• Could The Plaza at Berkman be getting a new restaurant to replace Portabella’s? Word is several have inquired about filling the location.
• Within the next few weeks, City Council committee meetings will be televised. A deal with Comcast was sealed with the help of Council member Sharon Copeland, who said the meetings will be shown on Ch. 29 between noon and 2 p.m. every day.
• Property Appraiser Jim Overton has been elected director of the Dist. 1 Board of Directors of the Florida Association of Property Appraisers, which is an association of elected property officials and members of their staffs.
• Firehouse Subs on West Adams Street is taking advantage of the warm spring weather. They’ve placed tables and chairs on the sidewalk for those who would like to dine outside.
• The law firm of Ford & Harrison has developed a new training program for its clients. The firm has created several mock trials for training employers on the importance of proper management to prevent lawsuits.
• The mayor’s office has asked Library spokesperson Stacie Bucher to prepare a briefing paper that details the library’s efforts to increase child and adult literacy.
• The mayor’s Parks Task Force will hold its first meeting April 30 at the Ribault Clubhouse on Ft. George Island. The group will discuss City parks and the Preservation Project and take a boat ride to Timucuan Preserve.
• Tallahassee wants a share of the 100,000 visitors expected to come to Jacksonville for the Super Bowl. The Tallahassee Convention and Visitors Bureau asked the Super Bowl Host Committee to be considered as an alternative place to stay once Jacksonville runs out of hotel rooms. The Host Committee responded that they would be happy to refer visitors to Tallahassee, once local accommodations are booked.
• The City Council Auditor’s office is taking a look at the City’s proposed stadium maintenance deal with the Jaguars. Early questions include how many seats and extra space the improvements will create. The auditors also want to know how much the City spends in a normal year on maintaining the stadium.
• Commuters using the Mathews Bridge this morning had a rough go of it. An overturned truck at the top of the span blocked east-bound traffic, detouring traffic to the Hart Bridge. Then, gawkers of the first accident caused a pile-up for west-bound traffic, creating back-ups almost to Regency Square on the Arlington Expressway.