• Circuit Court Judge Gerald Tjoflat has been keeping one eye on stalled judicial nominees in Congress and the other eye on the NCAA basketball tournament. Tjoflat, a Duke graduate, said he watched in person as his Blue Devils lost to Maryland in the ACC Tournament finals and predicted the team will reach at least the final four.
• Two representatives from Moody’s Investors Services will be visiting the City April 1 and taking a tour of the Better Jacksonville Plan projects. Moody’s is one of the most influential evaluators of municipal bonds and could save the city hundreds of thousands annually by rating the City as a better credit risk. One of the visitors is a 20-year acquaintance of new Chief Operating Officer Dan Kleman, but a doctor’s visit will keep Kleman from joining the tour.
• The City Council is getting its first official look this week at the proposed $13 million stadium maintenance agreement between the City and the Jaguars. The legislation was filed last Friday and the Council and its auditors will have this week to evaluate before it makes an appearance at next Monday’s Finance Committee meeting. Public hearings are scheduled for 10 a.m. April 19 and 20.
• Sheriff John Rutherford announced yesterday the opening of the Jacksonville Re-Entry Center. The center is designed to assist ex-offenders with their transition back into society.
• Communications Chief Susie Wiles said Selma Street will receive an honorary sign commemorating retired Fire Chief Miles Bowers.
• Bessent Hammack & Ruckman Inc., a Jacksonville-based engineering, planning, surveying and landscape architecture firm, gave away practice round tickets for The Players Championship at the Sawgrass Stadium Course this week. The seven tickets for Monday through Wednesday went to Pine Castle, a facility that provides support for Jacksonville’s developmentally disabled.
• Money and donations of nonperishable food items continue to come in for the Feed a Needy Neighbor campaign run by the Jewish Family and Community Services. The emergency food pantry fed more than 14,000 people in Jacksonville last year. Close to 20,000 people are expected to need the help this year. Those who want to donate to the campaign, which runs through April, should call Susan Lanahan at 394-5727.
• The 30 Firehouse restaurants in and around Jacksonville raised $5,144 in the Shamrocks Against Dystrophy campaign. The fund-raiser ran from Feb. 12 to St. Patrick’s Day.