Appreciation Night with giveaways throughout the park.
• Monday is a VyStar Credit Union Charity night to benefit Dreams Come True.
Throughout the home stand, prices on merchandise are up to 50 percent off in the souvenir shop.
For more information, visit jaxsuns.com.
FSCJ launches mobile safety app
Florida State College at Jacksonville has launched a free mobile app intended to help keep students, faculty, staff and visitors safe throughout the school’s campuses and centers.
The app offers real-time safety functions and features, such as information on how to respond to emergencies like active shooter situations, evacuations, severe weather and more.
The FSCJ Safe app also includes maps, resources, options to call 911 or report tips to campus security.
It features the Mobile BlueLight function that allows on-campus users to send their location to and chat with campus security dispatch, similar to fixed position BlueLight boxes around campus.
Also available is a Friend Walk that lets users send their location to a friend or security officer who can watch the user walk to their destination via GPS.
The app is available for Apple and Android devices.
UNF snags a couple of honors
The University of North Florida is being called one of the top schools and a great value among Southeastern schools, according to two publications.
For the eighth consecutive year, the Princeton Review named UNF as one of the 12 “best” in the Southeast in its “2017 Best Colleges: Region by Region” listing. Only 139 colleges made the publication.
The review is based on data the company collected from its survey of administrators at several hundred colleges in each region along with staff visits to the schools over the year.
Separately, the Washington Monthly named UNF among the top 30 in its “Best Bang for the Buck Southeast Colleges 2016” list in its annual College Guide and Rankings publication.
The ranking is based on factors like UNF’s graduation rate, percent of students who receive federal Pell Grants, first generation students and their performance and predicted median earnings.
Jacksonville University realigns leadership positions
Jacksonville University has made a series of title changes with some additional duties going to key personnel.
Donnie Horner has been named senior vice president of university and academic affairs/provost, which streamlines his responsibilities. He also was named acting chief academic officer.
Other moves are:
• Kristie Gover will lead an expanded student affairs operation.
• Retired Brig. Gen. Mike Fleming will oversee university relations and development.
• Margaret Dees will head enrollment management and communications.
• David Healy will direct financial and facilities management.
University President Tim Cost in a news release said the changes represent a “natural evolution” of the school’s leadership organization to align with its potential.
Jacksonville real estate market not so attractive?
Housing sales might be up across the U.S., but Jacksonville isn’t near the top, according to a recent WalletHub review.
The personal finance website compared 300 cities using 16 metrics and concluded Jacksonville placed No. 258. Jacksonville came in No. 54 of 62 large cities with populations of more than 300,000.
In the real estate market category worth 80 points, Jacksonville was No. 271. The category included components such as percentages of homes underwater, average number of days until a house is sold, median home-price appreciation, foreclosure rate and other factors.
As for the affordability and economic environment category worth 20 points, Jacksonville fared better at No. 100. The ranking was impacted by housing and maintenance affordability, population growth and unemployment rates among its many factors.
The top cities, according to the study, were Frisco, McKinney and Richardson, all of which are in Texas. At the bottom were Newark and Paterson, N.J., followed by Detroit.
In the large city category, Detroit was last, behind Cleveland and Baltimore.
For the full study, visit bit.ly/2c0YzwD.
U-Haul hiring 39 in Jacksonville area
Moving and storage company U-Haul is hiring 39 people in the Jacksonville area, the company announced Tuesday.
Available positions include assistant general managers, customer service representatives, hitch professionals, storage facility housekeepers, marketing company storage clerks and nighttime technicians.
For information, visit jobs.uhaul.com.
Salt Life Food Shack hosting 'Big Wave Challenge'
Jacksonville-based Salt Life Food Shack is in the midst of its Big Wave Challenge for surfers along the East Coast and is offering more than $8,000 in cash and prizes for winners.
Surfers can compete in three categories: The big wave photo; an airborn huck and hack video; and a fan favorite photo or video.
A huck refers to the ability to catch air and a hack means the execution of power moves at critical parts of a wave.
Last year, 300 participants submitted several hundred photos and videos from all over the state, according to Greg Said, Salt Life Restaurant Group managing partner, in a news release.
Participating surfers, photographers and videographers must be 18 or older and register individually. Submissions will be accepted through Nov. 1 and must be taken while a named storm is in the Atlantic Basin or Gulf of Mexico.
Prizes are $4,000 cash for the big wave photo, $2,000 for the huck and hack video and a Costa Rica vacation package for the fan favorite.
Winners will be announced Nov. 12.