• Ronnie Fussell and Ray Pringle have joined the race for the At-large City Council seat, which was held by Faye Rustin, who resigned to run for the Supervisor of Elections job. Fussell is a past president of the local builders association and president of a local development company. Pringle is pastor of the Calvary Chapel Church of God. They join Florida Coastal School of Law’s Eric Smith and City recreation department worker Tim Carter in the race.
• One week after being ordered to leave a City Council meeting for an angry exchange with Council member Pat Lockett-Felder, the president of the African American Contractors Association was back at City Hall. Jackie Brown and an associate formed a two-person picket line outside City Hall Monday morning and promised to return every day until the mayor agrees to change policies for hiring minority contractors and encouraging economic development in black neighborhoods.
• Lonnie Lamar Hair Salon has closed its Hogan Street location. The salon has moved to San Marco.
• The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra has teamed with The Salvation Army to collect donations for the Forgotten Angels toy program. The symphony is asking patrons to bring a new, unwrapped toy to the Holiday Pops concerts Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In exchange for the toy donation, donors will receive a voucher for two tickets to an upcoming symphony concert.
• Hogan Street was getting a landscape makeover Monday. Crews were busy installing new trees and bushes in the planters between West Forsyth and Monroe streets.