• Incoming City Council president Lad Daniels plans to announce his Council committee chairs early next week.
• Trial lawyer Wayne Hogan decided that his profession was getting too much bashing from the business community and complained to Chamber chair Jim McCollum. The response? Get involved and tell your side of the story. So Hogan showed up Tuesday morning at the Chamber’s Government Affairs Committee only to be greeted by a presentation by a Florida Chamber executive, which, among other things, bashed trial lawyers. Acting committee chair Michael Stewart had to stop the ensuing debate.
• Though there were several fire trucks and rescue vehicles parked outside City Hall Tuesday morning, all was well. Fire personnel were conducting a safety inspection at the U.S. Courthouse.
• The new Sonic restaurant in Jacksonville Beach is now open. What’s not open anymore is the Texaco at the corner of Beach Boulevard and Third Street. All boarded up and no word on why or what will replace it.
• To help make life a little easier for local lawyers, the First District Court of Appeals has set up shop in the Duval County Courthouse this week. Although usually headquartered in Tallahassee, they make trips to Jacksonville a few times each year to hear cases. The judges return to Tallahassee Friday.
• City Council prez Jerry Holland is training for his second marathon these days. This one’s in October in Dublin, Ireland, and it’s for a good cause. He’s running on behalf of a leukemia patient and raising money in the process.
• The new arena may not be done, but the plaque for the June 26 dedication ceremony is ready. It’s in storage at Alltel Stadium, weighs about 100 pounds and has the names of the arena architects engraved on it.
• More shifting of personnel in Mayor John Delaney’s administration. Word is Director of Written Communications Maria Williams is heading to JTA in a community outreach position and mayoral liaison to City Council Mike Miller is also headed to JTA in a legislative capacity.
• After being closed for remodeling for several weeks, Bay Street Cafe owner Jimmy Batteh says he will reopen Tuesday.
• Christine Sasser, currently serving as Matt Carlucci’s aide, will stay with the Council when the new members are installed next month. She’ll be the aide to incoming Council member Kevin Hyde.
• Theatre Jacksonville has a new director of marketing, Staci Cobb. She took over in May.