• Despite the presence of a large Church of Scientology tent in Hemming Plaza Friday, It was almost business as usual for the Downtown Farmer’s Market. Instead of operating in its usual spot in front of the Skyway Station, the market moved to the park’s upper level near JMOMA and the new Main Library.
• There’s a new face in the City’s General Counsel’s Office. Cindy Norgart, who clerked for the City earlier this year, started in the Land Use and Zoning division last week.
• After the first of the year, City Council member Suzanne Jenkins will hold a meeting with business and property owners on the Southbank to address various issues and concerns. Among the topics of discussion: the impact of the new highrise developments coming online.
• New face running for the Supervisor of Elections job: former Council member and State legislator Andy Johnson. Johnson, who currently has a political talk show on AM-970, qualified last Friday.
• Speaking of the upcoming special election, the cutoff to qualify is Tuesday at noon.
• State Sen. Tony Hill will announce today the formation of a commission to review the Duval County Sheriff’s Office procedures regarding the use of deadly force. Hill told Mayor John Peyton and Sheriff John Rutherford that his action was spurred by the recent deaths of two men in police custody.
• MPS Group Inc.’s legal workforce consultant unit, Special Counsel, will announce today an expansion to Miami and Tampa. The new additions give Special Counsel a presence in 30 market areas nationally.
• Nice reward for Duval County Republican Party Chair Mike Hightower. He dined with President Bush at the White House last week.
• New kid in town. The zoo had its first-ever birth of a koala.
• Players and coaches from the participating Gator Bowl teams will visit the Wolfson Children’s Hospital on Dec. 29.
• You think it was cold Sunday in Green
Bay when the Jaguars were beating the Packers 28-25? How about at 5:30 this morning? Those who weren’t on Sunday night’s team plane back to Jacksonville had only one choice if they were to get back home before tonight - a 5:30 a.m. plane.